Ripley Castle Wedding Photographer
A 14th-century castle near Harrogate that hosted weddings until 2024, and a wedding there I still love.
Photographing weddings at Ripley Castle
Ripley Castle stands a few miles north of Harrogate, beside the estate village of Ripley. It has been in the Ingilby family since the early 1300s. For years its East Wing and estate offices were run as a wedding and events venue, with the lakes, gardens and deer park on the doorstep.
In June 2024 the family announced they were selling the estate, and all weddings from 2025 were cancelled. The estate was still on the market in early 2026, so as far as I know it isn’t taking weddings at the moment. I’ve kept this page as a record of what made it special.
I photographed Caroline and Michael’s spring wedding here, and it’s one I still love: a sunny morning in the village, a veil on the stairs and a hazy sunset by the lake.
About Ripley Castle
The estate came to Sir Thomas Ingilby in the early 1300s as part of Edeline Thweng’s dowry. The castle is Grade I listed, with a gatehouse finished in 1450 and a Tudor tower, and some of the Gunpowder plotters stayed here in 1605. Oliver Cromwell stayed the night after the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644, and a priest hole was discovered here in 1963.
Inside, the drawing rooms look out over the lakes and the deer park. Around the castle are walled gardens, a kitchen garden and listed garden pavilions. The village next door was rebuilt in the 19th century by Sir William Amcotts-Ingilby, modelled on a village in Alsace, with its own town hall in the style of a French hôtel de ville.
A wedding day at Ripley Castle
Caroline got ready at the Boar’s Head hotel in the village, in a room with floral curtains and a tall arched window, while Michael settled his cravat. A little girl came to inspect the bouquet, and Caroline paused at the top of the staircase with her veil falling down her back.
Later the grounds were glowing. The two of them sat on a bench under a huge old tree, with spring flowers along the garden wall. After the speeches we walked them down to the lake as the sun sank into a haze over the water. It was easy to see why they had chosen the castle.
Why couples chose Ripley Castle
- A real castle with a long history. More than seven centuries of one family’s story, from the gatehouse to the priest hole.
- The lake at sunset. Low light over the water gave some of the loveliest portraits I’ve taken near Harrogate.
- A village on the doorstep. Getting ready at the Boar’s Head kept the morning relaxed, with the castle a short way away.
- Everything in the grounds. Walled gardens, old trees and the lake meant beautiful backdrops without leaving the estate.
Looking for a castle wedding near Harrogate?
If you had your heart set on Ripley, Allerton Castle, a Gothic Revival mansion near Knaresborough, is the closest alternative I know. You can also browse my castle weddings, the Harrogate Sun Pavilion, or everything on my Harrogate wedding photography page.
Questions couples ask
Does Ripley Castle still host weddings?
Not at the moment, as far as I know. The family announced the sale of the estate in June 2024 and cancelled all weddings from 2025. If that changes, I’d love to photograph there again.
Where else near Harrogate suits a castle wedding?
Allerton Castle near Knaresborough is the nearest, with a hammer-beam Great Hall for the evening party. See my Allerton Castle page for more.
How much does a castle wedding photographer near Harrogate cost?
My full-day photography collection is £1,750 and full-day film is £1,500, with travel and accommodation included. See prices for what’s included.
Do you film weddings near Harrogate?
Yes, on their own or alongside photography. See my Yorkshire wedding videography.
Weddings at Ripley Castle
Nearby venues and areas
Planning a wedding elsewhere? See all my Yorkshire wedding photography or browse every venue I’ve photographed.
