BISHOP’S PALACE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Wedding Photography at Bishops Palace Wedding & Events
Natural, documentary-led photography at an 800-year-old medieval palace in the heart of Wells, with 14 acres of gardens, historic interiors and views towards Wells Cathedral.
Table of Contents
Venue Information
Venue: The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens
Location: Wells, Somerset
Address: The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PD
Venue style: Historic medieval palace and wedding reception venue
History: Home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for more than 800 years
Setting: 14 acres of RHS Partner Gardens surrounded by a moat
Wedding ceremonies: The Palace itself is not currently licensed for civil wedding ceremonies
Reception space: Medieval Undercroft
Published wedding breakfast capacity: Up to 144 guests
Published evening capacity: Up to 155 guests in the Undercroft
Other spaces: Entrance Hall and Long Gallery
Photography experience: Three real weddings featured
Nearby ceremony options: Wells Town Hall, St Thomas’ Church and St Cuthbert’s Church
The Bishop’s Palace currently operates as a wedding reception venue rather than a licensed civil ceremony venue. Couples can hold their ceremony at one of several approved nearby locations before continuing the celebration at the Palace. Current capacities and wedding arrangements should always be confirmed directly with the venue.
A Bishop’s Palace Wedding Photographer
The Bishop’s Palace is one of those Somerset venues where you immediately know where you are when you look back through the photographs.
Sitting beside Wells Cathedral in the centre of England’s smallest city, the Palace has more than 800 years of history, a moat, medieval architecture and 14 acres of gardens surrounding it. The setting feels grand, but once guests are inside the grounds it can also feel surprisingly peaceful and relaxed.
I’ve photographed three weddings connected with The Bishop’s Palace so far: Charlie and Gareth, Iona and Will, and Beth and Tom. Those weddings have given me experience of couples arriving after ceremonies elsewhere in Wells and Somerset, drinks receptions around the gardens, portraits beside the moat and historic architecture, wedding breakfasts in the Palace and celebrations continuing into the evening.
That familiarity is particularly useful here because a Bishop’s Palace wedding often involves more than one location. The ceremony may happen elsewhere before everyone moves into the Palace, so keeping the photography relaxed while allowing enough time for travel, confetti, drinks and portraits becomes an important part of the day.
My approach is natural and documentary-led. I’ll help organise the parts that need a little direction, but most of the time I’m concentrating on the people, atmosphere and moments happening around you.
Real Weddings at Bishops Palace Wedding & Events
The weddings I’ve photographed here have all used the Palace slightly differently, which shows how much personality couples can bring to such a historic setting.
Charlie & Gareth
A relaxed Wells celebration combining historic architecture, beautiful gardens and plenty of natural moments throughout the day.
Iona & Will
An elegant Somerset celebration with relaxed portraits around the Palace grounds and plenty of candid moments with family and friends.
Beth & Tom
A joyful wedding beginning with a church ceremony before continuing at The Bishop’s Palace, with rain, beautiful gardens and one of the biggest confetti throws I’ve photographed.
A Medieval Wedding Venue in the Heart of Wells
The Bishop’s Palace has been home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for more than 800 years, making it one of the most historic wedding settings in Somerset.
Unlike a countryside venue hidden away from everything else, the Palace sits right in the centre of medieval Wells. Guests enter through the historic Market Place, pass beneath the Bishop’s Eye and continue across the drawbridge towards the Palace itself.
Once inside, though, the city quickly feels much further away.
The moat, lawns, mature trees and extensive gardens surround the Palace, while Wells Cathedral appears beyond parts of the grounds. This combination of historic architecture and green space creates loads of variety without requiring couples to travel elsewhere once the reception begins.
For photography, it means the gallery can move between grand medieval interiors, relaxed garden moments, water, stonework and views of one of Somerset’s most recognisable landmarks.
Wedding Ceremonies Near The Bishop’s Palace
One of the most important things to know when planning a wedding here is that The Bishop’s Palace itself is not currently licensed for civil ceremonies.
Instead, couples usually marry elsewhere before continuing their celebration at the Palace. The venue currently suggests several ceremony locations within easy reach, including:
Wells Town Hall
St Thomas’ Church
St Cuthbert’s Church
This can work really well because couples still get the experience of having a ceremony in the historic centre of Wells before moving into the private Palace grounds for the reception.
For photography, the only thing we need to think about is the transition between the two locations.
If the ceremony is within Wells itself, that movement can become part of the story rather than simply lost travel time. Guests walking through the historic streets, the couple arriving at the Palace and everyone gathering at the Gatehouse can all become part of the gallery.
Arriving at The Palace
Few wedding reception arrivals feel quite like entering The Bishop’s Palace.
Guests approach through the historic city, pass beneath the Bishop’s Eye and make their way towards the ancient Gatehouse and drawbridge before reaching the Palace grounds. That creates a natural sense of transition from the ceremony into the celebration. Rather than simply arriving at another reception room, guests are walking into somewhere with a completely different atmosphere.
For documentary photography, this part of the day can be brilliant. There are greetings at the entrance, first reactions to the setting, drinks appearing, people exploring the gardens and the couple finally getting the chance to relax after the ceremony. I like to photograph those moments as they happen rather than immediately pulling the couple away for portraits.
Drinks Receptions in the Gardens
The 14 acres of gardens are one of the biggest reasons The Bishop’s Palace works so well for wedding receptions.
Guests can gather on the lawns and terrace, walk around the gardens and enjoy the moat while remaining connected to the main Palace building. This gives the drinks reception a really relaxed feel.
I’m usually looking for:
Hugs and congratulations
Guests seeing the Palace for the first time
Friends catching up over drinks
Children exploring the gardens
Family members chatting by the moat
Natural photographs around the lawns
Reactions to entertainment
The smaller moments happening away from the main group
The gardens also provide plenty of room for family photographs without making the reception feel like it has stopped for a formal photo session.
Bishop’s Palace Wedding Photography
There is an enormous amount of photographic variety available once the reception begins. Photographs may include:
The ceremony at a nearby church or Wells venue
Guests walking through historic Wells
Arrival beneath the Bishop’s Eye
The Palace Gatehouse and drawbridge
Drinks on the terrace
Candid moments throughout the gardens
Family photographs on the lawns
Couple portraits beside the moat
Willow Bridge photographs
Wells Cathedral in the background
Seasonal flowers and garden areas
The historic Palace architecture
The medieval Undercroft dressed for dinner
Speeches and reactions
Time in the Long Gallery
First-dance and evening photographs
Having photographed several weddings here, I know that we do not need to use every corner of the estate just because it exists.
A short walk through a few carefully chosen parts of the gardens is usually enough to create a varied set of portraits before you get back to your guests.
Couple Photographs Around The Bishop’s Palace
The gardens offer far more variety than one obvious portrait location.
Depending on the time of year, weather and light, we might use the moat, mature trees, seasonal planting, Palace walls, lawns, Willow Bridge or quieter paths around the grounds.
The Palace itself can create more architectural photographs, while the gardens soften the gallery with greenery, flowers and water.
Beth and Tom’s portraits are a good example of how well the gardens can work even when the weather is changeable. We had soft afternoon light mixed with some rain, but the colour and greenery around the Palace still looked brilliant. Rather than waiting for completely perfect conditions, we used what the day gave us.
I generally keep this part of the wedding fairly short. I’ll give you enough guidance to feel comfortable, but the aim is to have a relaxed walk together rather than turn the Palace gardens into a long photoshoot.
The Moat, Gardens and Wells Cathedral Views
There are very few Somerset wedding venues where you can photograph a couple beside a medieval moat and then turn around to include Wells Cathedral in the wider landscape.
That sense of place is one of the things I like most about working here. The Palace’s gardens are RHS Partner Gardens and change considerably throughout the year, with seasonal borders, mature trees and the clear water surrounding the building creating different photographic opportunities from one wedding to another.
The Willow Bridge is another distinctive feature within the grounds, while parts of the gardens open up towards Wells Cathedral. I prefer to use these elements naturally rather than treating them as a checklist.
If the light looks best beside the moat, that is where we will go. If another part of the garden looks stronger at that moment, we can use that instead. The result should feel like your wedding at The Bishop’s Palace rather than a collection of photographs copied from somebody else’s day.
Wedding Breakfasts in the Undercroft
The medieval Undercroft is one of the most distinctive reception spaces at The Bishop’s Palace.
Its vaulted ceiling, stone columns and stained-glass windows create a completely different atmosphere from the bright gardens outside. The venue currently seats up to 144 guests here for the wedding breakfast, using long wooden banqueting tables that suit the historic scale of the room.
For photography, it creates loads of atmosphere during dinner and speeches. The room naturally becomes warmer as candles and evening lighting take over from daylight, while the long tables mean reactions can be happening in every direction.
During speeches, I’m not only watching the person holding the microphone. I’m looking for the couple reacting, parents becoming emotional, friends laughing at familiar stories and all those expressions that help tell the wider story of what is being said.
The Long Gallery and Evening Celebrations
After speeches and the wedding breakfast, guests can move into the Long Gallery while the Undercroft is transformed for the evening. This gives the day a natural change of pace.
The Long Gallery offers a more informal space for tea, coffee and conversations while the evening setup takes place downstairs.
Once everyone returns to the Undercroft, the room feels completely different. The same medieval space that hosted dinner becomes the setting for the first dance, live music or DJ and the evening party.
That transition gives the final gallery plenty of variety without ever needing to move the celebration away from the Palace.
What Happens if It Rains?
A wet wedding day does not remove what makes The Bishop’s Palace special.
The Palace has substantial historic interiors, including the medieval entrance hall, Undercroft and Long Gallery, so there is still plenty of character when guests need to remain inside. The venue itself highlights the Entrance Hall and its large fireplace as a particularly atmospheric option in colder or wetter months.
For photographs, short breaks in the weather can also be enough. Because the moat, gardens and Palace architecture are all close together, we do not need an hour of sunshine. Ten dry minutes may be plenty for a few portraits before everyone heads back inside.
Beth and Tom’s wedding included both rain and softer afternoon light, and the gardens still gave us loads to work with. The plan is always to adapt rather than let the forecast dictate the whole celebration.
A Relaxed Bishop’s Palace Wedding Photography Timeline
Because the ceremony usually happens elsewhere, a Bishop’s Palace wedding day works slightly differently from an all-in-one venue.
A typical day might look something like this:
Ceremony
The entrance, vows, reactions and first moments as a married couple at your chosen church or licensed ceremony venue.
Drinks Reception
Candid photographs throughout the gardens while everyone enjoys the setting.
Confetti and Congratulations
Confetti outside the ceremony location, followed by hugs and natural photographs before leaving for Wells.
Group Photographs
A concise selection of family and wedding-party photographs using the Palace or gardens as the backdrop.
Wedding Breakfast and Speeches
Photographs inside the medieval Undercroft, including all the reactions around the tables.
Arrival at The Bishop’s Palace
Photographs as you and your guests arrive through the historic entrance and settle into the Palace grounds.
Couple Photographs
A relaxed ten or fifteen-minute walk through a few areas of the gardens.
Long Gallery and Evening Celebrations
Time with guests while the Undercroft is transformed, followed by the first dance and party.
Autumn and Winter Weddings
The Bishop’s Palace does not rely on summer gardens to feel special.
During autumn and winter, the historic interiors become an even bigger part of the experience.
The venue describes the Entrance Hall with its roaring fire as a particularly welcoming setting in colder months, while candlelight works beautifully against the stone and vaulted ceilings of the Undercroft. Outside, the gardens continue to have colour and structure through the cooler seasons, while the moat, waterfall and Palace architecture remain available all year.
Photographically, winter simply means working slightly differently. Portraits may happen earlier because daylight disappears sooner, while the interiors, candles and evening atmosphere become a bigger part of the gallery.
How I Photograph Weddings at The Bishop’s Palace
My approach is relaxed, candid and documentary-led.
A venue this impressive does not need to be turned into a staged editorial photoshoot for the photographs to feel special. The architecture and gardens are already there. My job is to use them while keeping the focus on the wedding happening within them.
Having photographed three celebrations here means I understand that the reception often begins after a ceremony somewhere else, so the day needs to flow slightly differently from a venue where everyone has been onsite since the morning.
I’ll help organise family photographs and give you some simple direction for portraits, but most of my time is spent photographing guests exploring the gardens, reactions during speeches, conversations by the moat and everything happening naturally around you.
The Palace provides the history and setting. The people provide the story.
Planning Your Wedding Reception at The Bishop’s Palace?
The Bishop’s Palace is a brilliant choice for couples who want a wedding reception with genuine history, beautiful gardens and one of the most distinctive settings in Somerset.
The medieval architecture, moat, RHS Partner Gardens and views towards Wells Cathedral give the photographs loads of variety, while the Undercroft creates an incredible atmosphere once everyone comes together for dinner and the evening celebrations.
Having photographed several weddings here, I understand how a Palace reception fits around a ceremony elsewhere and how to make the most of the gardens without turning the day into a long photoshoot.
If you are planning your wedding reception at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells, I’d love to hear what you have in mind.
What 3 Words for Bishop’s Palace Wedding & Events
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FAQs About About Bishop’s Palace Wedding & Events
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Yes. I’ve photographed three weddings connected with The Bishop’s Palace so far: Charlie and Gareth, Iona and Will, and Beth and Tom.
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The Palace is not currently licensed for civil wedding ceremonies. Couples usually marry nearby before holding their reception at the Palace.
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The venue currently recommends several approved premises within walking distance, including Wells Town Hall, St Thomas’ Church and St Cuthbert’s Church.
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Wells Cathedral has its own marriage requirements and arrangements, so couples interested in marrying there should contact the Cathedral directly.
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The Palace currently publishes capacity for up to 144 guests for the wedding breakfast and up to 155 for the evening reception.
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The Palace gardens offer plenty of options, including the moat, Willow Bridge, lawns, seasonal planting, historic architecture and views towards Wells Cathedral.
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No. Around ten or fifteen minutes is usually enough to use several nearby areas of the gardens, with the option of another short walk later if the light looks particularly good.
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The Palace has several atmospheric indoor spaces, including the Entrance Hall, Undercroft and Long Gallery. We can also make use of short dry periods for outdoor photographs.
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Yes. The Palace actively hosts autumn and winter weddings, with historic interiors, fireplaces, candlelight and year-round gardens giving the venue plenty of atmosphere outside the summer months.
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There is no general onsite parking at The Bishop’s Palace. Guests should use parking within Wells and follow the latest travel guidance provided by the venue.
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Yes. The Palace sits directly beside Wells Market Place and Wells Cathedral in the historic centre of the city.
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Full-day coverage works particularly well when you want preparations and the ceremony photographed before moving to The Bishop’s Palace for the reception. Because the day may involve multiple locations, it is useful to build enough travel time into the photography plan.