The best locations for engagement and wedding photography in Bath
It's no secret that Bath, with its rolling hills and world-famous Georgian architecture, is a popular place to get married, regardless of where the bride and groom actually live. It has many stunning wedding venues which are ideal locations for photos of the wedding guests and the party in full swing.
But I also find that many couples approach me wanting to have photographs professionally taken of them in a range of the city's locations, either on the wedding day itself or during the run-up to the big day, which feature locations other than the party and event venues. Here are some locations which have proved most popular with my customers.
Alexandra Park
Shakespeare Ave, Bath BA2 4RQ Click here to see Alexandra Park in Google Maps
Bath is full of spectacular vistas, but this viewpoint has to be the best of the best. Set on a dramatic hillside, the park's north-east corner commands a wide panorama over central Bath, with Bath Abbey standing tall in the heart of the city. Road access is via Shakespeare Avenue in the Bear Flat area (up the A367 from the city centre). Or it's a steep but rewarding climb via Widcombe of Holloway up through the Beechen Cliff woods.
Wedding photography at Alexandra Park, Bath. Beata Cosgrove Photography
Prior Park
Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH Prior Park in Google Maps
Prior Park is an oasis of spectacular countryside just a mile from Bath city centre. Instantly recognisable with its landscaped lake and Palladian Bridge, it feels as though it was laid out 200 years ago with engagement photography in mind! Prior Park is owned and managed by the National Trust, and permission needs to be obtained prior to undertaking professional photography on the site. The most direct (and flattest!) access from central Bath is along Church Lane in Widcombe, but there is no parking, so a taxi is probably going to be your easiest way of getting to the Park. But it's definitely worth it!
Feel like a Jane Austen character in Bath's romantic Prior Park. Photo by Beata Cosgrove, reproduced with the permission of the National Trust
Royal Crescent
Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS Royal Crescent in Google Maps and the best view of the whole Royal Crescent from the lawns just uphill from Royal Avenue
The world-famous facade of Bath's Royal Crescent is an ideal backdrop for wedding and engagement photos. Because of the unusual shape of the building, the best vantage point if you want to get the whole building in is from the public lawn and footpath by Royal Avenue, where the photo here was taken.
Bride and groom in front of Bath's Royal Crescent, designed by John Wood the Younger, and built 1767-1774. Copyright Beata Cosgrove Photography
Bath Abbey
Bath BA1 1LT Bath Abbey in Google Maps
Regardless of whether your ceremony is in Bath Abbey or not, this magnificent gothic building looms large in central Bath. It's just a stone's throw away from the Guildhall and Victoria Art Gallery, which are two of the city's finest wedding venues, and so a short walk can be enough to guarantee that the abbey features in your photos too.
A happy couple on their big day outside Bath Abbey. Beata Cosgrove Photography
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If you're planning a wedding anywhere from Bath to Botswana, you might be interested to read my blog post on questions to ask your prospective wedding photographer before you engage them.
On my website, you'll also find other blogs featuring photos from weddings I've photographed, including this recent one.
You can also browse a selection of photos from Bath and Bristol in my main weddings gallery.
And do please feel free to contact me if you would like to ask for a quote for wedding, engagement or other photography work.