The Best Edinburgh Wedding Venues
Looking for the best Edinburgh wedding venues? We’ve photographed more than 500 weddings in Edinburgh since 2006, giving us first-hand experience of many of the best places to get married in the city and within easy reach of it — from intimate Old Town ceremonies and luxury hotels to historic buildings, country estates and spectacular castles.
We’re Jonathon and Claire, Edinburgh-born wedding photographers, and this guide is based on what we’ve learned from actually photographing weddings at these venues. We’ve seen them in summer sunshine, dark winter afternoons and plenty of classic Edinburgh rain, so we’ll share not only what makes each venue beautiful, but what they’re really like on a wedding day.
If you’re still at the early planning stage, you’ll find more practical help in our Wedding Advice Hub, or take a look at our guide to the best wedding photography locations in Edinburgh if great locations for your photographs are an important part of choosing your venue.
Photographed across the city
Photographing weddings since 2006
husband-and-wife photography team
Our Experience Photographing Edinburgh Wedding Venues
After 20 years and more than 500 Edinburgh weddings, we’ve learned that choosing a venue isn’t simply about finding somewhere that looks amazing online. Light, weather, guest numbers, ceremony rooms, nearby photography locations and how the day flows can all make a surprisingly big difference.
Some venues have become almost second homes to us. We’ve photographed 166 weddings at Edinburgh City Chambers, 42 at the George Hotel, 30 at Prestonfield House, 26 at The Caledonian Edinburgh, 25 at Mansfield Traquair, 25 at The Balmoral Hotel, 20 at Edinburgh Castle, 14 at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and 12 at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
At venues around Edinburgh and across the Lothians, we’ve also photographed 36 weddings at Norton House Hotel, 30+ at Dunglass Estate, 30+ at Dalhousie Castle, 25 at Carlowrie Castle and 20 at Dundas Castle.
Those aren’t estimates or rankings based on which venues we prefer. They’re weddings we’ve actually photographed. That experience gives us a pretty unusual perspective on how these venues work in real life — where the light is best, what works when it rains, where family photographs are easiest and which locations give you beautiful portraits without disappearing from your guests for ages.
How We’ve Chosen the Venues in This Guide
The venues we’ve included range from luxury city-centre hotels and historic Edinburgh landmarks to castles and country houses, intimate venues, outdoor settings, unusual spaces and traditional churches.
Rather than ranking venues from “best” to “worst”, we’ve grouped them by the kind of wedding couples are typically planning — from city-centre hotels and historic venues to castles and country houses, intimate celebrations, outdoor weddings, alternative spaces and traditional churches. The right venue depends on your guest numbers, priorities, budget and, ultimately, how you want your wedding day to feel.
Every venue in this guide is somewhere we’ve photographed a wedding ourselves, and the photographs you’ll see are our own. We’ll share what we’ve learned from working at each venue, with links to our real weddings and detailed venue photography guides where we have them, so you can see what these places genuinely look like on a wedding day.
Explore Edinburgh’s Best Wedding Venues
Not sure where to start? Browse Edinburgh wedding venues by the kind of celebration you’re planning — from luxury city hotels and historic venues to castles, intimate weddings, outdoor ceremonies, alternative spaces and traditional churches.
Quick Edinburgh Wedding Venue Finder
Use this quick comparison to jump straight to the type of venue that best matches your plans:
| If you’re looking for… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| Luxury, guest accommodation and a central location | Luxury Hotels & City-Centre Wedding Venues |
| Historic architecture and unmistakable Edinburgh character | Historic Edinburgh Wedding Venues |
| Privacy, extensive grounds and more space | Castles, Country Houses & Estates |
| A relaxed wedding with fewer guests | Small, Intimate & Elopement Wedding Venues |
| Greenery and outdoor ceremony possibilities | Garden & Outdoor Wedding Venues |
| Something less traditional or more atmospheric | Alternative & Unusual Edinburgh Wedding Venues |
| A traditional religious ceremony | Churches, Kirks & Chapels |
You don’t need to fit neatly into one category, of course. Some of the best options overlap — Prestonfield, for example, gives you the atmosphere of a country house while remaining remarkably close to central Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Wedding Venues Map
Use the interactive map below to explore the Edinburgh wedding venues featured in this guide.
Click any venue name in the list to zoom in on its location, or use Jump to venue ↓ to go straight to our notes and photographs further down the page.
Luxury Hotels & City-Centre Wedding Venues
Best for couples who want the convenience of a central Edinburgh location, guest accommodation and easy access to the city for photographs. These venues range from grand five-star hotels to smaller New Town properties, so they can suit anything from an intimate celebration to a large luxury wedding.
If you or your guests are staying overnight, it’s also worth factoring Edinburgh’s 5% Visitor Levy into accommodation costs; it applies to paid stays within the city and is charged on the first five nights.
The Balmoral Hotel
We’ve photographed 25 weddings at The Balmoral Hotel, making it one of the Edinburgh wedding hotels we know best. Its location at the meeting point of the Old and New Towns gives couples an unusual amount of variety, from the hotel’s grand interiors to unmistakably Edinburgh city portraits just a short walk away.
Having photographed weddings here in different seasons, weather and timelines, we know how to work efficiently both inside and outside the hotel. That’s particularly useful when the weather changes quickly or portrait time is limited — we can choose locations that work on the day without taking you away from your guests for long.
The Caledonian Edinburgh
We’ve photographed 26 weddings at The Caledonian Edinburgh, giving us extensive first-hand experience of one of the city’s best-known luxury wedding hotels. Its position at the west end of Princes Street gives couples easy access to Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens and the surrounding city-centre streets for portraits.
Having photographed weddings here in very different seasons and weather conditions, we know how to make the most of both the hotel interiors and the nearby outdoor locations. That flexibility is especially useful when Edinburgh weather changes quickly, or there’s only a short window for portraits.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George
We’ve photographed 42 weddings at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, making it one of the Edinburgh city-centre venues we know better than almost any other. Its George Street location puts the elegant New Town immediately outside the door, giving couples plenty of portrait options without needing to travel far from their guests.
After 42 weddings here, we know how the hotel, surrounding streets and nearby photography locations work in very different light, weather and timelines. That experience is especially useful when time is tight, or Edinburgh weather forces us to change the plan quickly.
View our handy guide to getting married at the George Hotel here →
Apex Grassmarket Hotel
Apex Grassmarket Hotel puts you right in the middle of Edinburgh’s Old Town, with one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks — Edinburgh Castle — towering above the Grassmarket.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the location is a real advantage. Victoria Street, the Royal Mile and the surrounding closes are all nearby, so we can create plenty of variety in your photographs without turning portrait time into a lengthy trip around Edinburgh.
View our Apex Grassmarket Hotel wedding photography →
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel is a convenient city-centre option at the eastern end of Princes Street, making it particularly handy for couples who want their ceremony, reception and accommodation together in central Edinburgh.
Having photographed weddings here, we also like the flexibility its location gives us. The Old Town and New Town offer very different photographic backdrops within a relatively small area, which is useful when you want some unmistakably Edinburgh portraits without losing a big chunk of your wedding day.
See our Apex Waterloo Place Hotel wedding photography →
The Edinburgh Grand
The Edinburgh Grand is a great choice for smaller city-centre weddings and celebrations, particularly for couples getting married at nearby Edinburgh City Chambers. We’ve photographed several weddings here and know how well the combination can work: ceremony in the Old Town followed by a relaxed celebration in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town.
Its central location also gives us plenty of photo options without a complicated schedule. And if Edinburgh’s weather isn’t cooperating, our experience photographing inside The Edinburgh Grand means we already know how to make good use of the building rather than relying entirely on outdoor portraits.
See our Edinburgh Grand wedding photography guide →
The Glasshouse
The Glasshouse offers something unusual for a city-centre Edinburgh wedding: extensive rooftop gardens tucked away above the streets surrounding Calton Hill.
Having photographed weddings here, we particularly like the contrast between the contemporary hotel, outdoor space and its central Edinburgh setting. It gives couples useful photographic variety without needing to travel elsewhere — and having both indoor and outdoor options is never a bad thing when you’re planning a wedding in Scotland.
The Royal Scots Club Edinburgh
The Royal Scots Club offers a more traditional alternative to Edinburgh’s larger city-centre hotels, with a Georgian townhouse setting and rooms that can work for both intimate celebrations and considerably larger weddings. Its New Town location puts you among some of the city’s finest Georgian streets while still giving the wedding a feeling of being tucked away from the busiest parts of Edinburgh.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and that combination works particularly well for couples who want relaxed city portraits without adding lots of travel to their wedding-day timeline.
The Scotsman Hotel
The Scotsman Hotel sits between Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, putting some of the city’s most recognisable streets and architecture within easy reach. Inside, its darker, characterful interiors give photographs a very different atmosphere from Edinburgh’s brighter modern hotels.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves and particularly like the flexibility the location gives us. The Royal Mile and Old Town are nearby for outdoor portraits, while the hotel itself gives us useful options when Edinburgh’s weather has other plans.
Explore our Scotsman Hotel wedding photography →
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh puts you right in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, with Victoria Street, the Royal Mile and some of our favourite city photography locations just minutes away.
We’ve photographed weddings at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh ourselves, and from a photography point of view, its Old Town location is one of its biggest advantages. We can combine the hotel’s character with unmistakably Edinburgh portraits around Victoria Street, the Royal Mile and the surrounding closes without adding much travel to your timeline — especially if you’d rather spend your wedding day celebrating with your guests than disappearing for a lengthy photoshoot.
See our Virgin Hotels Edinburgh wedding photography →
Historic Edinburgh Wedding Venues
Best for couples who want a wedding with unmistakable Edinburgh character, historic architecture and a strong sense of place. These venues range from iconic landmarks and grand halls to intimate Old Town buildings, with many offering excellent indoor photography options and easy access to the city outside.
Edinburgh Castle
We’ve photographed 20 weddings at Edinburgh Castle, giving us substantial first-hand experience of what it’s really like to photograph a wedding inside one of Edinburgh’s busiest and most famous landmarks. Ceremonies, visitors, access, weather and moving between locations all need a little more thought here than at a conventional wedding venue.
That experience helps us work efficiently around the Castle while still making the most of its extraordinary setting. The historic interiors, ramparts and views across Edinburgh already provide plenty of variety, while the Royal Mile gives us additional Old Town options when the timeline allows.
See this magical day at Edinburgh Castle →
Mansfield Traquair
We’ve photographed 25 weddings at Mansfield Traquair, so we know this extraordinary Edinburgh venue extremely well. Its huge main hall, murals, high ceilings and dramatic architecture give it a completely different atmosphere from the city’s hotels and smaller historic venues.
One of its biggest strengths is that so much of the wedding can happen in one spectacular space, while the surrounding streets give us additional options when you want a few outdoor portraits. After 25 weddings here, we know how to work with the building’s scale, low light, and changing atmosphere throughout the day.
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
We’ve photographed 12 weddings at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, giving us first-hand experience of ceremonies, receptions and portraits throughout its historic Queen Street rooms and gardens.
One of the venue’s biggest strengths is the variety available without travelling anywhere else. The grand staircase, New Library, Cullen Suite and Great Hall all photograph very differently, while private access to Queen Street Gardens gives couples a valuable outdoor option right in the city centre.
Explore our Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh wedding photography guide →
George Heriot’s School
George Heriot’s School is one of Edinburgh’s most distinctive historic wedding settings, with its quadrangle, stone architecture and extraordinary position beneath Edinburgh Castle giving it a character all of its own.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the architecture provides plenty of photographic variety within the grounds, with Edinburgh Castle creating an extraordinary backdrop just beyond the quadrangle. Heriot’s is still a working school, though, so venue hire has to fit around school hours and events rather than operating like a conventional wedding venue.
Explore our George Heriot’s School wedding photography →
Riddle’s Court
Hidden just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, Riddle’s Court is a fantastic option for couples who want an intimate historic venue right in the heart of the Old Town. Its rooms have loads of character, while the location puts some of Edinburgh’s best-known streets, closes and historic architecture literally outside the door.
From a wedding photography point of view, that’s a huge advantage. You don’t need to travel across Edinburgh for variety — a short walk can give you very different photographs before you’re back celebrating with your guests. Having photographed here ourselves, we particularly love that mix of historic interiors and immediate access to the Old Town.
Surgeons Quarter at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Surgeons Quarter at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is a wonderfully distinctive historic wedding setting, combining impressive interiors with a central location close to the Old Town.
One big photographic advantage is the mix of indoor spaces and easy access to nearby city locations. That gives us options if the weather changes, while still letting couples make the most of Edinburgh when conditions are good — without spending a huge chunk of the wedding day travelling around.
The Signet Library
The Signet Library is one of Edinburgh’s most distinctive city-centre wedding venues. The Lower Library and spectacular Upper Library give you two very different spaces within the same building, with grand columns, staircases, and architecture creating plenty of opportunities for indoor photos.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and one thing we particularly like is how much variety you can create without travelling anywhere. If you’d also like some relaxed Old Town portraits, step through the front door, and you’re right beside the Royal Mile, with closes, historic streets and some brilliant Edinburgh photography locations only minutes away.
Castles, Country Houses & Estates in and Around Edinburgh
Best for couples who want more space, privacy and a sense of occasion, with many of these venues offering extensive grounds, accommodation and the option to keep the whole wedding in one place. They range from historic castles to elegant country houses and larger exclusive-use estates.
Prestonfield House
We’ve photographed 30 weddings at Prestonfield House, giving us extensive first-hand experience of one of Edinburgh’s most distinctive luxury wedding venues. Although it’s only a short distance from the city centre, the house, gardens and secluded grounds make it feel much more like a country-estate wedding.
Having photographed Prestonfield weddings throughout different seasons and weather conditions, we know which parts of the house and grounds work best at different times of day. That means we can create plenty of variety without taking you away from your guests or relying on one particular outdoor location.
Check out our page, which features everything you need to know about Prestonfield House →
Dunglass Estate
We’ve photographed 30+ weddings at Dunglass Estate, giving us extensive first-hand experience of this beautiful East Lothian venue. Its combination of the historic church, modern Pavilion, landscaped grounds, and coastal setting gives couples plenty of variety while keeping the whole wedding in one place. We’re also a recommended photographer at Dunglass, and we created many of the wedding photographs on the venue’s own website.
Having photographed Dunglass weddings in different seasons and weather conditions, we know how to use the estate efficiently — from ceremonies and family photographs to portraits around the grounds — without turning the day into a lengthy photoshoot.
Norton House Hotel
We’ve photographed 36 weddings at Norton House Hotel, making it one of the venues around Edinburgh where we have the most first-hand experience. Its country-house setting, extensive grounds and dedicated wedding spaces give couples plenty of variety while keeping the whole day conveniently in one place.
After photographing Norton House weddings in different seasons, weather conditions and timelines, we know which parts of the venue work particularly well for portraits and family photographs. That experience also helps when plans need to change quickly because of rain, light or timings.
Dalhousie Castle
We’ve photographed 30+ weddings at Dalhousie Castle, giving us extensive first-hand experience of this historic castle venue in different seasons, weather conditions and wedding-day timelines.
One of Dalhousie’s strengths is the variety available without leaving the grounds. The castle interiors, chapel, gardens and woodland all give photographs a different feel, so we can adapt quickly if the weather or light changes rather than relying on one particular location.
Carlowrie Castle
We’ve photographed 25 weddings at Carlowrie Castle, giving us extensive first-hand experience of this exclusive-use venue just outside Edinburgh. The combination of the castle interiors, landscaped grounds and surrounding estate gives couples plenty of photographic variety without needing to leave the venue.
Having photographed Carlowrie weddings in different seasons and weather conditions, we know how to use both the indoor and outdoor spaces efficiently. That means we can adapt quickly to the light, weather and timeline rather than relying on one particular portrait location.
View our fabulous Carlowrie Castle weddings here →
Dundas Castle
We’ve photographed 20 weddings at Dundas Castle, giving us substantial first-hand experience of this exclusive-use estate near Edinburgh. The castle, historic rooms, courtyard, and extensive grounds give couples plenty of variety while keeping the whole wedding in one place.
Having photographed Dundas weddings in different seasons, weather conditions and timelines, we know how to use the venue efficiently without turning portrait time into a tour of the estate. That flexibility is especially useful when the weather changes or you have only a short window for photographs.
Everything you need to know about getting married at Dundas Castle is here →
Borthwick Castle
Borthwick Castle is one of the most dramatic castle wedding venues within easy reach of Edinburgh. We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the 15th-century interiors give the day a real sense of occasion — from the atmospheric Garrison and State Room to the impressive Great Hall.
Photographically, one of its strengths is how different the castle feels inside and out. The stone interiors are wonderfully atmospheric, while the surrounding countryside gives us space for relaxed portraits with the castle itself in the background. Knowing the building also helps enormously with a venue like this, where spiral staircases, thick stone walls and changing light make it very different from photographing a modern hotel.
Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club gives couples the space and greenery of a country wedding while remaining within easy reach of Edinburgh. Its extensive grounds mean there’s plenty of scope for outdoor photographs without leaving the venue.
We’ve photographed weddings at Dalmahoy ourselves, and the size of the estate gives us plenty of useful options. The staircase at the rear of the house works particularly well for larger family groups, while the golf course, parkland and areas around the water give us very different portrait locations. Knowing which parts are worth using means we can get that variety without spending half your wedding disappearing around the grounds.
Hopetoun House
Hopetoun House gives you the scale and setting of a grand country-house wedding while remaining within easy reach of Edinburgh. The house, sweeping grounds and views towards the Firth of Forth give us a huge amount of photographic variety, so there’s little reason to leave the estate once your wedding is underway.
We’ve photographed weddings at Hopetoun House ourselves, and a venue of this scale benefits from knowing how to use it efficiently. Rather than disappearing for a huge photoshoot, we can choose locations that work with the light, weather and timeline on the day and get you back to your guests.
Compare Hopetoun House with other wedding venues near Edinburgh →
Melville Castle
Melville Castle offers the feel of a country-house wedding surrounded by grounds and woodland while remaining conveniently close to Edinburgh.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves and know there’s much more photographic variety than you might expect without leaving the estate. The Grand Staircase and characterful interiors work well indoors, while outside we’ve used the lawns, woodland paths and areas around the River North Esk for relaxed portraits — useful flexibility when the light, weather or timeline changes.
Small, Intimate & Elopement Wedding Venues
Best for couples planning a smaller celebration, city elopement or relaxed wedding with fewer guests. These venues tend to work especially well when you want the day to feel personal and uncomplicated, with less emphasis on filling a large traditional function space.
Edinburgh City Chambers
We’ve photographed 166 weddings at Edinburgh City Chambers, more than at any other venue in Edinburgh. We’ve covered everything from two-person elopements to larger ceremonies with family and friends, so we know the rooms, timings and practicalities exceptionally well.
Its Old Town location is one of its biggest advantages. Step outside, and the Royal Mile, Victoria Street and dozens of historic closes are within easy walking distance, giving couples plenty of unmistakably Edinburgh photographs without needing a car or a lengthy photoshoot. We’re also proud to be an officially recommended photographer at Edinburgh City Chambers.
Review our City Chambers photography pricing and explore the venue here →
The Bonham Hotel
The Bonham Hotel is a lovely option for a more intimate Edinburgh hotel wedding, tucked into the elegant streets of the city’s West End rather than sitting directly on one of the busiest tourist routes.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and its location gives us a different side of Edinburgh to work with — Georgian architecture, quieter New Town streets and plenty of opportunities for relaxed portraits close to the hotel. It’s particularly well suited to couples who want a stylish, smaller-scale city wedding.
Explore our Bonham Hotel wedding photography →
The Roseate Edinburgh
The Roseate Edinburgh is a lovely option for couples who want the comfort and style of a luxury hotel without the scale of one of Edinburgh’s big city-centre venues. Set across elegant Victorian townhouses in the West End, it feels particularly well suited to intimate weddings where the day can remain relaxed and personal.
We’ve photographed a wedding here ourselves, and one thing we really liked was the variety within a relatively compact setting — characterful interiors, lovely window light, the garden and plenty of quieter spaces for photographs without disappearing from your guests. Its West End location also gives the day a rather different feel from a Royal Mile or Princes Street wedding.
100 Princes Street
100 Princes Street is an intimate five-star boutique hotel in Edinburgh’s New Town, directly opposite Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens. Its smaller scale makes it particularly suited to couples planning a more intimate city-centre wedding.
We photographed a wedding in this building when it operated as the Royal Over-Seas League, before it became the current hotel. While the interiors have changed, the location remains a real photographic advantage, with Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh Castle views and the surrounding city centre all within easy reach.
Orocco Pier
Orocco Pier offers something quite different from a city-centre Edinburgh wedding, with its South Queensferry location giving you views across the Forth and the bridges as part of the setting.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the waterfront location gives the photographs a completely different character from our Old Town and New Town weddings. It’s a great option for couples who want a relaxed celebration close to Edinburgh, with water, shoreline, and those unmistakable Forth views right outside.
Explore our Orocco Pier wedding photography →
Elopement Photography in Edinburgh
Planning something smaller? Edinburgh is brilliant for elopements, with historic ceremony spaces, incredible Old Town streets and wild landscapes all surprisingly close together.
We’ve photographed everything from two-person Edinburgh elopements to intimate celebrations with a handful of family and friends. Having photographed more than 500 weddings across the city, we know how to build a relaxed route around your ceremony, the available time, the weather and the places you’d genuinely love to visit — without turning your elopement into an all-day photoshoot.
Check out one of our favourite elopements here →
Explore our Edinburgh elopement photography and planning guide →
Garden & Outdoor Wedding Venues
Best for couples who want nature, greenery and outdoor space to play a big part in the day. These venues can feel wonderfully relaxed and distinctive, but it’s worth thinking carefully about weather plans, seasonal changes and what indoor options are available if conditions turn.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
We’ve photographed 14 weddings at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, giving us first-hand experience of ceremonies, receptions and portraits across the Garden in very different seasons and weather conditions.
One of the Botanics’ biggest strengths is how much it changes throughout the year. Spring blossom, summer greenery, autumn colour, and winter light can make the same locations look completely different, so we choose photography spots based on what works best on the actual wedding day rather than following the same route every time.
Explore our Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding photography guide →
St Anthony’s Chapel Ruins, Holyrood Park
St Anthony’s Chapel Ruins are about as far removed from a traditional hotel wedding as you can get. Sitting above Holyrood Park with dramatic views across Edinburgh, the ruins suit adventurous elopements and tiny outdoor ceremonies.
We’ve photographed couples around this part of Edinburgh many times, and it’s worth remembering that the spectacular setting comes with practical considerations too — weather, wind, footwear and the walk to the ruins all need thinking about. If you’re planning to hold your ceremony here rather than simply visit for photographs, it’s also worth checking the current Holyrood Park permission requirements with Historic Environment Scotland. For the right couple, though, that’s all part of the adventure.
See our St Anthony’s Chapel elopement photography →
Alternative & Unusual Edinburgh Wedding Venues
Best for couples who want something with more personality than a traditional hotel or country house. These venues stand out for their atmosphere, setting, or format — from dramatic former churches and underground spaces to restaurant-led celebrations and genuinely unconventional locations.
Ghillie Dhu
Ghillie Dhu is very different from Edinburgh’s traditional wedding hotels. The former church setting creates a dramatic backdrop, while its West End location makes it particularly convenient for couples wanting a proper city-centre celebration.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the venue really comes into its own when the evening celebrations begin. Photographing a dark, atmospheric space like this is very different from working in a bright hotel ballroom — and knowing how to work with that atmosphere rather than trying to remove it is part of what makes the photographs feel like Ghillie Dhu.
See our Ghillie Dhu wedding photography →
Timberyard
Timberyard is a great choice for couples who care as much about food and atmosphere as they do about having a traditional wedding venue. The former warehouse setting feels relaxed and distinctive, with exclusive hire currently working for around 20–75 guests for a seated celebration, so it’s particularly well suited to smaller Edinburgh weddings where food is a big part of the day.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and its central location means couples can combine that intimate restaurant atmosphere with portraits around Edinburgh if they’d like them — without spending a large part of the day travelling between locations.
The Rowantree
Hidden beneath Edinburgh’s Old Town, The Rowantree is a wonderfully atmospheric option for a smaller, less conventional city wedding. Its stone-vaulted interior feels completely different from Edinburgh’s hotels and grand historic venues, and it currently suits weddings of around 50–70 daytime guests, with room for up to 110 in the evening.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and its location is a big advantage. Step outside and you’re immediately in the Old Town, giving us access to historic streets and closes for portraits before returning to your guests without wasting loads of time travelling around the city.
Explore our Rowantree Edinburgh wedding photography →
Mansion House Edinburgh Zoo
The Mansion House at Edinburgh Zoo offers something rather different from a typical city-centre Edinburgh wedding venue. You get the character of the historic house, extensive outdoor surroundings and, of course, the rather unusual experience of celebrating your wedding in the middle of Edinburgh Zoo.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and one of the useful things about the Mansion House is how the different parts of the day can flow without sending everyone across the zoo. Ceremonies are typically held in the MacMillan Room, while the oak-panelled Geddes and Gillespie rooms open directly onto the gardens for the reception. You can also use the zoo itself as a completely different backdrop if you want something a little less conventional for your photographs.
See our Mansion House Edinburgh Zoo wedding photography guide →
Churches, Kirks & Chapels
Best for couples who want a traditional religious ceremony or a historic place of worship with a strong sense of occasion. These venues vary enormously in scale and atmosphere, from intimate chapels to large city churches and cathedrals, so guest numbers, ceremony style and photography restrictions are all worth considering.
Colinton Parish Church
Colinton Parish Church gives couples a much greener, quieter setting than you’d expect within Edinburgh. We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and the surrounding area is particularly useful for relaxed post-ceremony photos without needing to travel elsewhere immediately.
The nearby Water of Leith and village surroundings also give this part of Edinburgh a very different photographic character from the Old Town and city-centre venues elsewhere in this guide.
Cramond Kirk
Cramond Kirk is a historic Edinburgh church with a peaceful village setting close to the coast. For couples who want a traditional church ceremony without the busy city-centre surroundings, it offers a very different feel from Edinburgh’s Old Town churches.
We’ve photographed weddings here and particularly like the combination of the kirk, greenery and surrounding Cramond area for photographs. It gives us plenty to work with while keeping portrait time relaxed and close to the ceremony.
Greenbank Church
Greenbank Church is a welcoming south Edinburgh option for couples planning a traditional church ceremony. We particularly love its bright interior photographically, especially compared with some of the considerably darker historic churches we’ve worked in over the years.
Having photographed weddings here ourselves, we know how the church works during a real ceremony and how to make the most of the available light while remaining unobtrusive.
Liberton Kirk
Liberton Kirk sits on Edinburgh’s south side and offers couples a traditional church setting away from the busiest parts of the city centre.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, so we know the church and how a ceremony flows photographically. For us, that’s important: church wedding photography isn’t about constantly moving around looking for angles, but knowing where to be so we can capture the important moments without becoming part of the ceremony ourselves.
St Cuthbert’s Church
Sitting beneath Edinburgh Castle at the west end of Princes Street Gardens, St Cuthbert’s Church has one of the most distinctive locations of any church in central Edinburgh.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and that location opens up plenty of possibilities afterwards. Princes Street Gardens, the West End, and Edinburgh’s historic centre are all close by, so couples can capture recognisable Edinburgh photos without a complicated journey between locations.
Explore our St Cuthbert’s Church wedding photography →
St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral
St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral gives couples the scale and atmosphere of a traditional cathedral wedding right in the heart of central Edinburgh. The Gothic architecture, long aisle and stained glass create a dramatic setting, but for us the important part is knowing how to photograph a ceremony of this scale without disrupting it.
Having photographed weddings here ourselves, we’re familiar with working discreetly in the cathedral and making the most of its architecture and available light while keeping the ceremony itself at the centre of the photographs.
See our St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral wedding photography →
St Vincent’s Chapel
Hidden among the streets of Edinburgh’s New Town, St Vincent’s Chapel is a wonderfully intimate option for couples wanting a traditional church ceremony on a smaller scale.
We’ve photographed weddings here ourselves, and its character comes from being quite different from Edinburgh’s enormous churches and cathedrals. The historic interior creates an intimate atmosphere for the ceremony, while the surrounding New Town gives you plenty of options for Edinburgh portraits afterwards.
Planning an LGBTQ+ Wedding in Edinburgh
Every couple deserves to feel completely comfortable with the people they choose to share their wedding day with. We’ve photographed LGBTQ+ weddings and celebrations across Edinburgh and Scotland, from intimate city ceremonies to full-day weddings at venues featured in this guide.
Our approach is exactly what it should be: getting to know you, understanding what’s important to you and photographing your day naturally and authentically, without assumptions about how your wedding is supposed to look.
See our LGBTQ+ wedding photography →
Frequently Asked Questions About Edinburgh Wedding Venues
These are some of the practical questions couples ask us most often when comparing wedding venues in Edinburgh, particularly around guest numbers, photography, weather and how the venue works on the day.
What are the best wedding venues in Edinburgh?
There isn’t one Edinburgh wedding venue that’s best for everyone — it really depends on the kind of day you’re planning. After photographing more than 500 weddings in Edinburgh, some of the venues we know particularly well include Edinburgh City Chambers, the George Hotel, Prestonfield House, The Caledonian Edinburgh, Mansfield Traquair, The Balmoral Hotel and Edinburgh Castle.
For a small Old Town wedding or elopement, Edinburgh City Chambers is hard to beat. If you’re looking for a luxury city-centre hotel, The Balmoral and The Caledonian offer very different settings, while Prestonfield House gives you the feeling of a country-house wedding surprisingly close to the city centre. The best choice ultimately comes down to your guest numbers, budget, style and how you want your wedding day to feel.
Which Edinburgh wedding venues are best for small weddings and elopements?
Edinburgh City Chambers is one of our favourites for small weddings and elopements — we’ve photographed 166 weddings there, so it’s a venue we know exceptionally well. Its different ceremony rooms cater for everything from tiny celebrations to larger gatherings, and stepping outside puts you immediately onto the Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Riddle’s Court is another lovely option for an intimate historic wedding, while boutique hotels such as The Bonham, The Roseate Edinburgh and 100 Princes Street work particularly well for smaller city celebrations. Timberyard is a very different option if food and a relaxed restaurant atmosphere matter more than a traditional wedding venue.
Which Edinburgh wedding venues are best if it rains?
After photographing weddings through just about every variety of Edinburgh weather, we’d never choose a venue based entirely on its outdoor spaces. Some of the best wet-weather venues have interesting interiors and enough room to create photographs without relying on going outside.
The Balmoral Hotel, The Caledonian Edinburgh, Mansfield Traquair, The Signet Library and Prestonfield House all offer useful indoor photography options. City-centre venues also have an advantage: if the rain eases for ten minutes, we can often make the most of it quickly rather than travelling somewhere specifically for photographs.
Whatever venue you choose, ask to see its actual wet-weather photography options when you visit. A beautiful garden isn’t much help when Edinburgh decides to deliver horizontal rain at 2pm.
Which Edinburgh wedding venues are best for wedding photographs?
Some of the best Edinburgh wedding venues for photography offer variety rather than one spectacular backdrop. Prestonfield House, for example, gives us the house and extensive grounds in one location, while venues such as Edinburgh City Chambers and The Signet Library put the historic Old Town immediately outside the door.
Hotels such as The Balmoral and The Caledonian combine interesting interiors with easy access to central Edinburgh. After more than 500 weddings here, we’ve found that the best venue photographically isn’t necessarily the one with the biggest grounds — it’s one that gives us good options in different light and weather without taking you away from your guests for ages.
We’ve also created a guide to our favourite wedding photography locations in Edinburgh if you’d like to see what’s possible beyond the venue itself.
What should we look for when visiting an Edinburgh wedding venue?
Don’t just look at the room when it’s beautifully dressed for a wedding. Think about how the venue will actually work throughout your day.
After photographing more than 500 Edinburgh weddings, we suggest looking at the natural light in your ceremony room, where you’ll have family photographs, what indoor options exist if it rains, how guests move between different parts of the day and whether you’ll need to travel elsewhere for photographs.
Also consider the time of year. A room that looks wonderfully bright during a summer open day can feel very different at 3pm during an Edinburgh wedding in December. And if you’re considering a city-centre venue, think about crowds, parking, road closures and major events such as the Edinburgh Festival.
The prettiest venue isn’t automatically the easiest on your wedding day.
Do we need to leave our Edinburgh wedding venue for photographs?
Usually, no. We don’t believe you need to disappear from your wedding for hours to create brilliant photographs.
At venues such as Prestonfield House, Carlowrie Castle or Dundas Castle, there’s plenty of photographic variety within the venue and grounds. At city-centre venues such as Edinburgh City Chambers, The Balmoral or The Signet Library, some of Edinburgh’s best-known streets and architecture are only a short walk away.
Because we know the city so well, we can usually create plenty of variety in a relatively short portrait session and get you back to the people you’ve invited to celebrate with you. Twenty relaxed minutes in the right locations can be far more useful than an hour spent trekking across Edinburgh.
What should we consider when planning a winter wedding in Edinburgh?
Winter weddings in Edinburgh can be fantastic, but you need to factor daylight into your planning. The days are considerably shorter than in summer, so the timing of your ceremony can make a big difference if outdoor portraits or family photographs are important to you.
We’d also look carefully at your venue’s indoor photography options rather than assuming we’ll simply head outside. After photographing Edinburgh weddings throughout the year, we’re used to adapting plans around fading light and changing weather — but a little thought about the timeline beforehand gives you far more options on the day.
If you’re planning a winter wedding, tell your photographer your ceremony time and priorities early so they can plan the photography timeline around the available daylight.
Which Edinburgh wedding venues are best for larger weddings?
For a larger guest list, we’d start with venues such as Mansfield Traquair, The Signet Library and InterContinental Edinburgh The George. We’ve photographed weddings at all three, and each gives you a substantial main space while still feeling unmistakably Edinburgh.
The best choice depends on more than the headline capacity, though. Think about how many guests you’ll have for the ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception, whether you want everyone in one room, and how the venue feels once it’s actually set for your numbers. Always check the venue’s current capacity for your preferred layout, as that can differ considerably between a seated meal, ceremony and evening reception.
How much do Edinburgh wedding venues cost?
The cost of an Edinburgh wedding venue varies enormously depending on the type of venue, guest numbers, time of year and what’s included. A city hotel may package the room, meal and drinks together, while an exclusive-use castle or country estate can involve separate venue hire, catering, accommodation and minimum-spend requirements.
When comparing venues, we’d look beyond the headline hire fee and ask exactly what’s included — ceremony space, tables and chairs, catering, drinks, staffing, accommodation, exclusivity and any minimum guest numbers or seasonal restrictions. Two venues with similar-looking prices can end up costing very different amounts once you add up the full wedding day.
Found Your Edinburgh Wedding Venue?
We’re Claire and Jonathon, Edinburgh wedding photographers who’ve photographed more than 500 weddings across the city since 2006. If you’ve found your venue and love vibrant documentary photography mixed with relaxed editorial portraits, we’d love to hear what you’re planning.
Explore our Edinburgh wedding photography packages and prices →
Tell us a little about what you’re planning, and we’ll check our availability, answer any questions and help you work out what suits you best.There’s no pressure or obligation, and we usually reply within 24 hours.
Related Reading
- Edinburgh Wedding Advice & Planning Hub – Practical advice for planning your wedding in Edinburgh, from timelines and suppliers to photography.
- Best Wedding Photography Locations in Edinburgh – See some of our favourite locations for wedding portraits around the city.
- How to Choose an Edinburgh Wedding Photographer – What to look for when comparing photographers once you’ve chosen your venue.
- Explore our Edinburgh wedding photography packages and prices – View our coverage options, packages and pricing.
