Thornbury castle gothic wedding photography

This wedding day at Thornbury castle was such a special day for Elliot and Iga, and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of it. It was a small gothic-styled wedding with only close family members present, and I absolutely loved creating memories that the couple will cherish for a lifetime.

Thornbury Castle is a Tudor castle in the town of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England. The castle was built in 1511 by Edward Stafford, the 3rd Duke of Buckingham. It was one of the most impressive castles in England at the time. However, Stafford was executed for treason in 1521, and the castle was confiscated by King Henry VIII. Henry VIII stayed at the castle for ten days in August 1535 with his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The castle was a popular royal retreat, and it was also used by other members of the royal family.

Today, Thornbury Castle is a luxury hotel and restaurant. It is also a popular venue for weddings and events.

Thornbury castle gothic wedding

The ceremony at Thornbury castle was held in the library room, and it was so heartwarming to see the love between the couple on their wedding day. The ceremony followed by reception drinks and canapes, some group photos, and couple’s photoshoot at the Thornbury castle grounds and at the parish church of St Mary, (it’s located not far away from the castle – a few minutes walking distance), which was founded in the Norman era.

The bride and groom, who were having a gothic wedding, requested some photos to be taken at the church cemetery. The cemetery was a beautiful and peaceful setting, and it was the perfect place to capture the couple’s dark and romantic aesthetic. To be honest the weather on the day was so un-gothic – the sun was shining, it was warm, dandelions were blossoming, the birds were singing, the young leaves were so bright on trees, so I said to the couple that the weather is lovely, but not as dark and moody as it probably should be for a gothic photography session.

So I decided to deliver 2 sets of photos: coloured photos and the black an white, dramatic versions of the same photos as well.