Kew Gardens Weddings: Cost, Venues and Photography

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew hire out several buildings for weddings: the Nash Conservatory and Cambridge Cottage for civil ceremonies, and the Orangery and the Temperate House for dinner and dancing. Kew says it warmly welcomes "ceremonies of all faiths, cultures, and traditions, including those that feature a ceremonial flame", and it publishes a South Asian wedding package with its own fees.

Our studio is at 21 Joel St, Northwood HA6, photographing weddings since 2001 and rated 4.8 out of 5 from 580+ Google reviews. Kew treats photographers as recommendations rather than a required list, and we are glad to photograph at Kew Gardens. Coverage starts from £750.

Kew Gardens at a glance: buildings, capacities and dates

Address	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond; Elizabeth Gate TW9 3AE
Licensed for civil ceremonies	Nash Conservatory (200, or 120 with a drinks reception; civil hire Monday to Thursday only) and Cambridge Cottage (80)
Cambridge Cottage	Not available for hire from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027
Registrars	Richmond Register Office, 020 8891 7188
Reception venues	Orangery (dinner dance up to 200, 5 January to 22 December); Temperate House (dinner dance up to 230, dinner up to 250, 15 April to 30 September)
South Asian package	Ceremony 200; dinner dance 200 to 230; dinner 230 to 250; standing reception 300 to 400; hire 3pm to midnight
Catering	Kew's listed caterers only; South Asian specialists Laguna and Saffron Culture
Parking	Kew Green private car park on weekend dates only, for an extra fee; otherwise limited RingGo street parking
Nearest stations	Kew Gardens (District and Mildmay lines), 500m to Victoria Gate; Kew Bridge, 800m to Elizabeth Gate
From our studio	About 9.6 miles in a straight line from the studio at 21 Joel St, Northwood HA6 1NU (road distance is longer)

Figures are as published by the venue or its licensing authority. Where a venue's own pages disagree, both are shown. Confirm anything you are planning around.

Sources

What a Kew Gardens wedding costs, as Kew publishes it

Kew publishes fees for its two South Asian packages, plus VAT, and does not state which year they apply to (South Asian weddings):

Classic South Asian package (Orangery): Monday to Thursday £12,000, Friday £13,500, Saturday and Sunday £14,500.
Luxury South Asian package (Temperate House): Monday to Thursday £22,000, Friday £23,500, Saturday and Sunday £24,500.

Bookings start with a free 14-day provisional hold; a 50% deposit confirms the date and the balance is due 8 weeks before. Extra hours beyond the package are charged, subject to availability. Ask Kew for the current year's figures in writing before you budget against them.

Civil ceremonies, South Asian ceremonies and the flame rule

Cambridge Cottage and the Nash Conservatory are both licensed for civil ceremonies, with registrars provided by Richmond Register Office (Kew wedding terms). The Nash Conservatory has floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides and seats 200, or 120 for a ceremony with a drinks reception; civil ceremony hire there is Monday to Thursday only. Cambridge Cottage holds 80 for a ceremony in the Drawing Room or outdoors framed by its French doors, but it is not available for hire from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 (civil ceremonies).

The South Asian package places a religious ceremony in the Nash Conservatory for up to 200, drinks in the Princess of Wales Conservatory or on the lawn behind the Nash, then dinner in the Orangery or the Temperate House, between 3pm and midnight. Kew lists specialist South Asian suppliers for Hindu ceremonies, including mandap and décor firms, and South Asian caterers Laguna and Saffron Culture.

Two rules need care. Kew welcomes ceremonies that feature a ceremonial flame, yet requires all decorative flames to be LED, so ask exactly what is allowed for a havan inside a glasshouse. Ceremonial drumming is accommodated only with a religious ceremony at the Nash Conservatory, before 6pm and for at most 10 minutes. Also ask whether horses or vehicles are permitted for a baraat, and which halal or vegetarian menus the listed caterers offer.

No confetti of any kind: Kew's rules for the day

Own photographer	Allowed: photography, videography, cakes and planners are recommendations only
Photography during the ceremony	Not published
Flash	Not published
Drones	Not published for weddings
Confetti	No confetti of any kind, inside or outside, including rice, petals and biodegradable confetti
Candles and open flame	All decorative flames must be LED. No fireworks, sky lanterns or flares
Music and drumming	All music inside the venue except on the Nash Conservatory lawn; 85 dB site limit; drumming before 6pm, 10 minutes, Nash religious ceremonies only
Finish time	Package hire to midnight; extra hours charged, subject to availability

Where a rule is shown as not published, ask the venue in writing before the day.

Getting ready before a Kew wedding

Kew does not name a getting-ready room in any of its wedding pages, and packages start mid-afternoon (3pm for the South Asian package, 4pm for the Classic package). Plan to get ready elsewhere and arrive dressed, and ask Kew whether a room can be set aside for last touches before the ceremony.

From a 3pm start to midnight: a Kew Gardens outline

When	What happens
Before 3pm	Getting ready away from Kew; no preparation room is published.
3pm (South Asian package) or 4pm (Classic)	Hire begins. Religious ceremony in the Nash Conservatory; any drumming must finish before 6pm and last no more than 10 minutes.
Drinks reception	Princess of Wales Conservatory or the lawn behind the Nash. The couple's buggy tour of the Gardens for portraits happens now.
Evening	Dinner and dancing in the Orangery or the Temperate House; check the light table for the month before planning outdoor portraits.
Midnight	Package hire ends; later hours are charged, subject to availability.

An outline for planning, not a schedule. Times are shown only where the venue publishes them; everything else is a stage to time with you and confirm with the venue.

Glasshouse light at Kew through the year

Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Golden hour from	Clock
January	08:00	16:21	15:24	GMT
February	07:16	17:16	16:28	GMT
March	06:16	18:05	17:21	GMT
April	06:06	19:57	19:12	BST
May	05:10	20:46	19:56	BST
June	04:44	21:20	20:26	BST
July	05:01	21:12	20:20	BST
August	05:46	20:24	19:38	BST
September	06:36	19:16	18:32	BST
October	07:25	18:09	17:23	BST
November	07:19	16:12	15:19	GMT
December	08:00	15:52	14:51	GMT

Computed for the 15th of each month of 2027 at the venue's postcode centroid with the NOAA solar equations. Evening golden hour starts when the sun drops to 6 degrees; trees and buildings shorten it. Times are UK clock time.

Planning photographs in the Gardens, from a buggy

Every wedding hire includes a private golf buggy and driver so the couple can tour the Gardens for photographs during the drinks reception. Plan that window around the month's sunset.
No confetti of any kind is allowed, so choose a different exit moment early.
The Nash Conservatory has glass on three sides: afternoon ceremonies are lit by daylight, and the light table below shows how quickly that goes in winter.
The Temperate House is only available from 15 April to 30 September, so a winter wedding means the Orangery.
Decorative flames must be LED, which changes how table and diya details look in photographs.
Pets are not permitted, apart from service and assistance animals, so a family dog cannot join the portraits.

Kew Gardens station, Kew Bridge and Elizabeth Gate

Elizabeth Gate is TW9 3AE. Kew Gardens station (District line and Mildmay line) is 500m from Victoria Gate, and Kew Bridge station is 800m from Elizabeth Gate, with no level access at Kew Bridge (getting here). Kew encourages guests to use public transport. We travel to Kew from our Northwood studio.

Parking at Kew for a wedding: book Kew Green early

Parking is the constraint at Kew. A private car park on Kew Green can be hired for weekend dates only, for an extra fee. Otherwise there is limited RingGo street parking, usually 10:30am to 4pm, which cannot be reserved (Kew wedding terms). For a weekday wedding, tell guests to come by train.

Kew Gardens wedding photography, frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to have a wedding at Kew Gardens?

Kew publishes fees for two South Asian wedding packages, both plus VAT, without stating the year they apply to. The Classic package in the Orangery is £12,000 Monday to Thursday, £13,500 on a Friday and £14,500 at weekends. The Luxury package in the Temperate House is £22,000, £23,500 and £24,500 on the same days. Hours beyond the midnight finish are charged extra, subject to availability. A 50% deposit confirms a booking, with the balance due 8 weeks before the date.

Can you have an Indian or South Asian wedding at Kew Gardens?

Yes. Kew runs a South Asian wedding package and says it welcomes ceremonies of all faiths and traditions, including those with a ceremonial flame. The package puts a religious ceremony for up to 200 in the Nash Conservatory, drinks in the Princess of Wales Conservatory or on the lawn behind the Nash, and dinner in the Orangery or Temperate House. Kew lists South Asian caterers and mandap suppliers. Decorative flames must be LED, so ask what is allowed for a havan.

Where can you get married at Kew Gardens?

Two buildings are licensed for civil ceremonies. The Nash Conservatory seats 200, or 120 with a drinks reception, and civil ceremony hire there runs Monday to Thursday only. Cambridge Cottage takes 80 in its Drawing Room or outdoors by the French doors, but Kew says it is not available for hire from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027. Richmond Register Office provides the registrars. Receptions then move to the Orangery, open 5 January to 22 December, or the Temperate House, open 15 April to 30 September.

Is there parking at Kew Gardens for a wedding?

Only on some days. A private car park on Kew Green can be hired for weekend weddings, at an extra fee. On other days there is limited RingGo street parking, usually from 10:30am to 4pm, and it cannot be reserved, so Kew encourages guests to travel by public transport. Kew Gardens station on the District and Mildmay lines is 500m from Victoria Gate, and Kew Bridge station is 800m from Elizabeth Gate, though Kew Bridge has no level access.

Can we throw confetti at a Kew Gardens wedding?

No. Kew does not allow confetti of any kind, inside or outside, and that includes rice, petals and biodegradable confetti. Fireworks, sky lanterns and flares are also banned, and every decorative flame must be LED. Ceremonial drumming is allowed only alongside a religious ceremony at the Nash Conservatory, before 6pm and for no more than 10 minutes, and all other music must be played indoors except on the Nash Conservatory lawn. The site has an 85 dB sound limit.

Can we choose our own photographer at Kew?

Yes. Kew requires couples to use its listed catering, production and decoration suppliers, but photography, videography, cakes and planners are recommendations only, so an outside photographer can cover the day. Any supplier not on Kew's lists has to be discussed with the operations team first, and Kew may refuse one that cannot meet its health and safety policy. Every wedding hire includes a private golf buggy and driver, so the couple can tour the Gardens for portraits during the drinks reception.

Our work

Asian wedding photography

Bride in a pink lehenga with her groom in a garden

Haldi ceremony with turmeric and marigold flowers

Bride and groom seated together on a wooden staircase in red and cream wedding dress

Bride's mehndi-decorated hands, red and white bangles and a rose

Bride in red and groom in cream in front of a glasshouse and formal gardens

Other wedding venues we cover

Related pages

Kaushik Bathia, established 2001, FBIPP and FMPA, five European Kodak Gold Awards, photographs every wedding himself and travels to any venue from the Northwood studio.

Civil · Church · Hindu · Sikh · Muslim · Tamil

Planning a wedding at Kew Gardens?

Tell us the date and the venue and we will come back with availability and a price. Coverage starts from £750.

Kew Gardens Weddings: Cost, Venues and Photography Planning