On this page:
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding venue is a glorious location for a wedding in Edinburgh. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ, is situated one mile to the north of Edinburgh city centre.
Celebrate in style with a Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding. ‘The Botanics’ as locals often refer to it, is a stunning choice of wedding venue for any couple. Changing with the seasons, the gardens are ripe with photo opportunities, making a winter ceremony just as appealing as one held in the height of summer. Easily accessible by road, rail, and bus, even the airport is just eight miles away, offering superb convenience no matter how you and your guests intend to arrive.
The ever-changing appearance of the Gardens is just part of the appeal offered by this location. We have visited the Gardens throughout the seasons, so whatever time of year you intend to say your vows, we can provide an experienced photography service to mark your special day.
History Of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Observing the 70 acres of grounds that make up the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), it is hard to imagine the site once took up no more space than a tennis court. This was situated at Holyrood Park, where the Garden began life in 1670. The 300+ years since those early days have witnessed many changes. Still, the growth of the plant collection at the site can be traced to two men who started it all – Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour. They imported many plants from abroad, making moving to a larger site in 1763 quite challenging. The final move to the current location occurred in 1820. The move took three years, some innovative equipment, and plenty of creative thinking at that stage!
From those early days, the collection of plants has continued to grow. In 27 years, from 1905 onwards, over 10,000 more plants were added. To say the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh provides a stunning collection of versatile and attractive places to take photos of your wedding day is an understatement.
Caledonian Hall
Caledonian Hall dates to 1842 and retains many of its period features, offering a charming setting for your big day. Up to 120 guests can be welcomed into the Hall for the entire day, from the lead-up to exchanging vows, right through to the evening celebrations. Couples with larger guest lists may be able to hire a marquee for the exterior of the Hall, to provide greater flexibility for the evening reception.
The Caledonian Hall also makes good use of its location close to the Rock Garden – one of the undoubted highlights of visiting the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Opportunities for photos are many and varied – and irresistible too.
The Botanic Gardens
Your Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding presents numerous glorious and colourful opportunities to take some unique wedding photos to commemorate joining together as a couple. Suppose you are thinking of getting married or holding your civil partnership ceremony between April and September. In that case, you can do so outdoors in the wedding grove, specially designed for this occasion. Of course, you can have a Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh wedding throughout the year. Whenever you choose to have your big day together, all the photos taken to celebrate the occasion will be memorable for many reasons, with exquisite backdrops around every corner.
There are glorious views across to Edinburgh and the Castle, and with many acres of grounds to wander around, every photo will showcase the romantic setting for the day.
Redwood Trees In John Muir Grove
Summer ceremonies can be held in the John Muir Grove, famous for its towering redwood trees and planting. Simply glorious during the summer months, John Muir Grove can seat 40 guests for the ceremony, with the option of standing room for a further 60 guests.
Those deciding to book the Grove for their ceremony should also pre-book an alternative location in case of bad weather. The nearby Caledonian Hall is possible, as is a marquee in this location.
John Hope Gateway
This new addition to Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a delight – ideal for those with larger guest lists and requiring additional room for the evening reception. John Hope Gateway covers two floors, offers a large decked area, and boasts large windows making the most of the superb views of the Biodiversity Garden. This is ideal for those with a guest list of at least 80 people. Wedding breakfast arrangements can be made for 120 guests at most, while the evening list could include up to 180 guests. With so many possibilities for dining both indoors and out, both formally and in a more relaxed manner, couples with lots of family and friends to invite will surely appreciate the versatility of the John Hope Gateway event space.
From a Fossil Garden to an Alpine House and Courtyard, and the glasshouses to the Chinese Pavilion, a surprise is waiting around every corner at your Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding. Small wonder this proves to be the perfect place for many couples to say their vows. If you are planning to celebrate the next step in your journey together as a couple, get in touch with us today to ask about the possibility of hiring as your Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh wedding photographers. We would be only too delighted to assist.
Susannah and Nathan – Royal Mile Registry Office and Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghWe're really pleased with the video. To be honest, it was never our idea to get one - we had our arms twisted by my mum - and we sat down to watch it last week expecting to cringe all the way through but were so surprised at how good it was and how pleased we are now to have it! (although I did have to admit to my mum she was right!) The quality is great, the sound's excellent and it's a lovely reminder of the day. We particularly like the way you picked up on our sense of humour and left some funny lines in on the audio. It really feels like the video has been customised for us rather than made-to-formula which I suspect is the case with other companies!
Read More
Jody and Zac – Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghGave a fantastically professional and personal service. Gave a fantastically professional and personal service. It’s always difficult to be confident when booking a service like this, as “quality” is such a subjective term – Jonathon was reassuringly great from first contact (website and then a meeting to discuss our needs/wants) all the way through the pre-wedding photo shoot, the wedding itself and then, of course, the final pictures themselves. In the lead up to the day, he was prompt and courteous at answering all of our questions; and on the day he operated with a perfect balance of directing us where necessary, and staying out of the way and snapping candid shots – I have no idea how he managed to get some of the ones he did. Fantastic photos. Fantastic service.
Read More
Absolutely thrilled with our wedding photos – Jonathon did a brilliant job capturing the essence of our day. We loved the relaxed and contemporary feel of the photos. He was warm and friendly, yet professional at the same time. Thank you so much, Jonathon!
Read More
