Clearwell Castle Wedding Photographer in Forest of Dean Gloucestershire

There are venues you photograph for the building, and venues you photograph for the setting. Clearwell Castle gives you both! It was a pleasure to photograph this April with a lovely couple who genuinely love the outdoors the woods and the gardens feature as well as the castle itself. 

This was my first wedding as a Clearwell Castle wedding photographer, and I now see why wedding couples describe their day here as magical. Tucked into the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, the castle rises at the end of a sweeping, tree-lined drive — one of the earliest neo-gothic mansions in England with parts dating back to the early 1600s. It’s grand without being cold; the kind of place that genuinely earns the word fairytale. It still feels personal though because for the day it’s entirely yours. 

This couple had one clear request: capture the beauty of the venue, the nature around it, and the woods. That’s a brief I love — it’s exactly the dreamy, atmospheric look I’m always chasing with light — and Clearwell is built for it.

A Castle That’s Entirely Yours 

The thing couples rave about most after a Clearwell Castle wedding is the feeling that the whole place belongs to them as it’s exclusive use for the day. 

From a photography point of view, that’s a gift. We can explore the grounds, the grand entrance, the staircase and the quieter corners without ever feeling rushed or in anyone’s way. 

Getting Ready 

The morning began in the castle’s bridal suite, where big windows pour soft natural light across the room — a dream for getting-ready photographs. The grand staircase, flooded with side light, is one of those Clearwell spots that photographs beautifully without anyone having to do a thing.

The Ceremony 

The ceremony took place in Clearwell Castle’s Ballroom, transformed for the day by a breathtaking cherry blossom installation arching over the aisle. With its leaded windows, high domed ceiling and that church-like quality, the room is both grand & atmospheric and warm & romantic. That light is a gift to photograph — it wraps around everyone and gives the whole ceremony the dreamy glow that drew this couple to the castle in the first place. My couple had a blessing and a totally personalised ceremony as they legally married in a simple and intimate registry office ceremony the day before. 

I worked quietly through the heart of it: the walk down the aisle, the held breath before the vows, the first kiss, the reactions of guests catching every moment. In a space this beautiful, the atmosphere does so much of the work; my job is to stay out of the way and let the emotion and the light tell the story. 

Confetti on the Steps 

Outside, the grand stone steps became the perfect confetti tunnel — guests cheering, petals flying, the couple laughing in the middle of it all. These are the joyful, full-energy shots couples always love. 

Group & Couple Portraits

I never want portraits to feel like a photoshoot pulled out of the middle of someone’s wedding day. With this couple it was more like a short walk and a breather — just ten minutes away from the celebration, just the two of them, while I worked quietly around them. That approach suits Clearwell, because the backdrops do so much on their own. The grand entrance, the balustrade steps, the carved interiors and the gardens each give a completely different feel, so a short wander produces real variety without anyone having to pose for long. 

The Wedding Breakfast

Inside, the wedding breakfast room is bright and airy, with the blossom carried through and another chandelier overhead. There’s a lovely calm to this part of the day — the grand entrance to applause, the speeches with their laughter and happy tears, candid photos of people enjoying the day. I love photographing this room when it’s empty for a moment too, just the couple and the light, because it shows the venue at its most magical.

Nature, Woodland and the Grounds Photos 

My couple really wanted some atmospheric evening woodland shots so we took our time in the grounds. Couples describe Clearwell’s setting as breathtaking and its grounds as immaculate, and on the day you understand why — you get grand architecture and wild, natural texture in the same few frames. Stone and turrets one moment, dappled light through trees the next. Being in the Forest of Dean, the location does a lot of the work: there’s a quiet, storybook quality to the woodland, and a meadow of wild garlic in bloom under the trees that looked like something straight out of a fairytale. 

Your Bride and Groom Photos— Without Missing the Party 

If you’re worried about being whisked away from your guests for too long, let me put your mind at rest. Firstly, I only take you away for as long as you’d like. We discuss your photography in detail at your pre-wedding meeting — which photos matter most to you, and the feel and atmosphere you want to capture. On the day, I’ll let you know whenever an amazing opportunity arises: some of the best light and most atmospheric shots happen because I’m always watching for it on your behalf. But it’s completely up to you whether to take the moment or stay with your guests. 

I know a lot of couples worry that bride and groom photos will take too long and eat into time with everyone else. In practice, this little bit of time away is often much-needed — a chance to catch your breath as a couple and have a quiet moment together, just the two of you, without being pulled in a dozen directions. It’s time to share a few words with your new husband or wife, a kiss and a cuddle, away from the crowd. I promise I won’t be in your face with the camera; I’ll gently encourage you to relax into each other and enjoy it while I capture beautiful, natural photos, lightly directed for the best result. That way you get the best of both — stunning photographs and genuine quality time together, in a setting you chose for your special day.

Golden Hour and Sunset 

As the afternoon softened into evening, the light turned warm and golden, and we stepped out again — just for fifteen minutes — for the dreamy, backlit portraits that are always worth it. The tree-lined driveway, the great oaks, the Gothic gatehouse arch: every one a different backdrop, all of them glowing. And as the sky turned pink and the castle lit up from within, we caught it at sunset — that magical time when Clearwell looks every inch the fairytale castle.  

The Party — Clearwell’s Cellar Bar 

Then the day shifts gear. Everyone heads downstairs to Clearwell’s legendary cellar bar, where vaulted stone, a chequerboard floor and disco lights turn the evening into a proper party. The contrast between the calm of the grounds and the buzz of the cellar is part of what makes the place so good to photograph — the full arc of a wedding day, from still and natural to joyful and loud, all under one roof. The first dance, the dip and kiss, the dance floor filling up: this is where the most honest, unscripted joy of the day shows up. 

Thinking of a Clearwell Castle Wedding? 

If you’re planning your own wedding at Clearwell Castle and you want photographs that capture the venue, the woodland and the genuine feeling of the day — natural, colourful and full of that dreamy, fairytale atmosphere — I’d love to hear from you. As a Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean wedding photographer I adore this venue, and I’d love to shoot here again. Please get in touch to check your date, and we can start planning your wedding!