Matara Wedding Photographer
Matara is one of those venues that makes you fall in love with it a little more every time you visit.
If you’re looking for a Matara wedding photographer who truly knows this venue, you’re in the right place. I’ve photographed over 30 weddings here across every season, and it’s one of the venues closest to my heart. But before I talk about the photography, I want to talk about you — because that’s where it all starts.
I know that planning a wedding can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. There are a hundred decisions to make and you’re trusting people you’ve never worked with before to help bring your vision to life. I also know that most people aren’t comfortable in front of a camera — and that when you look through my portfolio, it’s easy to think “those couples must be so confident and photogenic, that could never be me.” I hear that all the time. And it’s never true.
My job isn’t just to take photos, it’s to guide you through it and make it genuinely fun. I’ll direct you into the best light and create moments when flattering poses will happen naturally. You’ll be laughing, talking to each other, and before you know it we’re done and you’re back with your guests with a drink in your hand. Because I know Matara so well couple portraits are quick and relaxed as we make the most of every moment.
The rest of the day, you’ll barely know I’m there. I work quietly and unobtrusively, capturing the real moments as they happen. My couples often tell me that the photos captured moments they didn’t even realise were happening, and that’s exactly what I’m aiming for.
What matters most to me is that you have an incredible day and that the photos feel like yours — stunning, joyful, full of the warmth and emotion that made the day special. I genuinely love the people I work with, and I want you to look at your wedding photos and see yourselves the way I see you: beautiful, relaxed, happy, and completely in the moment.
My style is colourful, joyful, and documentary-artistic. I also love creating dramatic, atmospheric portraits — backlit veils at sunset, reflections in the water, stunning scenery and nature, moody skies.
This is just a taster of how stunning Matara weddings can be — click any photo to see more.
Getting Ready at Matara
The bridal suite at Matara is in the Grade II listed Kingscote Park House — a lovely Regency-era room with a standing mirror, period furniture, and soft window light that’s perfect for getting-ready photographs. There’s plenty of room for your bridal party, and the house has so much character that the photos always feel warm and personal.
I always make use of the staircase in the main house — the art on the walls, the iron banister, the arched window at the top. It’s a natural moment as the bridal party heads down to the ceremony, and it’s a lovely way to capture the house interior without anything feeling staged.
The Honeymoon lodge is another lovely location for getting ready at Matara.
Matara Wedding Photography — Ceremonies
Matara is licensed for ceremonies in several locations — in the cloistered courtyard by the koi pond, in the Hilarium, on the front lawn, in the woodlands, or among the wildflowers. Most couples choose the cloistered courtyard, and it’s easy to see why.
The courtyard ceremony is something truly special. You exchange your vows on the bridge over the koi pond, with your guests seated under the wooden cloisters, surrounded by bamboo, ferns, Japanese maples, and the gentle sound of the water feature. Koi swim beneath you as you say your vows. Having photographed it so many times, I can honestly say I never get it for granted — the setting is so rich with colour and texture that every single ceremony looks different and feels unique.
For couples who want something more intimate, the woodland ceremony area is set among mature trees on the 28-acre grounds. It’s a beautiful, quiet setting that lends itself to more personal, celebrant-led ceremonies that would be harder to pull off in a more traditional venue.
Couples are free to bring any celebrant they like and completely personalise their ceremony — I’ve seen handfasting, petal circles, and one celebrant who walked across a row of wine bottles as part of the celebration showing his circus skills. You can actually get married almost anywhere on the Matara estate, so there’s real freedom to make it yours.
Confetti at Matara
The courtyard at Matara is one of the best confetti spots I’ve worked with. The brick paving, the Cotswold stone walls, the palms and bamboo — colourful confetti just pops against that backdrop. My advice is always the same: give every single guest a generous handful. Don’t hold back. The more confetti, the better the photos, and the more fun everyone has.
Drinks Reception & Outdoor Spaces
One of the things that makes Matara so special is how much of the day can happen outdoors. In summer, the courtyard can be an open-air dining space — tables set up around the koi pond, surrounded by tropical plants and Cotswold stone. It’s a completely unique setting.
The drinks reception usually spills across the courtyard, the front lawn, and the garden paths. In autumn, the Japanese maples turn deep red and the golden light is gorgeous. There are so many places for guests to wander with a drink, and that’s when the best candid moments happen — the hugs, the laughter, the conversations that I can photograph without anyone even noticing I’m there.
The Wedding Breakfast & Hilarium
The Hilarium is Matara’s main reception room — a beautiful circular space with a glass dome that lets natural light pour in during the day and glows with fairy lights at night. It’s one of the most distinctive reception rooms I’ve worked in anywhere in the Cotswolds, and one of the reasons Matara wedding photography is so rewarding. The dome, the round shape, the way every couple makes the space their own with hanging installations, greenery, and table flowers — it photographs differently at every wedding, which I love.
Speeches in the Hilarium always have a wonderful atmosphere — the fairy light wall behind the top table gives a beautiful backdrop, and the intimacy of the round room means everyone’s close together. The energy during speeches here is always fantastic, and I find I capture some of the best laughter and reactions of the whole day.
Dancing & Evening Party
After the meal, the Hilarium transforms — the tables clear and the dome comes alive with colour. I love photographing the dome from above during the evening party. It’s a completely unique perspective that you won’t find at any other venue. The ceilidh dancing at Matara is always brilliant too — shoes off, bare feet on the wooden floor, everyone laughing and completely letting go.
Matara Wedding Photography — Couple Portraits in the Grounds
This is where Matara really comes into its own for photography. Twenty-eight acres of grounds means there’s an incredible variety of backdrops for couple portraits — and every season looks completely different.
In summer, the wildflower meadow is breathtaking. It’s the kind of setting you couldn’t create if you tried. I’ll usually steal you away for ten or fifteen minutes during the drinks reception to make the most of it while the light is right.
The gardens and courtyards are some of my favourite spots for couple portraits in any season. The centuries-old wooden doors, the trees and nature, the stone and woodland paths and water— they provide wonderful structure and colour without needing anything artificial. In autumn, the red and gold foliage is stunning. At sunset, the backlight through the trees creates the kind of dramatic, artistic images that I’m always drawn to.
Beyond the gardens, the grounds include a labyrinth, the Palm House, the orchard, meadows, and the lake with its bridge — so there’s always somewhere new to explore, whatever the season or time of day. One of the lovely things about Matara is that every couple gets to dedicate a tree on the estate. It becomes your tree, and you can come back and visit it in the years to come. It’s a beautiful touch and such a meaningful connection to the place where you got married.
Evening Portraits at Matara
When the sun goes down, Matara transforms. The courtyard fills with warm light from the fairy lights and the glow from the building. The Japanese maple gets uplighting that turns it vivid pink, purple and blue against the dusk sky. These evening portraits are often the ones couples tell me they love most — just ten minutes away from the party, the two of you, in a setting that looks magical. I always recommend building in time for these, even if it’s just a quick walk outside between courses or when your band is having a break between the sets
The Whole Day
What I love about photographing weddings at Matara is that the venue gives you so much to work with — the colour, the texture, the light — but ultimately it’s the people and the moments that make the day. The confetti chaos and the quiet glance across the room. The kids finding ladybirds and the bare feet on the dance floor at midnight. That’s what I’m there to capture, and that’s what you’ll have to look back on for years to come.
If you’re getting married at Matara and you’re looking for a wedding photographer who knows and loves this venue, I’d really love to hear from you.
Matara Wedding Photography — Practical Information
Where is Matara? Kingscote Park, Kingscote, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8YA. It’s about 12 miles from Cirencester and 28 miles from Bristol, just off the A4135 between Tetbury and Dursley. You may also see it referred to as the Matara Centre.
How many guests does Matara hold? Up to 150 for a seated wedding breakfast and 200+ for an evening reception. It also works beautifully for intimate weddings.
Is Matara exclusive use? Yes — one wedding per day, so you have the entire 28-acre estate and all indoor spaces to yourselves.
Can you get ready at the venue? Yes. Kingscote Park House has accommodation for up to 30 guests, including the bridal suite, the Honeymoon Lodge, and converted hayloft Zen rooms.
Can we personalise our ceremony? Absolutely. Matara is licensed for civil ceremonies, but couples are also free to bring their own celebrant and completely personalise their ceremony — indoors, outdoors, in the woods, among the wildflowers, wherever feels right for you.
How many weddings have you photographed at Matara? Over 30, across all four seasons and in every kind of weather. It’s one of the Cotswolds venues I know (and love!) best.
Are you local? Yes, I am your local Matara wedding photographer based in Stroud not far away. I’d be delighted to meet you at Matara for your pre wedding meeting.
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I’d love to hear about your Matara wedding plans and chat about your wedding!
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