Getting married at Edinburgh City Chambers is a brilliant choice – that gorgeous Old Town architecture, the buzz of the Royal Mile right outside, and a ceremony that can be as small as you and a couple of witnesses, or with a guest list up to 100. But once the excitement of booking the venue settles, a slightly trickier question tends to follow: okay, so how does the rest of the day actually work?
If you’ve never planned a wedding before, this bit can feel surprisingly hard to picture. Where do you have your photos? What time should your drinks reception start? Do you need a second photographer, and if so, why? These aren’t silly questions. They’re exactly the ones worth asking. And honestly, they’re the ones I love talking through with couples.
Here’s the thing: a lot of couples marrying at the City Chambers don’t have a wedding planner. It’s a smaller, simpler kind of day, and often that’s exactly the appeal. But it also means there’s no one whose job it is to think through all these little logistical questions with you. I’ve seen how these days unfold, so if you’re not sure where to start, that’s completely normal. This is where I come in.
10 Questions Worth Thinking Through Together
Rather than a fixed formula, this is closer to the real conversation I have with couples while we’re planning their day together. Working through these, roughly in order, tends to reveal a timeline that actually fits your day:
- Where are you getting ready in the morning, and is it a walk or a drive to the City Chambers? If you’re driving, it’s worth knowing that a wedding car can often wait for you in the courtyard during your ceremony – lovely and convenient, though always worth double-checking with your wedding coordinator or the City Chambers staff directly beforehand as parking is very limited.
- Do you and your partner want getting-ready photos in different locations? Just something to bear in mind for your photo logistics.
- What time does your ceremony start and finish? Not your booking slot. The real times. Ceremonies themselves are often quite short (around 15 minutes), but your slot is typically 45 minutes to allow for getting everyone seated beforehand and out again afterwards. The Chambers run a tight schedule with slots back-to-back through the day, so this is genuinely useful to know.
- Do you want confetti, and if so, where? Confetti sadly isn’t allowed in the courtyard just outside the Chambers, but you can step out onto Royal Mile for confetti. Or do you instead imagine having it at your reception venue, or somewhere else?
- Roughly how many wedding guests, and how long is your group photo wish-list? This can have a big impact on timings.
- Where would you like your group photos? Do you want them in the Chambers courtyard, at your reception venue, or somewhere else?
- Where would you like your couple portraits? Close to the Chambers, somewhere en route to your reception venue, or at your reception venue itself? Or a mix?
- How far is it to your reception venue? Is it a walk or a drive away? How do you and your guests plan on getting there?
- When should your reception start, relative to when you’ll realistically arrive? If photos are likely to run a little past your “official” start time, it’s often kinder to open the room a touch early so guests aren’t left waiting on you.
- Would you like a few photos of your reception room before guests go in? If you’ve put time, energy or expense into the decor, the flowers, stationery, and little details, it’s worth deciding early whether you want those captured before the room fills up.
A Real Edinburgh City Chambers Wedding and a Timeline Conundrum
A couple came to me recently trying to work out how to plan their timeline around their Edinburgh City Chambers wedding ceremony. Their ceremony was booked for 1pm, and they were getting ready and had their wedding reception at a hotel elsewhere in the city – so we sat down and went through the questions above together.
They were getting ready separately and arriving by car, so we talked through the courtyard-waiting option for their car (which they’d already arranged with the Chambers’ wedding coordinator). That meant no rush to leave the moment the photos were done. Their ceremony turned out to be a short one, around 15 minutes, which gave us more breathing room than expected. They wanted confetti on the Royal Mile and group photos in the City Chambers courtyard. For couple portraits, we kept things close by: across the road to St Giles and Parliament Square and stopped off at the Vennel Steps en route to their wedding reception in the car.
With only 50 guests, I wouldn’t normally suggest a second photographer on numbers alone. But because there were multiple things happening at the same time – the end of bridal prep while the groom and guests arrived at the City Chambers, and later guests arriving at the reception venue before I arrived with the couple after their private couple photos – we decided that a second photographer would be a really great idea. While I was taking group shots, my second photographer went ahead to the reception venue, which also meant that she got shots of the reception rooms and decor details before everyone else arrived. And with two of us at the ceremony and speeches, we picked up more angles, more reactions, and more of the precious little moments.
For this wedding, we felt a second photographer was only needed for that middle section of the day, from the ceremony to the speeches at the start of dinner, around 4 hours. So yes, booking a second photographer for just part of a day is absolutely possible. I love offering this kind of flexibility – coverage that actually fits your day, rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
Honestly, none of this is obvious until you’ve done it, or talked to someone who has! That’s usually how these chats go with me. You bring the questions, I bring eight-plus years of “oh, here’s a thing you might not have thought of,” and between us we figure out a timeline that actually works for your day.
Here’s what the couple had to say about their experience working with me:
“You captured our day perfectly — every photo is filled with the love and joy we felt and all the little moments we’ll cherish forever. Your calm, relaxed presence kept us at ease, and it meant we could be our natural selves in the photos, which is exactly what we hoped for. Your suggestion to have a second photographer worked brilliantly and ensured no moment was missed. Thank you again for working your magic and giving us such lovely memories to look back on and relive our special day.”
Why I Often Suggest a Second Photographer for Weddings at the City Chambers
There’s a shape to a lot of these weddings that’s easy to underestimate: getting ready at one location, ceremony at the City Chambers, then a reception somewhere else entirely. That’s often three or four different places in a single day and one photographer can only be in one place at a time. It’s not about doubling up. It’s about being in the two places that matter most, at the same time, so nothing slips through the gaps.
And actually, it’s one of the things couples often love and comment on afterwards. They get to see moments they weren’t present for: what their guests were up to during their couple photos, what the reception room looked like before anyone stepped inside, how their guests reacted to a speech while the couple were seated with their backs to half the room. It rounds out the story in a way that’s genuinely lovely to look back on.
A Bit About How I Work
(And Why I Might Not Be for Everyone)
I’ll be honest with you: not every photographer goes into this much detail, and that’s completely fine. Some couples just want a wedding photographer to turn up on the day and go with the flow, with little forward-planning chat before. That’s just not where I start from.
The venue can tell you the rules: no confetti in the courtyard, limited parking, that sort of thing. What I bring is the bit after that. Where do we actually go for confetti instead? How much time genuinely needs setting aside for group photos and couple portraits? If you’re driving rather than walking to your reception, how does that change where and when we take photos? That’s the expertise I like to offer, especially for couples who don’t have a wedding planner in their corner, which, for a lot of City Chambers weddings, is most couples.
So yes, I’m a bit of a stickler for the details beforehand, but on the day itself, I let the day naturally unfold and flex wherever it’s needed. That’s really the whole point of the planning: not to lock your day into place or make it feel scripted, but to protect your time so you can relax into it. When nothing’s been left to chance, there’s no scrambling to “get the shot,” no pulling you out of a real moment, and no feeling rushed if Edinburgh’s traffic decides to misbehave (especially likely in August, when the Festival takes over the city centre). A little buffer built into your timeline is one of the kindest things you can give yourselves, and it’s exactly what all this planning is for.
So, How Many Hours of Photography Coverage Do You Need?
Here’s the honest answer: it really depends on what your day looks like, and there’s no single right amount. I photograph the full spectrum, from couples who want just their ceremony and a handful of photos afterwards, right through to a full day from morning prep to first dance, and everything in between.
If you’re going for the fuller day, a good way to work out your hours is backwards. Start from your last big “must capture” moment of the night, often first dance, and work back to your first. Once you factor in morning prep photos, travel time from wherever you’re getting ready, arriving a little early for your ceremony, your after-ceremony photo and reception plans, and coverage through speeches and into the evening, you’ll often land somewhere around 8 to 10 hours for a full day with a venue change built in. You can see how that breaks down and what’s included in each package on my pricing page.
But maybe morning prep isn’t your thing, or you’re not having a big reception, or you’d simply rather keep the whole day low-key. That’s completely fine too. Some couples just want their ceremony covered, plus a short session for group and couple photos straight after, and that might only need an hour or two of my time. I love photographing these smaller, shorter City Chambers weddings just as much as the bigger multi-location days, so if that’s more your plan, I’d still love to hear from you. Whatever your day looks like, we can build coverage around it.
Where to Have Your Couple Photos Near Edinburgh City Chambers
If you’re keen to keep things close by the City Chambers, here are some favourites:
- The courtyard right outside City Chambers – perfect for group and couple shots under the arches.
- Parliament Square, just behind St Giles’ Cathedral – a minute’s walk, and usually a touch quieter than the Mile itself.
- Advocates Close – beautiful framing through the old stone archways, with a view across to the Scott Monument.
- Dunbar’s Close Garden – a quiet, green little hideaway if you fancy something calmer, though it’s a bit further down the Mile, so only worth it if your timeline has a little breathing room.
A Few Lovely Edinburgh Reception Venues to Consider
If you’re still deciding where to head after your City Chambers ceremony, here are some favourites – a mix of sizes, and (because I’m a sucker for beautiful natural light) a few with gorgeous windows and/or gardens/grounds:
- The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh – elegant New Town rooms, plus couples get private access to Queen Street Gardens for photos, a wonderfully peaceful green spot right in the city centre.
- Virgin Hotels Edinburgh – stylish and central, a lovely option if you want something a little different from the traditional.
- Mansfield Traquair – a breathtaking former church with soaring stained-glass windows that flood the space with natural light, plus its own private garden.
- Gleneagles Townhouse – beautifully styled and full of character, right in the heart of the city.
- The Edinburgh Botanic Gardens – light-filled reception rooms of different sizes, surrounded by lush gardens.
Whichever way you’re leaning, it’s always worth checking the travel time and route from City Chambers, as that distance shapes your whole timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions about Weddings at Edinburgh City Chambers
How much does it cost to get married at Edinburgh City Chambers?
It depends on which room you choose, the day of the week, and the time slot, and the fees are reviewed by the council roughly once a year. As a rough guide, ceremonies start from under £200 in the Wee Neuk on a weekday, rising to several hundred pounds for the Council Chamber or a weekend slot. For exact current pricing, it’s best to check the Edinburgh City Chambers Ceremony suites and online booking page.
How long do ceremonies at Edinburgh City Chambers usually last?
The ceremony itself can be quite short, often around fifteen minutes, but your booked slot is typically 45 minutes, to allow time to get everyone seated beforehand and out again afterwards. Worth confirming your exact slot length, as ceremonies run back-to-back through the day.
Is confetti allowed at Edinburgh City Chambers?
Not in the courtyard or inside the building. Couples usually step out onto the Royal Mile itself for confetti photos.
Can a wedding car wait at Edinburgh City Chambers during the ceremony?
Often, yes. But parking is very limited, so it’s essential to confirm this with your wedding coordinator or the City Chambers staff beforehand.
Can we have photos on the staircase inside Edinburgh City Chambers?
The staircase can make a beautiful spot for couple photos, especially on a wet day, but it’s generally only available if your ceremony is held in one of the upper rooms, such as the Council Chamber or the European Room. Any photos there also need to happen within your 45-minute slot, so it’s worth planning for in advance rather than as an afterthought.
Do I need a second photographer for a City Chambers wedding?
Not always. It depends less on guest numbers and more on whether your day involves multiple locations and things happening at the same time.
How many hours of photography coverage do I need for a City Chambers wedding?
Most couples with a ceremony-then-reception-elsewhere day need around 8 to 10 hours, working backwards from your last key moment of the evening to your first of the morning. Smaller or shorter City Chambers weddings, such as a ceremony with a short photo session afterwards, can work well with as little as 2 hours.
Your Timeline in a Nutshell
- Start with the big questions: where you’re getting ready, walk or drive, where you want confetti/group photos/portraits, and how you and your guests are getting to the reception
- Ceremonies are often shorter than you’d think, but the Chambers runs a tight schedule with ceremonies back to back during peak season
- A second photographer earns their keep most at the start and end of a multi-location day
- Build in buffer time – Edinburgh traffic can be unpredictable, and you deserve room to enjoy the day, not just execute it
- You don’t need to have this all figured out yourself – talking it through with someone who’s done it before makes it far less daunting
Working through a wedding timeline like this is something I love doing with my couples, because a relaxed, well-planned day makes for genuinely better photos – happier faces, no one clock-watching, no one rushing about. If that sounds like the wedding photography experience you’re after, I’d love to hear from you.
Currently taking 2027–28 wedding bookings, with a few 2026 dates still available. Get in touch and let’s talk about your wedding day, your timeline, and capturing all of it beautifully.
