Clearwell Castle Wedding Photographer & Videographer

A castle on the Welsh border, in the Forest of Dean

Clearwell Castle is at Clearwell in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire (GL16 8LG). The venue says the castle sits in 20 acres of grounds with a cocktail terrace and a croquet lawn, and that exclusive use of the castle is available from midday on your wedding day.

We have photographed and filmed three weddings here, in September 2021, July 2022 and December 2022. This page follows the December wedding of Zoe and Cory in photographs, adds a highlight film from the July wedding of Kelly and James, and stays with the castle itself. Our Gloucestershire guide, Monmouthshire guide and Herefordshire guide mention the castle as a neighbouring-county wedding. What we say about the rooms and the grounds comes from the venue's own website, and what we say about the photographs comes from looking at them.

For current venue details, explore Clearwell Castle.

01 / The spaces / From the venue's own description

The Ballroom, the gardens and the evening

The venue describes a church-like Ballroom with a 75-foot aisle, a raised dais for signing the register and leaded windows, and says it suits weddings all year round. Outdoors, it offers a Bandstand among the gardens, with the castle behind, and the Castle Steps as another backdrop. Its licence is for civil ceremonies only, and it suggests a ceremony time between 1pm and 2pm, lasting about 20 to 30 minutes.

Zoe and Cory married indoors. In the photograph below they kiss at the front of the ceremony, and their guests, seated in rows on both sides, applaud and smile, in a tall cream room with gold columns, arched windows and chandeliers. We do not name the room from the photograph, so ask the venue which of its spaces fits your numbers.

The wedding breakfast is served in the dining rooms, and the evening is in the Cellar Bar, which has a dance floor and disco lighting. The venue says last bar orders are at 11.45pm and the music cut-off is midnight, with a late licence available to 1am. It allows sparklers, which you supply yourselves, and fireworks from one named supplier only, so check each rule with the venue for your date.

02 / December 2022 / Zoe and Cory

Zoe and Cory: orange leaves three days before Christmas

Zoe and Cory married at Clearwell Castle on 22 December 2022, and the photograph at the top of this page shows what the grounds look like then. They walk away from us along a gravel path under tall trees whose branches are still full of orange leaves, with lawns beyond them. Cory, in a brown suit, kisses the top of Zoe's head, and Zoe's lace and tulle gown trails behind her.

It is a reminder that December at Clearwell is not bare. The warm colour of the leaves gave the portraits a very different feel from the cool cream of the ceremony room.

Winter at Clearwell

The venue says you can marry on any day of the year except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and that some of its packages run only from October to May, so ask which apply to your date. Our three weddings here ran from a September day in 2021 to a July day and a December day in 2022.

If you are marrying in winter, daylight is short and we keep outdoor photographs close to the indoors, straight from the ceremony. We check sunset and light times for your date in advance. The venue says the Ballroom is the indoor backup for an outdoor ceremony and that the decision is made on the morning of the wedding.

03 / Staying at the castle / From the venue's own description

Fifteen castle bedrooms and The Wyndham

The venue lists 15 bedrooms in the castle, including a honeymoon suite, and The Wyndham, a short walk away, with 24 more en-suite rooms. It also has estate cottages and a studio, and says the estate can accommodate over 100 guests, with up to 50 staying the night before. Guests can check in from noon and check out by 10am. The couple reserve the rooms and guests arrange theirs with the couple.

For photographs, ask which rooms you can use in the morning and when, so we can plan the day around where each of you is getting ready.

Planning your photographs at Clearwell Castle

A few things worth asking the venue, and how we would plan around the answers:

1. Indoors or outdoors: ask whether you would like the Ballroom or the Bandstand, and tell us, so we can arrange the morning around it.
2. Rain: agree an indoor or sheltered option with the venue when you confirm the order of the day. On the day we settle it together with you and the venue.
3. Group photographs: we do as many as you like and typically recommend around 15, which usually take about 20 minutes. Choose somewhere with room and a sheltered backup, and ask a groomsman or bridesmaid who knows everyone to round people up.
4. Portraits: we usually take a portrait walk of about 15 minutes, with photo and video together, and the gardens give you paths and lawns to choose from.
5. Pets: the venue allows the couple's own dogs and cats on site from midday until welcome drinks end, so tell us if a pet is part of the day.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings together, so a castle with a long ceremony room, gardens and a cellar bar is familiar territory. You get one conversation about the timetable, one set of questions for the venue and one plan for the portrait walk.

The photo and video team package carries a £120 deposit and a £300 saving over booking photography and videography separately. We are based near Cardiff, and travel across England and Wales is included in standard full-day packages.

Questions about a Clearwell Castle wedding