Yana Skakun
South East London·Art Deco mansion + medieval great hall (English Heritage)
Wedding Photographer at Eltham Palace
Documentary wedding photography at one of South East London’s most iconic venues.
Introduction
Wedding photography at Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace is one of those rare venues where two worlds collide in a single afternoon — the curved glamour of a 1930s Art Deco home and the soaring stone of a medieval royal great hall. As a documentary photographer, I let the building do the storytelling. I move quietly through the circular Entrance Hall while you greet your guests, catching the way the domed light falls across a sleeve, a held breath, a first glance down the aisle. My approach here is unobtrusive and reactive rather than staged. I'm watching for the small, true moments — a grandmother's hand finding yours in the Great Hall, the laughter that rolls across the moat bridge, the quiet second before you step out into the gardens. Nothing is posed into stiffness; I work with the natural light pouring through the leaded windows and the geometry the Courtaulds left behind. Eltham rewards a photographer who knows when to step back. With interiors this distinctive, I let the architecture frame you rather than competing with it. By the end of the day you have a record that feels honest — the texture of the marble, the warmth of the panelled rooms, the South East London light softening over the lawns — a wedding story told the way it actually unfolded.
Venue history
A brief history of Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace began life as a medieval royal residence, and at its heart still stands the great hall built for King Edward IV in the 1470s. This vast hammer-beam hall is where the young Henry VIII spent part of his childhood, a survivor of centuries when the rest of the medieval palace fell into ruin and the site slipped out of royal use. In the 1930s the textile heirs Stephen and Virginia Courtauld took on the site and built a strikingly modern Art Deco home alongside the surviving medieval hall, fusing old and new in a way that still feels audacious today. Their house is famous for its dramatic circular Entrance Hall, crowned by a glazed dome, along with streamlined panelled interiors, a map room and other rooms that capture the confident style of the era. Today Eltham Palace and its gardens are cared for by English Heritage, with the moat, bridge and grounds restored as part of the experience. It is this unusual pairing — Art Deco glamour wrapped around a Tudor-era great hall, set behind a moat in South East London — that makes it such a distinctive and photogenic place to marry.
Photography
Best photo opportunities at Eltham Palace
- 1Photo Spot
The Art Deco Entrance Hall — the circular, dome-lit centrepiece where curved walls and warm marquetry wrap around you for portraits that feel effortlessly cinematic.
- 2Photo Spot
The medieval Great Hall — soaring stone and a hammer-beam roof centuries old, giving ceremony and group shots a sense of grand, timeless scale.
- 3Photo Spot
The Art Deco interiors — the panelled rooms and streamlined 1930s detailing offer intimate, jewel-box backdrops for getting-ready and candid moments.
- 4Photo Spot
The gardens and moat bridge — the bridge across the moat and surrounding lawns are perfect for confetti runs and relaxed couple portraits in open light.
- 5Photo Spot
The Map Room — a characterful Art Deco space whose painted detailing makes a wonderfully unexpected frame for a quiet, just-the-two-of-you portrait.
- 6Photo Spot
The house exterior — the mansion's clean 1930s lines and the approach across the moat give striking wide shots that set the whole story in place.
On the day
Sample wedding day timeline
- 11:30
Bridal and groom preparations in the panelled Art Deco rooms — details, dress and quiet anticipation as natural light fills the space.
- 13:00
Guests arrive across the moat bridge and gather; candid welcomes captured around the house exterior and grounds.
- 13:30
Ceremony in the medieval Great Hall, with the hammer-beam roof rising overhead.
- 14:00
Confetti and celebration on the moat bridge and lawns as you step out as newlyweds.
- 14:30
Drinks reception in the gardens and Entrance Hall; relaxed candids and natural group moments.
- 15:30
Relaxed family and group photographs framed by the Great Hall or the gardens.
- 16:30
Wedding breakfast and speeches in the reception space; reactions, laughter and toasts.
- 19:30
Golden-hour couple portraits across the gardens, moat bridge and the circular Entrance Hall.
- 20:30
First dance and evening celebrations as the party gets underway.
Planning notes
Logistics & access
- Ceremony options — Eltham Palace is a licensed setting; confirm current civil ceremony rooms and licensing details directly with the venue's events team.
- Confetti and petals — many heritage sites only permit natural, biodegradable petals in designated areas, so check the current confetti policy with the venue before the day.
- Music and curfew — as an English Heritage site there may be sound limits and an evening curfew; confirm timings and any restrictions with the events team when planning.
- Capacity and scale — guest numbers vary by room and layout across the Great Hall and Art Deco spaces; ask the venue's team to confirm current capacities for your plans.
- Rain plan — the Entrance Hall, Great Hall and interiors give beautiful indoor options, so we can shift portraits and confetti undercover and still make the most of the architecture.
Gallery
Eltham Palace — moments & details
“Yana captured Eltham Palace exactly as we experienced it — the drama of the Great Hall, the glamour of the Art Deco rooms, and all the little moments in between. The photos feel honest and alive, never posed or stiff. We could not be happier.”
Charlotte & James
Eltham Palace Wedding
Frequently Asked
Questions about Eltham Palace weddings
What is the best season to get married at Eltham Palace?+
Every season suits Eltham. Late spring and summer give you lush gardens and long golden-hour light across the moat, while autumn brings rich colour to the grounds. Because so much of the venue's magic is indoors — the Entrance Hall, Great Hall and Art Deco rooms — winter weddings here are wonderfully atmospheric too.
What are the ceremony options at Eltham Palace?+
Eltham Palace offers licensed ceremony settings including its historic spaces, but exact rooms and licensing can change, so I'd always recommend confirming current options directly with the venue's events team. Whatever you choose, I work discreetly to document it as it happens.
How do I get there, and where do you shoot portraits?+
Eltham Palace sits in South East London with good rail and road links from across the city and beyond. For portraits I make the most of the moat bridge, gardens, the circular Entrance Hall and the Great Hall, so we always have striking options whatever the weather.
Is there accommodation or anything nearby?+
There is a good range of hotels across South East London and central London within easy reach for guests. The venue's events team can advise on the latest recommendations and any on-site arrangements for the wedding day itself.
Do you travel to Eltham Palace, and how do you work on the day?+
Yes — I'm a Cambridge-based documentary wedding photographer and I travel across the UK, including regularly into London. I work unobtrusively, following the day as it unfolds and letting Eltham's extraordinary architecture frame your story rather than staging it.
Planning a wedding at Eltham Palace?
Let’s capture your day at Eltham Palace
I’d love to hear about your plans — venue, date, and any ideas you already have. I reply within 24 hours.