London locations
Permits, light and what to expect on the day.
The Italian Gardens, the palace, long avenues and water. That is what brings people to Kensington Gardens with a camera.
| Kensington Gardens | |
|---|---|
| Who controls it | The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots. |
| Good for | The Italian Gardens, the palace, long avenues and water. |
| Light | The Italian Gardens face the morning light and empty out before ten. |
| Busiest | Kensington Gardens is a Royal Park with the same portrait permit as Hyde Park next door. |
The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots. One permit covers one hour and up to ten people, in selected areas. You attach public liability insurance with minimum cover of five million pounds, and they ask for at least ten days notice. Permits for The Regent's Park are applied for separately.
Checked on 4 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the authority before the shoot.
The Italian Gardens face the morning light and empty out before ten.
Kensington Gardens is a Royal Park with the same portrait permit as Hyde Park next door. The street outside is the borough.
Lancaster Gate and Queensway for the Italian Gardens, High Street Kensington for the palace.
A reflector, and a tripod only if the permit covers it.
Confusing the park rules with the borough rules on the street outside.
| Who controls it | The Royal Parks |
| Permit needed | Yes: personal lifestyle and commercial shoots use different applications |
| Notice to allow | 10 days for lifestyle; at least 5 or 10 working days for commercial work, depending on crew size |
| Insurance | Public liability, minimum 5 million pounds |
| Worth knowing | The one-hour / 10-person limit is for wedding and lifestyle permits |
| Nearest stations | Lancaster Gate and Queensway for the Italian Gardens, High Street Kensington for the palace. |
| What to carry | A reflector, and a tripod only if the permit covers it. |
Rules and fees change. Confirm with the authority named above before the shoot, and treat this table as a starting point rather than a permission.
| Where | What it gives you | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| The Italian Gardens | Fountains and stone urns | Morning |
| The Albert Memorial | Gilt and detail | Late afternoon |
| The Round Pond | Open water with the palace behind | Evening |
A location is a corner at an hour, not a postcode. Pick one of these and build the session around it.
An hour in Kensington Gardens is three stops, not one.
We start at The Italian Gardens, because it is the frame most people came for and it is quietest first.
Then The Albert Memorial, which changes the background without changing the light.
We finish at The Round Pond, which gives a different scale and a different mood.
Spring, when the avenues come into leaf.
Autumn along the Broad Walk.
Winter mornings at the Italian Gardens, which are empty before ten.
Formal and classic, because the setting is.
Long dresses suit the fountains and the avenues.
Flat shoes for gravel.
The Serpentine galleries are a short walk.
The Orangery and the palace gardens have their own arrangements.
The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit that covers engagement, wedding and family portrait work.
One permit covers one hour and up to ten people, in selected areas of the park.
You complete the online application, choose the park, and attach public liability insurance with minimum cover of five million pounds.
They ask for at least ten days notice, and the fee is paid through a link once the application is approved.
The Regent's Park is applied for and paid separately from the other parks.
Commercial filming and photography is a different route, handled by the filming team, with fees set by the shoot rather than by a fixed permit.
Nearby, with different rules and a different look: Mayfair, Canary Wharf and Notting Hill.
The full list of occasions is on event photography in London.
Next step
Send the date and intended use; the current permission route can then be checked before the location is promised.
Send the date, location and what you need photographed.