London locations
Permits, light and what to expect on the day.
Formal gardens, roses in June, long avenues and the boating lake. That is what brings people to Regent's Park with a camera.
| Regent's Park | |
|---|---|
| Who controls it | The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots. |
| Good for | Formal gardens, roses in June, long avenues and the boating lake. |
| Light | The avenues run in several directions, so there is backlight available most of the day. |
| Busiest | Permits for The Regent's Park are applied for and paid separately from the other Royal Parks. |
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 avenues run in several directions, so there is backlight available most of the day.
Permits for The Regent's Park are applied for and paid separately from the other Royal Parks. The rose garden in June is the busiest part of the park.
Regent's Park and Baker Street for the south, Camden Town for the north.
A reflector for the avenues and something long for compression.
Applying through the general Royal Parks form. Regent's Park is applied for separately.
| 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 | Regent's Park and Baker Street for the south, Camden Town for the north. |
| What to carry | A reflector for the avenues and something long for compression. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Mary's Gardens | Roses in June, formal beds | Morning |
| The Broad Walk | A long avenue with backlight | Late afternoon |
| The boating lake | Water, willows, reflections | Golden hour |
A location is a corner at an hour, not a postcode. Pick one of these and build the session around it.
An hour in Regent's Park is three stops, not one.
We start at Queen Mary's Gardens, because it is the frame most people came for and it is quietest first.
Then The Broad Walk, which changes the background without changing the light.
We finish at The boating lake, which gives a different scale and a different mood.
June for the roses, which is the busiest fortnight in the park.
Autumn for the avenue, which turns gold.
Winter for structure, when the formal layout is visible.
Long dresses work on the avenues, where there is room for movement.
Colours that separate from green, which is most of the background.
Flat shoes for gravel paths.
The colonnades at Park Square and the bandstand give partial cover.
Primrose Hill is next door and gives a skyline instead of gardens.
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: Hyde Park, South Bank and Covent Garden.
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.