BLOG

This article at a glance; quick benefits of each location;

Looking for a Sydney CBD wedding photo location?
The Rocks & Circular Quay — sandstone, Harbour Bridge, Opera House and waterfront
Macquarie Street & Botanic Gardens — greenery, architecture and Opera House views
State Library, Martin Place & Hyde Park — sandstone, grand architecture and gardens
Elizabeth & Castlereagh Streets — energetic, modern city atmosphere

If you’re getting married in Sydney and want your wedding photos to have a city feel, the Sydney CBD has an incredible amount of variety packed into a relatively small area.

From old sandstone buildings and laneways around The Rocks, to the architecture of Martin Place, the greenery of Hyde Park and the movement of the streets around the southern CBD, there are so many options for wedding photos in Sydney CBD.

One of the things I love about photographing weddings in the city is that it’s so dynamic. Constant movement through spaces, not picking one specific spot and spending an hour there.

My approach is to to move through an area, finding little pockets of good light, interesting architecture, people, movement and whatever else is happening on the day.

Here are some of my favourite Sydney CBD wedding photography locations if you’re after that city look.

1. The Rocks & Circular Quay

The classic Sydney wedding photo location

The Rocks and Circular Quay have to be some of the most popular areas for wedding photos in Sydney – and for good reason.

There’s an incredible amount of variety, beautiful architecture and some of Sydney’s most recognisable landmarks, all within a relatively small area.

I generally think about this part of the city as two different zones, split roughly by the Harbour Bridge deck: the eastern and western sides.

The western side of The Rocks

The western side is a little less built-up, with more of a terrace-house feel and some beautiful old sandstone pubs.

From a photography perspective, there’s a little less to work with here than on the eastern side, but it’s generally quieter and still incredibly beautiful.

Because this side faces west, it also catches the afternoon sun, which can produce some really beautiful golden light.

Depending on the time of year, that can either be a huge advantage or something we need to work around. In winter, the lower afternoon sun can be fantastic. In summer, it can be a little harsher – and probably worth avoiding.

The eastern side of The Rocks

This is probably what most people picture when they think of The Rocks.

Cute little laneways, old streets, sandstone buildings and historic pubs, with the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay close by.

One of my favourite ways to start a shoot here is at Hickson Road Reserve.

From there, we can head in a few different directions depending on what’s happening with the light.

We might head up the hill underneath the Harbour Bridge, or walk along Circular Quay for some waterfront photographs with the Opera House in the background, or head further along Hickson Road for a more built-up city look. The main advantage of this area is that everything is nice and close together. 

My approach while photographing around here is rather than setting up one photograph and spending half an hour in the same spot, I like to keep moving and photograph as we go – working with whatever light, people and atmosphere we’re getting on the day.

2. The Royal Botanic Garden, Macquarie Street & Circular Quay

Gardens, architecture and the Opera House

This is another classic area for Sydney CBD wedding photography, and there are so many different options packed into this little part of the city.

If you’re after some greenery or garden photographs alongside your city photos, the Royal Botanic Garden is the obvious choice.

There is one important thing to know, though: professional wedding photography in the gardens requires a wedding photography permit, so you’ll need to factor that into your plans.

If you’d rather keep things simple and free, there are still plenty of streets and little pockets around Macquarie Street that work incredibly well for wedding photographs.

One of my favourite things to do as a photographer is walk through the area beforehand, look at how the light is behaving that day and then build the route around it.

The light in the city is constantly changing as it filters between buildings and reflects off different surfaces, so I don’t necessarily want to decide every photograph before we start.

Cahill Expressway

One of my favourite spots in this area is the deck above the Cahill Expressway.

With the sun setting behind you, there’s a great city backdrop here that can give your wedding photographs a really strong Sydney feel.

It’s also one of those spots where you can sometimes get a little breathing room from the crowds and other couples having their photos taken.

Sydney Opera House

And then, of course, there’s the Sydney Opera House forecourt.

It’s a classic Sydney wedding photography location for a reason.

The architecture, the lines and the harbour create photographs that are instantly recognisable as Sydney, and I don’t think those kinds of photographs are going out of style anytime soon.

The main thing to be aware of is how busy it can get.

The Opera House is one of Sydney’s biggest tourist destinations, so you’ll often be sharing the space with the general public as well as other couples and wedding photographers.

That doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t get great photographs there – it just means it’s worth being prepared to work with the environment rather than expecting the space to be empty.

3. The State Library, Martin Place & Hyde Park

Architecture, sandstone and some greenery

I love this little zone in the centre of Sydney. 

Starting around the State Library of New South Wales, you’ve got the big sandstone architecture, grand steps and some really strong lines to work with.

From there, I like to head down Macquarie Street towards Hyde Park, potentially stopping through Martin Place along the way. Although this isn’t the only way we can go! 

I’ll generally look at what’s happening with the light, the amount of foot traffic and what’s interesting on the day, then adjust as we go. Another fun option is to head west down Bent St, which leads to a really cool little intersection with an old clock tower as a backdrop.

One of the things I love about photographing weddings in Sydney is that because everything is so dynamic in the city space – you can create some really unexpected photo opportunities.

For example, this photograph of Abi & Clark was taken in front of a black scaffolding cover being used around the city.

It’s not exactly what you’d put on a list of Sydney landmarks – or what you’d expect from a walk around the city – but that’s what I love about it.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is another really good option if you want some greenery or a garden feel in the CBD without going into the Royal Botanic Garden and organising a photography permit.

The grand walkway through the middle gives you some strong lines to work with, while the surrounding gardens have lots of smaller pockets that can work really well for portraits.

It’s another location where I prefer to move around rather than spend the entire time in one spot.

4. Elizabeth Street, Castlereagh Street & the Southern CBD

A more real, energetic city feel

This is a really fun and interesting part of Sydney for wedding photographs, and generally, not many couples get wedding photos here. And that’s what I love about it! Rather than the big Sydney landmarks – this particular area just gives you more of the real city sort of vibes. 

It’s a busy shopping area, so there’s lots happening around you – people, movement, traffic, shopfronts, architecture and all of the energy that comes with being in the middle of Sydney.

If you’re getting ready at the Ace Hotel Sydney, or having your reception at the Ace or nearby Alpha, this can be a really cool area to incorporate into your wedding photography.

One word of warning though for this spot – there’s not a huge amount of open space, so I wouldn’t choose this area for photos with a large bridal party. It’s really only a zone for the two of you – but it’s so fun and can lead to some really romantic shots. 

How I approach wedding photos around Sydney CBD

The thing I like most about photographing weddings in the Sydney CBD is how dynamic the whole environment is. Every time I’m there – it’s different! The city gives us so much to work with, and depending on the time of year, time of day and weather on that particular day, the opportunities are endless. 

The light changes constantly. People are moving through the streets. Reflections appear in windows. A particular building catches the afternoon sun. We might walk around a corner and find something completely different from what we expected.

So rather than choosing one location and setting up a series of photographs there, I generally prefer to choose an area and move through it. We start with a rough idea of where we’re going to go, and then just work with what is happening infront of us. 

That might mean The Rocks and Circular Quay for sandstone, the Harbour Bridge and Opera House for landmarks, Macquarie Street and the Botanic Gardens for a combination of architecture and greenery, Martin Place and Macquarie Street for grand city architecture, or the southern CBD for something a little more energetic and everyday.

So, with all that said, I hope this article helps you in choosing which zone you’d like to go for with your wedding photos in the Sydney CBD! And if you’re looking for a Sydney wedding photographer and want your wedding photographs to have a modern, relaxed city feel, I’d love to chat more with you about what your vision is. 

About Elliott: I’m a Sydney wedding photographer, and I’ve photographed weddings and wedding portraits throughout the Sydney CBD. These are some of the areas I return to most often when couples want their photographs to have a distinctly Sydney city feel.