Yana Skakun
Ely·Historic Cathedral
Wedding Photographer at Ely Cathedral
Documentary wedding photography at one of Ely’s most iconic venues.
Introduction
Wedding photography at Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is one of the most photographically singular places in England to be married. Visible across thirty miles of fen on a clear day, rising 215 feet above the flat landscape on its low island of clay, it is a building that exists on its own scale entirely. Inside, the Octagon Lantern — eight medieval timber columns supporting a glazed wooden tower above the crossing — admits a column of natural daylight directly onto the place where you stand to make your vows. There is nothing else like it in cathedral Europe. Wedding photography at Ely is an exercise in working with that scale. The nave is 76 metres long; the west tower stands 66 metres high; the Lady Chapel is the largest individual chapel in England. Flash photography would be both irrelevant and intrusive in a space lit, as Ely is, by such extraordinary natural light at almost every hour of the day. My approach is to photograph entirely with available light, from the side aisles and triforium, capturing both the architectural grandeur and the human intimacy at the crossing — your faces, your hands, your families gathered in this stone room that has stood since the Norman conquest. The Cathedral sits within a complete medieval precinct: cloisters, the Bishop's House gardens, the Almonry, Prior Crauden's Chapel, the deanery and the riverside path down to the Great Ouse. After the ceremony the photographic possibilities widen dramatically, into a landscape of medieval domestic architecture, walled gardens and fenland sky. Few cathedral weddings offer so complete a portrait setting within the immediate precinct.
Venue history
A brief history of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral was founded in 672 by St Etheldreda, an Anglo-Saxon princess who established a double monastery for monks and nuns on the island of Ely. That first foundation was destroyed by Viking raids in 870 and refounded as a Benedictine monastery in 970. The present building was begun in 1083 by Abbot Simeon under William the Conqueror — making Ely one of the great Norman cathedrals of England, contemporary with Durham and Norwich. The building's defining feature, the Octagon Lantern, was an act of medieval engineering improvisation. In February 1322 the original Norman crossing tower collapsed without warning into the nave; the sacrist Alan of Walsingham, working with the carpenter William Hurley (later master carpenter to Edward III), conceived a radical solution. They removed the four crossing piers entirely and replaced them with an eight-sided stone vault, 22 metres across, topped by a wooden lantern weighing 400 tonnes that admits daylight from above. Completed in 1342, the Octagon Lantern remains the only such structure in medieval Europe and is widely considered one of the supreme feats of Gothic engineering. The Lady Chapel, attached to the north-east corner and built between 1321 and 1349, is the largest individual chapel in England — a single rectangular room with extraordinary curvilinear window tracery and the remains of an extensive scheme of medieval polychrome sculpture, defaced during the Reformation but still visible in the canopied stalls. The cathedral has served continuously as a place of worship for nearly a thousand years and remains the cathedral church of the diocese of Ely.
Photography
Best photo opportunities at Ely Cathedral
- 1Photo Spot
The West Front — the great Romanesque west tower and Galilee Porch, dramatic against the fenland sky, ideal for confetti exit and large group photographs.
- 2Photo Spot
Beneath the Octagon Lantern — top-lit by natural daylight from the medieval lantern above, the crossing offers a photographic environment available in no other English cathedral.
- 3Photo Spot
The choir stalls and presbytery — fourteenth-century stalls with intricate misericords, perfect for processional and ceremonial frames.
- 4Photo Spot
The Lady Chapel — England's largest individual chapel, with diffused north-light through the curvilinear tracery for intimate couple portraits.
- 5Photo Spot
The medieval cloisters — sheltered, atmospheric, ideal for both rain-plan portraits and atmospheric couple frames whatever the weather.
- 6Photo Spot
The Bishop's House walled gardens — private mature gardens adjacent to the Cathedral with herbaceous borders and ancient trees.
- 7Photo Spot
Riverside walk to the Great Ouse — a five-minute walk from the precinct gates down to the river and Riverside Park for natural fenland portraits.
On the day
Sample wedding day timeline
- 10:00
Bridal preparation at The Almonry or a nearby guest house — natural details and getting-ready candids.
- 11:30
Groom and party arrive at the Cathedral; ushering and pre-ceremony details photographed in the nave.
- 12:30
Bridal arrival at the West Front — processional through the Galilee Porch and up the nave.
- 13:00
Ceremony beneath the Octagon Lantern — vows, readings, hymns, blessing. Photographed entirely with available light.
- 14:15
Signing of the register in the Lady Chapel or vestry — quieter intimate frames with immediate family.
- 14:45
Confetti exit through the West Front — biodegradable petals, full-energy guest frames.
- 15:00
Group photographs on the West Front lawn or, in rain, within the cloisters.
- 15:45
Couple portraits — cloisters, Lady Chapel, Bishop's House gardens, selected at golden-hour points throughout the afternoon.
- 16:30
Drinks reception in the Cathedral nave or precinct gardens — natural candids, toasts, mingling.
- 18:00
Wedding breakfast in The Almonry or precinct marquee — speeches, toasts, candlelit detail frames.
- 20:30
First dance and evening reception — atmospheric, low-light coverage of the evening's energy.
- 22:00
Sparkler exit on the West Front — closing portrait moment with the floodlit Cathedral as backdrop.
Planning notes
Logistics & access
- Diocesan permission is required for all photography during the ceremony — I liaise directly with the Cathedral's events office in advance to confirm permissions and movements.
- Flash photography is forbidden inside the Cathedral during the ceremony; I work entirely with available light using fast prime lenses.
- Parking is limited within the precinct; the Barton Road and Ship Lane car parks in Ely town centre are a short walk and recommended for guests.
- The Cathedral schedules weddings strictly at either 11:00 or 14:00 starts; choral foundation rehearsals and evensong commitments mean timings cannot be shifted, so guest arrival must be punctual.
- Rain plan: the medieval cloisters and Lady Chapel provide architecturally outstanding sheltered alternatives for group photographs and couple portraits in any weather.
Gallery
Ely Cathedral — moments & details
“We had imagined Ely all our lives but the photographs went beyond anything we had hoped for. Yana found the light in the Octagon, the quiet in the Lady Chapel, the joy on the West Front. She gave us back our wedding day in a way that still moves us a year on.”
Imogen & David
Ely Cathedral Wedding
Frequently Asked
Questions about Ely Cathedral weddings
Can non-Anglicans marry at Ely Cathedral?+
Yes — Ely Cathedral welcomes weddings from a wide range of Christian backgrounds, and civil ceremonies can also be held in licensed parts of the precinct. There are specific residence or connection requirements set by the Diocese which the Cathedral's wedding coordinator will guide you through; most couples meet these via a parish or family connection.
Can we marry in the Lady Chapel only, rather than the main cathedral?+
Yes — the Lady Chapel can be booked as the sole ceremony space and is particularly suited to smaller weddings of 50 to 120 guests. It offers extraordinary diffused natural light, exceptional acoustics, and a sense of architectural intimacy that the vastness of the main nave cannot match.
Is the Cathedral Choir available for our wedding?+
The Cathedral has one of the country's most accomplished choral foundations and singers can sometimes be booked for weddings subject to term-time and rehearsal commitments. The Cathedral music office handles all enquiries directly; advance booking is essential.
Do you photograph elopements and small weddings at Ely?+
Yes — I photograph small weddings, elopements and intimate ceremonies of any scale, and Ely is a particularly beautiful setting for two-witness elopements in the Lady Chapel. Half-day coverage packages start from £950 for elopement-scale events.
What is the typical investment for an Ely Cathedral wedding?+
My full-day Cambridgeshire wedding packages start from £2,395 and include up to 12 hours of coverage, online gallery, high-resolution files and a pre-wedding venue consultation. Detailed packages and second-photographer options are on the Investment page.
Planning a wedding at Ely Cathedral?
Let’s capture your day at Ely Cathedral
I’d love to hear about your plans — venue, date, and any ideas you already have. I reply within 24 hours.