Camp Katur Wedding Photographer

I’m Dave, a relaxed, documentary-style wedding photographer based in West Yorkshire, and I love any wedding where the day happens outdoors. Give me tall trees, long grass and a bride walking to her ceremony through a wood, and I’m a very happy photographer.

Camp Katur is a glamping site on the Camp Hill Estate at Kirklington, near Bedale in North Yorkshire, with a licensed Woodland Chapel among the pines, a characterful Hay Barn, a newly refurbished Orangery and geodomes and lodges for your guests to stay in. Looking for a wedding photographer for Camp Katur? Here’s what I’ve learned photographing a wedding there, and what to expect on the day.

Check my date

Camp Katur at a Glance

  • Address: The Camp Hill Estate, Kirklington, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 2LS
  • Setting: A 300-acre estate with woodland, meadows and glamping accommodation
  • Ceremonies: The Woodland Chapel, the Hay Barn and the Hill Farm Safari Tent are all fully licensed
  • Receptions: The Hay Barn seats up to 120 guests, the Orangery 140 and the Hill Farm Safari Tent up to 60
  • Staying over: Geodomes and lodges on site, including Chestnut Lodge, which sleeps up to 24 across three cabins
  • Bar: A fully stocked, staffed bar service is included in every package
  • Planning: Wedding planning and on-the-day coordination are included
  • Styling: The venue encourages couples to bring their own styling
  • Nearby towns: Bedale is 6 miles away and Ripon 7 miles

Photographing a Wedding at Camp Katur

The morning usually starts in the accommodation. At Katie and Miki’s wedding the bride and groom got ready in separate glamping pods a short walk apart, which meant I could cover both without anyone having to drive anywhere. The pods have big windows looking out over the trees, so the light inside is soft and green, perfect for dress details, buttons being fastened and the veil going on.

Katie's veil being fitted beside the pod window, looking out over the Camp Katur estate

The Woodland Chapel is the heart of a Camp Katur wedding. It’s a clearing of wooden benches under tall pines, and because the canopy softens the sun, the light on faces during the vows stays even, even on a bright August afternoon. I work quietly from the sides and the back, so no one is looking at a photographer instead of the couple. One of my favourite moments is the bride arriving: there’s no car and no church porch, she simply appears between the trees.

Guests gathered in the Woodland Chapel at Camp Katur, North Yorkshire, among tall pines
Katie and Miki's first kiss on a patterned rug in the Camp Katur Woodland Chapel

Straight after the ceremony, the aisle makes a great confetti run, and the open meadow next to the woods is ideal for drinks, lawn games and group photos, with plenty of room for everyone and good, open light.

Katie and Miki laughing through a shower of confetti as they leave the ceremony

For couple portraits, Camp Katur is a gift. Within a few minutes’ walk you have the open meadow, the long grass along the edge of the pine forest, the pines themselves and quiet grassy rides between the trees. I usually allow twenty to thirty minutes for portraits after the ceremony, and here that’s enough to visit two or three very different spots without anyone feeling rushed.

Katie's veil catching the wind as she stands with Miki in the Camp Katur meadow
Katie and Miki embracing in long grass at the edge of a pine forest
Katie and Miki standing together beneath towering pines on the Camp Katur estate

In the evening, the Orangery comes into its own. Its long run of arched windows and wide steps catch the low sun beautifully, and the estate lane nearby is lovely for a walk as the sun sets through the trees. Once it’s dark, the same lane works well for a short twilight portrait.

Sunset glow over the Orangery at Camp Katur, North Yorkshire, with Katie and Miki on the steps
Katie and Miki walking hand in hand along the estate lane as the sun sets

Inside, the Hay Barn has old brick and stone walls, a high timbered roof and wagon-wheel chandeliers. When the lights go down for the first dance, the chandelier glow and the DJ lights add lovely colour, and I use a little off-camera light so the barn keeps its atmosphere rather than looking flat.

A few timings help the day flow here. I arrive at the ceremony 40 to 45 minutes before it starts, so if you’re getting ready on site there’s time for a few pictures once you’re dressed before you head into the woods. Allow four to five minutes for each group photo, and fifteen to twenty minutes after the ceremony just to chat with your guests. All those hugs and congratulations make some of the best pictures of the day.

If the weather turns, the Hay Barn is also licensed for ceremonies, so it’s worth talking to the Camp Katur team early about how they handle a wet day in the Woodland Chapel.

Location of Camp Katur

Camp Katur is on the Camp Hill Estate at Kirklington, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 2LS. It sits between Bedale, 6 miles away, and Ripon, 7 miles away, in open North Yorkshire countryside. Your guests can stay on site in the geodomes and lodges, which makes a relaxed, weekend-long celebration very easy.

Real Weddings at Camp Katur

Katie & Mikołaj

Katie and Miki in a light-painted heart at twilight on the Camp Katur estate

A woodland ceremony among the pines, a colourful Hay Barn they decorated themselves, a Southern-style barbecue and doughnuts instead of a cake. Read Katie and Mikołaj’s Camp Katur wedding story.

Why Choose Camp Katur?

Camp Katur suits couples who want their wedding to feel like a weekend away with the people they love. The Woodland Chapel gives you a ceremony that simply isn’t possible in a hotel or a church, and with the Hay Barn, the Orangery and the Hill Farm Safari Tent there’s a choice of spaces for the rest of the day.

Because your guests can stay in geodomes and lodges just a short walk away, nobody needs to leave early, and the whole thing feels relaxed and unhurried. The venue also encourages couples to bring their own styling, so if you love the idea of dressing a barn in flowers, bunting and colour, like Katie and Miki did, you have the freedom to make it completely yours.

The newly refurbished Orangery adds another option for larger celebrations, while the Hill Farm Safari Tent suits a smaller wedding of up to 60 guests. And with ceremonies offered in spring, summer and autumn, you can choose between fresh green woodland, long summer evenings or rich autumn colour.

The Hay Barn at Camp Katur set for the wedding breakfast with chandeliers and long tables
Katie and Miki's first dance under the chandelier in the Hay Barn at Camp Katur

Camp Katur Wedding Questions

Yes. The venue describes the Woodland Chapel as fully licensed, so you can hold your legal ceremony among the pines. The Hay Barn and the Hill Farm Safari Tent are licensed too.

The venue’s 2026 brochure gives the Hay Barn as up to 120 guests, the Orangery as 140 and the Hill Farm Safari Tent as up to 60. The brochure doesn’t give a capacity for the Woodland Chapel, so ask the venue about ceremony numbers.

Yes. There are geodomes and lodges on the estate, including Chestnut Lodge, which sleeps up to 24 across three cabins. Check with the venue which accommodation comes with your package.

Yes. The brochure says every package includes a fully stocked, professional bar service with staff and an events licence.

The venue encourages couples to bring their own styling. Katie and Miki decorated the Hay Barn themselves with bunting, bright decorations and handmade name cards.

The Hay Barn is also licensed for ceremonies, so it’s the natural alternative to the Woodland Chapel. The venue doesn’t publish a wet-weather plan, so ask the Camp Katur team how they handle a rainy day.

I like the open meadow, the long grass along the edge of the pine forest, the pines themselves and the grassy rides between them. In the evening, the Orangery steps and the estate lane are lovely at sunset.

The venue says Bedale is 6 miles away and Ripon is 7 miles away. Its address is the Camp Hill Estate, Kirklington, Bedale DL8 2LS.

For guests staying over, the venue says there is parking within each glamping area, limited to one car per accommodation, with additional cars in the main car park.

Check my date

More Yorkshire Wedding Venues

If you are still choosing a venue, have a look at my guide to Yorkshire wedding venues, with the places I have photographed across the county. Getting married somewhere else nearby? My York wedding photographer page covers the other venues I know in the area.