Our parks offer a special setting for your wedding ceremony or photo session. All prices as of 1 April 2023
Weddings, functions and photo sessions in parks
You can book the David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park for civil and religious wedding ceremonies and civil partnership ceremonies. Seating is available for up to 70 guests - 50 in the main ceremony area and 20 in the upper level of the ceremony area.
The booking fee depends on how long you wish to hire the venue for:
| Duration of booking | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | £110 (minimum booking fee) |
| 1½ hours | £165 |
| 2 hours | £220 |
These charges include the use of the Winter Gardens for the ceremony and a photo/video session. Please note that the Council do not provide a photographer or video technician. If you'd like to hire the facility for more than two hours, please contact us to discuss the fee.
Please note that the Winter Gardens are not closed to the public during wedding ceremonies and photo or video sessions. However, signs are put up advising people that a wedding ceremony is in progress and asking them to keep noise to a minimum.
Music – we do have a pa system that you can use to connect a device through bluetooth. It is advisable to come in before your event and test your device with our pa system.
A piper or other musicians are welcome.
You can also hold a wedding ceremony in the Duthie Park bandstand. The charge for this is £330.00. This includes the set up of the area and in the event of bad weather, the Winter Gardens.
Civil wedding ceremonies and civil partnership ceremonies can only be carried out by the Registrar daily at either 2pm or 4pm. Contact the Registrars.
Opening hours
The Winter Gardens are open as follows:
| Date | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| 1 March to 31 October | 10.30am to 5.00pm |
| 1 November to 29 February | 10.30am to 4.00pm |
Ceremonies and photo sessions must finish before closing time.
Other events
Charges for other bookings in the Winter Gardens are as follows:
| Event type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Small non-commercial photo sessions | £20 for up to 2 hours |
| Small group bookings | £18 per hour |
| Private functions (1 to 3 hours) | £330 |
| Private functions (3 to 6 hours) | £660 |
Private functions must be held out with opening hours.
Map
You can download a map of the Winter Gardens below:
You can hold a wedding or civil partnership ceremony in any of the parks in Aberdeen. Please contact us to discuss requirements. The charge for holding a wedding ceremony in a park is £257.50.
If you'd like to have your wedding photos taken in one of the parks, you need to book this in advance. Prices start from £44.
If you have booked one of the parks, gardens or open spaces for your wedding photo or audio visual session, you can book the Winter Gardens in Duthie Park as an alternative venue in the event of bad weather at no extra charge.
For Johnston Gardens and the Persley Walled Garden, only one photo or audio visual session can be booked in at a time due to the size of the gardens.
Please note that the use of confetti is not allowed in any parks, gardens and open spaces.
Charges for photo or video sessions
Please note, the Council do not provide a photographer or audio visual technician.
| Duration of booking | Fee |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | £44 (minimum booking fee) |
| 1 hour | £55 |
| 2 hours | £77 |
| Half day | £110 |
| Full day | £132 |
Charges only cover the use of the facility, any other requirements will be negotiated and charged separately. If you would like to hire the space for more than one day, please contact us to discuss.
Opening hours
The opening hours for parks, gardens and open spaces vary according to the time of year. Please see the pages below for more information:
Duthie Park
Hazlehead Park
Seaton Park
Other local parks
Select the button below to make a booking, making sure to select the "Park bookings" option in the "Category" dropdown menu after selecting if you wish to book a single or multiple booking(s):
Lorna Paul
Administration Assistant
Communities, Housing and Infrastructure
David Welch Winter Gardens
Duthie Park
Polmuir Road
Aberdeen
AB11 7TH
01224 346421
wintergardens@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Payment details
- Payment is due within 14 days of provisional booking. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the booking.
- Payment is non-refundable, except in the case of exceptionally bad weather during outdoor photographic/video sessions on the day of the wedding. In such cases, claims must be submitted within 14 days of the event.
Confirmation of booking
When you have made a booking we will confirm the booking is available and update your booking to allow you to make the payment.
If any of your contact details change after you have made the booking, you must let us know as soon as possible.
David Welch Winter Gardens
- Regular watering of the plants takes place in the David Welch Winter Gardens, which may result in the paths being wet.
- Entrance to the David Welch Winter Gardens is normally via the rear car park (off Polmuir Road).
- We allow you to have a toast with Champagne or drink of your choice on the condition that you stay in the Temperate House. You are not allowed outside the Temperate House with alcohol during a wedding ceremony.
The Council reserves the right to hold any other events in the locality of the venue which has been booked.