Bride and groom walking through a huge confetti throw outside The Square Tower Old Portsmouth

A Fun, Candid Square Tower Wedding Photographer

History, sea views and the most charming staff in Old Portsmouth. And yes, I LOVE lighting it.

THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦THE SQUARE TOWER✦OLD PORTSMOUTH✦THE ROUND TOWER✦THE HOT WALLS✦SEA VIEWS✦FLASH-LIT FIRST DANCES✦

Hello, I’m Emma, a Portsmouth based wedding photographer and I am a little bit obsessed with The Square Tower. It is right on my doorstep, it is bursting with history, and it gives you a wedding backdrop you genuinely cannot get anywhere else in Hampshire. If you are getting married here and you want someone who will capture all the real, joyful, slightly chaotic moments AND light that gorgeous dark vault properly, you are in exactly the right place.

Flash-lit first kiss in the vaulted brick ceremony room at a Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding

About The Square Tower, Old Portsmouth

The Square Tower is one of Portsmouth’s oldest and most characterful buildings. It was built in 1494 under Henry VII as part of the city’s coastal defences, and it has stood watch over Old Portsmouth ever since. Inside you get those beautiful Tudor bones, a vaulted brick ceiling, thick ancient walls and iron chandeliers, and outside you step straight onto the seafront with the harbour, the Spinnaker Tower and Portsmouth Cathedral all right there. It is intimate, atmospheric and steeped in more than 500 years of history, and it is licensed for ceremonies with the party carrying on until 11pm.

Bride walking down the aisle with her father at The Square Tower Old Portsmouth

Full wedding party group photo on the rooftop of The Square Tower with Portsmouth Harbour behind

Bride and groom kissing on the rooftop of The Square Tower with the veil spread out and harbour views

The vaulted brick ceremony room at The Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding venue

First kiss lit with off camera flash in the vaulted brick ceremony room at The Square Tower

Relaxed bride and groom portrait by the water in Old Portsmouth

Why I Love Photographing Weddings Here

That vaulted ceremony room. Rich red brick, candlelight and chandeliers. It’s dark and moody in there, and with the right lighting it looks incredible.
Rooftop harbour views. Head up top and you have Portsmouth Harbour, passing sailboats and, if you time it right, an actual Royal Navy warship gliding past behind your portraits.
A confetti dream. The courtyard and old fort walls make for brilliant confetti and group shots.
Right in Old Portsmouth. The Hot Walls, the Cathedral and the seafront are all a two minute stroll away for extra portrait spots.

Bride and groom on the rooftop of The Square Tower with Portsmouth Harbour views

Lighting That Dark Vault (This Bit Matters)

Here is the honest truth about The Square Tower. The ceremony room is stunning, and it is very, very dark. There is almost no natural light in there. A lot of photos taken in that room end up dim, grainy or a bit flat, because the camera is fighting for every scrap of light. This is where I come in. I light my Square Tower ceremonies with off camera flash, which brings out the warmth of the brick, keeps everyone crisp and beautifully lit, and turns that tricky dark room into some of the most dramatic images of the whole day. It is a big part of why I am currently ranked in the top ten in the world for flash wedding photography on the Flash Masters leaderboard. If you want to see the difference for yourself, I have written a whole flash vs no flash at The Square Tower post.

Flash-lit evening dance floor at a Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding

Real Weddings at The Square Tower

Have a nosy at a couple of real days I have photographed here: Vicki and Luke’s flash-lit celebration and Lauren and Shane’s blustery micro wedding. Two very different days, both an absolute blast.

Bride and groom by the sea near The Square Tower Old Portsmouth

Bride and groom walking back down the aisle at The Square Tower in natural light, black and white

Kind Words From Square Tower Couples

“Very happy and bubbly, couldn’t have asked for a better photographer. Her pictures are incredible! I wish I could give her higher than 5/5”
Vicki & Luke, The Square Tower

“All of our guests commented on how lovely Emma was and how they often didn’t even notice she was there!”
Lauren & Shane, The Square Tower

The Fun Bits

Confetti, cake and a dancefloor in a centuries-old tower. Fun doesn’t get much more Portsmouth than this.

Bride laughing with her friends at her Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding

Guests dancing under coloured lights at the evening reception at The Square Tower Old Portsmouth

Bride arriving with her dad outside The Square Tower Old Portsmouth on an overcast day

Bride and groom cutting the cake lit with flash at The Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding

Read Vicki & Luke’s Story

Bride's veil blowing in the wind on the rooftop of The Square Tower, Old Portsmouth

Groom and groomsmen waiting in the brick vaulted ceremony room at The Square Tower

Bride sharing an emotional hug with a guest at her Square Tower wedding

Bride holding her bouquet during bridal prep before her Square Tower Old Portsmouth wedding

Portrait of Sadie and Antonio by the sea wall

Father of the bride emotional seeing his daughter in her wedding dress, black and white

Bride, groom and guests watching HMS Queen Elizabeth leave Portsmouth Harbour

Planning a Wedding at The Square Tower?

If The Square Tower is on your shortlist, you have brilliant taste. It also sits perfectly alongside the rest of Old Portsmouth, so if you are still deciding, you might like my Portsmouth wedding photographer and Portsmouth Registry Office pages, or my full guide to the best wedding venues in Hampshire.

Ready to chat? Get in touch here and let’s make your Square Tower wedding as fun as it should be.