Three ways in
The weddings page and the filming and photography page between them describe three routes. Which one a shoot takes depends on whether there is a ceremony, and on whether the work is a wedding or something commercial.
| Route | What it covers | How it is arranged |
|---|---|---|
| A ceremony booking | Exclusive use of the chosen site for 3 hours, including setup and pack-down; permission to take wedding photos in other available areas of the Parklands; 4 reserved parking spaces. Photography during the booking is included. | An online ceremony application, reviewed by the Venue Bookings team |
| A wedding photography permit | A wedding photography session without a ceremony booking. | A 2-hour permit, booked online |
| A commercial application | “Advertising campaigns, editorial shoots, fashion photography, filming and other commercial work” | A filming or photography permit application, assessed individually |
The weddings page is direct about where a wedding belongs: “Wedding and engagement photography is managed through the wedding booking process.”
Booking a ceremony, step by step
The weddings page sets out five steps. Because photography during a ceremony booking is included, these steps are also how the photos on the day are arranged.
- Explore the locations. Browse the 9 ceremony locations and choose a preferred site and an alternate.
- Plan the booking. Settle the preferred date and time, the expected number of guests, any equipment or entertainment, and the suppliers you intend to use.
- Review the booking information. “Read the fees and charges, frequently asked questions and ceremony terms and conditions before submitting your application.”
- Submit the application. The online form asks for the preferred and alternate locations, the proposed date and the ceremony details.
- Confirm the booking. “If your application is approved, you will receive an invoice. Your booking is confirmed once full payment has been received.”
The page says the ceremony settings include secluded groves, formal gardens and waterside places, and it describes two of them by name, Brazilian Fields and Church Grounds.
Engagement photos
An engagement shoot belongs with the weddings, not with the commercial work. The weddings page invites couples to capture “your wedding or engagement photos among Centennial Parklands’ gardens, ponds, woodlands and heritage landscapes”, and says that wedding and engagement photography is managed through the wedding booking process. The separate permit is described as one for “a wedding photography session without a ceremony booking”; the page does not give an engagement session a permit of its own, so the booking form is the place to see which permit it falls under.
About the fee
This guide does not print a price for the photography permit, on purpose. The weddings page gives one figure for a 2-hour wedding photography permit, and the filming and photography fees page, which says “All fees and charges are for FY 2026-2027 and inclusive of GST”, lists a different figure for a professional portrait photography booking of under two hours. The two pages describe the booking differently, and they do not agree on the amount. Neither page says which figure applies, so ask Greater Sydney Parklands before you book. For a ceremony, the weddings page says an approved application is followed by an invoice.
When the shoot is commercial work
An editorial shoot, an advertising campaign or fashion photography goes through the commercial filming and photography page, not the wedding process. That page says:
- “Commercial filming and photography require approval before the shoot. Each application is assessed individually, and submitting an application does not confirm a booking.”
- The application must include a current certificate of currency for public liability insurance, with minimum cover of $20 million for filming and $10 million for photography, as the page stood in October 2026.
- “You must submit your application at least 7 business days before your proposed shoot date.”
- Depending on the production, the page may also ask for a schedule, a plan of the location, a risk assessment or proof of the budget, and “Some activities may require separate approval from other government agencies.”
Before applying, the page asks you to review the filming and photography terms and conditions, check the fees and charges, check whether a risk assessment is needed, review the drone policy if a drone is involved, and choose the location and prepare the supporting documents.
Where this sits among the five places
The Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain also lists a 2-hour photography permit for a shoot without a venue booking there. The City of Sydney’s parks start from the ceremony instead.