The permit, in the Gardens’ words
The wedding and engagement photography page puts the booking simply:
“There are no set timeframes with your wedding or engagement photography permit, you’re welcome to book any two hour timeslot that fits in with your schedule. All three Gardens allow wedding and engagement photography to take place between the hours of 8am till 5pm daily.”
Botanic Gardens of Sydney, wedding and engagement photography
The three Gardens are the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, and each has its own permit to apply for. This guide is about the first of them, and The Domain.
Where the permit reaches, and where it stops
The page’s notes for the Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain draw the edges:
- “A photography permit grants you access to take photos throughout the Garden and The Domain with the exception of spaces pre-booked for other events.”
- The indoor venues are outside it: “Your permit does not include access to our indoor venues; The Calyx, Palm House and Lion Gate Lodge.”
- “All bookings after the Garden’s closing time must relocate to The Domain.” The page adds that the Garden’s opening hours are seasonal and change from month to month.
- “Rates are for a minimum of two hours. We don’t prorate rates for a 1-hour timeslot.”
What it costs, July 2026 to June 2027
The wedding photography page publishes its rates for July 2026 – June 2027. For the Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain it lists three ways in:
| How the shoot is booked | What the page lists | Standard fee |
|---|---|---|
| With hire of The Calyx, Palm House, Lion Gate Lodge, Harbour View Lawn, Tarpeian Lawn, or the Rose or Herb Garden | Roving photography permit | Included in venue hire |
| Added to any picnic or garden party venue hire | Roving photography permit | $320 |
| Without a Botanic Garden venue booking | 2-hour permit | $380 |
The commercial filming and photography page, for the same July 2026 – June 2027 period, also lists a 2-hour family and portraiture photography permit for the Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain at $380.
Who needs a permit, and who does not
The Gardens draw the line at payment. Visitors documenting their own visit need nothing: “If you are a visitor to the Botanic Gardens documenting your visit with photos and filming - no permit is required.” A paid shoot is different:
“If you are a photographer who is being paid to do portraiture or family photography, or if you have engaged a paid photographer to take photos for you and you want to use the Garden as a backdrop, then you will need a permit.”
Botanic Gardens of Sydney, commercial filming and photography
For wedding and event photos, the commercial page sends readers on to the wedding photography page, which is where the permit above is booked.
The commercial permit’s conditions
The commercial filming and photography page has its own application, and a set of “Conditions for Commercial Filming and Photography”. The wedding photography page does not repeat them, and it does not say whether they apply to a wedding permit; for its own terms, it points to its venue hire terms and conditions. Among the commercial conditions:
- “Public Liability Insurance must be included when submitting your application.”
- “Please allow a minimum of five business days for our team to process your application.”
- “The Applicant or a representative is to be on-site at all times during the shoot.”
- “The locations chosen for your shoot cannot be closed off to other members of the public unless specifically authorised within your permit.”
- “Fireworks, externally sourced plants, animals and amplified sound are not permitted, unless specifically authorised by the Trust.”
- “All infrastructure, including tables and chairs, must be set up at least 3m away from tree protection zones and garden beds.”
- “Any damage resulting from an approved film/photography shoot shall be recompensed by the applicant.”
Drones and weddings
A wedding is named in the drone rule itself: “Flying of drones is only available at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney and The Domain for commercial activity (no private bookings, such as weddings) and must be approved prior to the activity.” The page also says that using a drone “to capture footage of a private or corporate event or activity is prohibited on Trust land”.
The other two Gardens
Each of the other two Gardens lists a 2-hour wedding photography permit at $315 for July 2026 – June 2027, with a rule of its own:
- Blue Mountains Botanic Garden: “The wedding photography permit provides you with a two (2) hour permit for use in any outdoor location that is not already booked - all areas are non-exclusive.”
- Australian Botanic Garden: the permit is for any location not already booked, and “you are to stay no longer than 30 minutes in any given location”.
Of the other places in this guide, Centennial Parklands also has a photography-only permit: Greater Sydney Parklands asks for a separate permit for a wedding photography session without a ceremony booking. The City of Sydney’s parks work the other way round, from the ceremony out.