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Alberta Legislature
(Outdoors open free to the public; indoor photographs are not permitted.)
The Alberta Legislature grounds is one of the most popular - and populated - parks in the city. With amazing variety of mature trees, beautiful architecture and plentiful flowers there are abundant photo opportunities here. There are often other weddings on the grounds as well as tourists, but there is so much space this rarely creates a problem. |
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Royal Alberta Museum & Government House
Contact: Administration at (780) 453-9100
** Important note ** Renovations are planned for the Government House and Museum grounds which may restrict
access to the area and affect the taking of photographs. **
The Museum grounds and the Government House are very popular for wedding photos. An excellent blend of landscaping and architecture provide lots of visual variety within a relatively small area. This is a public park, so there is no charge to use the grounds or building exteriors for portraits. This is also a beautiful location to rent for an outdoor wedding ceremony, especially with the museum interior as a backup if it rains. |
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Citadel Theatre
Contact: Administration at (780) 426-4811
The Citadel theatre has a large indoor garden featuring an upstairs lake and a waterfall
wall. An atrium upstairs may be rented for indoor ceremonies. Daytime sessions are best as
most of the interior light comes from their large windows. |
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Edmonton City Hall
Booking Clerk: (780) 944-7740
City Hall is a beautifully designed building with a selection of railings, pillars, staircases and smaller features which keep portrait backgrounds interesting. A high-key (light) colour scheme dominates most of the interior. Most days the interior is fairly quiet although on a nice summer day the fountains outside do attract waders. |
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Devonian Botanic Gardens
Contact: Bookings at (780) 987-2496
Although this is an outdoor-only location - and a bit of a drive too - the Devonian Gardens provides almost unparalleled beauty and variety. The Japanese Garden is the most popular section, featuring a waterfall, bridge, lake (with stepping stones), walkways, and varied foliage for a wonderful variety of beautiful photo locations. |
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Festival Place
Contact: (780) 464-2852
For an all-in-one location Festival Place (in Sherwood Park) is a wonderful choice. Located on beautiful
grounds with pathways, bridges, and a fountain, there are many nice portrait spots. In addition,
their main theatre makes a beautiful and unique place to hold your ceremony (worth a look!) and
their banquet hall - or their stage! - hosts a wonderful reception. |
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Fort Edmonton Park
Photos site - www.ftedmontonpark.com
Contact: Phone: (780) 496-8787
For a stunning historical look to your portraits Fort Edmonton offers an amazing
variety of beautiful locations. The river valley setting and the many different
faces of this facility add a unique character to your portraits. Some churches
and buildings on the grounds can be booked to add character to your ceremony or reception. |
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Hotel MacDonald
Phone: 424-5181
Another beautiful historical landmark, the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald is most flexible when you are
a) booked early, and b) booked into one of their suites. Wonderful turn-of-the-century type
architecture and furniture as well as a carefully landscaped yard make this a good choice for portraits. |
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John Janzen Nature Center
Phone: (780) 496-2925
Located right next to Fort Edmonton Park, the Nature Center offers a varied natural parkland for
beautiful photo opportunities. A bridge leading over a small pond leads into a system of nature trails
which are great places to spend some time exploring - and taking pictures! |
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John Janzen Nature Center
Phone: (780) 496-2925
Located right next to Fort Edmonton Park, the Nature Center offers a varied natural parkland for
beautiful photo opportunities. A bridge leading over a small pond leads into a system of nature trails
which are great places to spend some time exploring - and taking pictures! |
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Manulife Place
(Sorry, I have no contact information.)
Central, classy, creative. Manulife Place (also connecting with Commerce Place) is a unique choice of photo
locations which allows for creative angles and a modern yet classy look to your portraits. A well-lit
interior is easy to photograph in and the building's design includes a lot of variety. |
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McGrath Mansion
Contact: Cindy at (780) 619-2223 or
cindyr@look.ca
Cost: $$$ (please call for details)
The exterior of this home has been recently renovated to enhance its Victorian splendor.
Beautiful landscaping including a fountain and mature trees compliment the
turn-of-the-century style of this mansion. Bookings are available both for
portrait sessions and wedding ceremonies.
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McKay Avenue School
Contact: Edmonton Public Schools - (780) 422-1970
Cost: No charge to use the school grounds outside; indoor photos $250/hr (min. 2 hours)
A bit of an Edmonton secret, this provincial heritage site in downtown Edmonton hosts the
Edmonton Public Schools archives and museum. The arched doorways and stone steps of the building provide some
great photo spots. The inside can also be booked for ceremonies and other events. The Dick Mather gazebo on
the adjoining property can also be booked from Edmonton Parks & Recreation. |
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Muttart Conservatory
Contact: Bookings at (780) 442-5311 or muttartquestions@edmonton.ca
Cost: see details on website
Beautiful any time of year, the Muttart Conservatory contains four indoor gardens of differing style. Lots of flowers, indoor waterways and bridges, and paths through the greenery make for excellent photographs. You may book this location for your portraits or your entire ceremony and reception, but call early as it is popular and books up fast. |
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Neil Crawford Center
Contact: Bentall Real Estate Services at (780) 436-0636
The Neil Crawford Centre on 113th Street has two buildings available for photography - The Alberta Infrastructure Building and the J.G. O'Donoghue Building. Both offer well landscaped indoor gardens of good depth and variety. |
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Prince of Wales Armouries
Contact: (780) 496-8710
The Armoury is a large historical building with some potential for photography. The interior hallways contain some
attractive brick features and there are some old wooden stairways with image potential. The building's exterior
also has some good photo locations although the surrounding grounds are simple in design. |
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Ramada on Kingsway (Edmonton Inn)
Contact: Banquet Manager at (780) 454-5454
The Ramada Inn has an indoor garden which photographs quite well. Although it can be
difficult to accommodate larger sized groups (10+), the backgrounds can come out
quite beautifully. The best time for photos is during the daytime when the sun is
coming through their skylight; later evening portrait sessions may have a darker
background. |
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Rutherford House
Contact: (780) 422-2697
This historical landmark shows a lot of variety, both interior and exterior. It has a lot of character - including interpreters if you have questions - and photographs very well. The interior does not easily accommodate large group portraits (10+) although the stairs outside work perfectly in good weather. |
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Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Guided Tour
Contact: (780) 662-3640 or email uchv@gov.ab.ca
Very few locations in the Edmonton area bring out the sense of history and beauty that you will find
at the Ukranian Village. Just 20 minutes from Edmonton city limits, the trip is very reasonable and
the results are worth it. Beautiful historic churches to host your wedding ceremony, unique photo
opportunities and a rich historical character to the park all make for an enjoyable visit. |
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University of Alberta - Timms Centre
Contact: (780) 492-2273
The Timms Centre is a fairly modern theatre built on the University of Alberta campus. A sweeping staircase, painted pillars, and long railings are the primary features of the lobby in this indoor location. For variety, the Arts Building is a short walk and can provide some beautiful outdoor photos. |
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| University of Alberta - Arts Building
General Information Line: (780) 492-3111
On the U of A campus there is quite likely no more beautiful location for portraits
than the Arts Building. The stairs leading to the front door and the grounds in front of
the building feature beautiful trees, climbing vines, and stone archways. The main lobby
inside is magnificent, with beautifully soft window light and stonework to frame large or
small groups. |
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West Edmonton Mall
For a little something different, our city's best-known landmark provides some unique portrait opportunities. The Santa Maria ship may be booked for portraits, and other corners of the mall (Europa Boulevard, Bourbon Street) can also create unique images - not to mention the fun of 'doing the mall' in your finery! |
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Alternative Ideas
Here's a brief list of alternative ideas you may wish to consider!
- Alberta Railway Museum -
http://railwaymuseum.ab.ca
- Celtic Hall -
www.edmontongolfdome.com/
- Edmonton Art Gallery -
www.artgalleryalberta.ca
- Windship Aviation (Hot Air Balloons) -
www.windshipaviation.com
- Edmonton Valley Zoo -
www.edmonton.ca/valleyzoo
- Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village -
www.cd.gov.ab.ca/uchv
- Edmonton Queen Riverboat -
www.edmontonqueen.com
- St. Andrews Extended Care Center - (Indoor garden)
- Green Acres Bed & Breakfast -
www.greenacresbedandbreakfast.com/
- John Walter Museum -
www.edmonton.ca/johnwalter
- Edmonton Aviation Museum -
www.albertaaviationmuseum.com/
- Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium -
www.jubileeauditorium.com/northern
(Follow the "Client Services" link to "Auxiliary Rooms" to see
some very elegant rooms for ceremonies and receptions!)
- City Golf Courses -
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New Light Photography is also able to bring along a portable studio backdrop (muslin) which is large enough for most group photos. Well suited for family portraits, we can set it up in your banquet hall, church, or other suitable location for portraits provided advance notice is given.
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