The Best Locations for Peak District Engagement, Couples, and Wedding Photography

When it comes to photography there’s nowhere I love more than the Peak District. The range of locations, backdrops, and settings is up there with the best in the world!

I’ve been walking, climbing, and taking pictures "int’ Peak” for more than 15 years now and every time is a dream. From the 'Dark Peak' gritstone edges like Stanage, Burbage, Curbar, Baslow, and the Roaches to the White Peak areas like Matlock, Dovedale, Winnat’s Pass, Mam Tor there’s really something to tickle everyone’s fancy.

My experience in the Peak means that I know a bunch of the best places to head, how to get to them, and what sort of times offer the best conditions. I never promise a banging sunset because hey… this is England, but if you put the various pieces in place then you can set yourself up for success!

Have a scroll to check out the best places in the Peak District for Engagement, Wedding, or Couple’s photography

Winnat’s Pass

Starting off with Winnat’s Pass is such an easy choice. The place is just iconic of the northern Peak District. Stunning geography, amazing vistas and just awkward enough to walk up to keep the tourist crowds away!

Views over Castleton, Mam Tor and Blue John cavern make this a brilliant location to shoot at and the sense of height and scale is really hard to match elsewhere in the park.

Curbar Edge

Curbar edge is where I’ve spent many a day out climbing, I know the place intimately and I’ve had some of my personal best memories out here… including several of these shoots! Talk about a sunset!!!!!

The edge is easily accessed from the Curbar Gap Carpark, followed by a gentle walk in along a good path at the top of the crag. The views over the Derwent Valley are just beautiful, and if you can crank that up to 11 with a sunset then you’re really in business. Check out Jane and Daniel’s, and Nat and Jonny’s shoots below for some summery and autumnal inspiration!

Dovedale

Far to the South of Curbar and Winnat’s Pass lies the Dove River which runs through… you guessed it… Dovedale. This is a beautiful place, but there’s also a tonne of tourists here almost all the time.

I’m not really sure why it’s always so busy as there’s so many equally beautiful places available. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s not really super far into the park, and it’s technically the closest area to London, Birmingham, Derby, Leicester etc.

I went down with Dipesh and Jyotika with plans to walk along the river, but when we arrived we found the river had burst it’s banks and the path was more water than earth! We had a great time anyway and finished the day by walking up the nearby Thorpe Cloud to grab some pictures with another banging sunset.

Baslow Edge

Just along from Curbar is the equally fantastic Baslow Edge. Boasting very similar views over the Derwent Valley, but with a massive reduction in the number of walkers, Baslow makes for a super alternative to Curbar or Froggatt Edges. As a walk it is a tad less dramatic, but there are several excellent places for photos - not to mention to the unusual ‘Eagle Stone’ set back a few hundred metres from the edge.

Check out Soph and Ash’s summery shoot below!

Wintery Winnat’s Pass

I’m not lying when I say that I like Winnat’s Pass, so here’s another shoot from there with a much colder vibe than the previous. This time around we walked up the other side of the pass and accidentally got caught in a rogue snowstorm!!! Equally dramatic, equally stunning - I just wanted to show off the snowy pictures really!

The Roaches

The Roaches is definitely a good option for those that love an evocative landscape. The toothy peaks always feel especially rugged and dark against the skyline and I love the sense of drama that you get from shots here. It’s a bit further west than all the other locations on this list, which makes it fantastic for travel from Manchester or Stoke and the walk-in is relatively short (if a little uphill!)

There’s also one of my favourite trees in the Peak District down near the parking. Yes it’s possible to have a favourite tree - don’t judge me!