Kyoto Autumn Wedding Photos: Peak Leaves, Locations, Prices

If you are planning a trip to Kyoto in autumn and want wedding photos among the red maples, this guide is for you. It explains when the colors usually arrive, which of Pure’s shooting locations turn red, which bridal kimono styles suit autumn leaves, and what a photo day costs and looks like from start to finish. Pure is a bridal photo salon inside The Westin Miyako Kyoto in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and we welcome couples traveling from overseas.

When do Kyoto’s autumn leaves peak for wedding photos?

In Kyoto, the maples generally turn late in the autumn, and it is often said that the colors run from around the middle of November into early December. The exact timing moves with the weather, so it is wiser to treat the season as a range of a few weeks rather than a single fixed weekend.

Toward the end of the season, fallen maple leaves cover stone steps and moss in a red carpet. In Japanese this is called shiki-momiji, meaning maple leaves spread over the ground, and it photographs beautifully with the long trailing hem of a bridal kimono.

Which Pure locations show autumn colors?

Pure shoots at around twenty locations across Kyoto, from Arashiyama and the stone-paved lanes of Higashiyama to Gion Shirakawa and the Kamo River. For autumn, these five come up most often.

Bishamondo is a favorite for the staircase framed by maples, and we write about it in more detail in our article on Bishamondo photo shoots (in Japanese). Daikakuji gives you water and calm reflections, while Sennyuji and Zuishin-in are quieter garden settings where the veranda and the maples frame the two of you together.

How much do Kyoto autumn wedding photos cost? Plans from ¥121,000

All prices below include tax. Location plans are the ones to look at for autumn leaves, and studio plans are a good second option if you would rather be indoors. Location costs can differ depending on the place you choose, so please ask us when you contact us.

Every plan above includes the bride’s hair and makeup and the costume accessories; the costumes and other inclusions differ from plan to plan. Shoots on Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese national holidays carry a surcharge of ¥33,000 (tax included). The full price list in English is on our English page for overseas couples, and every location plan is listed on our location plan page (in Japanese).

Which kimono styles suit red autumn leaves?

Japanese bridal kimono comes in a few distinct styles, and each sits differently against red maples. In our kimono plans the bride chooses one of the following, and the groom wears montsuki, the black formal kimono with family crests.

• Shiromuku: the all-white bridal kimono. White reads cleanly against red and gold leaves.
• Iro-uchikake: a colorful outer robe worn over the kimono, usually richly embroidered. A red uchikake blends warmly into the maples, while gold, deep green or navy stand out against them.
• Hikifurisode: a long-sleeved kimono with a trailing hem, lighter in feel than an uchikake and easy to move in on steps and verandas.

If you want both looks in one day, the Kimono & Dress Location Plan covers kimono for both of you plus the groom’s tuxedo and the bride’s dress. A white dress against red leaves is a striking combination. You can see what we hold on our costume list (in Japanese).

What happens on the day?

Here is the sample schedule for a location shoot, as published on our site.

• Before the day: consult with a Pure concierge in person or online about your plan and costumes.
• 10:00 — The bride arrives at Pure and gets ready. Dressing, makeup and hair begin. You are welcome to arrive together.
• 11:00 — The groom arrives and gets ready.
• 11:30 — We travel to the location and prepare for the shoot.
• 12:00 — The shoot begins, moving between spots according to your plan. Afterwards you return to Pure.
• 15:00 — Change back into your own clothes, light hair styling, settle any payment, and finish.

How do you plan a Kyoto trip around the shoot?

Treat the shoot as the main event of that day. A location plan runs about 5 hours from arrival to finish, so plan dinner nearby rather than a train to another city. Pure is in Higashiyama, so the afternoon after a morning shoot works well for the slopes around Ninenzaka or the shops along Nene-no-Michi. Autumn evenings cool quickly, so bring a layer for after you change.

At temples and on old streets, other visitors are there too, so keep voices low, leave paths clear and follow the instructions of our staff and the site. Shoes come off where you step onto tatami or a wooden veranda, which is one reason tabi matter.

Planning from abroad is straightforward. Talk through plans and costumes at an online consultation before you fly, then send your dates and questions through our inquiry form, which you are welcome to write in English. Pure supports couples through dressing, hair and makeup, bridal beauty treatment and a hair and makeup rehearsal, and we draw on an average of around 250 weddings a year at the hotel. Our dresses come from the Kyoto dress shop Ayumi Bridal, with whom we work.