Anniversary Photography
Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, kanreki. A milestone made into a day at the Manor.
About Anniversary Photography
Anniversary photography uses the three-hour Standard plan to capture a birthday, wedding anniversary or kanreki milestone in photographs at the antique Manor. A butler of the operating body, the Japan Butler Association, arranges the space and the light, and takes your commemorative photographs on your own camera or smartphone.
Using the three-hour Standard plan for anniversary photography costs ¥56,800
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 hours (including set-up and clearing away) |
| Guests | Up to 6 |
| Spaces available | Every space in the Manor, including the Dining Room, Study, Lounge, Bedroom, Wardrobe and Gallery |
| Included | Photography within the Manor, lighting equipment, arrangement of chairs and props, one butler in attendance and assistance with photography |
| Fee | ¥56,800 (incl. tax) |
| Extension | ¥16,800 per hour (subject to availability) |
| Butler attire | ¥12,800 per person |
| Third guest onwards | ¥5,800 per person |
Fees include tax. For a fee tailored to your requirements, please ask through the enquiry form. Photographs are taken on your own camera or smartphone, and the butler takes commemorative shots for you.
The Dining Room, the fireplace, the Study and the double doors each capture a milestone differently
Birthdays, in the Dining Room
Against the nine-light chandelier and the English 1980s yew table, the butler draws out the chair and prepares the seat of honour.
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Wedding anniversaries, before the fireplace
The wine-red sofa, the fireplace, red roses. The butler gently adjusts the flowers and candlesticks to the distance at which you sit together — for a shot of exchanged glances, or of hands that have shared many years.
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Kanreki, in the Study
The leather-topped desk, the globe, the typewriter, leather-bound books. Among furnishings that speak of years travelled, you can capture a seated portrait and a scene surrounded by family.
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To close, at the double doors
The butler opens the French oak doors, some 2,480 mm tall. The moment of entering the Manor and the family gathered as the anniversary ends — a beginning and an ending as a matching pair.
Read moreThe butler ensures those doing the celebrating are in the photograph too.
When one member of the family keeps taking the pictures, that person alone is missing from every group photograph. The butler takes your camera or smartphone, confirms the composition you would like and how the device works, and takes the commemorative shot. Tell us which moments you wish to keep: eyes on the guest of honour, everyone facing forward, or expressions caught mid-conversation.
Before shooting, the butler arranges the angle of the chairs, the flowers and letters you have brought, the candlesticks and the silver bell. During the shoot they watch hems and positions so that you can concentrate on the photographs. The Manor's furnishings — silver, porcelain, the suit of armour, the hall clock — are handled by the butler, so do ask if there is anything you would like moved.
Both male and female butlers are in residence. A Queen's Butler butler stays with you indoors from welcoming you at the door, through preparing the scenes and taking commemorative photographs, to seeing you off. The Manor is never let unattended, and no keys are handed over.
From arrival to farewell, five steps ensure nothing is left unphotographed
Consultation
Tell us through the form whether it is a birthday, wedding anniversary or kanreki, the number of guests, the scenes you would like and the groupings you wish to capture.
Arrival
2-7-4 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo. The butler welcomes you at the door, takes your bags and shows you around the Manor.
Setting the scene
The butler arranges the seat of honour, chairs, props and lighting equipment. Keepsakes and photographs you bring are placed with the composition in mind.
Photography
Move between the Dining Room, the Lounge, the Study and the Gallery as you wish. Ask the butler for group photographs.
Checking and farewell
We confirm the photographs are saved on your device and that nothing has been forgotten or left unphotographed, then see you off at the door.
Included in anniversary photography
- Photography in every space within the Manor
- The Manor's lighting equipment
- One butler in attendance: reception, arrangement of props and assistance with photography
- Scene-setting with chairs, candlesticks, the silver bell and the Manor's furnishings
- Chauffeured pick-up (return journeys to five locations; part of the plan; availability confirmed at booking)
Please bring your own
- Cameras, smartphones, tripods and other photographic equipment
- Editing or retouching of photo data
- Wearing butler attire (¥12,800 per person)
- Keepsakes, bouquets, costumes, food and drink (you are welcome to bring your own)
Preparing to book means deciding the guest of honour, numbers, groupings and what to bring
| Type of anniversary | We ask whether you are celebrating a birthday, wedding anniversary or kanreki, and who the guest of honour is. If there is an item showing the date or the number of years, we also decide in which scene it is held. |
|---|---|
| Guests | Up to six, including the photographer and companions. From the fifth guest, ¥5,800 per person is added, and we separate places for those waiting and those being photographed. |
| Groupings | Everyone, the couple, parent and child, the guest of honour alone — we ask which groupings you must have, in order of priority. For group photographs taken by the butler, we also check how your device works. |
| What you bring | Costumes, keepsakes, old photographs, flowers, food and drink may be brought. For fragile items or those you wish to keep clean, tell the butler which parts may be touched and where they should be placed. |
| Commemorative photographs | Photographs are taken on your own camera or smartphone, and the data remains on that device. We confirm they are saved before you leave; editing and management are in your own hands. |
| Equipment | We ask the size and number of cameras, smartphones and tripods. A route is secured in advance so that costumes and equipment do not cross paths and nothing touches the antique furnishings. |
Birthdays, wedding anniversaries and kanreki differ in the guest of honour and the relationships to capture
A birthday centres on who you are now and what you love
For a birthday shoot, we capture in turn a full-length portrait of the guest of honour, hands holding a favourite object, and a shot surrounded by family or friends.
Read more
A wedding anniversary adds objects that mark the years you have walked together
For a wedding anniversary, objects that speak of your time together suit the scene — old photographs, letters, a watch.
Read more
A kanreki captures even the generations gathered around the guest of honour
For a kanreki, varying the groupings — the guest of honour alone, the couple, parent and child, everyone — records each relationship within the same family, one photograph at a time.
Read moreChoosing attire and keepsakes by the meaning you wish to capture brings the photographs together
Dressing for an anniversary is not only a matter of suiting the setting; it is preparation for capturing what makes your family yours. Come in the attire you prefer: formal dress, clothes you cherish every day, a kimono with memories. As you move close to the furnishings, some thought to hems and footwear makes changing scenes calmer.
With keepsakes, rather than increasing their number, choose those that show who gave them or which years they mark, so that each photograph's intention is clear. A birthday letter, a wedding-anniversary photograph, an object long cherished by the person turning sixty: begin with one, placed at the guest of honour's hands. The butler checks reflective surfaces and fragile parts, and adjusts the distance from desk or sofa.
What to bring on the day: your photographic equipment, anything needed for charging, keepsakes, attire, and a note of the groupings you wish to capture. If small children or anyone who finds standing difficult are with you, we photograph the seated scenes first and capture the full group early. If the family's representative and the butler agree the order of shooting in advance, the guest of honour can enjoy the day without minding the schedule.
QHow does this differ from the Standard plan?
It is the three-hour Standard plan used for anniversary photography, at ¥56,800 including tax.
QCan we have a photograph with the whole family in it?
Yes. The butler takes your camera or smartphone and takes the group photograph. Up to six guests; from the fifth guest, ¥5,800 per person is added.
QMay we bring keepsakes or old photographs?
Yes. Watches, letters, old photographs and the like are welcome. Please tell us in advance about anything easily damaged. The butler will place it at a safe distance from the furnishings.
QAre there female butlers?
Yes, both male and female butlers are in residence. If you have a preference, please let us know when booking.
QMay we bring food and drink?
Yes, food and drink may be brought. The Manor does not prepare meals. Please tell us in advance whether they are for the photographs or for eating, and how.
QCan we shoot on a rainy day?
Indoors, whatever the weather, you can shoot by the light of the chandeliers, the fireplace, candlesticks and lighting equipment. If outdoor scenes prove difficult, we reorder to the Study, the Bedroom and the corridor. Wet umbrellas and coats are taken by the butler at the entrance.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
You may also wish to read
A milestone, made into a day at the Manor.
Tell us the type of anniversary, the number of guests, your preferred date and time, and the groupings you wish to capture. The butler will arrange the order of the scenes.