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Gown hire and photography

Graduation : Gown hire and photography

Celebrating your achievements

Gown hire and photography

You must wear a cap, gown and hood in the official AUB colours if you want to cross the stage at your ceremony. You can hire these through our recommended supplier Marstons Events.

You can pre-book your photography packages through Marstons Events. They'll have an onsite photo studio at Graduation. These sessions take place after your ceremony only.

Friends or family without guest tickets can join you for photos after the ceremony if you’ve purchased them in advance from Marstons Events. Groups of up to six people (including graduate) can participate in the photos.

Gown hire

Once you receive your invite to register for graduation, you can book your gown, hood and cap. We recommend hiring these directly through Marstons Events by the booking deadline.

Costs to book your gown (2026):

Undergraduate (BA) Gown – £28
Postgraduate (MA) Gown – £28
PhD – £38

You can hire your gown at the same time as registering to attend graduation, or you can register and add your gown hire at a later point prior to the closing deadline.

Marstons Events provide our gowns and are our recommended supplier, but you can source alternative providers that offer the AUB colours should you wish.

Gown collection

Gown collection will take place in the Ballroom at Bournemouth Pavilion for those gowns hired by Marstons Events. Graduands will enter the Ballroom via the external side entrance which will be signposted. Please ensure you arrive no later than 90 minutes prior to the commencement of your ceremony.

There are many graduands to be gowned, so queues will be unavoidable, but arriving early will help. We recommend you arrive at the Ballroom 90 minutes before your ceremony begins. Parents and guests are not permitted to queue with graduands due to lack of space, and instead wait at the front of Bournemouth Pavilion.

Gown return

You'll need to return your gown to Marstons Events (if hired from our recommended supplier) at the end of your graduation day, no later than 18.00. Marstons Events gown return (and photography) is located at Pavilion Dance South West (PDSW) and will be signposted.

Photography

You can book formal, portrait-style photography packages directly through Marstons Events as part of the registration process. There will be a link and ordering deadline included in your invitation to register for graduation. These photography packages are optional and can be purchased in various packages at different price points. Whilst you can order on the day, we highly recommend purchasing in advance to help us manage demand and reduce delays.

AUB will have a few event photographers circulating at graduation and the Marquee Reception to capture memorable photos of the day. These photos are taken for promotional purposes and may be used on the AUB website and marketing materials. Some of these are selected and shared with graduates as a courtesy via a photo gallery on the AUB graduation webpage.

Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that every photo taken at the event will be posted to the photo gallery.