Wedding venues….the differences and how they fit you
Let’s talk wedding venues. With weddings hopefully…..HOPEFULLY getting back on track in the not too distant future (or already are, depending on when you’re reading this. Welcome from the future if you’re reading it now! lol!), bookings for weddings seemingly hot at the moment, couples will have their wedding venue as top of their list to get booked. And it’s probably, with the dress, one of the most important decisions you will make for your wedding. So, picking the right wedding venue for you and your ideas is……well, vital really. So, wedding venues that fit you. The people you are as a couple. One’s that work for YOUR idea of your wedding. It’s that simple. Do you want the big romantic place, with the incredible backdrop and the history? Or do you want the blank canvas so you can put your own stamp on things? Or do you want the security of a well established wedding venue that has been there, seen it, done it and can do things with their eyes closed to make the whole thing as easy as possible? Well, I am going to spotlight on three very different wedding venues I have shot at and all three weddings were absolutely magical weddings that suited the couple completely down to a tee (tea WAS also drunk at all of them, so all was good….).
South Farm, Royston, Cambridgeshire
First up on the awesome wedding venue limelight is the always fantastic South Farm. South Farm is a very well established, highly polished, very popular wedding venue and for very good reason. Based near Royston, Cambridgeshire, it’s one of those places that you can’t fail to take a great photo, but can also do YOUR wedding entirely for you, take the pressure off and just let you get on with having the most awesome day. Slick, professional, highly efficient and very well looked after, it’s almost picture perfect with lots of variety, places to go, entertainment and is picture perfect on so many levels. With outdoor ceremonies very much one of it’s USP’s, the little hut in the mini-lake is just fantastic. The grounds are stunning and look fabulous all year round, from dark nights in the winter to gloriously full bloom in the summer. I love it there as the staff are friendly, extremely helpful, very knowledgeable and have done so many weddings, they know what they are doing every single time. It’s a busy venue for a reason.
Is this your kind of wedding venue? Who do I think this venue suits? Well, it’s such a well rounded, well regarded venue that does so much for you, I think that it could cater for almost any couple. But for me, those who just want to party (and when I mean party, I MEAN PAR-TAY!!!), those who are up for a giggle, who want to concentrate on their day and their guests rather than being stressed over every single detail…..South Farm fits this role perfectly. With so many opportunities for photographers to take such awesome photos and make them unique to the couple as well, the staff and organisation……it’s got it all to make your wedding day just go as simply and smoothly as possible without you having to worry. If this is you, then you really should be considering South Farm. Oh and it’s got piggies, a very beautiful white peacock, steam engines and Gypsy caravans as well! I mean, how can you go wrong? South Farm is one of my favourite venues as a wedding photographer simply because it makes my job really easy…..great understanding staff, superb locations and plenty to make great backdrops, you are hard pushed to fail to make great wedding photos here.
South Farm in full glory
The South Farm Pagoda for outdoor ceremonies
The South Farm Gypsy Caravans (i’m not even sure we are allowed to say that anymore….are we? Sorry if we aren’t…)
The PIGS!!!
The beautiful house
Tuk Tuk for a bit of fun!!!
The stunning avenue and driveway at South Farm
Well, this was a bit special….both pro dancers, so it had to be done, right? And South Farm let’s you do it!
Lanwades Hall, Newmarket
Lanwades Hall, based near Newmarket, Cambridgeshire is a little gem. A much more “traditional” wedding venue in modern times, but don’t let that put you off. Lanwades Hall has a lot to offer. On site accommodation in with great views from the windows, roll top baths in the bathrooms (who doesn’t love a roll top?), wood panel walls and a PROPER bar! I mean, like an old fashioned wooden top, posted bar like from a pub in the 80’s…..which is blummin’ awesome! And that staircase! I love it at Lanwades Hall as you don’t have to go far to really get a feel for the place. It’s not an overly large wedding venue, but what it does have it utilises extremely well. Wonderful gardens with lots of hidey holes, nooks and crannies, backed by larger fields and a small avenue and drive, a courtyard and a lovely wedding hall that is perfect for that slightly smaller wedding gathering in the day. But don’t let that put you off….they can accommodate much more! Later, the party can really go down in another one of their more traditional looking wood panelling dining rooms, easily space for a good DJ, band etc and plenty of guests. Oh and did I mention that bar? The food is amazing too! Lovely, accommodating, friendly staff, who, like South Farm, know what they are doing and get things done and go our of their way to make the day for you.
Who would this wedding venue suit? Couples who want to do things in a more traditional setting, but have the flexibility to add their own touches. You can still do mad, weird, wild and whacky, but you also can keep it simple, nice, all in one place and have it go smoothly and make it a nice intimate wedding just for those nearest and dearest. As you can see in the images below, doesn’t stop you from letting your hair down and having an absolute banger of a day! Just more chance to get away and have a quiet time in the gorgeous surroundings if you need it. Oh and the food….yeah, I said that but want to say it again….the food. BIG thumbs up!
The Lanwades Hall dining room is a more traditional room that, although intimate, has scope to design as you wish
The roll top baths in the bathrooms being made good use of with teddies…..
That staircase at Lanwades Hall is really rather spectacular
That first look….everyone can see
Perfect place outside for a good old fashioned confetti shot
Making an entrance!
Lanwades Hall has some really glorious outdoor areas for taking gorgeous portraits
Told you that the party can rock at Lanwades Hall!
Hold your hands in the air!!!
I have no idea. I didn’t ask.
It really is a rather picturesque place, Lanwades Hall, rain or shine
The Missing Sock, Cambridge
Well, this is the left field wedding venue that makes you smile before you have even walked in the place. A wedding venue placed on the very outskirts of the city of Cambridge, The Missing Sock (what a name!) is a wedding venue like you haven’t seen before. And I LOVE it for that. You might think it’s a bit of a shambles, you might thing it’s a bit of a hotch potch of ideas, you might think it’s really not a wedding venue at all and more of a jazzed up restaurant and bar…..and all of those thing are right, yes. But it’s so much more than that! It’s run as an alternative, ethically minded venue that gives you that festival vibe, that slightly offbeat, quirky feeling but done on a small, intimate scale. And it’s all the better for it. It’s one of my favourite wedding venues to shoot at, that’s for sure! Why? Because it’s the kind of place that wasn’t around when I got married and suits me and my ideas and personality to down to the ground. Quirky, ethically minded (all bookings profits go back into charity and good deeds….how awesome is that?), flexible, unique, loads of stuff going on and to see….. I mean it’s even got a double decker bus with a karaoke machine in it! Who can’t love that!!! I have never failed to have so much fun shooting at the Missing Sock. There isn’t anything the staff won’t have a go at to accommodate your mad and wild ideas for your wedding. They might even join in! The food is not just excellent, it’s also sourced from ethically minded farming so you can eat and party with a clean conscience as well. African decor, graffiti walls, mad sculptures, animals, very quirky outdoor accommodation for guest and a plethora of places to take photos, including the surrounding fields and lanes, this venue really is me. And usually a lot of my couples too. A standalone blank canvas, if you like. If you can’t have a party here, where CAN you have a party?
So, who would this wedding venue suit? Well, this one is a bit out there, so if you really want to go away completely from the traditional, have a hands on approach to how you make your day and have that backdrop to just get on with it and not worry too much, then this wedding venue is right up your street! Are you that little bit different and a little bit alternative minded? Someone who likes doing things your own way? Well this wedding venue is mad, off the cuff, slightly odd but really rather brilliant, and if you have the ideas in your head that you just want to go mad for your wedding day, then look no further!
Just a taster of the mad art at The Missing Sock, Cambridge
The outside pagoda is just shabby enough to be really cool!
Always love a confetti shot!
And The Missing Sock gives you THESE vibes….and more!
The famous Missing Sock bus!
The Missing Sock bus turns into a party legend in the evenings…..
…but there is always an opportunity to fulfil an ambition!
The Missing Sock has loads of weird and wonderful photography opportunities like this
And the bus has a karaoke machine!!!
And who uses a boat to make a storage unit? The Missing Sock, Cambridge does, that’s who!
Now…….these are only “examples” of the HUGE variety of wedding venue that is out there. Every venue is unique….of course it is. Stating the bleeding obvious there. But things do tend to fall into “categories” and you will know what kind of person you are, what kind of wedding you want and what kind of venue will fit your ideas. Do the research. And there is something for everyone. These are three of my favourite venues not just because of what they look like, but also the experience of being there. And you have to work that into your thinking too. Wherever you are, you are going to find that there is a wide range of wedding venue that in somewhere, one will fit you perfectly. But…….and this is key and the most important thing……make sure……are you listening?…..make sure you PARTY DAMN HARD, wherever you have your amazing day!!