Simon Thomas Photography's Blog

I often get asked where are the weddings that I cover, truth is I cover weddings all over the country but here is a list of some of the ones I have been for you to have a look at and may be of interest if your planning your wedding day.

 

 

A beautiful 19 century yorkshire manor house set within 40 acres, Bagden Hall offers what I have found to be a very complete wedding day. Really know how to look after you. They also have their own 9 hole golf course!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chillington Hall has been home to the Giffard family for more than 800 years, located not far from Wolverhampton it has really easy access although down a few winding lanes. If your anything like me I drove straight past the beginning of the drive! A Georgian house with grounds designed by Capability Brown during the 1760’s. I found this to be the best of both worlds with a beautiful house to use throughout the day and a lovely marquee to party in!

 

 

 

 

 

Completely renovated red brick barns with lovely wooden beams in both the ceremony room and throughout the buildings. I rate this as the best “Barn” venue I have been to in the midlands. Really friendly, very helpful and exclusive to you. Theres a great room for the Bride & Groom to stay in, with a huge window so loads of natural light should the bride decide to get ready there.  The Curradine Barns are just finishing/finished their new extension which should make the whole venue more “roomy” but still keep the warm feel. Can’t wait to shoot the new bit soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Davenport House, run by Rodger & Jane is a really elegant country house with lovely grounds just stretching out at the rear of the house. They have a very friendly atmosphere which just helps everyone to relax and start to feel at home. Totally exclusive to you for the day and Davenport are not the type to stop you parting! If you fancy a country house all to yourselves and want to party in to the night look at this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eaton Hotel is a great modern hotel with great access to the centre of Birmingham city centre, a great venue to have a civil ceremony in or to retire to for a reception and to stay the night. With very flexible room sizes and a great approach to tailoring your wedding to suit you they really offer a top option and with great accommodation where everyone can stay over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fantastic location, not only in the centre of the Midlands but Meriden is supposed to be the centre of the country. Great facilities as you would expect at a top hotel like this, it may not be exclusive to you but it can have that feel as its so big they can hold several function without you knowing. Of course everyone can stay over with the amount of rooms they have and it will be easy for all to get to. Don’t forget the Golf course, swimming pool or fitness center they have there if your feeling energetic!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gorgeous, stately house with a unusual feature… it has an old chapel attached to the side of it. Now you can’t actually get married in the chapel but you can have a brief civil ceremony in the house then go through to the chapel for a blessing which allows many couples to have the feel of a church wedding whilst getting married and having the reception all in the same venue. Totally exclusive to you, and with 9 bedrooms plenty of space for the bridal party.  A nice permanent Marquee for your evening reception on the rear of the house which opens up on to the stunning gardens. Great all year round, I know I have covered weddings here in December!

 

 

 

 

 

 

You always get a really friendly welcome from Mark who runs the Hadley Park Hotel. Even though its right on the edge of Telford and a business park it really does feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere when you arrive.  Mark can cater for any wedding big or small just let him know what you want, normally exclusive to yourself there’s plenty of space in the house and grounds to just chill out or to get involved in the day. A stunning summer-house on the side of the manor house opens up for your reception with doors going straight on to the gardens. Great place for me to grab an areal group shot from, I have to climb out of the first floor window on to the roof of the entrance hall,I’ll try not to rip my shirt on the window catch next time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very well organised wedding venue where it always seems to run like clock work. When you first pull up to Hogarths it doesn’t look like much but don’t let this fool you. Once inside it has a very modern feel with great gardens out the back. Everyone goes to the bottom of the grounds to have their photos taken on the bridge there but fewer people I think know you can now get married in the Summer House on the little island at the other side of the bridge which makes for a fantastic outdoor feel to your day. One of only a few venues where you can get married outside gives this hotel a very unique quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A superb timber-framed building with parts dating back 700 years, it may sound a little strange with the name “Hospital” but it does not mean hospital in the modern sence of the word yet in the ancient meaning ” a charitable institution for the housing and maintenance of the needy, infirm or aged”. You will get a really warm welcome here the day-to-day duties are all taken care of by the “Brothers” all ex service men and everyone I have had the pleasure to meet a true gentlemen. They have the choice of varies rooms for you so it whether you have a large wedding or small, want to stay for the reception or just the ceremony they can cater for you. Normally the hospital is open to the public as it has a fine military museum on site but if you book it they close it to visitors do it exclusive to you. A great venue right in the heart of Warwick.

 

 

A Jacobean-style house that as you would expect from a huge hotel offers everything you could wish for, oak paneled rooms to beautiful gardens, a spa and a golf course! Whilst it will not be exclusive to you, its so big it can feel that way.

 

 

What I think to be one of the best wedding venues in the Midlands. A lovely house for the ceremony and the day with the choice now of getting married in the outside amphitheatre with a great permanent marquee for the wedding breakfast and evening reception which gives the day the feel of being in to separate locations with out going anywhere. Lovely landscaped gardens topped off with the really warm welcome and atmosphere supplied by Tony and his team will make sure your day runs smooth. I found there is nothing that Tony will not do to accommodate you, and with the large amounts of weddings they do every year they must be doing something right. First class.

A stunning House at over 800 years old in places perfect if you want some were steeped in history, loads of historical objects everywhere even down to the messages scratched into the panes of glass. Superb gardens and with the use of the house and a huge marquee tucked away from the rear of the Hall New Hall really has loads to offer. With a spa if you feel like pampering yourself the day before. New Hall won’t be exclusive to you but in these surroundings who minds?

Newton Park is an 18th Century, grade II listed building. Now a Hotel but was formerly owned by the Worthington family (Worthington as in Beer!) it’s a great hotel with lovely grounds. I would say great for wedding parties up to 120, might be a little small if you have more than that in mind! One of the great things about Newton Park is Tom the Toastmaster who really makes your day feel special and keeps everything running smoothly without you knowing about it. See my earlier blogs about Tom or he will be on my featured suppliers list.(When I have finished it!)

A great little venue for those who do not want something as some of the big halls listed here. Set just off Cannock Chase its got a nice garden outback and the building has still retains some of its old world charm as it was a 18th Century working farm before the hotel. Easy to get to with a friendly atmosphere.

If it’s a converted barn venue you’re looking for then this has to be one of my favorites. It’s quite a new venue and great care has been taken to preserve the old character of the barn but it really feels fresh and modern. All the old beams and the doors into the ceremony room are stunning! I wanted to bring them home! Huge ceilings and massive windows give such an open feel its great. If you’re getting married down Hampshire and want a Barn you need to check out Rivervale Barns.

What can you say about Rowton Castle? Its fab! Stunning Castle, exclusive to you with massive grounds. Feel free to wander around the rooms or grounds as you want to.  Great atmosphere, very friendly and they do hundreds of weddings a year. That says it all really! A must see venue in Shrewsbury.

A truly stunning wedding venue, still owned and lived in by the Harrowby family, you know your somewhere a bit special from the moment you start going up the long zig zag drive to the imposing main gates to the Hall itself. Really welcoming staff and such a stunning building with a huge amount of grounds to explore all exclusive to you this really will be a day to remember.

A really different venue, a huge glass pavilion to get married and have your evening reception in opening out on to stunning grounds, although not exclusive to you it’s tucked away enough to give that intimate feel that it’s just you and your guests. Really bright, airy venue full of charm.

A great smaller venue, fantastic for the whole day or just the reception. The Tithe Barn and Gardens will be exclusive to you if you want them with accommodation available in the Hundred House. The Tithe Barn is a really bright venue with huge windows and marvelous wooden beams everywhere.  Friendly, quirky with fantastic food!

Do you ever feel like having somewhere totally exclusive to you? I mean totally exclusive? Well Treowen House is it. You hire the whole house to do with what you want, invite everyone down for the weekend, put people up in the actual house or they camp in the grounds. Get some outside caters in, book the registrars and your away. You can get married in on in the entrance hall at the front of the house with all your guests either on chairs or rugs on the lawn in front of you. The house is lovely and has been use on TV for various things and the views are stunning.  Do want you to when you want to. A great way to turn you wedding day into a weekend celebration!

Do not let the fact Tutbury Castle is supposed to be one of the most haunted castles in England put you off this fantastic venue! No seriously it really is a lovely place as you would expect towering above Tutbury the views a great. The main hall where you get married is great, then you come out to the ruins and the extensive lawn in front of you. A permanent marquee is set up for your wedding breakfast and evening reception which looks straight on to the ruins and the view. You can also book the castle to be exclusive to you that way there will not be any other visitors to the castle, except the ghosts….! Great place.