Are you on the hunt for your dream wedding venue? Often the first step for newly engaged couples, and one of the most exciting decisions, it can also feel overwhelming! I would highly recommend attending open days to get a feel for what a venue is like on a wedding day, as well as stalking their social media (including the tagged images section) to get a feel of real life weddings.
I have had the privilege to work some incredible venues, and although every year I find it difficult to narrow down to just a few top ones, here are my top three that I worked at in 2023 that really stood out from a photo opportunity point of view. If you want to know more about these venues or see a gallery of images, please get in touch as I would love to help you make your venue decision – you definitely can’t go wrong with any of the below!
The Pear Tree at Purton
What to expect: stunning floor-length windows, beautiful grounds, and a sophisticated bar and dance floor area.
A little further afield for me, but my gosh I would travel there again in a heartbeat. The Pear Tree is an absolutely incredible venue, and I loved working there for Andrea and Sean’s engagement photos in September 2022 and their chic wedding day in April 2023. I honestly could not get enough of the stunning windows, amazing amount of light and the amazing variety of photo opportunities around the grounds.
For their engagement shoot in September the vineyard area was perfect. In April the flowers were blooming and the beautiful steps from the ceremony room and area around the pergola were perfect. The intimate but stunning dance floor area was perfect for the evening of partying, and everything fitted so well for their black-tie themed wedding day. I think the photos really do say it all for this venue!
Langshott Manor
What to expect: stunning Tudor style manor house, delicious food, intimate garden area.
I think Langshott Manor is a bit of a hidden gem of a wedding venue – just a stone’s throw from Gatwick airport and with exclusive use of the venue and bedrooms it’s perfect for a wedding with friends and family from both near and far.
Laura and George had a beautiful outdoor ceremony here in July 2023, and I’ll be honest the weather the week before did not look promising for their outdoor plans but I was relieved that it held out for them on the day, and they enjoyed a beautiful ceremony in the gardens. When the rain made a short appearance after the ceremony there was plenty of space in the indoor areas, but this venue really does shine when you can access the outdoor space.
One of the things I love most about this venue is the beautiful Tudor style building, especially the getting ready room, and a divine staircase for you to make your way towards your ceremony. Although a fairly small footprint, there were lots of cute little spots for photo opportunities and for the couple to sneak away from their wedding guests. The food was exceptional and it’s on my list to go back and visit for afternoon tea (and maybe an overnight stay to experience the amazing looking bedrooms!). If it’s not on your list to look at, I would highly recommend having a visit!
Penshurst Place
What to expect: log fires, stunning backdrops, expansive grounds for photos, and a marquee for your evening celebrations.
Last, but definitely not least, for 2023 top venues has to be Penshurst Place. I was lucky enough to have two November weddings here, and already familiar with the beautiful venue from regular visits (and many moons ago a proposal!) I was so excited to be able to work here on two beautiful weddings. I’m slightly bias, but it being (literally!) just up the road from me makes it even more perfect – and I even got to stay around after my work was done to enjoy a dance or two!
Before I talk about the benefits of the venue, I have to give a massive shoutout to the staff (especially Caroline) who were particularly exceptional. You will be in very good hands here!
After possibly the wettest summer on record, November 2023 was perfect for both autumn weddings, with golden sunshine gracing two beautiful couples. Anna and Cuong had their beautiful ceremony in the manor house before drinks and canapes in the Baron’s hall and photos outside, before whisking away to their London celebrations. A beautifully elegant ceremony, accompanied by one of my favourite wedding suppliers Blue Topaz Musicians, followed by some stunning photo opportunities with the impressive manor house as a backdrop.
For Gemma and Fred’s wedding, they had a church ceremony nearby before coming to Penshurst Place for the reception and my gosh did the November sunshine give us a treat for this beautiful couple. We had plenty of time to wonder around the stunning grounds and get lots of photo opportunities, before having their bride and groom squad joining them for some fun photos before the sun left us.
The marquee set-up for winter weddings at Penshurst Place is perfect, with an impressive dining area, great mood lighting for photos, and a perfect dance floor that I got to have a good test of so can highly recommend! I honestly can’t wait to work at Penshurst Place again, and glad that I got to wrap-up 2023 wedding season with two wonderful weddings there.
Looking ahead to 2024…
I could probably have written this blog a few times over to cover some of the amazing venues of 2023, but I hope this has given a bit of insight into potential venues for your wedding! If you want more inspiration, check out my blog covered top venues of 2022.
Now it’s time for me to embark on 2024 wedding season (starting next month!), and have some exciting new venues on the cards, so will be interested to see what make the top venues for 2024. I have a feeling The Orangery might make the list…
