A Wedding at Sandon Hall | Sophie & Lee

Sophie and Lee tied the knot in the beautiful grounds of the most wonderful Sandon Hall, Stafford. After seeing me shake my moves at their friends wedding they decided I was the right person for the job to capture their dream day.

As soon as they mentioned their wedding would be at Sandon Hall I was super excited. I really love this venue. Holding a dear place in my photography heart as Sandon Hall is somewhere I tend to revisit every year or so. It’s quirky charm and unique characteristics sure do separate it from the similar venues in the area. It’s expansive grounds and rooms give it endless photographic creative possibilities.

The service was a bit of tear jerker with even me welling up when the string quartet started to play Pure Imagination from one of my all time favourite films, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The rest of the day was full of excitement and entertainment featuring a mock “Through the Key Hole” from the Bestman.

The weather poured it down for the majority of the day, but we held out hoping for those long spring days to save us which they did. We managed to slip out just after Wedding Breakfast. Even though we couldn’t get outside originally it was lovely to get some different shots inside Sandon Hall and be creative with all it has to offer.

The night ended with a brilliant set from Agent Smith, a wedding Rock & Pop band from Manchester. Probably the most interactive and crowd warming band I’ve ever seen. They managed to get everyone up on the dance floor to join the bride and groom bustin’ some moves out.

Multiple Weddings at Sandon Hall

Living within 13 miles of Sandon Hall means I’m a favourite when couples are searching for a local wedding photographer. Huge country manor weddings are always awesome and incredible to photograph and suit my style of relaxed fun wedding photography down to a tee. Sophie & Lee’s day is just one of many I’ve photographed at this stunning countryside estate wedding venue. Having my work often used in Sandon Hall marketing material is a real honour and I love meeting new couples who’re planning their day here.

My style of wedding photography is built on a great relationship with my couples. All of my weddings are different and unique; even those at the same venue like Sandon Hall. Time on your wedding day is really important to me as I’m sure it is to you too. So if I can help it I don’t really want you to miss a thing and would love you to remember as much as possible. This caring and relaxed approach to my wedding photography is the reason why so many couples recommend me. They always say it feels like a friend is taking their photographs and not a photographer.

A Historic Hall surrounded by 400 Acres of Rolling Staffordshire Countryside

This opulent Stately Home in rural Staffordshire is one of the most sought after wedding venues in the West Midlands. With over 400 acres of private lush countryside surrounding Sandon Hall you’ll feel tranquility and relaxation as you drive along the mile long driveway up to the country mansion.

Most traditional country homes which have seen the conversion to wedding venues have lost touch with their past selves. This is where Sandon Hall really comes alive. With the Earls of Harrowby and their families still living on site this mansion carries and shows so much historical grandeur to those who step foot amongst it.

Nathanial the first Baron of Harrowby bought a shooting lodge on the original site way back in 1776 which then underwent a huge transformation into a stunning Georgian home designed by architect, Samuel Wyatt. In 1848 disaster struck and the home suffered a huge blaze which had the Earl at the time rebuild the home to it’s present day Neo Jacobean appearance by the architect William Burn.

The Harrowby family have always played an important role in the politics and banking of the nation with the current Earl’s father being a Deputy Chairman at NatWest bank.

Big & Small Weddings All Work at Sandon Hall

If you’re after a luxurious wedding venue within the heart of Staffordshire then you won’t go far wrong with booking your date in at Sandon Hall.

With the ability to host 1,000 guests as gracefully as 100 there really is no wedding too small or large for this stunning country house. With several rooms and combinations of indoor spaces it’s hard not to image how easily your day could work at Sandon Hall. If the traditional interior is too much then the super flexible team at Sandon are always looking to host something a bit different and it’s not unfamiliar to see tipi’s outstretched across the rear lawn opened out to the beautifully crafter 50 acres of garden.

Starting at your home you’re then welcome to move yourself on site in the morning and use one of the museum quality traditional bedrooms to have your hair and make up done in front of the large bay windows. This negates the need for any rush to the venue once you’re ready and you can descend the grand staircase with your bridesmaids and/or groomsmen in style living every ounce of your fairytale wedding dream.

When it comes to the service you’re able to be fully flexible with your arrangements and can choose a multitude of options as every room at Sandon Hall is licensed to conduct civil ceremonies. If you’d always imagined your service in the traditional Christian manner then don’t fret Sandon Hall has it’s own church, Sandon Church! This 13th century All Saints church sits just a short car or carriage ride away from the main hall.

Once your ceremony is over your guests can once again be welcomed into several transition spaces which Sandon boasts. Most weddings take their reception under the sky without the fear of rain in the Conservatory. A botanical paradise complete with indoor fountain and mosaic tiled floor. By far my favourite space within the home. It sits right next to the bar which is always brilliantly managed by the award winning Estate Boys, one of Staffordshires top mobile bar suppliers.

You guessed it, next comes the wedding breakfast and when you’re ready you can choose amongst the rooms again and tailor this space towards your wedding size. Most choose to take their wedding breakfast in the Saloon which offers a great diverse space for entertainment and eating. Seating up to 120 guests just in this one room in between the magnificent wooden columns which line the room is the perfect way to make your big day huge.

Your wedding breakfast is served by Sandon’s award winning catering partners who have delivered 100s of weddings to incredible high standards over many of years.

The greatest thing about using the Saloon for your wedding breakfast is when the evening comes along theirs a great space to erect an incredible dance floor with enough room for a large band to do their thang.

With the vast choice of spaces it’s important to know the numbers. The Library can offer 100 guests seated, The Dining Room seats 60 and the conservatory can host a small intimate 40. As already stated The Saloon can seat 120.

As well as being an incredible traditional wedding venue Sandon Hall also offers their own on site florist who can create beautiful flower arrangements for your big day. Grown and cut to your exact specifications you can have foliage which encapsulates the beautiful season you’ve chosen to marry within. An onsite service hardly any other wedding venues can compete with making Sandon Hall really stand out from the crowd. You are more than welcome to bring in your own floral supplier though should you want something different.

Rain or Shine, Glorious Wedding Photographs at Sandon Hall

Being a Sandon Hall wedding photographer is an absolute dream come true. I’ve been very lucky to return to this gorgeous venue so many times over the last few years and it sits right up there with my favourite places to shoot. Most venues which keep the majority of their historical interior decor usually put me off and look a little old and tired. When amongst this country mansion you can’t help but feel inspire and blown away by the decor. A credit to the Harrowby family for keeping the home in beautiful condition throughout all these years so we’re able to enjoy beautiful craftsmanship as if it was installed yesterday.

When it comes to taking photographs there is not really a lot of places where I can’t focus my camera for a stunning backdrop meaning one concern of mine is already taken care of and I can whole heartedly focus on the action, moments and emotion.

There’s no need to fear about rain on your wedding day at Sandon Hall. It is very unlikely you will fill every space they have to offer which means when it comes to taking that all important group shot or those formal family portraits then we can occupy one of those incredibly large indoor spaces. I’ve often used The Drawing Room to do just that before in the past. They’re were some of the best photographs of this variety I’ve ever captured; truly stunning.

Then if we need to capture a few intimate couples portraits indoors then once again our options are even more endless. Using the grand staircase and several other magnificent features around the stately home I’m able to give you as impressive photographs as you would get outdoors.

Let’s be honest though, we’d all like it not to rain on our wedding day though wouldn’t we? I know I would. So when we do get chance to explore the outdoors we can take several different walks to discover different areas of the magnificently well kept gardens. Small architectural follies and expansive views across the Staffordshire countryside make it a beautiful outlook for any photograph of my brides and/or grooms.

Throughout the day the large floor to ceiling windows, bay windows and conservatories provide beautiful soft natural light so you like only your very best on your big day. I love natural light and Sandon Hall has an abundance of it. When the sun goes down in the evening there’s more than enough space to erect light stands to provide beautiful dance floor off camera flash lighting to bring stunning light to your big moment surrounded by all of your friends and families.

Sandon Hall Wedding Photography