A Guide To Some Of My FAVOURITE Surrey Wedding Venues
There are so many beautiful Surrey wedding venues. It is almost hard to pick a few of my favourites. During my career I have predominantly worked as a Surrey wedding photographer. Surrey is my home and the more that I work in the surrounding areas the more I appreciate working with fellow suppliers. An element to planning a wedding is choosing the best venue for your day and during my photographic journey there are a couple of venues that have stolen my heart. So here goes (and in no particular order I might add).
DENBIES WINE ESTATE
Nestled in the Surrey Hills is the wonderful Denbies Wine Estate and Vineyards. As a child I have fond memories of visiting Denbies with my Grandmother and having lunch in their wonderful glass conservatory. Since my childhood the venue has taken a step and built on site accommodation for brides and grooms to stay and prepare for their weddings. This makes a massive difference to the timing of your wedding day and why it is one of my favourite Surrey wedding venues. As a couple you can get ready on site as well as having your ceremony and reception in the same place. There is no need to worry about accommodation or travel on the day of your wedding. This detail is wonderful but Denbies is also situated in glorious vineyards with beautiful scenery all around you. You can take your wedding party up into the vineyard hills together on a buggy ride as well as having a lovely secluded courtyard for your drinks reception. This venue not only looks after its clients but also the suppliers. I was fed the most beautiful vegetarian mushroom risotto the last time I photographed here and it was divine. The glass conservatory is beautiful and gloriously bright which is always a welcome attribute to a photographer for speeches and detail shots.
PEMBROKE LODGE
As a Surrey wedding photographer, Pembroke Lodge is a dream location. Set in Richmond Park the venue is surrounded by the most gorgeous sprawling green scenery. On a clear day you can see the whole of the London skyline (which also allows a cracking sunset to be captured as well). This venue allows you to have your ceremony and reception all in one place, which as I have said before is a wonderful attribute for a location. There is no stress or fuss about getting from one place to the next, everything you need is here. With wonderfully light rooms and lovely light decor, it is a photographers dream. Since photographing there this summer the venue have designed the most beautiful outdoor space for ceremonies. You can now have an indoor or an outdoor wedding ceremony and this I think is so appealing – especially with all these gloriously hot summers. Pembroke Lodge looks after you brilliantly. Their couples and their suppliers are their number one priority and the service that you experience here is sublime. This not only says a lot about the venue but also their value of client service too.
BUSBRIDGE LAKES
If you are searching for a unique Surrey wedding venues then Busbridge Lakes may be your perfect match. The venue is a parkland made up of 40 acres and three lakes. It has the capability for outdoor ceremonies as well as marquee alternative spaces. As you enter the venue you travel through a cobbled courtyard to the enchanted lawn space surrounded by heritage trees and exotic birds. The wonderful attribute about Busbridge Lakes is that the space is a dry hire. You have the luxury as a couple to create your dream wedding with all the elements that you would like. This service is unique in a Surrey wedding venues as many of the sites already have buildings and permanent structures. With Busbridge Lakes you are able to create, with the help of the lovely sites manager Bill, your dream wedding. With your dry hire site as an appealing attribute, the scenery will follow up as a close second. The landscape of the venue is breath takingly beautiful.
OATLANDS PARK HOTEL
An elegant hotel in the heart of Surrey overlooking Broadwater Lake sits the Oatlands Park Hotel. The building is a Grade II listed house with a gorgeous ten acres of picturesque grounds and scenery. The wonderful thing about the hotel is that it caters to any celebration. Whether you are planning a big grand ceremony and reception or a quiet intimate setting with close family and friends. There are a selection of different rooms for you to choose from. The hotel interiors are beautiful. When searching for Surrey wedding venues it is important to think about the possibility of having rain on your wedding day. If this is so, Oatlands Park Hotel has the most gorgeous foyer which is excellent for group photographs and capturing some more intimate couples portraits too. Here is Fiona and John’s beautiful intimate wedding day for you to take some inspiration from.
GATE STREET BARN
When I photographed Alex and Hana’s Gate Street Barn wedding I was so impressed with everything about the venue. Nestled into the Surrey countryside Gate Street Barn is a beautiful barn venue with the beauty of the Surrey Hills surrounding it. Like some other venues you can stay in the onsite accommodation which is just a short walk away from the ceremony venue. With your reception just steps away, the move between ceremony and reception is seamless at this venue. With developments at Gate Street Barn the venue is expanding with a wonderful new orangery room and a space for a woodland wedding experience as well. There is also a cute tradition a the barn where if you are married on a date when one of their calfs are born they name the baby cow after you!
THE BARN AT BOTLEY HILL
This venue is very beautiful and also very new. When I photographed at the venue last it was still being built. Botley Hill Barn is one of those Surrey wedding venues that is actually breath taking. The barn has floor to ceiling windows that showcase the stunning views of the Surrey Hills countryside. Which also lends handy if your weather is not playing ball, the tall windows call for some stunning couples portraits inside the venue. This venue is wonderfully experienced and houses the best suppliers in the industry. The main barn can fit 128 seated guests with room for more arrivals for your evening reception. There are adorable Shepards Huts on site for you to stay in if you choose to sleep on site.
BARNETT HILL HOTEL
The Barnett Hill Hotel is a wonderful gem situated in the Surrey countryside. The outside of the venue is so elegant and grand, with interiors inside to match. The outside of the mansion is surrounded by 26 acres of beautifully designed gardens which are perfect for outdoor reception drinks and entertaining. Inside the mansion there are a number of rooms that you can get married in. All of these are such elegant entertaining spaces with a gorgeous hall and walk way between the rooms. Like other venues there is an option to get ready and stay on site to ease your wedding day plans. The day that I photographed at The Barnett Hill Hotel it rained torrentially all day which is where one of my favourite features came in handy. With their stunning gardens there is a lovely greenhouse that stores all of the young plants. This makes for a perfect rain cover for couples portraits!
THE MILL AT ELSTEAD
Photographing Lisa and Nick’s Mill at Elstead wedding it was a truly wonderful experience. The Mill at Elstead is a lovely little venue in the Surrey countryside right on the site of a river that runs through it. Like other Surrey wedding venues I have showcased on here, The Mill at Elstead can house both your ceremony and your reception. This intimate venue allows you and your guests to have close knit feeling of togetherness. The dark wood interiors and brick walls add to the cozy ‘pub-like’ feeling. With the beautiful lake and lovely surroundings, there is no trouble finding a beautiful place to have couples portraits. There is even a resident swan who is rather friendly who might greet you on the lake!
THANK YOU FOR READING ALL ABOUT MY FAVOURITE SURREY WEDDING VENUES
If you are looking at planning a Surrey wedding please do get in contact – however if you are thinking of something a little further afield why not check out this Beachside Cornwall Wedding. Since this piece I have gone on to express my love of my favourite London wedding venues for you to take a look at too.