Wedding Photography at Hatfield Place

My wedding photography at Hatfield Place always look classy and is a pleasure to cover. It’s a wedding photographers dream, and for an engaged couple looking to book this venue, you’ll find that most of the hard work has already been done for you. By that, I mean the backdrops and decor are sensational, so very little needs to be done in terms of achieving a ‘look’ for your big day.

Hatfield Place is a grade II listed building which means it is recognised for its architectural and historical significance. Couples that visit will see it’s beauty almost immediately as they arrive in the car park. You’re firstly presented with the grandeur of the 14th Century Manor house that has been carefully restored to it’s original Georgian architecture.

I’m pretty sure that this alone would be a selling point and I for one (being a Hatfield Place wedding photographer) was sold on it’s beauty from the moment I first saw it’s exterior and interior of the main house.

Maddie and Ben (my wedding couple) had seen the venues vision for their big day and took the plunge to book Hatfield Place the previous year. They were relaxed but enjoyed a good time and it showed through on the day. It was a perfect blend and very much in keeping with the kind of couples that I attract.

We’ll start with a few exteriors of Hatfield Place:

I always arrive a little earlier than planned to capture the exterior shots, I then pop in to the bride and say hi to see how things are going in the bridal prep. You have a stunning room upstairs that remains clutter free from all the activity happening downstairs, so I tend to utilise this area and just love the dark wood and interior.

Ben had so many groomsmen that I needed to make the call to have him and his best man put the finishing touches on outside the groom prep area. The gardens are lush and well groomed all around Hatfield Place, so it wasn’t too hard to find an area that worked really well to capture this section of the day.

Before returning to the ladies, we had a rowdy bunch of lads that were ready to get the party started. They did shots to prepare for the ceremony and then I continued my coverage of the bridal prep (after a quick trip to the ceremony hall).

Maddie and Ben chose to tie the knot in the Hatfield Place’s ceremonial hall. This is best utilised for larger weddings of up to 200 guests. It has stunning high ceilings, oak beams and a statement glass window overlooking the walled garden that lets in plenty of natural light to give the room an airy feel.

If you book a wedding at Hatfield Place, you do have options as to where you can get married and I”d like to tell you of 2 more that I really like. For smaller weddings you can explore the romantic ballroom. An intimate space for up to 80 guests that has gentle grey tones and rich silk to add to the grandeur.

You then have the outdoor option for 100+ guests surrounded by nature and lush greenery. I personally love that option (weather permitting) and it’s food for thought if you have a summer wedding planned.

So, we’re back with Maddie and the ladies in the bridal suite and I chose the upstairs area to complete the getting ready shots. There’s less going on up there, so we could keep Maddie relaxed in preparation for the ceremony.

The dress went on and we were set for the first look with dad. As a Hatfield Place wedding photographer, nothing compares to the emotion of dad seeing his girl in the dress for the first time. It’s a special moment that deserves respect and this one didn’t disappoint. The tears were flowing and it was a beautiful end to the prep!

The ceremonial Hall at Hatfield Place took centre stage next. The space had been beautifully decorated with flowers and even had a live singer on hand to welcome the bride down the aisle. Ben was emotional at the sight of his future wife and I knew that this ceremony was going to be memorable. In fact, this couple kept the energy all day which was awesome.

Weddings at Hatfield Place literally have everything you need for an exclusive, breathtaking experience.

Once the ceremony is finished, your wedding guests will often be taken through to the walled garden outside for the confetti shot. It’s a good time to do this before everyone grabs a drink so it works well for the wedding flow.

The drinks are served in the gardens just outside the main reception hall (where you have the option to get married outside). It’s a relaxed space and works really well. I also take the opportunity to capture the reception room details during this time before the wedding guests take their seats.

Wedding photography at Hatfield Place wouldn’t be complete without the bridal party having some fun shots. Maddie and Ben were keen to have some fun photos outside the main building, so we made some time before the sit down meal to capture some memories with the nearest and dearest.

Hatfield Place has an orangery and it’s perfect for a reception room catering for between 60-200 guests. It boasts plenty of light streaming in, a twinkly dance floor and full bar to keep every one happy during the evening. I got the feeling that this crowd were really close, so I was expecting some great speeches and some emotional scenes and that is exactly what I got.

I chose to defer the intimate shots until after the speeches because I don’t like to over work my couples. They have just been married, worked their guests, and completed their group shots. The last thing they would want to do is take more photographs before the meal. Once they have been fed and watered, you tend to get more from couples and it works really well.

Weddings at Hatfield Place are often booked off the back of how grand the Grade II listed building looks on the inside and outside. This venue boasts one of the best visually pleasing staircases around. It’s personally my favourite staircase in Essex because you can get so many looks from this area. You have a big window letting in some natural light at the top of the staircase that works really well.

I feel like my wedding photography at Hatfield Place takes on a classy and timeless feel and that’s thanks to the diverse picturesque locations on offer. Behind the main building, you have more great places to take the couple. You actually don’t have enough time to use all the areas that this venue offers. You have to have a plan and stick with it to keep the flow going nicely.

Luckily, the cake sits right next to the dance floor, so we cut the cake, did the first dance and got the party started. Maddie and Ben opted for a sax player whom I had the pleasure of working with at a different wedding. He got the party going and I ended with some great scenes to wrap up the coverage.

Hatfield Place is always a pleasure to photograph weddings. I hope you enjoyed looking through Maddie and Bens full day wedding blog. I have other full day weddings for you to look through HERE. I hope these inspire you too 🙂

Take a look around my main website HERE and get in touch if you like my style and would like to enquire about your wedding day.

Call: 07746134504

Instagram: chris_woodman_photography

So there you have is, weddings at Hatfield Place are always special and I hope this blog serves as a source of inspiration if you’re planning your wedding day here.

Until next time, thanks so much for checking in!

~ Chris