At the Wood Norton, the wedding receptions in a relatively recently built part of the hotel called the Orangery, a fantastic double aspect pavilion that sits proudly on top of a small hill beside the main building, the walk to which is about 100m all told. After the wedding ceremony, but before the wedding reception is due to begin, at the Wood Norton the newlyweds are invited up to the Orangery to see the setup and make sure everything is to their liking before the wedding guests get invited up. At the time the wedding guests are called to dinner, the photographer then has time to photograph the bride and groom in and around the Wood Norton itself. This timing works well, as it gives the bride and groom a few minutes away from their guests, and a few crucial moments together, but at the same time, when it comes to the couples photos, the wedding guests don't miss the bride and groom as they are otherwise occupied finding their seats.
The selection of images on this double page spread in the Wood Norton's Weddings sample album shows the layout in the orangery, and a few images of the cakes. If I had it my way I could make the entire sample album about wedding cakes, but I'm trying to show off the whole venue!
In the top left corner we can see the 'love' letters made from wood and illuminated with full size lightbulbs. This has become an increasingly popular option over the last decade and it's really something you see more and more. The positioning they take at the Wood Norton is ideal as it enables you to include the lettering in the back of the first dance photos, as the signage is in the very corner of the room.
The four images on the right page show the Orangery itself, set up before real weddings. The room itself has wooden flooring and white walls, which give the building a very neutral feel - this is actually a good thing as it allows you to put your own stamp on the place. You might be able to see in some photos that there is mood lighting available too, which usually tends to be pink in colour.
The in house florist is the wonderful Andrea Thorn who works so hard and absolutely loves what she does. Not only does Andrea produce all of the bouquets for brides and bridesmaids, but she also provides the table dressing and decorating service. On top of this, Andrea also produces flower displays for use inside the hotel all year round.
Location: The Wood Norton.
Keywords: Pure documentary wedding photography (24), Wood Norton Weddings (129).