Crumplebury Farm Wedding Photography

Up in the north-east of the county, really close to Shropshire and Staffordshire you’ve got Kidderminster. Bordered by the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve to the west and Stourport on Severn to the south, some of the Worcestershire wedding venues in the area are:-

Q. When is a castle not a castle?

A. When it’s Hartlebury Castle!

Ok, so why is it called a castle if it’s not a castle? A very good question and one I’ve done a bit of research in to and managed to find the answer.

Until 2007, Hartlebury Castle was the official residence of the Bishop of Worcester, with the current building constructed in the mid 13th century, although the land has been used for that purpose since 855. Yes, that’s right, I’ve not missed a century off that date, the site has been used to house the Bishop for over a thousand years! 

It used to be called a Manor until fortifications were built during the English Civil War and it became known as a castle.

The fortifications have now gone, as has the Bishop, but what remains is an amazing Grade 1 listed building, rescued by a charitable trust to preserve it. As well as being a museum, they also host weddings and gives you some amazing choices for the ceremony. There is the Medieval Great Hall, Georgian Saloon and Bishop’s Study plus the carriage circle out front, perfect for space hopper races!

All in all, a stunning place to get married and perfect for a Worcestershire wedding photographer like me.

Stone Manor was built in the 1920s, as a private country house. Then in the early 1970s it was used firstly as a country club before becoming a hotel a few years later.

There have been a few additions to the building over the years to add more bedrooms and facilities, but it still retains that country manor feel and charm.

There are indoor and outdoor options for the wedding ceremony itself along with the Garden Room where you’ll have the wedding reception. The hotel has something like 5 acres of grounds, including manicured lawns, woods and a walled garden.

I’ve photographed a couple of weddings at Stone Manor and delighted to be back there again soon!

This is another hotel wedding venue that really doesn’t feel like it’s a hotel!

Built in 1869 as a family home Brockencote Hall was originally a Victorian style mansion. Then, in the 1940s, new owners the Butler family (from Mitchell & Butler the brewers!) gave it a major overhaul following a fire. Inspired by their travels they remodelled it as the French-style chateau you see today.

Outside, it’s got 70 acres of parkland, a lake and a restored dovecote. There’s a lawn to one side for garden games and a terrace at the rear. So simply oodles of space for a wedding reception and wedding photos.

Inside, Brockencote Hall has a really sumptuous feel to it and the food is delicious!

If you imagine a village hall you might think ‘quaint’, seen better days, in need of a bit of TLC? In which case, you’ve not seen Rock Village Hall!

I’ve done Worcestershire wedding photography here a couple of times so know it fairly well.

It was built about 15 years ago and feels quite like a barn wedding venue inside. It’s got a well stocked kitchen for the caterer to use and a room to set up as a bar. Outside you’ve got the millennium green where you can set up garden games for the drinks reception and great views over the Worcestershire countryside.

The building has ground source heat and solar panels so does a great job of ticking the sustainability box.

It’s not licensed so you’d need to make plans to have your ceremony elsewhere. There’s a 12th century Norman church just up the road in the village, if you wanted a religious wedding. Kidderminster registry office isn’t that far away, or you could do the legal stuff prior to the day and have a blessing.

Arley Arboretum is somewhere that I know well, having visited many times with my wife and kids.

For those of you who have been, what you might not know is that nestled away out of sight is Arley House and you can get married there!

If you haven't been to the arboretum, you've missing out! The grounds are just glorious.

You can have your entire day in Arley House or opt to have your wedding ceremony in the glorious surroundings of the Italian Garden within the Arboretum.

There’s also the option to have your reception in a tipi, right in front of the entrance!

This is a wedding venue that I knew nothing about until I was booked to photograph a wedding there. I’ve been to the Lyttelton Arms, named after the Lord who built Hagley Hall which is set in acres of parkland. So had been really close to Hagley Hall without evening know that it's there!

That gives  you an idea about this gem, hidden away but easy to get to. 

It’s a beautiful Palladian house with Rococo decoration inside.

Something that was extra special about the wedding pictured here is that the Bride’s parents had got married there themselves and now live fairly close.

It’s always enjoyable being a Kidderminster, Worcestershire wedding photography, but this connection to the past made it extra special. 

Now, have you ever thought about getting married in a zoo?!

Well, you can.… sort of!

Within the grounds of the safari park you have Spring Grove House, a Georgian mansion which is one of the three wedding venues they have.

You’re actually hidden away from the visitors to the safari park but an animal encounter or safari drive can be incorporated into the day.

One more venue which is pretty close to Kidderminster, but is actually in Shropshire, is Mill Barns. You can read more about it on my blog.