Worcestershire Wedding Venues
I’m not sure if there is a Guinness Book of Records entry for the county with the most wedding venues per capita. But when your business is wedding photography you get a pretty good idea for these things. I’d say that the sheer number of Worcestershire Wedding Venues means that it’s in the running!
Maybe it’s being in the heart of England, so close to lots of places with demand for weddings? I wondered if it was an especially big county, so I Googled it, and it’s not! It’s 34th out of 40 counties in terms of size!!
It only has one city, in Worcester, but lots of towns and loads of lovely countryside, which is where most of the wedding venues are which I’ve photographed.
From Kidderminster and Bromsgrove in the north down to Malvern and Evesham in south. Redditch in the east and Tenbury Wells to the west. With Worcester itself, as a magnificent jewel in the crown in the centre. Everywhere you look there seem to be venues and opportunities for Worcestershire Wedding Photography.
So, in this blog I’m going to highlight some of them for you, because I’m good like that!!
If you’re wanting to get straight to a particular area then click on these links
Kidderminster Wedding Venues
Bromsgrove & Redditch Wedding Venues
Kidderminster Wedding Venues
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:-
Hartlebury Castle
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.
Hogarth’s Stone Manor
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!
Brockencote Hall Hotel
This is another hotel wedding venue that really doesn’t feel like it’s a hotel!
Built in 1869 as a family home it 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
Inside, Brockencote Hall has a really sumptuous feel to it and the food is delicious!
Rock Village Hall
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 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 House & Arboretum
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!
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!
Hagley Hall
This is a 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.
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.
West Midlands Safari Park
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.
Mill Barns
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.
Bromsgrove Wedding Venues
Moving over to the east and the Warwickshire border and you’ve got Bromsgrove and Redditch. Closer to Birmingham and very handy for the M42! Let’s take a look at some of the fab Worcestershire wedding venues that I’ve had the pleasure to photograph at in the area:-
Avoncroft Museum
What do you picture when you think of a museum?
Exhibits in a cabinet perhaps?
Not at Avoncroft Museum, definitely not.
You see, Avoncroft Museum is a museum of buildings, actual proper buildings. That have been rescued, relocated and rebuilt in Worcestershire.
There’s a windmill, a gaol, an old co-op and a mission church, plus many more. All spread out across 19 acres of lands.
They’re also got the Guesten Hall which has the rescued 14th roof from Worcester Cathedral and is where you’d have your wedding. You can read more her on my blog about an Avoncroft Museum wedding.
Bordesley Park
Bordesley Park is a venue that offers you lots of choice for your wedding day.
There’s a 16th century manor house at the heart of the estate, that can be a backdrop to your wedding photos.
Then, there’s the Tudor Barn for your wedding reception and either Bishops Barn or the Orchard Marquee for the rest of your day, depending upon numbers and the vibe you want to go for!
There’s loads of outdoor space for summer drinks, garden games or fire pits and marshmallows in the evening.
Check it out!
Gorcott Hall
Being a wedding photographer I get to see lots of different venues and you come across lots of fascinating history.
Take Gorcott Hall, a 16th century, grade II listed Tudor mansion near Redditch.
The story is that is was the location for a romantic tryst between Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester, a local widower. The relationship would have caused a scandal so had to be conducted in secret, with Gorcott Hall being the setting for one of the illicit rendezvous. Quite a history!
Move forwards about 400 years and Gorcott Hall is now owned by Allie & Mark, both as their family home and wedding venue.
I can’t think of many other wedding venues where the owners are as involved in the day as Allie & Mark. They are BRILLIANT and take of everything to ensure that your day runs smoothly.
From my point of view, as a Documentary Worcestershire Wedding Photographer it’s great when the people running it are both chilled but also on it. A relaxed, well run day is perfect to photograph, to capture all the joy and the fun.
Manor Hill House
Something a bit different here.
A country wedding venue which is modern!
Manor Hill House is a contemporary wedding venue with lots of land.
Very stylish, think a sumptuous AirBnB country house you can use to get married in!
They’ve got places inside where you can have the ceremony, or outside on the lawn. Then, if you need lots of space for your reception, there’s a permanent marquee too
Grafton Manor
The last Bromsgrove Wedding venue I’m going to mention is another hotel that doesn’t look like a hotel, Grafton Manor.
With a history going back centuries it was the family seat of successive Earls of Shrewsbury, a title which at times was held by the Talbot Family. One of the Talbot family’s other residences was Alton Towers!
These days, it’s privately owned by John Morris who runs it both as a hotel/wedding venue and also private family home.
For your wedding, as well as an option for an intimate ceremony within Grafton Manor itself. there’s also John Morris Hall next door. What was once a chapel is now deconsecrated and is licensed for civil weddings.
A smaller wedding breakfast can be held within the manor or they have a permanent garden marquee overlooking the lake for a larger do.
Evesham Wedding Venues
Moving down to the south east of Worcestershire now and we have Evesham. It’s famous for the fruit & vegetables grown in the surrounding countryside and asparagus in particular! Right on the northern edge of the Cotswolds it’s got some wonderful wedding venues near by. Here goes! :-
The Fleece Inn
Now, how many pubs do the National Trust own? Quite possibly, just this one, The Fleece Inn at Bretforton!
It’s old, very old. 15th century to be precise.
Half timber built, low ceilings, walls sloping at rather crazy angles, a piece of history.
There’s a barn within what is essentially the pun beer garden. Although how many beer gardens are large enough to contain an orchard?!
It’s rustic, quaint, historic, and generally pretty fab!
Have a read of the blog about The Fleece if you want to see more
Deer Park Hall
Sometimes a venue has a name that perhaps is a nod back to days gone by, a reference to the past.
Not with Deer Park Hall. It’s so named because.… you guessed.…. they’ve got a herd of deer!!
Red and Fallow deer roam around the grounds and there’s also a vineyard so you can drink home-produced wine if you wish.
The views across the valley towards the Malvern Hills (with many other Worcestershire wedding venues problem hidden away!) are stunning and the options for your wedding are just as good.
For your ceremony you can go indoors in the oak-panelled hall, or maybe go alfresco. Your guests really get to soak up the outdoor atmosphere if you get married on the lawn. Tell them to bring the suncream though!
For later on, there’s the Bredon Room, with more amazing views!
Lapstone Barn
We’re definitely in the Cotswolds here but only 20 minutes from Evesham.
Lapstone Barn is a traditional Cotswold 18th century stone barn, used as a working farm until the 1980s. It’s now a beautiful rural wedding venue.
There’s Stone Barn for your ceremony and Northwick Barn for the wedding breakfast. Then, in the evening there’s Tanners Bar for drinks and the snug if you want to chill!
Springhill House and Barn
So at Springhill House & Barn you have the lakeside Victorian House and then a large rustic barn.
It’s not licensed, so you’d need to get married elsewhere. But drinks by the lake, a huge courtyard for games and then a lovely barn for to eat, drink and make merry!
Dumbleton Hall
The last one I’m going to mention in the Evesham area is also in the Cotswolds, Dumbleton Hall Hotel.
Do you know what I mean by Cotswold stone? A yellowy limestone that starts to appear once you get far enough south of Birmingham.
You find entire villages made with the stone, like sleepy Dumbleton, right on the edge of the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire border. There’s a Church, a vicarage and village club. But what it also has, which not many villages do, is a stunning 19th century country house, Dumbleton Hall, now used as a luxury hotel and wedding venue.
The hotel has various different spaces for your ceremony including the The Oak Room with wood panels, The Shire Room for an intimate ceremony or the gazebo for an out door ceremony.
Worcester Wedding Venues
So, to end this round up of Worcestershire wedding venues in, lets take a look at some around Worcester itself.
A cathedral city. I’ve actually photographed one wedding at the cathedral itself! You don’t get many weddings there as you have to be able to show that you’ve a connection with it, but what a venue!
It’s a very historic place with Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Civil War importance, to name just a few aspects of it’s story.
With all that rich history it’s no wonder that it has interesting and diverse wedding venues surrounding it:-
Whitbourne Hall
The wedding ceremony that took place at Worcester Cathedral used Whitbourne Hall for their reception, and what a fascinating place.
It’s a grade II, Palladian style country house in 9 acres of gardens. For the house, think Jane Austen. For the gardens, think Italian villa.
It’s a private residence which can be hired for exclusive use as a wedding venue and they only take 10 bookings a year — very exclusive!
Crumplebury
Less than a mile away from Whitbourne Hall, but oh so different, you have Crumplebury.
It’s a very modern, stylish events venue that feels like an art gallery inside. Lots of light, lots of space, great contemporary vibe.
It’s owned and run by the people behind Green Cow Kitchens who have a farm-to-fork ethos.
There are both indoor and outdoor spaces for your wedding ceremony and the stunning Grand Hall for your wedding breakfast.
Curradine Barns
Curradine Barns is a collection of 19th-century traditional red brick barns in the village of Shrawley.
There’s the Granary Barn for your wedding ceremony Barley Barn for the wedding breakfast. I’ve photographed a few weddings at Curradine Barns and always love going there.
They’ve got an upstairs space for prep and also some farmhouses, so both of you can get ready there if you wish.
The Granary Barn has oodles of charm and character for your ceremony with the Barley Barn having been recently extended to give you more room for dining.
Talking of dining, the food is amazing and they’ve got an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven for the evening food.
Holt Fleet
Well, you can’t get much closer to the river than The Holt Fleet!
We’re talking right on the banks of the River Severn, just outside the village of Ombersely and only 4 miles from Worcester.
The first photo is of the impressive Thomas Telford Bridge which has a great view down on the venue — but watch out for the traffic!
Although The Holt Fleet is known by a lot of people as a pub/restaurant, they’ve also got their own function rooms and private outside space for weddings
Bennett’s Willow Farm
On the edge of Worcester you’ve got Manor Farm, which has been run the Bennett family for 5 generations.
They added a farm cafe with events space and then also a yurt, perfect or a rustic feel wedding.
Bennett’s Willow Farm has a woodland area, outdoor space and a glamping site.
What I love about here is that it gives you all the rural charm of a remote countryside venue but it’s on the doorstep!
Worcester Guildhall
The Guildhall is right in the heart of Worcester and dates back to 1721. It’s had various civic functions of the years including being a court and a jail.
Today, amongst other things, it hosts weddings.
You can have the ceremony and wedding breakfast there, but you can only hire the Guildhall up until 6pm. So if you’re wanting to party long into the night then you might need to think about having an ‘after party’ venue too!
Bredenbury Court Barns
Photographing a wedding at Bredenbury Court Barns is a bit like trying to catch a bus.
You wait ages to get booked for a wedding there, then two bookings come along at once!
Suffice to say, I can’t wait for my first experience there and hope it will become one of many.
The venue is in the grounds of a manor house with glorious views of the countryside. The barn is built with rustic oak timbers and floor to ceiling windows.
There’s The Orangery, built in the 1920s, where you can have your wedding ceremony.
Then the Oak Barn is where you’ll eat and party.
Music Festival
Ok, so this needn’t be unique to Worcestershire, there are music festivals everywhere. But what a cool way to spend the weekend of your wedding!
The ceremony was actually in Herefordshire, at Malvern Registry Office, then a pub lunch to follow.
Before the vintage double-decker bus took all the wedding guests to the Sunshine Music festival in Upton Upon Severn.
As well as their tents they’d set up a small gazebo/marquee with a bar in it.
Plus, their first dance had to be on one of the biggest dance floors there is!!
Farm Wedding
One final suggestion for you for Worcestershire Wedding Venues — have your wedding on the farm!
The images are from one particular wedding I did, not too far from Kidderminster. You can read more about it on this blog about their Worcestershire Farm Wedding.
Of course, not everyone lives on a farm, but there plenty of fields out there available to hire if you fancy giving it a go!
So there you have it, my guide to Worcestershire Wedding Venues, based on lots of personal experience as a wedding photographer. Giving you hopefully one or two ideas of places to check out to find the perfect one for you.
OTHER BLOGS TO CHECK OUT
- 33 Birmingham and West Midlands wedding venues
- Shropshire Wedding Venues
- 70 Ideas for Wedding Entertainment
If you’re looking for a Wedding Photography, (or for anywhere else), then please get in touch.
I’d love to have a chat!
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