Holmewood Hall Wedding Venue.

For my penultimate Wedding of 2022, I returned to one of my favourite local Cambridgeshire Wedding venues for Sarah & Jason’s October Holmewood Hall Wedding.

Autumn Wedding day at Holmewood Hall.

We kicked things off at a nearby photography studio, doubling up as a salon for the initial bridal hair and make up preparations. After some quiet and relaxed preparations here, myself, Sarah the bride and her 2 bridesmaids took the short 20 minute drive to Holmewood Hall, where both the bridal party and the groomsmen enjoyed the remainder of their wedding day preparations.

One of the many great things about being a wedding photographer at Holmewood Hall,  is being able to easily zip back and forth between the Bride and Groom’s prep suites, both of which are blessed with amazing light and space.  This really helps to ensure a photographer can capture all of the pre -wedding moments as they happen, in both rooms, without any compromise.

The joyful ceremony commenced in “The Gold Room” and the nuptials were excitedly followed by the newlyweds passing through a “tunnel” of guests, where, today, applause replaced the traditional confetti – a great idea in less favourable weather. 

The wedding breakfast and speeches soon followed in the dining room as the weather outside gradually shifted from light drizzle, to glorious warm October sunshine.

I’d had a chat with the bride doing the morning, and we’d agreed that after the wedding breakfast would be the ideal time for couple photos, and to explore the grounds for 15 minutes. This would also be the perfect time for the bride and groom to take a breath, soak everything in and just enjoy some uninterupated time together. 

When planning a wedding, couples don’t always anticipate that just a small amount time alone together on your wedding day is not only rare, but really special. This time out also meant I was able to capture some lovely natural couple portraits in the wonderfully warm and soft early evening Autumn sun.

As the daylight faded everyone gathered around the grand staircase for cake cutting and one of my favourite “first dance” spots at any venue. 

The wedding team at Holmewood Hall are great ensuring the floor is kept clear for the couple, that the guests can see everything from the staircase and that the photographer has plenty of options and angles to shoot from. On this occasion I decided to start at the top of the staircase for a unique perspective and an overhead view of the newlyweds dancing together for the first time.

The first dance was joined by enthusiastic guests keen to get the partying underway, so after a couple more songs here, we all headed over to “The Vault” at the front of the house, to enjoy party tunes spun by Holmewood Hall’s resident DJ.

Holmewood Hall features Tudor Gothic style architecture with stunning and opulent feeling rooms, including the magnificent and spacious bridal suite with it’s sweeping views across the manicured lawns and the lake. 

The Cambridgeshire venue in full of charm and character but having worked here on 4 occasions now, the outstanding feature for any Holmewood Hall Wedding is the service and the quality of staff which, in my experience is unrivalled in Cambridgeshire. 

Homewood Hall Wedding Team.

The Holmewood Hall Wedding staff have the best mix of being genuinely friendly and helpful alongside uber professionalism. With a really slick approach to Weddings they work tirelessly to see that all aspects of the wedding day run smoothly, to schedule and with a touch of style. 

The Wedding team here go out of their way to ensure the needs of the wedding photographer are tended to with constant updates on timings, where things will be happening next and assisting with the gathering together of guests for the all important group photos. There are members of the wedding team on hand from early in the morning right through until the dancing ends at midnight.

Holmewood Hall Wedding Venue Features.

For the Ceremony, Holmewood Hall’s aptly named “Gold Room” boasts a 50-foot long aisle and an 18-carat gold ceiling. Or, for couples who wish to tie the knot in more natural surroundings, the bandstand offers a setting in among the immaculate grounds with the grand Tudor mansion house as the backdrop. 

The Dining Room at Holmewood Hall and can seat up to 80 guests. Guests will enjoy the wedding breakfast and speeches in a room that features large bay windows overlooking the grounds with sweeping views out towards the lake. 

One of the unique and standout features that I like at Holmewood Hall, is the staircase and the lobby. This area is put to great use for the cutting of the cake followed immediately by first dance. This setting offers us wedding photographers some opportunities for a creative approach, especially for capturing shots of the first dance.

There are three bars throughout the venue which are each conveniently located as the day progresses. The main bar sits next to the dinning room. The garden bar serves outside drinks during the reception, and, for evening partying, The Vault houses a dance floor and in house DJ with an adjoining bar to ensure everyone too can drink and dance the remainder Wedding celebrations away. 

Homewood Hall Wedding Photography.

I’ve now shot at this fabulous Cambridgeshire Wedding venue on a few occasions at different times throughout the year and it never fails to disappoint.  The bridal suite is really impressive, spacious and full of natural light, not only great from a photographic point of view but it also  allows the make-up artist plenty of room to breath and for the rest of the bride and her bridesmaid’s to relax with a drink and enjoy the views without everyone being under each other’s feet.

The grounds of the house itself, offer a plethora of choices for couple portraits. The lake and surrounding trees, with a classic wedding view back to the house from one side, or with the bandstand in the foreground on the other.  A short walk takes you to a beautiful tree lined avenue with wonderful textures in the buildings along the way. 

This is where the path is less trodden by many wedding photographers, but is among Holmewood Hall’s most rewarding features and definitely worth exploring. The light, particularly during golden hour is sublime on the front side of the building and is well worth the extra 5 minute walk to explore. 

To see more from my work at Cambridge Wedding venues please check out my post My 10 Best Wedding Venues in Cambridgeshire.