A little earlier this year I had the great pleasure to shoot the wedding of Joanna and David alongside my good friend Frank Wood at Orchardleigh House in Somerset. It was my second visit there – I had previously been there as a guest and had been looking forward to shooting this wedding there for some time. Orchardleigh House offers a number of options for couples looking to be able to personalise a venue almost as if it were their own home. With a huge number of bedrooms in the main house and a number of cottages dotted around the Orchardleigh House estate, its ideally suited for a weekend wedding where you can relax the day before and day after the wedding if your budget will allow. Joanna and Davids families had made the most of it and had been there for a few days prior to the wedding.
Unknown to David, Joanna had hired a fleet of Segway electric vehicles as a surprise on the morning of the wedding – which was greatly appreciated !! And it made for a great entrance to the wedding by David and his groomsmen. Once all the guests were inside Joanna made a spectacular entrance down the magnificent Orchardleigh House staircase into the ceremony room.
After the ceremony – during which Joannas’ father and brother played some beautiful songs on some very fine Martin guitars – we were lucky enough to be able to get into the Orchardleigh House gardens for a champagne reception.
We did a short lightly posed portrait session around the grounds but we really could have done a lot more – there are that many options. After the meal and a bit of a break it was back into the main room for the first dance and some fine dad dancing !!
If you are looking for a wedding venue that gives you the freedom to theme your wedding in an individual style, Orchardleigh House is the perfect place to consider.
Orchardleigh House wedding photographer ⓒ paul atherton photography 2014
