English Garden Themed Wedding at Walcot Hall

Couple on Walcot Hall steps between tall urns of pastel garden flowers; Halfpenny London dress and veil

I was already super excited when I read Beth and Jonny’s Walcot Hall wedding enquiry – but the actual day itself blew me out of the water. An English garden themed wedding reception, church ceremony and the bride wore Halfpenny London. And the vibe? All day it was just love.

It’s fair to say that Walcot Hall is one of my favourite wedding venues EVER. As a Shropshire wedding photographer, I’m lucky enough that it’s pretty much on my doorstep – but it’s such a gorgeous space I’d happily travel across the country for it too (And, in fact, Beth and Jonny did – they live in London, but wanted to get married in Shropshire, where they both have family connections).

Inside Walcot Hall: the ballroom, the light and beautiful spaces for portraits

Walcot Hall is a Georgian manor house nestled in sprawling countryside, allowing couples to have the best of both worlds for their wedding: elegant luxury and fun, festival-style accommodation for the guests too. Every corner of the venue is stunning, which came in especially handy as it rained on and off all day (not that that dampened any spirits) but perfectly suited the English garden themed wedding day!

Of course, perhaps the best bit of a Walcot Hall wedding is the turquoise ballroom, where your reception is held. The bright blue walls, adorned with ornate gold frames, makes a gorgeous backdrop for photos of the meals and speeches (and if anyone needs speech advice, they should contact Jonny. It was possibly one of the best speeches from a groom I have ever heard: he dedicated nearly the whole thing to Beth, why he loves her, why he wanted to marry her, and included a great mix of humour and sentiment, as well as a few thank you’s. Plus, it was a good length with no weird in-jokes that no one would get!)

The grand piano, just outside the main doors of the ballroom, was the location for Beth and Jonny’s cake cut and first dance, which kicked off an evening of high energy celebrations!

Church vows, English garden themed blooms and a flower-filled ride to Walcot Hall

Before their Walcot Hall wedding reception, Beth and Jonny held their ceremony at the local village church. Beth looked resplendent in a structured, draped Halfpenny London wedding dress and the iconic Loeffler Randall bow sandals, while her bridesmaids looked amazing in olive green. The groomsmen wore matching olive green bow ties, while Jonny wore a light pink tie and a light gold waistcoat.

After their gorgeous ceremony – which included a string quartet – Beth and Jonny hopped into a vintage car to travel back to Walcot Hall, whilst their guests hopped on a cream double decker bus. They travelled in style, too, with the huge floral arrangements from the church coming with them to double up as reception decor!

The Borage and Blossom flowers throughout the day were totally perfect. From the buttonholes to the bouquets to the table decor, they kept the English garden themed wedding day running throughout the reception. The cake even featured meadow-like flowers on each of its three tiers.

Natural, attentive photography that lets you be present

As well as how their Walcot Hall wedding looked, Beth and Jonny’s day was also remarkable because of how it felt. These two are so into each other that it permeated through everything! Plus, it made the portraits super easy: they stayed pretty much side by side the whole wedding which meant I could get loads of lovely natural shots of them together, mingling and best of all – enjoying their wedding day!

Gushy Note from Beth & Jonny: a Walcot Hall wedding review

I had the best time with Beth and Jonny – and I was so honoured to hear that they felt the same way.

Here’s the review they left:

Why they chose Laura May Photography:

“Choosing Laura as our photographer was genuinely one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding. If you’re a chilled couple looking for incredible quality wedding photos… you need to book Laura May Photography!”

Their wedding photo previews:

“We have spent hours and hours obsessing over the stunning preview photos that Laura sent through so quickly after the wedding. They instantly helped us to relive all of those warm, fuzzy feelings all over again and we’re super proud to share them with our friends and family.”

How it felt being photographed on the wedding day:

“Before our wedding, we’d never even had any professional photos taken of us as a couple (and certainly hadn’t mastered the art of snogging on camera…) so diving immediately into wedding photography was a whole new world. We didn’t need to worry at all, as Laura made the full experience super comfortable and enjoyable! We were especially grateful for all her prep and guidance beforehand – she really took the time to understand our vibe for the day, our timeline and the group shots we wanted.

On the day at Walcot Hall, Laura was a perfect fit for us – calm, discreet, supportive and lots of fun. She was a seamless addition, helping us both relax and feel the love – which made for amazing couple photos! She gives you just the right amount of creative direction to ensure you get all the key shots you’ll want to look back on in years to come.”

Wedding Photography Pricing:

“The great value and flexibility of Laura’s pricing meant we could choose the perfect amount of coverage for us, in a budget-friendly way. We also chose to add on a second photographer – which we’d really recommend! The second photographer captured even more special moments and candid photos of our wedding party that we’d have otherwise missed. Laura, we can’t thank you enough for your beautiful collection of wedding photos – they are memories we will treasure forever.”

Planning a Walcot Hall English garden themed wedding? Check my availability

If you’re searching for a Walcot Hall wedding photographer who brings calm confidence, emotional storytelling, and a luxury-yet-relaxed vibe, I’d love to hear about your plans.

My approach is effortless, attentive and unobtrusive, with gentle direction when it helps, so you can be fully present while I capture how it felt.

Get in touch.