You may have seen Joy and Kyle’s alternative autumnal Rowton Castle on my blog, one of many full day weddings I’ve had the pleasure of photographing at the Shropshire wedding venue. Whilst fabulous for bigger weddings, what you might not know is it’s the perfect place for more intimate weddings too. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing a few small weddings at Rowton Castle, and with that in mind I wanted to shout out some of the small wedding ideas I’ve seen brought to life there, to show you just how wonderful they are.
Rowton Castle is one of the best wedding venues in Shropshire for so many reasons – and as a beautifully decorated building set in gorgeous grounds with amazing rolling countryside for surroundings, what’s not to love?
Another reason I love it there is because of the team, who always go above and beyond to help couples have the wedding day they want. So much of a wedding is about who you work with, especially when you’re planning a less traditional day, and this is definitely true when you’re looking to bring small wedding ideas to life in classic wedding spaces!
So, without further ado, let’s look at a few of my favourite ways that couples have brought small wedding ideas to life at Rowton Castle…
Small wedding ideas for your ceremony at Rowton Castle
Outside ceremony
Weather permitting, you might want to get married outside at Rowton Castle, in particular underneath Linden Belvedere. Linden Belvedere is a romantic stone pavilion strung with picturesque ivy and hand painted with a landscape fresco.
Though the terrace can house weddings of up to 110, it’s also a wonderful spot for a smaller guestlist – in fact, my wonderful couple Jen and James had just 8 sat on the terrace. The ceremony spot is surrounded by Shropshire countryside and wildflowers as well as an avenue of lime trees, making it feel perfectly close and cosy. (Fun fact, linden actually means limetree, which is not only traditionally a sign that all is well but is also known as a lovers’ rendezvous point!)
Indoors ceremony
Alternatively, your small wedding ideas might be more of the indoor persuasion. The inside ceremony space at Rowton Castle is The Cardeston Suite, a grand, Georgian gothic hall with a huge feature window and breathtaking chandeliers. And I know what you’re thinking – can a hall really house a wedding with a smaller guestlist? But don’t worry, the answer is hell yes.
Jennifer and Michael used the extra space to their advantage and opted for two towering trees to frame the top of the aisle, whose white-flowered branches met perfectly in the middle. The ornate features of the room, like the striking fireplace and patterned wallpaper, also helped draw the eye accordingly and make sure it didn’t feel empty.
Small wedding ideas for your reception at Rowton Castle
Puzzles
This one of my small wedding ideas isn’t technically for the reception but for the drinks hour: and it’s puzzles. With a guestlist of around 25, Jennifer and Michael’s wedding was quite intimate, meaning they didn’t need to spend the hour or so meeting and greeting guest after guest after guest. Instead, they laid out a jigsaw for guests to work on if they fancied – and it went down a storm.
Bucket of beers
Many couples opt for wine on their table for their wedding meal, but what happens when you don’t drink wine? One of the genius small wedding ideas I’ve seen at Rowton Castle is an ice bucket of beers on a table to the side, to accompany the wine on each of the main tables. Of course, this might become a tad untenable with loads of guests, but if you’ve only got a handful they shouldn’t be too much of a, well, handful…
One central table
There are so many ways you can seat your guests at a smaller wedding, because there’s literally more room to play with. You could stick with classic round tables or experiment with a sweetheart table (where the newlyweds sit on a table by themselves to soak up all of the just married vibes.)
Alternatively, you could go with Jen and James’ approach, and have one central table which everyone sits around. This has the same close family feel as trestle tables at a bigger wedding – if anything, it feels even closer, like you’re all around a supersized, super elegant version of your dining table at home! It’s a lovely way to make sure you get to see everyone, too.
Looking for a Shropshire wedding photographer to capture your intimate wedding?
Whether you’re planning to bring your brilliant small wedding ideas to life at Rowton Castle or one of the other brilliant venues in the area, I’d love to capture them. With a relaxed, natural style I make sure I don’t intrude, instead photographing things as they happen. This means that you’ll never feel awkward, or like you’ve got a camera shoved in your face – even if you can count all your guests on two hands.
You can check out some more of my Rowton Castle weddings here, or get in touch here to tell me all about your plans. I can’t wait to hear from you!
