THE ORANGERY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

The Orangery is a multi-award-winning wedding venue in Kent, with its own private lake and tumbling waterfall, located in the heart of Maidstone. This picturesque venue is set in nine acres of landscaped gardens. It’s a rural oasis in an urban location, the perfect indoor and outdoor wedding venue. On the morning of Sarah & Rob’s wedding I drove into the Turkey Mill estate and wasn’t too sure I was in the right place, this venue is a bit of a hidden gem. However, once you go through the main gates you are in no doubt you’re in the right place. The grounds are simply stunning it is hard to believe that this superb wedding venue is in the middle of Maidstone. The variety of spaces and backdrops that the venue offers makes being a wedding photographer at The Orangery an absolute dream.

When Sarah & Rob enquired with me I knew their plans for the day would be ideal for my documentary approach. Sarah said she had spent quite a bit of time researching photographers and it took her some time to find me as so many photographers didn’t offer the approach she and Rob wanted. Neither were caught up in the fairytail idea of a traditional lavish white wedding and just wanted a simple day spent in the company of their family & friends, relaxing and enjoying their company. They wanted the photos to reflect the relaxed nature of the day with real unposed storytelling images.

They had planned for an outdoor ceremony up at the Lapa, with it’s beautiful lakeside view . I was keeping my fingers crossed that the weather would be kind to us on the day, which luckily it was. Although I was keen for Sarah & Rob to have their outdoor ceremony, from a photography point of view I was quite relaxed about going with plan B in the case of rain. The Orangery’s Garden Room is a brilliant backup. The huge glass fronted doors which the couple and guests face during the ceremony and the glass roof and mirrors around the back wall mean it’s got a better quality of light than most venue’s Plan A indoor ceremony room.

On the day weather report was patchy and we had intermittent showers for most of the morning, but by noon the sun was firmly out and the scene was set for a perfect sunny lakeside ceremony at The Lapa.

During the ceremony I saw something which I’ve never seen before, but I thought it was a lovely idea. After Sarah & Rob signed the paperwork the registrar told them to walk off for a few moments away from the ceremony while their witnesses signed their bits of the paperwork. It gave Sarah & Rob a moment away to have some time together and enjoy the moment – something couples rarely get on wedding days. I have never seen this before, I am not sure if it’s something all Kent registrar’s do or just the one we had on the day. One of things I love about going all over the UK for weddings is seeing how differently things are done in different areas. No two weddings are really the same and my approach is all about seeing these differences and documenting them.

Below is a selection of images from their day. If you would like me to capture your wedding at The Orangery in the same relaxed documentary storytelling style I have done for Sarah & Rob please get in touch.