Walcot Hall Wedding Photography | Siobhan & Ben

The Eclectic Hall

In 2018 I received an enquiry from super excited Siobhan & Ben who were planning a large military meets Scottish wedding day on the England Wales border at the beautifully eclectic Walcot Hall. We clicked from the off and I could not wait to walk them through the guard of honour and dance the night away to their Ceilidh. Unfortunately, life had other plans and when the Coronavirus hit the UK it put a pause on all weddings indefinitely and when Siobhan & Ben came to move their Walcot Hall wedding they, unfortunately, had to move without me.

I’m a strong believer in treating others as you’d like to be treated. It wasn’t their fault they had to move nor was it mine, it was just a chance encounter with fate which saw us part ways. Luckily, all the work I put into my couples really shone with Siobhan and Ben as they re-approached me a few months later to see if the original couple who were due to get married on that date had moved. Luckily for them, they had moved on to my 2021 calendar so we joined forces once again and met on an atmospheric October Saturday under the most restrictive wedding guidelines which had been enforced so far.

Luckily for the three of us we knew it wasn’t about 100 guests and a Ceilidh. It was about the shared moment in time and the love they felt.

Historic Eclectic Magic in Shropshire

You’ll find the almost hidden entrance to this enormous Georgian estate just tucked away to the side of the Powis Arms along Brampton Road in the village of Lydbury North. Complete with the original Hall, walled gardens, vintage gypsy caravans, private lake, an outdoor pool, yurts, a huge Arboretum, several cottages ranging in size, and a collection of vintage automobiles there is not much which Walcot Hall hasn’t got.

Originally designed by Sir William Chambers for Lord Clive of India and now home to his continued family for the last 165 years. Following on from the original construction in 1763-1767 Clive’s son Edward then went on to add the freestanding turquoise ballroom which has lived on to be the jewel of Walcott Hall. In 1929 the home was saved from demolition and following this it became a bird sanctuary before being occupied by the Army during WWII which was common for remote halls like Walcot.

The original hall has now been mostly renovated into 13 incredible apartments apart from the main bodice of the home which still provides a family home for Lord Clive’s family. Rather than be a showpiece of the time the Hall is a family home and oozes personality from every era of its ownership with personal touches abundant everywhere adding character and warmth to this large Georgian structure. The surrounding buildings have all been subsequently converted into holiday stays to give a range of experiences from the ranch-style feel of Norbury Hall to the traditional English countryside getaway of the Garden House. For those looking for a truly unique stay, the Arboretum boasts yurts, gypsy caravans and the unique turquoise chapel.

A “Normal” Wedding Day at Walcott Hall

Siobhan & Ben had anything but a normal wedding day at Walcott Hall. With the restrictions in place, they chose to not use the freestanding ballroom for their meal nor their party and instead opted to enjoy the company of their guests at the Garden House which is a large house property on-site. The joy of still getting married at Walcott Hall though was they could take advantage of the home for their morning and service whilst also enjoying photographs in the gardens and amongst the landscape.

A “normal” wedding day at Walcott Hall is still far from unique. With the range of accommodation onsite you and most of your immediate guests are invited to spend the night before your big day in utter comfort and then awakening for the day with ease in the Shropshire countryside. There is also a truly special bridal party room within the main hall where a bride and her bridesmaids can use the characterful bedroom for all of their mornings getting ready festivities. Having your hair and makeup is done on your wedding morning is very special but would be made a little bit more special whilst sat around antique period furniture which oozes character into the back of all of your photographs.

When it comes to your service Walcot Hall boasts an indoor and an outdoor option. For those looking to marry indoors, you can do so by descending the large wooden staircase into the main hallway of Walcott and marring before the Shropshire countryside surrounded by decadence. As nothing at Walcott is normal, for your outdoor ceremony you will wander through the winding maze-like traditional gardens before meeting your significant other in front of the large stone fountain built into the cliffside of the Arboretum. When it comes to signing the register you can just wander into the fountain and complete paperwork underneath this truly remarkable licensed structure.

Reception drinks served on the traditional lawn whilst you and your friends enjoy the gardens or a spot of lawn games is the perfect way to follow on from your ceremony. With Prosecco in hand, you can pose for incredible traditional family portraits in these gorgeous surroundings before making the short walk to the freestanding turquoise ballroom for your wedding breakfast. This giant ballroom will make any size wedding party feel manageable and the large horizontal original windows will let tons of natural light in.

In the evening the ballroom is flipped around and your dance floor is unveiled for your first dance. You and your guests can then enjoy the night dancing or catching up within the festoons lit courtyard.

Littered With Light and Colour

Capturing a wedding at Walcot Hall has been on my hit list for some time now. I’ve been to so many Hall venues and often felt the character had been ripped straight out of them. The ones I have most enjoyed over the years are those which aren’t afraid to be themselves and Walcot isn’t afraid of this one bit as you walk past family possessions displayed around the main home. It really makes the home feel special and as though you’re in a truly special place which you are. These quirks make photographing here an incredible joy as everywhere you turn your camera you are just littered with gifts to fill your frame with.

Luke and the team at Walcott really want their couples to get the absolute most out of their days and this is something I really care about also so when it came to shooting here I got on like a house on fire with them. One of the awesome things they do is open their doors in the main hall to fill your ceremony with the most gorgeous Shropshire light.

Historic family homes like Walcott have the most interesting gardens when it comes to photography. They have such a history of care for their gardens and always have the most interesting of plants and trees producing the most gorgeous colours for my photography. If you had no guests I could quite happily spend a whole day getting lost in the gardens and Arboretum as I just love being a Walcott Hall wedding photographer.

Walcott Hall Wedding Photographer