JLM Wedding Photography

JLM Wedding Photography

Tag: wedding venues in south yorkshire

  • Weddings at The Old Rectory Handsworth :: What To Expect

    Weddings at The Old Rectory Handsworth :: What To Expect

    An Idyllic Wedding Venue in Handsworth?

    Having photographed quite a few weddings at The Old Rectory in Handsworth, Sheffield, I reckon I’m pretty well placed to give you a unique perspective on what it’s like to have your wedding there.

    First of all, if you are undecided about whether the Old Rectory is the wedding venue for you, get down there and have a look around. Don’t let the fact that it is in the middle of Handsworth put you off.

    For being in the middle of a busy spot it really does feel like such a peaceful place. Even when you’re outside there is such a tranquillity to the grounds.

    Wedding Ceremony Room Layout Options at The Old Rectory

    Inside it has a cosy feeling. The rooms are well spread out with plenty of milling about space if your guests don’t want to go outside.

    There are two rooms you could get married in, depending on the size of your party.  Ballifield is the smaller option and accommodates up to 50 wedding guests. It is a beautifully cosy room with a fireplace and plenty of natural light.

    If you have a larger wedding party then you can also opt to have your ceremony in the main hall.

    Then you can really max out your guest list.

    Whichever room you go for you can be sure that you will be well looked after before, during and after the ceremony. The team looking after proceedings are always very friendly yet professional, taking care of the tiniest of details whilst making sure you get exactly what you want when you want it.

    Quick Availability Check

    Get a quote from a local photographer who knows The Old Rectory well. 

    Wedding Breakfast at The Old Rectory

    After the ceremony you and your guests will have the opportunity to retire either outside or into the many other rooms for a drinks reception.  Meanwhile the Old Rectory team will be busy getting the main hall ready for your wedding breakfast.

    Being such a huge hall there is plenty of room for a well attended wedding breakfast, so there should be no problem fitting everyone in.

    Evening Wedding Reception

    So you’ve had your dinner, done your speeches and drank plenty of wine.  Now all there is left to do is cut your cake, dance your first dance and then boogie the night away.

    After dinner you and your guests will once again be entertained away from the mail hall as the team create space for the dance floor.  Before you know it, you’ll be invited to take centre stage.

    Oh and you see that big balloon that has been hanging from the ceiling of the main hall all day?  You might want to make sure you are dancing underneath it during your first dance.


    Evening Portraits in the Gardens of The Old Rectory

    There is one last photo-opp to be had once the sun has set at The Old Rectory.  If the weather is favourable, take a little stroll into the gardens with your photographer and make the most of the beautiful fairy lights.

    Conclusion

    The Old Rectory in Handsworth definitely gets my seal of approval,

    As a wedding venue you have everything you could need.  It’s a cosy venue, beautiful gardens, friendly and helpful staff, good food and enough space to bring along whatever entertainment you fancy.

    Plus, it’s only about 10 minutes away from JLM HQ so very handy indeed for me 🙂

    Wedding Photography For Your Old Rectory Wedding

    Request a quote from a local Wedding Photographer who knows The Old Rectory well.

    All the photos you see in this article were taken by JLM Wedding Photography.  To request a quote for your wedding pop your details into the form below.  You can expect a response within a few hours, if not check your spam folder.

    Some of my Old Rectory weddings from the blog archives

  • Weddings in Sheffield Town Hall :: What To Expect

    Weddings in Sheffield Town Hall :: What To Expect

    For many, planning a Sheffield Town Hall wedding is a great option.

    For one, it saves you the cost of having to bring a registrar out to your wedding venue.

    Not to mention the fact that the Sheffield Town Hall is a particularly grand setting for any occasion. 

    If you have never attended a wedding at the Town Hall in Sheffield before then you might not know what to expect.

    That is, until you spend a few minutes reading through this article.

    All the photos in this article were taken by JLM Wedding Photography.

    Arriving at the Town Hall

    You need to remember that you are in the middle of Sheffield City Centre, so parking is limited.

    Well, to be fair, it isn’t limited so much as expensive.

    Fortunately that shouldn’t be a problem for the bride since official wedding cars are permitted to park outside the front of the Town Hall for the duration of the wedding ceremony.

    One option is to arrange for a bus to bring your guests from the reception venue into town, thus saving them the trouble of finding parking. 

    That’s exactly what Susan and Kevin did to get their guests to and from the Ibis Style in Barnsley.

    The Bride’s Stealth Arrival

    Many brides-to-be worry about being seen by guests at their arrival.

    After-all, their arrival in front of the Sheffield Town Hall is unlikely to be discrete.

    Fortunately, the attendants at the Town Hall are particularly good at this.

      They will make sure all the guests are safely tucked away in the ceremony room before the bride’s arrival.

    The wedding car has the added advantage of being able to park outside the Town Hall for the duration of the ceremony.

    Having said that, I’m not sure they would usually be allowed to park on the pavement like they did at Kay & Lynval’s wedding.

     

    The Groom’s Arrival

    Sorry fellas, the arrival of the Groom at a wedding at the Town Hall is much less grand.

    Basically you’ll just arrive at some point, probably about half an hour before your appointed ceremony time, to greet your guests.

    Shortly before the bride is due to arrive the Groom will be taken into the ceremony room to be interviewed.

    Once the interview is complete the guests will be invited to take their seats in the ceremony room.

    Most Grooms opt for the discrete arrival, often with a stop at a local city centre pub for a pint of Dutch courage.

    Some prefer to savour the moment by arriving in style, much like Steve’s arrival in a Mustang.

    Pro Photo-Tip #1

    Before we carry on to the ceremony I have a quick photography related tip:

    If you want photos on the main staircase get them before the ceremony.  You are not likely to be allowed back afterwards because another wedding party will be arriving after you.

    After the ceremony you will be ushered out of the building via a different exit, i.e. not the main entrance with the staircase.

    This makes it tricky to get photos of both of you together since you won’t actually see each other before the ceremony.

    In my experience, some have used the time for a ‘first look’ photo.

    Most of the time it is a great chance for photos of the Groom and his Groomsmen to get some snaps together.

    It is also a good place for photos of the Bridal party, not to mention that special moment where the Father of the Bride sees his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time.

    How Long is the Wedding Ceremony at the Town Hall?

    This can depend on whether you invite guest to perform readings.

    Typically the ceremony lasts about 20 minutes from the arrival of the Bride to leaving the room.

    To be honest, I’m probably not the right photographer for you.

    Upstairs / Downstairs

    The Sheffield Town Hall has several rooms typically used for wedding ceremonies.

    Downstairs are three smaller rooms connected by a large anti-room which is used as a waiting area for guests prior to the ceremony.

    This waiting area is the first room you enter as you turn right through the main entrance.

    These smaller rooms host several wedding ceremonies a day and are best suited for parties of up to 50 guests.

    Upstairs is a much more private affair, better suited to larger wedding parties.

    The main room is partitioned to form a ceremony room and a drinks reception room.

    The Mirror room is where you will have the ceremony, so named because of the huge mirror at one end.

    The main dividing wall lifts away at the conclusion of the ceremony allowing guests to wander freely across to the Mandela room for drinks and canapes.

    Pro Photo Tip #2

    This is more a tip for the photographer than anyone else.

    The huge mirror in the Mirror Room is right in front of the couple as they get married. 

    It then stands behind them as they sign their contracts.

    My advice, stay low and always check for your own reflection before you take a photo!

    Confetti – Where and When?

    For ‘downstairs’ weddings where you are lead out of the side exit, that staircase is the place for confetti.

    You might want to ask your guests to line the walkway and throw their confetti as you pass them.

    You can also wait until you get to the main path and do the same there.

    However you do it, keep it outside!

    Pro Photo Tip #3

    After the ceremony you may be thinking the Peace Gardens would be an ideal spot for photos.

    Whilst that is true in principle, keep in mind that on a sunny Saturday afternoon it will be packed!

    Not to mention that in August it will be overtaken by Sheffield By The Seaside, so you will have no chance.

    My advice is to either make use of the nearby Winter Gardens, or look for interesting locations between buildings for your group photos.

    Conclusion

    If you have never been to a wedding at the Sheffield Town Hall before it may seem a little intimidating.

    Hopefully this guide has helped you to understand what you can expect, where you should go and how to make the most of your wedding ceremony.

    As you can probably tell, I have attended more than my fair share of weddings at the Town Hall.  If you have any questions that I haven’t covered in this article please feel free to ask.

    If you would like to talk to me about photographing your wedding why not Get In Touch?

    See ya next time,

    James

  • 12 of the best Wedding Venues in Sheffield

    12 of the best Wedding Venues in Sheffield

    Great Places to Get Married Around Sheffield

    So, you’re getting married and you’re looking for a wedding venue in Sheffield.

    I won’t do a full review of each venue because I only really get to experience them on the day, there are a lot more factors involved.

    Since I am never so nosy as to ask how much people paid for their venue I cannot comment on value for money, that is something you will have to decided for yourselves once you have your quote from the venue.

    Instead I have decided to show you a few photos of each venue highlighting why I liked them from my perspective as the photographer.

    I will share a few points about what I liked and give you a link to the venue’s website so you can find out more about it.

    It’s probably worth noting that these are the best wedding venues that I personally have photographed in, there are probably others out there too.

    This is an ongoing project and as I visit more venues that I like I will get them added on here, so do keep checking back.

    Oh and can you do me a huge favour?  

    If you do end up booking one of these venue based on my recommendation, it would be amazing if you could tell them you heard about them via JLM Wedding Photography.  I won’t get any kickbacks from it directly, but you never know :-).

    To be honest, I’m probably not the right photographer for you.

    Find Out Why

    Wedding Reception Venues in and around Sheffield

    Rossington Hall, Doncaster



    Highlights: A spectacular building with very attractive grounds.  Attentive staff and bags of character.

    Photographer’s tip: Inside Rossington Hall is indeed beautiful, it is also rather dark.  Be prepared with your own lighting, fast lenses and cameras which are happy in low light.

    Cartlon Towers



    An absolute fairytale wedding venue.  I pretty much guarantee that you’ll fall in love with this gothic stately home.  It might look a little intimidating from the outside, inside it is wonderfully cosy, and as magnificently composed inside as one would expect from such a grand venue.

    You won’t need to do much work decorating here!

    Photographers’ tip: Bring a wide angle lens, there is plenty of grand spectacle to take in.

    Yeldersley Hall



    Very charming little self-contained venue.  Run with pride by the owners, you’ll instantly feel the warmth when you meet the team.  Definitely worth a look.

    Photographers’ tip: Get yourself (and the couple) across the road to to corn field at sunset for some stunning portraits.

    The Old Rectory, Handsworth



    Highlights:  Very charming spot, plenty of grounds and loads of character in the buildings.  Cosy feeling despite the size.

    Photographers’ tip: The sun sets behind the building so head into the garden during golden hour.

    Garrison Hotel, Hillsborough



    Highlights:  Unique bare-brick interiors, plenty of space and very accessible.

    Photographers’ tip:  This is a former army barracks so all the hotel corridors are outside.  They make for a handy vantage point over the courtyard for large group photos.

    Kenwood Hall (Mercure)



    Highlights:  Huge grounds, posh dining and a lovely spa for the night before.

    Photographers’ tip:  The sun will disappear behind the trees fairly early on so get those sunset portraits in before golden hour.

    Burton Street Foundation



    Highlights:  Off the beaten track this one.  Tonnes of ‘indie’ character, plus you’ll be able to tell your friends you had your wedding reception where they filmed the Job Centre scene in the Full Monty movie.

    Photographers’ tip: Plan for your evening shots to have an urban feeling, there are no gardens here.

    Whitley Hall Hotel

    whitley hall hotel superhero wedding

    Highlights:  Gorgeous grounds and a great country pub feeling.

    Photographers’ tip: The sun rises over the little pond so try to get out for some early morning portraits if you can.

    Sheffield Town Hall



    Highlights:  The default wedding ceremony venue in Sheffield.  Despite the fact that they turn around a seemingly endless flow of weddings every Saturday I have never known anyone feel rushed or treated like it was anything other than the most important day of their lives.

    Photographers’ tip: Get your photos on the entrance lobby steps taken before your ceremony because you will be leaving via the rear and another party will probably be occupying the entrance by the time you are out.

    Sheffield Millennium Galleries



    The Millennium Gallery is bang in the centre of Sheffield, and handy for the train station.  Convenience is, of course, no reason to choose your wedding venue.  The Sheffield Millennium Gallery is bright, open and a blank canvas, meaning you can decorate it in your own style with nothing to clash.

    Definitely an option worth considering.

    Photographer’s Tip:  Make sure you head into Sheffield for some portraits.  You can wander into the Winter Gardens for your group photos in any weather, and there are loads of urban portrait options right on the doorstep.

    Wortley Hall



    A staple of the Barnsley wedding scene, Wortley Hall should be on everyone’s list of must-view wedding venues in the South Yorkshire area.  Especially if you are looking for a traditional yet modern wedding venue with extensive grounds and spectacular scenery inside and out.

    Photographer’s tip: If it’s raining and you can’t get your group photos outside then the upper landing is a great spot for group shots.

    Whirlowbrook Hall



    Located just off Eccleshall Road in Sheffield, Whirlowbook Hall is another must-view wedding venue.

    If the beautiful gardens aren’t glorious enough for your photos you can always take a short run out to the peak district.  When you get back you have a hall filled with character and charm.  A real winner of a wedding venue.

    Photographer’s Tip:  Since the grounds are a public space watch out for dog-walkers in the background of your pictures.

    Bonus Wildcard: Sheffield General Cemetery



    Whilst I am not aware of any actual superstitions around getting married in a cemetery, I’m sure many would consider it an on choice.

    Nevertheless, the Samuel Worth Chapel is a beautiful building that is well worth a look.

    Highlights: Inside the chapel is a blank canvas.  Basically four empty walls, so you can do anything you want to make it really match your style.

    Photographers Tip:  If you’re a photographer based in Sheffield then you have almost certainly been here with your camera.  Don’t forget to take a walk around the grounds for some amazingly atmospheric portraits.

    To be honest, I’m probably not the right photographer for you.

    Find Out Why