JLM Wedding Photography

Tag: getting married

Weddings at Wortley Hall :: What to Expect
Thinking About Getting Married At Wortley Hall?
As a wedding photographer based in the Sheffield area I naturally find myself photographing weddings at Wortley Hall quite often.
If you’re thinking about getting married at Wortley Hall then you are probably excited about the grounds, or the prestige of the Foundry Dining Room.
All the websites, brochures, photos and visits can only tell you so much. I figured I have a pretty unique perspective on how wedding days go at Wortley Hall, so I thought I would share it to give you a little extra insight.

The Bridal Suites
There are a few bridal suites at Wortley Hall. Those I have seen have been spacious and very nice to be in.
If you are getting ready here before your wedding then you will find yourself well looked after. One of the rooms is particularly large, as I discovered when Lisa brought along her 9 bridesmaids and 9 flower girls.

Your Wedding Ceremony in the Library
Ok, I’ll be honest, I made that name up. I call this room the library because there is a wall of books at the back.
Basically this is the ceremony room, so if you are having your wedding service at Wortley Hall then this is the room where all the serious things will happen.

After the ceremony you and your guests will be invited to go out into the grounds via the patio doors, unless the weather isn’t ideal, in which case you’ll be heading into the main hallway.
Once all your guests are clear the staff will quickly whip away all the chairs and this room becomes an open reception area, complete with a table of drinks towards the back, plus a piano if any of your guests fancy tinkling the ivories.
Heading into the Grounds of Wortley Hall
I don’t think I need to say much about the grounds because I have no doubt that they are amongst the main reasons you are looking at Wortley Hall as a wedding venue.
So instead of talking about them, I’ll show you some photos instead.

What If It Rains?
I have already written about what to do on a wedding day. Check that out in my recent post What If It Rains On Your Wedding Day?.
I know at Wortley Hall you’ll likely have your heart set on some epic outdoor photos, and time outside in general. I’m here to tell you that it isn’t the end of the world if you can’t go outside. There are plenty of nice spots to get indoor photos.

The Other Hall
Look it’s not my job to learn the names of every room in every venue. Basically Wortley Hall has another hall and that is most likely where your evening reception will take place.
Be warned it is a bit of a trek to get to, and I guarantee your guests will need to be escorted the first time they try to find it. I often spend a good few minutes helping people find their way.
The Other Hall is a grand yet somehow cosy room with a stage and a nice spot at the back for a buffet, gift table etc. There is also a smaller room off to the side which should be available to you for a photo booth or kids room perhaps.

Would I Recommend Wortley Hall as a Wedding Venue?
Absolutely, yes I would.
This is a beautiful venue, steeped in history yet run like a modern wedding venue. The staff are extremely friendly and very accommodating and I always leave Wortley Hall weddings feeling like my couples had a great day.
Oh and I happen to know a wedding photographer too, if you’re looking :-).
See more weddings at Wortley Hall
11/12/2018
Why Bridesmaids are the most important people at a wedding
The Maid of Honour
There are plenty of articles and resources out there that will give you a full breakdown of all the duties a Maid of Honour and the bridesmaids are responsible for carrying out before, during and after the wedding.
They will try to impress you by letting you know the difference between a Maid and Matron of Honour.
I have no doubt that they are extremely interesting and useful.
This is not one of those articles.
As a wedding photographer I have been behind the scenes of many weddings and one observation I have made is just how crucial the Bridesmaids, and crucially the Chief Bridesmaid is to the success of the day.
To qualify that, let’s talk about what success actually means in this context.
All photos in this article were taken by JLM Wedding Photography.

What makes a successful wedding?
How would you define a successful wedding?
When you have been planning a wedding for 18 months it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details.
To me, a wedding is a success if the bride is happy.
This brings be nicely onto what I believe is the role of the bridesmaids.
Making sure the bride is happy.
They can do that by being her buffer for the day.

How to make sure the bride is happy
Essentially, the bridesmaids should act as the bride’s entourage.
If you think about when a celebrity arrives at a hotel. They wouldn’t go up to the desk and check in. They would stay in the car until it was time to go up to their room.
They don’t deal with all the hassle of giving credit card details or the stress of a double booking.
As far as they are concerned everything is going fine and they are having a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
On the wedding day this is the job of the bridesmaids.
Even if the bride has done most of the planning up until now, she needs to hand all the organisation over so that others can take over.
The idea of being the bride’s buffer is to make sure that she is not made aware of anything that could cause her any stress.
This can be little things like the venue dresser has a question about the chairs, or something more serious like the cake hasn’t arrived yet.
If you are the bridesmaids, do your best to handle the situation without the bride knowing about it.
Obviously if it gets to the point that you know something is going to go horribly wrong then maybe let her know, but the idea is for you to do your best to soften the blow.

Keeping to the timeline in the morning
Generally speaking, the venue’s wedding coordinator will keep the timeline moving from the ceremony onwards.
Prior to that someone needs to make sure everything is running on time so that the entire bridal party is ready when the coordinator or wedding car arrives.
This involves having a plan. Make sure there is enough time to get all the hair and makeup done.
Also, make sure to allow enough time to get the bride into her dress as those things can take much longer than you might think to get on.
I am usually one to get ready early. I would much prefer to be ready and waiting than rushing to get ready at the last minute.
In my experience, things go much more smoothly when there is a clear half hour of waiting time where everyone is ready.
The added bonus of everyone being ready early is the opportunity to get some nice photos of the bridal party before the wedding.

Conclusion
The bridesmaids are there to act as a buffer for the bride.
Their goal is to make sure that the bride has a perfect day, and that means she doesn’t get exposed to problems or niggles that might cause her stress.
Oh, and there is also the matter of helping the bride go to the toilet in her wedding dress.
I have no pictures of that. 🙂
So, I hope that was helpful. If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding why not give me a shout.
Oh and as a bonus for those who stuck around to the end and didn’t already know the answer to my question earlier. The difference between a Maid of Honour and a Matron of Honour is simply that a Maid is unmarried, Matron is married. So there ya go.
See ya next time,
James
06/10/2018
Why Is Wedding Photography Expensive? The Value of Premium Photographers
Exploring The True Value of Premium Wedding Photography
If you have ever wondered how wedding photographers get away with charging what they do then you need to read this.
This article originally began life as a sales pitch to explain why I charged more than others for my wedding photography services.
My goal was to demonstrate why it was worth spending more on me and my services over the other guy who charges less.
The further I got into planning the pitch, the more I came to realise that the other guy’s approach to pricing is just as valid as my own.
I ended up deciding that it was best to do some proper research into the true value of wedding photography.
My big revelation was how wedding photography pricing is actually quite similar in many ways to airline fares.
(more…)
02/06/2018
Where to start when planning a wedding
Where should you start when planning a wedding?
So you’re trying to plan a wedding?
Stop!
Here’s my first and probably most valuable bit of advice.
Plan a party, not a wedding.
Let me explain!
(more…)
26/10/2017
Bridal Prep – What the morning of the wedding day is all about
Back in the olden days of wedding photography you would not have seen bridal prep photos included with the standard service.
That was when wedding photography was all about capturing a single bridal portrait to sit on the mantelpiece for generations.
Whilst bridal portraits are still very much a thing, wedding photography has moved on to include documenting the emotions of the whole day.
(more…)
27/07/2017
Linacre Reservoir Engagement Photo Shoot
Madeleine and Andrew are getting married at the Clumber Park Hotel this coming August, and what better way to help them get acquainted with having their photos taken than having an engagement shoot around Linacre Reservoir.
We choose to meet in the early evening and were gifted with a beautiful sunset. Linacre really is a great spot because you have the sun setting over the open water combined with the option to head up into the woods, two for the price of one really.So now, with their newly acquired posing skills ready for action, roll on the 27th August for the big day… see ya then!
If you would like to talk to me about photographing your wedding, engagement or any other occasion, or just want a few family portraits taking, give me a shout on 07739 113409, email photos@jameslmorgan.co.uk or fill in the quick contact form below.
See ya next time.
James
05/05/2016