Stanbrook Abbey Wedding Photography | Worcestershire
Abbey
If you love grand aesthetics but still want a venue that feels personal to you, this might be for you. A former convent, now a Hand Picked Hotel, Stanbrook Abbey retains all its character and history - but has a beautifully modern twist. Here’s how K&R’s day unfolded, plus my top tips if you’re planning your own wedding here.
When Katherine & Robert booked me for their wedding at Stanbrook Abbey, I was so excited. I’d heard so much about this venue, driven past it so many times (it's literally 10 mins from my house) and couldn’t wait to see it in person. It did not disappoint. Some venues make you stop in your tracks, and this was one of those days for me.
A stunning wedding venue in worcestershire
A Summer Wedding at Stanbrook Abbey
What does a wedding morning look like at Stanbrook Abbey? From bridal prep in the manor house to groom prep in 'the groom's room' - let's get into it.
Wedding Preparation
We started the day in the Manor House, and it’s one of my favourite prep spaces I’ve ever worked in. It sits on the edge of the venue, so the bride is completely tucked away and there’s no risk of being spotted by arriving guests. That makes it ideal for a first look.
Then there’s the interiors. Think Bridgerton: gorgeous wallpapers, a winding staircase, and a chequered floor at the bottom that I could photograph all day. The star of the show is the blue drawing room. The light is beautiful and the colour the perfect pastel tone as a backdrop for Katherine’s bridal portraits and her reveal photo with her Dad and bridesmaids. From the drawing room, there's a hallway that connects the manor house to the main venue too so if it was a wet, windy day you don't need to step foot outside if you don't want to.
There is also a groom's room on site for groomsmen to get ready in, it's literally next door to the main ceremony space too so it's super easy for you to run about doing last minute errands and greeting guests whilst you're getting those final portraits.
Fancy getting married at the incredible Callow Great Hall which looks straight out of a royal wedding? Let's chat about it.
The Ceremony
This is where my jaw hit the floor. The ceremony takes place in the Callow Great Hall, which used to belong to a convent of nuns, and I can’t really do it justice in words. Period features, incredible windows, and a balcony overlooking the whole space.
If you love the look and feel of a church or cathedral but don’t want a religious ceremony, this is the venue for you. K&R had a personal, celebrant-led ceremony and it was utterly perfect. The space gave it all the grandeur too so every frame was full of character and wow factor.
I had my second photographer shoot from the balcony, which gave us beautiful aerial shots of the ceremony alongside my view from the ground.
After the ceremony we headed outside for confetti, and I loved photographing guests walking past the great hall's walls on their way there. These photos show just how big the venue is. The lawn is reserved for the wedding, so there were no hotel guests wandering past and it felt completely private.
Getting those important candid photos is best placed at this part of the wedding day. Those moments where your guests greet each other, play lawn games and chat. Then we capture family portraits.
Cocktail Hour & Portraits
It was a hot day, so guests spent cocktail hour playing lawn games and chatting while I captured candids, which are often couples’ favourite photos of the day.
The heat also meant a change of plan. With very little shade, the early afternoon light was harsh, so after chatting with Katherine & Robert we pushed family portraits back to later in the day. This is the beauty of a summer wedding. You have hours of daylight, so if the light isn’t right you can always shuffle the plan. Family formals matter so much that I never want to rush them in the wrong light.
We waited until about 30 minutes before the wedding breakfast, when the light had softened, and took the family photos near the mature trees. The heatwave had turned the grass yellow, but K&R wanted lush greens. So I repositioned each group in front of evergreen bushes and trees, which gave the illusion of green all around.
We used the main corridors for couple photos, and the arches are incredible. The symmetry, cream walls and chequered floors look amazing against a black tux and a white dress. It’s a very photogenic venue, and I’d happily spend an hour just in the corridors.
Once we’d finished, I went ahead to the reception room to get ready for the entrance.
St Anne’s Hall is just as impressive as the Abbey. It has cream walls with panelling on the lower half, subtle print wallpaper above, huge windows that let in loads of light, and soaring ceilings that add to the grandeur. There’s also a stage at the front.
For K&R’s entrance I stayed at ground level while my second photographer stood on the stage. We ended up with two completely different perspectives, which I loved, and together they show the scale of the room.
The couple chose to have speeches after the meal, so we came back once everyone had finished eating, ready to go. During speeches I like to start near the top table, then move around the room to catch the guest reactions, the moments couples often don’t get to see.
Some of my favourite photos of the day: golden hour on a summer’s evening at Stanbrook Abbey
Golden Hour
After speeches, guests headed outside for an evening drinks reception while the room was turned around. There’s also a bar tucked inside a library, and it looks fantastic.
While guests were happily chatting, I took K&R out the front of the venue for golden hour. The light was incredible, and with the yellowed grass it almost looked like we were abroad. My second photographer shot from the balcony above, which gave us some fun landscape shots. Then we went up to the balcony ourselves for dip-kiss photos, and I stayed there to photograph the couple walking away along the terrace below. These are some of my favourite photos from the whole day.
Here we go - the formalities are finished and it's time for the party! Here is an amazing evening reception at Stanbrook Abbey.
Evening & Dancefloor
For the first dance I brought out my flash for a high-energy, editorial look, then switched straight into documenting the party as everyone joined them on the dancefloor.
I loved the library bar which was right next to the dancefloor. Can you imagine doing some evening style couple portraits in there? Then I wrapped coverage with a fun evening flat lay to close this amazing chapter.
If you're looking for fun, natural style wedding photos for your wedding at Stanbrook Abbey I'd love to chat to you!
I take on a maximum of 25 weddings a year so I can give every wedding I take my full attention. Whether you're looking for planning advice, timeline support or just someone to bounce ideas off - I will be here for you the whole wedding planning journey!
Your Stanbrook Abbey Wedding Photographer
" Her photography and editing is absolutely stunning, genuinely the best I have seen, and we are obsessed with the end results. I really encourage anyone looking for a photographer to look at the portfolio on her website which speaks for itself. Thanks so much Grace!"
- Katherine & Robert
Stanbrook Abbey is nestled in the Worcestershire countryside, a former convent set in beautiful grounds with a hotel on site, so there’s plenty of accommodation for you and your guests. Weddings have their own reserved lawn, which keeps the day feeling private. It’s perfect for couples who want the grandeur of a church or cathedral, with personal celebration to match.
Worcestershire Wedding Venue
Address - Jennet Tree Ln, Callow End, Worcester WR2 4TY
guest count - Up to 280
catering - on site
wedding pricing - between £5,000 - £19,650, dependent on season, date and which parts of venue you're looking to use.
Stanbrook Abbey
At a Glance
The wedding spaces at Stanbrook Abbey
The Manor House (prep space)
The groom's room (prep space)
The callow great hall (ceremony)
St Anne's Hall (reception)
The library (bar)
The gardens & balcony
As you drive towards Stanbrook Abbey hotel, you'll see a balcony overlooking the main grounds. You can access it by entering through the main house doors and heading up in the lift to level 2. Round the corner is an incredible balcony which is usually not in use where you can get stunning background views. This balcony can also be used as a platform to get photos below. Don't sleep on using this space!
Save the balcony for couple portraits
When it comes to Stanbrook Abbey, you're lucky to have alternate viewing points at the Callow Great Hall and St Anne's Hall. However as your main photographer my job is to stay with the main events of the day, and I can't be in two places at once. When you book a second photographer I can place them in those different vantage points so you can get those key moments (your first kiss, your wedding entrance) captured from two totally different perspectives that add so much to the story.
Book a second photographer for those alternate perspectives
There are so many different spaces in the Manor House that are beautiful for wedding photos. Allow extra time for wedding prep coverage so we can get beautiful details and flat lays on the chequered floors. Then towards the end of prep, we can have some fun editorial style bridal portraits before you have your reveals. It's important never to rush these moments so you can really ease into them and have fun with it without feeling like you're racing the clock.
allow extra time to spend in the manor house prep space
Top tips for stanbrook abbey weddings
