A Summer Wedding at Wood Hall, Wetherby: A Saxon Church and a Climb Over the Farm Gate
Not many brides would climb a wobbly metal gate in their wedding dress. Anne grew up on a farm and loves climbing. So when we took her and Chris a short way up Wood Hall’s drive for portraits, she hopped straight over in her Benjamin Roberts gown without a second thought.
Wood Hall: a Georgian country house hotel near Wetherby
Wood Hall stands in 100 acres near the village of Linton, just outside Wetherby. The present house was built around 1750 to a design by John Carr, the Yorkshire architect who later designed Harewood House. For centuries the estate belonged to the Vavasour family, and the River Wharfe runs a couple of hundred yards from the house. It became a hotel in 1988 and is now run by Hand Picked Hotels.
Perched on a hill with sweeping views over the countryside, it feels quiet and private, and the farmland around it is perfect for an unhurried walk with your photographer. Weddings here take up to 100 guests for the ceremony and the meal, with outdoor ceremonies available. There’s room for 150 in the evening, and 44 bedrooms for anyone who wants to stay.
An early ceremony at All Hallows, Bardsey
The morning was an unusually relaxed affair for such an early ceremony. Chris got ready in a blue suit and pink tie, and a little perfume went onto Anne’s wrist.
The ceremony was at the parish church in Bardsey, within walking distance of their home. All Hallows has an Anglo-Saxon tower dating from between 850 and 950, which Historic England describes as probably the oldest Saxon work in Yorkshire. Inside, a Norman aisle has round arches on short, sturdy columns.
Churches vary a lot in what they allow, so we breathed a hefty sigh of relief when the vicar said he was happy for us to work from the front. A page boy in a bow tie stood in the aisle with a finger in his mouth, Anne’s hand was passed to the vicar beneath those old arches, and the freedom to photograph it all certainly wasn’t wasted.
Speeches, a farm gate and summer fields
Back at Wood Hall, guests gathered on the steps beneath the stone columns at the front of the house. Inside, the speeches had one guest in a magnificent hat wiping her eyes, while Chris read his with a grin and Anne laughed beside him.
For a day that started early, things flew by, and before we knew it the evening was creeping in. With just enough time before the first dance, we walked a short way up the drive, over that gate and out among the farm tracks and fields. Then it was back to Wood Hall just as the evening dancing was ready to begin.
Seeing what’s right in front of you
It’s amazing how easy it is to miss what’s right in front of you. Anne and Chris met at work and saw each other a few times, but it wasn’t until a night out that Chris saw Anne’s fun side. Noticing what’s around us is a big part of our job, and their day was the perfect reminder of why it matters.
We first got to know them in March, at their engagement shoot around Harewood. They were comfortable enough to get lost in conversation while we scrambled up trees and over hills for a better angle. It was just the same on the wedding day.
Why we love a wedding at Wood Hall
If you’re thinking about Wood Hall, here’s what we’d pass on:
- Countryside on the doorstep. A short walk up the drive gave us fields, farm tracks and big skies, without keeping the two of them from their guests for long.
- Pair it with a village church. Bardsey sits just off the A58 between Leeds and Wetherby, and its Saxon church is a beautiful place to marry before heading to Wood Hall.
- Your guests can stay. With 44 bedrooms, the party doesn’t have to end with a queue for taxis.
- Ask about the outdoors. Wood Hall offers outdoor ceremonies, so a warm day could see you marry in the grounds.
Planning your own Wood Hall wedding?
We’d love to hear from you. See more on the Wood Hall weddings page and our Wetherby wedding photography, browse more Yorkshire wedding photography, or get in touch to check your date.
See also: Engagement shoot at Anne & Chris –.
