An Autumn Wedding at Oakwell Hall, Birstall: Cows, Pumpkins and a Barn Full of Bunting
Charlotte and George’s wedding had cows in it, which is exactly how Charlotte would have wanted it. Between a ceremony inside Oakwell Hall and a party in the barn, she had arranged a visit to a local farm. So we found ourselves photographing a bride and groom in a cattle shed. It was a day that could only have belonged to them.
Oakwell Hall: an Elizabethan manor and barn wedding venue near Leeds
Oakwell Hall in Birstall is a Grade I listed manor house, probably built in 1583 for John Batt, whose initials and that date are carved over the entrance. Charlotte Brontë visited the hall and used it as Fieldhead in her novel Shirley. It passed into public ownership in 1928, and today Kirklees Council looks after the hall and its 110-acre country park.
The hall is licensed for civil ceremonies, and its galleried great hall, with oak panelling and 17th-century plasterwork, holds up to 60 guests for a ceremony. Receptions take place in Oakwell Barn, a restored 19th-century barn beside the hall, whose stone walls take decoration beautifully. With the gardens and the park all around, you get three very different settings without leaving the grounds.
A day made by hand
Every wedding is unique, and Charlotte and George’s was a real labour of love. There were pumpkins grown on their own allotment, autumn flowers on the tables and leaf-shaped confetti cut out by one of the bridesmaids. Friends and family helped wherever they could, carrying things across the lawn past a hand-painted sign pointing to the bar.
The morning brought make-up by the window, hair being curled and George fastening his collar in the mirror. He wore a tweed three-piece suit with a bow tie, and Charlotte wore lace, with a sparkling vine in her hair.
The ceremony took place inside the hall, beneath an ornate plaster ceiling and in front of an old woven wall hanging, with plenty of laughter along the way. When they stepped out through the arched stone doorway, the confetti came down on them both.
Cows, falling leaves and a barn party
Over two years we’d loved getting to know them, from Charlotte’s love of cows (obsession is probably more accurate) to George’s love of cycling. Their engagement shoot had featured her favourite animal too, so the farm was the obvious place for portraits. We photographed them in the field with the herd behind them, then in the cattle shed, Charlotte wrapped in a golden knitted shawl while the cows looked on.
Later we found a silver birch with a carpet of autumn leaves beneath it, and more leaves tumbling through the air around them. Inside the barn there was bunting from wall to wall, speeches full of laughter, a cake decorated with autumn flowers and, later, a big circle of guests dancing with their hands linked.
Seeing their guests having so much fun made it obvious that Charlotte and George are people everyone looks forward to spending time with. We finished the day as their photographers, but we hoped to see them again as friends before too long.
Why we love a wedding at Oakwell Hall
There must be something in the water at Oakwell. Here’s why we think it works so well:
- Three settings in one. An Elizabethan hall for the ceremony, a stone barn for the party and a country park for portraits, all a short walk apart.
- The barn loves a personal touch. Bunting, pumpkins and handmade details look completely at home against old stone.
- Think about the season. Outdoor ceremonies in the walled garden, meadow or arboretum run from April to September only. From October to March you marry indoors, in the great hall or the barn.
- Plan a little adventure. If somewhere nearby means something to you, like Charlotte’s farm, build in time to go there.
Planning your own Oakwell Hall wedding?
We shared Bex and Dom’s Oakwell Hall wedding on the blog not long before this one, and Oakwell remains one of our favourite venues near Leeds. See more on the Oakwell Hall weddings page, browse more barn weddings and Yorkshire wedding photography, or get in touch to check your date.
See also: Engagement shoot at Charlotte & George –.
You might also like: Wedding at Bex & Dom – Oakwell Hall.
