Wedding Photography Tips

June 13, 2019 | Weddings and celebrations | 5 minute read

When your big day is over your wedding photos will be a lasting memory of that special day. It’s vital then to get the photography right. With the help of expert wedding photographers, we talk you through the best places at Holkham to capture you and your groom.

Scroll through the photos on your phone and consider how many are good enough to print and frame. In fact, how many are worth looking at ever again? The answer is probably, not very many. Which is not a serious problem when the majority are of poorly lit selfies or a non-descript night out. But there are days when photos really do need to be good. In fact, good wouldn’t be good enough, they need to be spectacular. The biggest of all these big photo days must surely be the day of your wedding. These are the pictures that will become your dearest memories of one of the most important days of your life.

So, tip number one for memorable wedding photos, don’t try to take them yourself with a smartphone on a long stick, or trust your friend whose cousin ‘has got a decent camera’. Get a professional wedding photographer. And ideally, a professional who knows your venue inside and out!

Katherine Ashdown | Luis Holden

Holkham is widely regarded as one of the UKs top wedding venues thanks to an array of choices from the small and intimate to far grander weddings. But the variety of venues is nothing in comparison to the plethora of beautiful backdrops for a photograph worth savouring.

Holkham has curated selection of recommended wedding photographers. These are experts who have trawled the estate, throughout each season, in search of the ideal photo spots and the best times of day. If you have a perfect image in mind they’ll be able to create it, and if not they can recommend the locations at which to capture those mantelpiece moments from your wedding.

Professional photographer and Holkham regular Katherine Ashdown believes wedding photos become more precious over time than the bride and groom can possibly imagine on the day. She said: “I love capturing images that make you remember how it felt to be in that moment when you look back at them, days, weeks and years afterwards.

Katherine Ashdown

“At Holkham, you are spoilt for choice with stunning photography locations. The inside of the hall is awash with grandeur and opulence; the magnificent oak trees by the gate are incredible (especially in Autumn); the walled garden is sprinkled with pretty plants and light-filled Victorian greenhouses, and it takes a lot to beat a sunset over the lake.”

Katherine Ashdown

Couples, Katherine says, tend to favour the top of the hill looking down towards the hall with wide-reaching views over the parkland and lake in the background.

She added: “That position certainly makes for a memorable photo. But my favourite spot is a little more hidden over at The Temple. It feels tucked away from the world, so calm and intimate. Catch the evening light right and it streams through the trees on to the steps making the perfect location for magical photographs.”

Katherine Ashdown

Another Holkham stalwart Luis Holden, who specialises in authentic, natural and creative photography, recommends setting aside some time to secure iconic shots: “I always recommend heading up to the private drive for a few pictures with the estate in the background. Yes, it’s a shot that’s been done lots of times, but with good reason!

“Later in the day as the sun descends and the ‘golden hour’ arrives there’s the opportunity to head to the lake which looks pretty cool in the evening light to say the least.”

Luis Holden

Whether you’d like your wedding photos taken in front of Holkham’s Palladian hall, at the top of the hill looking down over the estate and wandering arm in arm with your groom through the magical parkland, you can be sure the shots will be ones you’ll love for years to come. When you’re planning your wedding with our expert planners they can walk you around Holkham and point out the best spots for photographs.

Luis Holden

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