4 Outdoor Wedding Venues in Colchester
Outdoor wedding ceremonies are a wedding photographers dream! The natural light flooding you and your guests provides the perfect scene for bright, vibrant photos. Of course, when planning an outdoor ceremony in Colchester there is the fear of rain but we encourage you to not let that hold you back. See our article about being prepared for rain on your wedding day. These Colchester wedding venues all offer a gorgeous setting for an outdoor wedding with an equally beautiful indoor, Plan-B space.
Top tip: When planning an outdoor ceremony in Summer, it is best to avoid the harsh midday sun so a 3.30pm (or later) ceremony is best. Your photographer and your guests will thank you later!
Weddings at Marks Hall Estate
The courtyard outside the Coach House at Marks Hall is landscaped to perfection. The cute gazebo offers a beautiful backdrop as you say your vows, while your guests are surrounded by colourful, fragrant blooms. If you’re lucky, their resident peacock might come and say hello too!
There is space to fit about 60 guests comfortably but you can squeeze a few more in if need be. What we love most about this gazebo with regard to the photography, is that some of the sides have lattice walls which makes it look so pretty but round the back the sides are open so we can sneak round and get photos from the front as well as the back. Plenty of room to walk around and get all the angles.
In the event of bad weather, the Coach House itself is a rustic barn that can be decorated with fairy lights for a romantic ceremony indoors.
See photos of an outdoor wedding ceremony at Marks Hall.
Weddings at Wivenhoe House
Wivenhoe House hosts outdoor wedding ceremonies on their lawn. The wooden gazebo is licensed for wedding ceremonies and the surrounding space is large enough for all your guests to witness this special moment As you can see, the sides are open so your photographer can move around and get beautiful photos from all sides, capturing those little glances you share as you exchange rings.
In the event of rain, Wivenhoe House has two options for indoor weddings; there is a gorgeous drawing room in the old part of the building or the versatile garden room. Both can be transformed into beautiful areas for your ceremony if need be.
See our review of Wivenhoe House as a wedding venue.
Weddings at Prested Hall
The outdoor ceremony area at Prested Hall is beautiful. You can decorate the wooden structure that sits on the river's edge, with flowers to match your colour scheme. The space works perfectly for intimate ceremonies with a handful of guests, and also large celebrations with lots of guests. We highly recommend this if you’d like bright, natural wedding photos.
Top tip - two photographers are needed to get all the perspectives of the ceremony from within the gazebo and out.
See photos of an outdoor wedding ceremony at Prested Hall.
Weddings at Fennes
If you’re not sure what kind of style you’d like your outdoor ceremony to be, check out Fennes. They have not one but FIVE different options, each one beautiful in it’s own way. Fennes is a grand stately home in Braintree (on the outskirts of Colchester), with large grounds including woodland, manicured lawns and a lake.
The classic white gazebo is stunning for photos, the bridge has gorgeous views stretching over the countryside, the woodland scene provides a fairytale ceremony with the convenience of the house nearby in case of Plan-B, and even the front of the Georgian Manor is a grand backdrop.
See our review of Fennes as a wedding venue.
All of these wedding venues are excellent for outdoor ceremonies in Summer. We would highly recommend going and viewing them, especially during an open day when they are dressed for a wedding so you can see the potential they have to offer. If you need a photographer for your wedding at any one of these local settings, we have lots of experience and are familiar with each of them. Check out our wedding packages – we would love to hear from you.
Written by Eleth Mageehan, (c) 2022, all rights reserved.
With historic charm, a beautiful backdrop and flexible options to create your unique celebration - could this be the perfect wedding venue for you?