Wedding Venue Review: Wivenhoe House
Historic and modern architecture as a stunning backdrop for your wedding
We have photographed many weddings at Wivenhoe House and want to share some of the things we like about the venue, particularly from a photography point of view.
Wivenhoe House is a beautiful 18th century country house in Colchester, Essex. More recently, there has been a modern extension added to the side, which extends what it can offer for weddings. Some of the staff are students from the local university who are training in the hospitality industry.
Where you say I Do
Upstairs in the hotel there are large suites perfect for getting ready with your bridal party, so there is no need to panic about how you'll get to the ceremony on time! The drawing room in the original building is a classic space for wedding ceremonies; we LOVE this room! It is a beautiful, grand space with high ceilings and large windows - the perfect recipe for gorgeous, light, airy photos. It is most suited for smaller weddings and combines well with an afternoon tea reception. You do also have the option of holding your ceremony in the garden room.
Dancing the night away
The garden room is a large function room in the modern wing of the venue. It holds up to 150 guests for an evening reception which makes it an ideal space for more traditional wedding receptions, with a disco for example. Draping white fabric and fairy lights along the wall by the dance floor is a must! It is so simple yet so effective and adds another dimension to your photographs. One thing to note about this room is it can be quite dark, even in the daytime, so flash is usually required.
The Grounds
Based on the edge of University of Essex campus, it is surprising how secluded the venue feels. The garden at the rear overlooks the Essex countryside, whilst to the front there is a short walk down to the picturesque lake. There are numerous photo opportunities for the bride and groom – not forgetting the beautiful, ancient, gnarled tree. The garden is also a great space to utilise for lawn games during summer weddings. They create an opportunity for some fun, natural photos of your guests to add to your collection.
A thumbs up from us!
In short, this is an excellent wedding venue; it offers flexibility in how you can use the space and offers a range of options to customise your day. For small and intimate weddings the environment is relaxed and self-contained. For larger parties, look no further for a venue that has you covered from getting ready to being wed to going to bed. We highly recommend this grade II listed hotel; there are lots of options for creating the ideal wedding day here.
The ideal venue if you’re looking for:
A hotel wedding
All in one venue
Convenient location
01206 863666
www.wivenhoehouse.co.uk/weddings
Wivenhoe House, Wivenhoe Park, Park Rd, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Written by Eleth Mageehan, (c) 2020, 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?