Scott & Harriet's Orangery wedding | Sarah Vivienne Photography

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Those of you planning a wedding at Rushton Hall, this post is for you! It’s full of gorgeous ideas for a relaxed and glamorous orangery wedding.

And you can see everything from getting ready photos in two of their most stunning suites, to a civil ceremony in the Picture Gallery, a drinks reception on the lawn, dinner and speeches in the Ballroom and dancing in the State Room.

Yes, that’s a lot of different rooms and locations! And that’s just a few of them! Which is one of the great things about this venue … there are endless options and possibilities for you to make your wedding your own.

Portraits of bride and groom at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom on the staircase at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom portraits at Rushton Hall

Groomsmen getting ready | The Oak Bedchamber

Scott, his best man and ushers got ready in the Oak bedchamber.

This is my favourite of all the suites. All that rich oak panelling … swoon!

You might think all that wood makes it quite a dark room but there are two big bay windows letting in lots of lovely light which is spot on for discreet documentary wedding photography.

The contrast you get on camera between the dark background and bright window light is what makes it my favourite suite. It’s a striking and strong look that suits groomsmen getting ready photos.

Add in lots of laughs and banging banter, and you’re set for some fabulous photos.

Brilliantly captured by Georgi, my second shooter.

Groom putting his shoes on in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom doing his tie in the mirror in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom holding his pocket watch in his hand in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groomsmen putting their ties on in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom smiling at his ushers doing their ties in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom handing out gifts to his ushers in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Close up photo of hip flask gift being opened in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom hugging an usher in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom opening a wedding gift from his groomsmen in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groomsmen making a toast in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groomsmen sitting chatting enjoying a drink in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groom putting his suit jacket on in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Groomsmen playing chess in the Oak Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride getting ready | The Georgian Suite

Harriet, her bridesmaids and bridesmen got ready in the Georgian suite.

The style of this room is much lighter than the Oak but it’s deceptively tricky to shoot in because the window light isn’t spread evenly through the room. At one end, it’s beautifully bright and at the other end, it’s dark and dingy. So shooting in there is a constant challenge of changing exposures.

But its’ creams and soft golds couldn’t have been better if they’d been commissioned just for this day. It worked wonderfully with Scott and Harriet’s white and gold colour scheme.

Bride's Suzanne Neville dress hanging in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride's white bouquet & Jimmy Choos in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride reflected in a frame in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride having her make-up done in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride having her hair done in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bridal party hair styling in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride checking her hair in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Detail of bride's hair accessory being put in in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride's mum steaming the wedding dress in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bridesmaids putting their wedding gift perfume on in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bridesmaids and bridesman laughing in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bridesmaids packing their bags in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Bride's mum doing up the wedding dress in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

The dress reveal in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

The veil being put on in The Georgian Suite at Rushton Hall

Civil ceremony | The Picture Gallery

“The ceremony room is insane!” Georgi messaged me. She was quite right.

Check out that flower wall and moongate!

It made a stunning setting for Scott and Harriet’s vows, especially with all those glistening candles and romantic petals leading your eye down the aisle.

You’ll notice that the registrar’s table was moved in later for the register signing, which meant that the backdrop could be enjoyed in all its full-length glory … an excellent example of doing things because they’re right for you, rather than because it’s traditional.

Georgi was right. The room did look gorgeous. But Scott and Harriet brought the love that lit everything up.

The Picture Gallery decorated for the ceremony in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

Order of service and candles in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

Wedding signage and flowers in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

Groom waiting for the bride in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Everyone waiting for the bride in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Groom's mum checking the time while waiting for the bride in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Bride walking down the aisle in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Groom's reaction in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Wedding ceremony in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Flower wall & moongate in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Exchanging rings in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Signing the register in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom with their witnesses in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom walking down the aisle in the Orangery Picture Gallery at Rushton Hall

Drinks reception | The sunken lawn

After walking down the aisle, Scott and Harriet enjoyed a few minutes of alone time hidden away in the State Room (I think they were secretly enjoying the sweet table before anyone else could get there!) while their guests gathered in front of the Orangery ready to throw confetti.

Confetti was provided (and lots of it!) (because more is more when it comes to confetti!) and it took my breath away to see a mass of white petals floating and cascading around in the breeze as Scott and Harriet walked through. So romantic!

And the beauty continued as everyone made their way through a floral arch and down the stone steps onto the sunken lawn for champagne, canapés and cornettos.

Yassss! What could be better than ice cream on a sunny afternoon?

Scott and Harriet had thought about all the little things too, like sun cream, heel protectors and hangover kits.

Confetti in front of the orangery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom leading guests onto the lawn at Rushton Hall

Drinks reception on the lawn at Rushton Hall

Guests enjoying ice creams during a wedding reception at Rushton Hall

Wedding guest eating a white chocolate magnum at Rushton Hall

Bride showing her wedding ring to her friends at Rushton Hall

Dinner & Speeches | The Ballroom

The beauty of the ballroom (or one of them) is its neutral colour palette. Anything goes in there.

Scott and Harriet’s calm colours looked classic, chic and effortlessly elegant. Geometric gold flower stands gave everything a contemporary minimalist edge, and mirrored signage and individually framed place names added a good dose of glamour.

The ballroom ready for the wedding breakfast in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Dinner decor ideas in the ballroom in the orangery at Rushton Hall

White decor ideas in the ballroom in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom being announced in for dinner in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Bridesmaid clapping as couple enter the room for dinner in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom entering the ballroom in the orangery at Rushton Hall for dinner

Bride looking at the groom during the speeches at Rushton Hall

Bride looking adoringly at her Dad during his speech at Rushton Hall

Groom cringing during the speeches at Rushton Hall

Groom's speech in the ballroom in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Groom making a speech in the orangery at Rushton Hall

Groom speaking about the bride during his speech at Rushton Hall

Best Man's speech in the orangery ballroom at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom's reactions the best man's speech at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom laughing during the best man's speech at Rushton Hall

Cake cutting & dancing | The State Room

Now it was time for a bit of glitz to go with the glamour!

Scott and Harriet are savvy as well as stylish and tasked their ushers with moving the moongate after the ceremony so that it could double up as a backdrop for their cake. Some of the candles were moved too and the cake was displayed proudly on an ornate gold table. It’s so nice to see a cake display getting as much consideration as the cake itself.

And then it was time to hit the dancefloor – white spotlit, of course, complete with a gold ‘S&H’ monogram.

White and gold wedding cake, macarons and doughnuts at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom cutting a white and gold wedding cake at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom's first dance in the State Room in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

Bride and groom dancing with their friends in the State Room in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

A packed dancefloor in the State Room in the Orangery at Rushton Hall

Supplier Credits

Is this your wedding jam?

Then I think you’ll enjoy this page about all things wedding photography at Rushton Hall. There’s lots more eye candy over there!

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You need more than an incredible photographer to get wedding photos you love (though that helps!). You also need a day that’s totally you - the kind that makes your heart happy and infuses your photos with nothing but happy memories. That’s why I offer a holistic, thoughtful service to help you set the tone for photos that are as meaningful as they are beautiful.

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I hope this post was exactly what you needed.

If you tumbled down the Google rabbit hole and are wondering who I am or how you ended up here, let me introduce myself...

I’m Sarah Vivienne, a relaxed wedding photographer based in Northamptonshire (but I happily roam the UK for a good love story). I work with big-hearted couples who are planning countryside celebrations - where connection, not perfection, is the star of the show.

With nearly 20 years’ experience under my camera strap, I know a wedding isn’t about the photos. It’s about a day where you’re so immersed in the moment you forget the camera’s even there. My job? To bottle up all the timeless natural magic, so you can relive it forever.

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