The biggest joy of Dodmoor House, for me, is its enchanting atmosphere. It’s a warm, wholesome world all of its own, wrapped up in nature, with something delightful to discover around every corner. A cosy farmhouse, fairytale apple trees, hidden doors, seats straight out of a storybook to soak up the scenery, people waving from canal boats, an old bridge with a troll waiting to collect a photo tax (that last bit may not be true but Dodmoor brings out the childlike imagination).
Something else I always come back to when I think of what makes Dodmoor special is their incredible team. I’ve admired them ever since I noticed one of their planners painstakingly sweeping the courtyard of rain right before the bride walked across for the ceremony. And during the ceremony, they dried the outdoor furniture in preparation for the drinks reception. I’ve never seen any other venue take such care.
Everything - the venue layout, guest experience, attention to detail - is thoughtfully and lovingly planned and designed, but it feels effortless and makes a wedding here feel just right.
And it’s in such a brilliant location: a peaceful pocket in the countryside but also close to major road networks which makes it easy for anyone travelling (or who doesn’t like driving on country lanes!).
For an experience that’s all about you, there really isn’t a better place than Dodmoor House
Dodmoor House Wedding Photography
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It’s dog-friendly! As a dog lover myself, I truly appreciate this one! Whether you want your dog to take a big role and be your ring-bearer or just make a short cameo appearance for a cuddle and family photos with you, chances are, they’ll love Dodmoor too. The low-key countryside setting is a great balance for the excitement of a wedding.
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It’s got a great angle for everything. Getting ready, ceremony, group photos, portraits - all taken care of. But one thing that’s particularly unique is The Catesby Barn’s mezzanine. That makes a brilliant vantage point for photos of your speeches and first dance - and is a great spot to throw your bouquet from! Such a great way to capture a variety of images and tell the story from different perspectives.
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It has great light. Many barn wedding venues are quite dark with little good lighting. But not Dodmoor. All the barns here - for getting ready, your ceremony, and your wedding breakfast - have generous windows which let in good quality light. So important for wedding photos that capture your day at its best.
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It has space but not too much space. The courtyard and gardens are spacious enough for all your guests - with handy steps for an 'everyone' photo - but compact enough that you don’t lose people when you need them for group photos!
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It’s chilled out but attentive. Dodmoor’s rural setting and attention to detail in guest flow and experience set the tone for a truly relaxed, cup-filling day. You can help but feel at home which means everyone has a great time. That’s such a great feeling to capture in your photos.
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Five reasons you’ll love Dodmoor House for your wedding photography
Please bear with me while I take my shoes and socks off ‘cause I need extra digits to count the number of weddings I’ve shot at Dodmoor House! (Hmm, I may have to borrow your hands and feet too!)
I’ve worked at Dodmoor in all seasons and in all weathers; and have photographed weddings of all styles and sizes. Indoor civil ceremonies, outdoor civil ceremonies, micro weddings, maxi weddings, receptions in the courtyard, receptions on the lawn ...
And I’ve had more than my fair share of wet weddings at Dodmoor House and not-so-humbly consider myself a professional sheltered nook finder!
It’s just one of those wedding venues where there’s always something great to work with and you don’t have to look very far to find it. Space, steps, sheltered doorways, open skies, high angles, bucolic or rustic backgrounds… there’s so much flexibility.
And working with such a brilliant team makes my life so much easier, because when things are run well, I can focus on actually taking photos - rather than trying to work out what’s happening and chivvying things along!
It’s a dream venue for me as much as you.
Hello, hi, bonjour! I’m Sarah.
My Experience at Dodmoor house
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Dodmoor House really knows its camera angles. Come and explore some of its most delightful details, nooks, and crannies.
The Dodmoor House Gallery
Anna & Colin
“Sarah, what can we say! I've known and worked with you for over 15 years! To now have the good fortune for you to be our wedding photographer is amazing! When we received our photos yesterday we were just overjoyed. You captured every part of our day perfectly and we can't thank you enough! You are talented beyond belief!”
Michelle & Gavin
“You captured so many wonderful moments and we are thrilled. It was hard planning a wedding from 8000 miles away but it was great to know that the photographs were something we didn’t need to worry about. They were one of the most important aspects of the wedding and you exceeded even our high expectations! Thank you!”
Emily & Stuart
“Booking Sarah was one of the best decisions we could have made. She was organised and a very calming influence. She did a brilliant job adapting to the unpredictable weather and handling our uncontrollable families for the group shots. From the photos she seems to have been everywhere at once somehow without us even noticing!”
Charlotte & Stuart
"Our wedding day absolutely flew by so we love the photos to jog our memories. The pleasure was entirely ours having you at our wedding. The day was effortless and it was lovely getting to know you. Arranging for you to take our photos was by far the best decision we made and Georgi was great with us clueless lads in the morning."
Holly & Ray
“I would recommend Sarah to anybody. You can just sit back and enjoy it because Sarah really is great to work with. We cannot find a single fault or thing that could have gone better. The service was exceptional from even before we booked and right until after the wedding. Super professional and personalised.”
Lovely words from Dodmoor couples
Pat yourselves on the back. I’m actually struggling to come up with a fifth tip because Dodmoor House is a venue that just works. If it’s wet, you’ll need to keep your group photos list short and the numbers small, and be flexible over timings. But otherwise, photos here are (almost) effortless. You’ve chosen a GREAT venue!
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Be mindful with ceremony decor. Dodmoor has a great range of props and decor you can hire. For your ceremony, anything along the aisle and on the registrar’s table, works well for photos. But for the clearest photos during the ceremony, try to avoid anything higher than waist height around you. For example, arches and frames are best positioned behind the registrar so they don’t block your photos.
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Set time aside for a walk after dinner. The country lane and canal are incredibly beautiful spots for photos of you two but it takes a bit of time to get there and back, before we’ve even taken any pictures. For the most relaxed experience (and photos!), allow 20-30 minutes between the end of your meal and the evening party starting to take pictures in these spots.
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Pick a quiet moment for portraits. With such an open-plan style, it can be tricky to find quiet, private places for pictures of the two of you, without anyone photobombing or heckling. We can get around this by planning your portraits as your guests go off to find their seats for dinner. Which also gives you more time with your family and friends during your drinks reception - yay!
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Start at the top. For an effortless flow out of your ceremony and into your drinks reception, how about this: A confetti pathway along the front of Courtyard Barn (beginning at the car park end and walking towards The Catesby Barn), then lead your guests onto the steps for a group photo with everyone, and then spill out in the courtyard or continue to the lawn. Skip any step to make it yours.
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My top five planning tips for wedding photography at Dodmoor House
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