Dodford Manor is like a mini retreat, complete with a gorgeous Grade II restored barn set amidst lush, green Northamptonshire countryside as far as the eye can see.
Plus, the award-winning venue team makes you feel pretty special too.
Yep - there’s a reason why it’s guaranteed to be on my calendar every year! It's a dream.
No-one has booked for next year yet, though. Perhaps it will be you?
The award-winning wedding venue with the big skies.
(Seriously, the sky is at least ten times larger at Dodford Manor. Fact.)
Dodford Manor Wedding Photography
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Everything is close together. Whether you have a civil, celebrant, or church wedding, you won’t need to worry about travel or logistics. A ceremony here flows quickly into the drinks reception, which means more time for you to have fun (and for me to take photos).
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The peaceful, rural location will lend your day a romantic and laid-back atmosphere. You can’t help but feel relaxed here - and, of course, you’ll get photos to match. (Assuming you book a relaxed photographer!)
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With 20 acres of beautiful countryside, overlooked by a vast expanse of sky, with not even a tree to block the view, you’ll get the best golden hour and sunset of any Northamptonshire wedding venue. The local sheep may even put in an appearance. Just admire the view … or have photos too.
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The huge windows don’t just give you a great view. They let loads of lovely natural light flood in, too. Barns are often very dark venues, especially on winter or wet days, but those windows mean there’s some great light to be had, which means flattering photos with depth and definition to show your day in the best (ahem) light.
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The courtyard arrangement is spacious but contained. Having the three barns set around a courtyard keeps everyone together. Which creates a great atmosphere for your drinks reception (imagine all those smiling faces in your photos!) and means you don’t have to scour acres of land to find people for your group pictures!
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Five reasons you’ll love Dodford Manor for your wedding photography
I’ve loved working at Dodford Manor since it opened, and it’s been amazing to see it grow to become one of the most loved wedding venues in Northamptonshire. It’s also amazing to look back at past Dodford couples’ wedding photos and realise how much the trees along the driveway have grown! It’s hard to imagine them as tiny saplings now.
I’ve captured weddings at Dodford Manor in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It’s one of those venues where you really feel immersed in nature and the seasons, so I love to let that sense of time and place into photos.
And I’ve photographed both civil ceremonies at the manor itself and religious weddings at St Mary’s church (which, if you haven’t been yet, is a very short walk). Each one was a joy and made all the better for getting straight into the celebration without the need for travel.
Take a look at how that looked for other Dodford couples in the gallery below. Meanwhile, I’ll dream about capturing some for you!
Hello, hi, bonjour! I’m Sarah.
My Experience at Dodford Manor
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Planning or pondering a wedding at Dodford Manor? Take a look at these highlights from weddings I’ve captured there to get a feel for the venue and imagine what your photos might be like.
The Dodford Manor Gallery
Anna & Anthony
“I knew I wanted Sarah before we even got engaged! We've worked together before when I was a wedding planner, so I knew she was the photographer for me, she is amazing!! She blended into the wedding and caught the most amazing natural moments.”
Sasha & Fred
“Sarah depicted Fred and me and our day perfectly. She spent time understanding us and what we wanted to achieve. Her way of working is admirable and everything she does is with the utmost attention to detail. Other services in the wedding industry need a Sarah Vivienne!”
Laura & Russell
“We liked that we didn’t notice Sarah for most of the day – it sounds odd, but having her just get on with it and being confident that she understood what we wanted was great. The fact that she is so friendly was one of the most important parts of it. All round a great experience.”
Emily & Alex
“Sarah is very professional and listened to our ideas. We felt relaxed all day and we were able to enjoy the day without being away from our guests for long periods of time. Our photos were delivered in good time. The engagement shoot was also a lot of fun. It all went so well.”
Lizzie & Adam
“Our favourite part of the whole experience was all of it! Everything was enjoyable and effortless. We were easy-going but also slightly disorganised and struggled at times to make decisions. To this end, we liked being guided through the process but never felt pressured."
Alex & Darren
“Sarah was very relaxed & easy to get on with. I didn’t really notice her which was perfect as I didn’t want to feel under the spotlight. I just wanted everyone to have a great day! Sarah was very flexible and made the day about us whilst still getting all the shots she needed.”
Lovely words from Dodford couples
Bring a spare pair of (old) shoes. If you’d like photos in the field, you might want to swap your wedding shoes for a pair of trainers or boots. Even on a dry day, the long grass can be quite wet. And there are sheep. Say no more.
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Be flexible and realistic in the rain. Unless you’re having a smaller wedding, space inside the Mortain barn will be limited once your guests are inside. In this situation, it works well to take your group photos at the end of your drinks reception when your guests are asked to take their seats for dinner. But it’ll be a short window of time. So we’ll need three things: First, a short list of photos, keeping the number of people involved to a minimum. Also, help from your Ushers to quickly move those guests we don’t need. And then, full presence from those we do need. No dashing off to find a lipstick, jacket, or bouquet!
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Keep golden hour free. Sunset shots are a bit of a Dodford thing and they make incredible wall art. If you’d like a ‘big sky’ photo of the two of you, this is best captured towards the end of golden hour or a short while after sunset when the sky darkens. Flexibility is your friend because the exact timing will depend on the light and the weather you get on the day.
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Leave the photo locations to your photographer. The getting-ready space at Dodford doesn’t have any natural light. Photos can be taken in there, but for the best results, anything that can be done somewhere else is best done somewhere else. So if your photographer recommends capturing your dress reveal, outfit details, or a pre-ceremony group photo in another spot, trust their eye and experience.
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Keep the lights neutral. The Mortain Barn walls can be lit with different colour lights. Bear in mind that a coloured light, rather than a neutral one, will reflect everywhere, on skin tones, outfits, and flowers, not just the walls. Red might look cool to the naked eye, but your photos will be tinged with a tone that can’t be edited. If true colours are important to you, go for the white light.
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My top five planning tips for wedding photography at Dodford Manor
St Mary’s church is a bouquet’s toss from Dodford Manor. Just imagine the excitement in the air as you walk there for the ceremony and then lead your guests back for the fun of your reception!
Dodford church weddings
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