I love how Notley Abbey is old and new at the same time. It's so full of character and palpable history (if walls could talk, hey?) but also thoroughly modern and neutral.

I don’t get the opportunity to shoot at Notley nearly enough … although, if I’m being totally honest, I could photograph a wedding there every week and it still wouldn’t be enough!

There's so much inspiration, for both documentary and posed photos, that you can't possibly include everything in just one wedding. Which is great because it keeps my work fresh and means every couple gets something unique to them.

If I could design my dream venue for wedding photography this might well be it.

Notley Abbey
Wedding Photography

Your guide to

The estate parkland and gardens have something of interest for pictures of the two of you, all year round. There's a rose garden, lavender maze, stone bridges, walled kitchen garden, waterways... The list goes on.

05.

The Colonnade - with its warm light, divine doors, and amazing architecture - is sheltered from the elements and ideal for wet weather portraits and group photos. The reflection of light off the warm brick will give a gorgeous destination-wedding feel to your photos. It’s called the ‘English Versailles’ for a reason!

04.

The Great Hall has opulent features - a painted ceiling, a grand fireplace, and imposing tapestries - which lend your photos a grandness that's usually the domain of church weddings.

03.

That staircase for pictures of the two of you. Talk about a statement piece! The light is lovely, the décor is dramatic (but also neutral - so you’ll still be the stars!), and there’s plenty of space for a big dress!

02.

Boughton House and its grounds are incredible in every direction. (Even the bin store has something to offer - but I promise not to take you there!). Which means a beautiful background for every photo.

01.

Five reasons you’ll love Notley Abbey for your wedding photography

xxx

Hello, hi, bonjour! I’m Sarah.

My Experience at Notley Abbey

x

x

Fiona & Will

“Sarah is the best photographer we could've imagined for our wedding. She knew our venue (Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire) so well so we trusted her completely and rightly so! Sarah was so fun on the day and made everyone so comfortable when taking the photos. She is SO great and if you ask her to be your photographer, you’ll be infinitely grateful to this wonderwoman.” 

Clare & GAry

“From our first meeting until even now after the wedding she has been nothing but a joy to work with. Sarah is insanely talented and her knowledge, skills and extensive experience mean that you will without a doubt get the most incredible photos. We are absolutely blown away. Sarah captured our day so beautifully. 5 stars doesn’t do Sarah the justice she deserves, her work is very special and our wedding photos surpassed every expectation.”

Liz & Luke

“I wanted to capture the day as it progressed and the atmosphere of the weather and people within the wonderful surroundings of Kelmarsh Hall, whilst also having images that were artistic. I was keen that we had high quality images and no cheesy ones! We were not disappointed at all. Not only were the images what we hoped for but we enjoyed the way we were made to feel; very welcome and looked after. If you pick Sarah you will be very happy you did!“

Jo & John

“We are thrilled with our album! You have captured the spirit of the day perfectly and it feels like we’re reliving the emotions every time we turn the pages. From start to finish you have been totally fantastic and your brilliant organisation meant that we felt confident that all would run smoothly. So many of our guests commented on how you made everyone feel so relaxed, yet capturing everything! You have a brilliant eye for detail and made all of our little personal touches look more beautiful than we could have imagined!”

Henny & Seb

“Sarah came recommended from Kelmarsh Hall and I am so glad that she did. We not only gained a fantastic wedding photographer but she was invaluable in helping us create our timeline based on when the light would be best at different times of the day. Our photos were ready much quicker than we thought and the shots are a mix of beautiful classic posed portraits but with lots of fun candids too! I highly recommend Sarah to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.”

Love notes from Notley couples

For your viewing pleasure: my Deene Park wedding photography portfolio!
Grab a cuppa and cast your peepers over real weddings and inspiration shoots.

True Love Stories

Take me there

Nadine and Rich’s midsummer wedding was classic, relaxed, and full of chic details. They created a neutral but magical atmosphere with masses of twinkling fairy lights and a generous dose of sparkle, which complemented the historic stone and timber of the venue so well.













Nadine & Rich

Let's see

Jo & Tim’s late-Spring wedding at Notley Abbey was full of love, family, and togetherness. It was a joy to see them put their own personal spin on the day. With a live music soundtrack, and their little boy and handsome pooch by their side, the day felt relaxed and was a dream to capture.

Jo & Tim

Show me

Emma and Andy had the ultimate personal wedding with an outdoor celebrant ceremony completely unique to them. There are so many highlights - a gin bar, Emma's speech, a sword cake cutting. But it was Juno, their Springador, who stole the show with celebratory Zoomies!







Emma & Andy

Check out my portfolio

Feel like it's time for something else?

Keep scrolling

Want to hear more about Notley Abbey?

How are you doing?

Comfy footwear, please. The grounds involve a lot of walking - or at least it’ll feel that way if you’re balancing heels, bouquet, and bubbles. So have a pair of comfy shoes to hand and your feet will thank you later. 

05.

Stand by for confetti. Want to throw confetti? This process is super efficient and takes the least amount of time possible: Walk down the aisle, then head to the entrance hall for a post-ceremony breather. In the meantime, your guests go outside to The West Front via The Little Hall, taking confetti as they go, and line the pathway out of the door. When everyone’s outside, you walk out into a confetti storm. And, if you want, this is an ideal time to gather your guests on the steps for a photo of everyone… and then your drinks and canapes can flow.

04.

Make the most. Boughton kindly allow you to have your pre-wedding photoshoot in the gardens. This is a great chance to not only get used to being in front of the camera, but also to make even more of the venue and have photos taken in places we might not have time to get to on your wedding day.

03.

Go West. Group photos work well on the west side of the house. It’s close to hand for your drinks reception so you don't need to drag your guests very far - but it’s also spacious enough to avoid photo-bombers! The exact spot will depend on the light on the day but there’s no bad angle here.

02.

Optimise portrait time. Capture more of Boughton by splitting your portrait photo time into two sessions. Maybe a 10 minute session on the staircase and Colonnade while your guests line up for confetti? And then 20 minutes after dinner when things are more relaxed to explore the gardens?

01.

My top five planning tips for wedding photography at Notley Abbey

Find out MORE

If you're planning a wedding at Notley Abbey, you can have your pre-wedding shoot there too. So there’s another chance to spend time at this stunning place! What's not to love?!

Notley Abbey pre-wedding photoshoots

Next
Previous

FAQs

I personally love early summer when the lavender lining the front path is in flower. Wisteria season is beautiful, with a lilac variety in the walled garden. With so many trees and ivy-clad walls, autumn is wonderful too. But then there's the festive season with Christmas trees and cosy fires! You can't go wrong at any time, really.
The closest Church of England churches are St Mary's in Long Crendon, St Mary's in Thame, St Mary's in Haddenham (there's a bit of a pattern here!), St Nicholas in Nether Winchendon, and St Nicholas in Chearsley. You may need to live within the parish for some of these but past couples from further afield have got married at St Mary's church in Thame.
Oh my goodness, there are so many great spots for portraits! A walk down the tree-lined driveway is always a winner. While you're there, you could also take in the riverside, which is really pretty. The tower side of the house and the main front door are iconic Notley Abbey. And there are historic nooks and crannies, and garden gates galore at the front and back of the house. There are far more options than you could possibly fit into one wedding day, so whilst the best spots will always depend on the light and weather on the day, I recommend a slow explore of the estate to see what catches your eye and we can work from there.
My fave picks are the main front door or on the lawn with a nature backdrop. Both are close to your drinks reception, so we won't spend precious time moving people far away. If it's dry but has been raining in the lead-up to the day, then the front door will be best to avoid sinking into wet grass. If you'd like a big group photo with all your guests, we can easily do this at the front of the house captured from one of the bedroom windows (subject to permission from whichever guest has that room!).
Nowhere is out of bounds but it's a large estate and some spots — like the tree-lined driveway and riverbank — are a bit of a walk. If you'd like photos there, you'll need to build plenty of time into your schedule. Most of my couples go for a walk after dinner, which is an ideal solution (depending on the sunset time).
As far as your natural, storytelling photos go, these will happen whatever the weather. It's simply a case of following the wedding and fitting in. For group photos and pictures of the two of you, my first recommendation is to be flexible about when you do them. You might be able to move things forward or back to work with the weather. If this isn't possible, The Abbot's Hall is ideal for group photos as it has both space and good window light. And with such thick walls, the front and back doors are great 'bring the outdoors indoors' sheltered spots for portraits.
Most of my couples have planned their ceremony time and had a larger hair/make-up team to make things easy and get ready entirely at Notley Abbey. If you want to start earlier and split your time, The Spread Eagle in Thame is close by — OX9 2BW. Alternatively, the east of Oxford is well served for hotels with Premier Inn, Hilton, and The Crazy Bear.
My go-to is Fallow and Fields at Lopemede Farm (OX9 3SH), which is near Long Crendon. It's around 3 miles and 5–10 minutes from Notley Abbey. Expect relaxed restaurant-in-a-barn vibes with seriously great food. Please double-check the latest information directly with them, but as of now, they're open 10am–4pm Tuesday–Sunday, and until 10pm on Friday/Saturday. If you fancy somewhere to walk and explore, Waddesdon Manor is lovely and has a cafe/restaurant too — find it at HP18 0JH, around 10 miles/20 minutes from Notley. Or if you want to treat yourselves, Hartwell House (HP17 8NR — 10 minutes on the way to Aylesbury) or Le Manoir (OX44 7PD — 10 minutes in the opposite direction just over the M40) deserve a place on your shortlist.
No, I can easily travel to Notley Abbey and back in a day, so travel is included.

Notley was built as an Augustinian abbey in the 1100’s

It was once owned by Hollywood royalty - Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh...

...And the Abbot’s Hall (where you can have a civil ceremony) was their sitting room

The abbey church (now just buried remains) is in the walled garden

The abbey was originally known as 'Nutley',
in reference to the abundance of nut trees in the area

Psst! Did you know *this* about Notley Abbey?

Explore more venues

See more wedding venues I know and love in and around Northamptonshire.

still Immersed in venue hunting? 

Check my availability

Yay! Would you like photos full of feeling to remember it? I’d love to hear from you!

Getting married at Notley Abbey?

Where to next?

Copyright © 2007-2026  |  Sarah Vivienne Photography

 Sustainability | Privacy Policy  |  Terms and Conditions  |  Site Credits

Navigate