Grantley Hall Is a Modern Luxury Wedding Venue in the Heart of the Yorkshire Dales
Located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Grantley Hall is easily the most luxurious wedding venue in the area with an equally rich heritage.
Lovingly restored by Valeria Sykes, Grantley Hall reopened in 2019 and is now home to a 5-star luxury hotel and wellness retreat as well as a number of restaurants and bars including Michelin-starred ‘Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall’. It is the perfect blend of traditional elegance and modern facilities.
The opportunities for wedding photography at Grantley Hall are endless, making it the perfect venue choice for an epic wedding day no matter what the weather or season. There are so many locations and potential backdrops, it’s like a playground for wedding photographers!
After your wedding day, you can spend your minimoon relaxing at the Three Graces Spa and taking in everything that Grantley has to offer.
Getting Ready in The Presidential Suite
Bridal Preparation took place in a stunning modern, yet stylish Presidential Suite in the Fountains Wing. This suite is complete with its own baby grand piano, bar and steam room! It’s the perfect space for your wedding day morning.
As a wedding photographer, I’m always on the lookout for the most natural, flattering lighting. Especially during the getting ready process. The bedroom window provided the perfect amount of photo-worthy natural light for the bride as she got into her wedding dress with the help of her bridesmaids.
The glass rooftop atrium in the Fountains Wing is the perfect space to capture a few bridal portraits as it’s so light and airy.
If you prefer a more traditional, opulent style of decor, the Royal Suite is also available for your big day. The Royal Suite has a roll-top bath and a mezzanine level which would be perfect to capture you getting ready from a more unique angle.
Music Room Wedding Ceremony at Grantley Hall
The Music Room at Grantley Hall is a stunning ornate space. My colourful style of wedding photography really complimented the beautiful blue colours of the walls too.
As the bride made her entrance, the groom was visibly emotional. One of my favourite things about being a wedding photographer is capturing emotional moments that the couple will be able to look back on through their wedding gallery.
Without a wedding photographer, the bride would have had no idea how her husband-to-be was feeling before she walked down the aisle!
Grantley Hall is flexible when it comes to your ceremony. Depending on your wedding date, you might choose to have an outdoor wedding ceremony on the grounds or for larger ceremonies with more guests, a bespoke marquee is also an option.
I would love to photograph another Grantley Hall wedding with an outdoor wedding ceremony in future!
Drinks Reception in The Orchard
After your ceremony, staff at Grantley Hall will direct you to The Orchard for a champagne wedding reception. Grantley Hall weddings are extremely efficient and organised. The staff will even help gather guests and hand out confetti whilst you celebrate the first moments as a married couple in peace!
The Orchard is a bright and airy marquee on the West Terrace of Grantley Hall. Exclusively for your wedding guests, it has its own bar and plenty of seating inside. The marquee leads out into a huge lawn at the rear of the hall. There is plenty of space for any family photographs to take place here without your other guests’ photobombing.
Stunning Grantley Hall Wedding Photography
The best part of being a Grantley Hall wedding photographer is making the most of all the stunning formal gardens for wedding portraits.
Outside the front of the Hall, you’ll find the fountain with a long water feature leading all the way down to a unique sculpture at the bottom. There is plenty of opportunity to capture different backdrops in this small area alone!
Photographing from one direction you’ll see Grantley Hall in the background. From the other direction, you’ll see much more greenery. Wedding photography here means you can get the best of both worlds in just a short stroll.
In the middle of the grounds, there is a small body of water which gives a perfectly clear reflection and looks amazing in photographs!
If you’re looking to explore more and see what the rest of Grantley Hall’s grounds have to offer, the staff will happily drive you around on a golf cart, stopping off at various points along the way. This is a great idea if you don’t have much time to spare during your drinks reception.
Wedding Breakfast in the Luxury Grantley Suite
When it’s time for the wedding breakfast, your guests will be directed to the Grantley Suite, where they will spend the rest of the wedding day away from other hotel guests.
The Grantley Suite is a large purpose-built space for wedding receptions and can seat up to 180 guests. The room features a large chandelier and can really be brought to life with your chosen wedding decor. My couple opted for a stunning foliage arrangement on the ceiling which really came to life in their photos.
Emotional Wedding Speeches
Finally, it was time for speeches. Speeches are one of my favourite parts of the day to photograph as they’re always full of emotion – laughter and tears. It’s a great way of capturing natural reactions from guests without feeling intrusive as they’re busy listening to the speaker.
Fun Documentary Photos of Suprise Singing Waiters
After the main course, there was a surprise in store for my couple when The Undercover Waiters performed for all the wedding guests, making the day feel extra special.
Providing entertainment at your Grantley Hall wedding is a surefire way to make sure you get fantastic images in your wedding gallery of people having the best time. When you look back at your wedding photographs, you’ll remember that moment, celebrating and laughing with your family and friends.
Speaking of entertainment, the bride and groom had also arranged for a mini Casino to take place during the evening reception. Roulette and Blackjac tables were set up under cover outside the suite and they went down a treat with the family.
When it was time for the first dance, everyone gathered around the dancefloor as the couple appeared to float on dry ice! Weddings at Grantley Hall always have a bit of extra flair.
Wedding Photography – Evening Couple Portraits at Grantley Hall
Beautiful Wedding Photos in the Japanese Garden
My style of wedding photography is natural and colourful, so for couple shots, I’m always looking for backdrops that reflect this. The Japanese Gardens at Grantley Hall are perfect for this! I used the colourful flowers and lush greenery to frame the couple and get some really lovely shots.
Indoor Couple Portraits Featuring Grantley Hall’s Modern Luxury Hotel
Grantley Hall’s interior design is beautiful. Especially the feature staircase in the Fountains Wing. I knew we had to incorporate this area into their evening portrait session as it really shows off their venue. I headed back over to the hotel with the couple as the bride wanted to change her shoes for the evening reception.
One of my favourite shots is from the top of the staircase looking down at the couple. I love the way the light feature leads your eye straight to them. This is a must-have location for Grantley Hall Wedding photographers!
Stunning Wedding Photography at Grantley Hall
The best way to close out your Grantley Hall wedding? Fireworks of course! Another great surprise for your wedding guests. Your firework display can take place on the front lawn once it’s dark enough. This is a great way to celebrate the end of your wedding day and get everyone in the mood for the after-party at Valeria’s!
Here I used additional lighting for the bride and groom as they watched the display outside the venue. I’m so glad I was able to capture this part of their special day.
Ultimate Wedding Party at Valeria’s Champagne & Cocktail Bar
As the night draws in on your wedding day, the Suite will be closed off as everyone heads downstairs to Valeria’s nightclub. The nightclub has the perfect dance party atmosphere, especially as the bride and groom had arranged for a Saxophonist to play into the night.
I feel so lucky to have photographed such an amazing wedding here at Grantley Hall. As a documentary wedding photographer, I love to see couples investing in entertainment for their weddings because their final gallery will be bursting with emotion and that’s what it’s all about!
Grantley Hall Wedding Photographer
I would love to photograph this stunning luxury wedding venue in Yorkshire again soon. If you’re getting married and you’re looking for a colourful Grantley Hall wedding photographer who takes fun documentary photos along with gorgeous natural couple portraits, I’d love to hear from you!
Be sure to scroll for more from this epic Grantley Hall wedding!
Venue // Grantley Hall
