Yew Lodge, a popular wedding venue near East Grinstead, is one of my favourite places to take photos. It’s a fabulous place for unforgettable professional wedding photography and I genuinely enjoy working with the happy couples who celebrate their unions there.
Yew Lodge weddings – It’s personal
The Yew Lodge wedding venue is owned and run by Peter, Pauline and their son Nick, lovely people who give their customers a genuine, warm family welcome and who obviously care deeply about making every event at their place as special as it can be.
Take the wonderful wedding of Ellie and Nathan in August 2014, a glorious day which kicked off with a traditional church ceremony in pretty Burstow, Surrey. The church was directly below the flight path to Gatwick and as a photographer I found the low-flying jets that regularly streaked overhead inspirational, making for some highly unusual and interesting shots.
A fantastic place for artistic, creative Sussex wedding photography
The happy couple chose Yew Lodge for their reception, which came complete with highly emotional speeches for very personal reasons we won’t go into here. And what an utterly charming event it was, held at such a deliciously pretty country house surrounded by such beautiful secret gardens, set conveniently on the border between Sussex, Kent and Surrey.
Couples enjoy exclusive use of the house and its stunning 10 acres of garden which, as you can imagine, comes with spectacular wedding photo opportunities, both indoors and outdoors. There are two gorgeous reception rooms to choose from and the resident chef provides superb in-house catering, making the venue as convenient and practical as it is lovely to look at.
Yew Lodge is licenced for civil ceremonies and partnerships and there are 14 supremely luxurious en-suite bedrooms for guests, including a romantic Bridal Suite. Oh, and on the practical side there’s plenty of private parking, vital for the guests as well as for me, with all my photographic equipment.
Is there actually a Yew tree on the site? Yes, and it’s a remarkable living icon at least 800 years old. Just imagine the things it has seen as history passes by… and it makes a amazing backdrop for wedding photos with its deep, rich green evergreen leaves. The house itself is even older, with its roots dating right back to 959AD although the current house was built in 1891. You can almost smell the history.
A favourite venue for Sussex wedding photographers
This is an independent, family-run business, and the owners have a genuine passion for quality and service. They like to work closely with couples to make sure every tiny detail of the occasion is perfect. If that’s the kind of dedication you want for your wedding, give them a call.
I’ve returned to the venue again recently for preparations, as the wedding photographer for a sumptuous, exotic Indian wedding. Watch this space for a post about them! In the meantime I’m looking forward to my next Yew Lodge wedding. Will it be yours? If you’re looking for professional, approachable, enthusiastic Sussex wedding photographer, I would be delighted to discuss your wedding day plans with you.
And thanks are due to Carol Navis from Cut Above Productions (video) with whom it was a pleasure to work alongside at Ellie and Nathan’s wedding and thanks also to Peter, Pauline and Nick at Yew Lodge for making me most welcome.