Elvetham Hotel Hartley Wintney Hampshire
Wedding Photography
Please allow a few moments for the high quality photo files to load
A short selection of photos, some golden oldies, some newer, featuring several of the many weddings I have photographed and videoed at the Elvetham Hotel Hartley Wintney near Basingstoke Hampshire
If you are planning a wedding do take a look at the Prices, the photo Galleries, the Videos, and the Albums
Great Short Duration + Short Notice + Micro-Wedding Discounts – Please Enquire
The Elvetham Hotel Hartley Wintney Hampshire seen as you approach the building. You can also browse lots more photos in a slideshow format on Youtube
Background Information and Highlights
The Elvetham Hotel Hartley Wintney Hampshire is one of my favourite wedding venues as its such a delight for professional photographers and videographers - stunning interior design, gorgeous well maintained grounds with lots of mature trees and shrubs, a pond, a river, and staff who always work to a very high standard. A real treat. Add to that the great attitude of the registrars responsible for conducting wedding ceremonies at The Elvetham and its a 100% winning combination.
The Elvetham as it is commonly known ("Hotel" is often dropped from its name), is located midway between Farnborough Basingstoke and Reading on the border of North Hampshire and Berkshire; this makes it very easy to reach via the nearby M3 M4 and M25 motorways. Double check your satnav as the main entrance is on the A323 Fleet Road. There is plenty of secure onsite parking.
I have worked at the Elvetham Hotel many times and this certainly helps as the whole site is enormous and it can pay to know the "best bits" when time is short or when the weather is against you. There are so many photogenic locations around and about The Elvetham that its all but impossible to try them all at a single wedding - what a great dilemma for any photographer or videographer to be in!
I have supplied images to the Elvetham to promote the hotel as a wedding venue, including shots from a low flying light aircraft.
The yew trees were used by the late comedian Benny Hill as the location where he was famously filmed being chased by a bevy of scantily clad girls - hard to imagine that would make it onto our TV's now, but he was a national institution back in the day!
Also see this Instagram post
See lots more wedding photo galleries including e.g. Peter’s Rivervale Barn, Peter’s Esseborne Manor, Peter’s Audleys Wood Hotel, Peter’s Sandford Springs Hotel, Peter’s Aviator Hotel, Peter’s Oakley Hall Hotel, Peter’s Warbrook House, Peter’s Loseley Park, Peter’s Mill House Hotel Swallowfield, Peter’s St Michaels Church Heckfield, Peter’s Lismoyne Hotel, Peter’s St Bedes Church, Peter’s Wokefield Estate Hotel, and many more.
"Thank you so much for all the wedding photos - we absolutely love them and think they're wonderful! We have had many, many compliments. You did a blinding job. You have really captured the day for us and we are so pleased. And thanks again for all you did on the day. We shall certainly be recommending you to others"
Nicola & Ed P (Elvetham Hotel)
"It's like re-living the day all over again - lovely! "
Sue (Elvetham Hotel)
"The photos are fantastic - thank you for a wonderful job. Everyone who has seen them has commented on the high quality"
Sam & Louise H (Elvetham Hotel)
"Thanks for the videos. Fantastic memories of a wonderful day which you captured fantastically thanks very much"
Charmaine (Elvetham Hotel)
"A HUGE thank you for the photography for our Wedding. You really went above and beyond. And thank you very much for running back to your car to fetch your padded jacket for a freezing Bride! We had such a wonderful day, only enhanced by your relaxed manner and ability. Truly grateful to you for your presence on our big day and thank you for making it all so easy and fun"
Claire & Barry R (Elvetham Hotel)
"We are delighted with the video, thank you! And the albums are perfect!"
Emma & Kieran C (Elvetham Hotel)
"Thank you for sending everything through, we are really pleased"
Emma & Colin W (Elvetham Hotel)
Wedding ceremonies usually take place in the Oak Room at the front of the Elvetham Hotel. The Oak Room started life as a billiard room in 1913! You'll see it certainly looks the part for gorgeous wedding photos and video. I usually start shooting your ceremony from the rear of the Oak Room and then moves up to the front right corner next to the window. If you have musicians they would normally be located at the front in the left corner. Wide-angle lenses can work well to take in the entire room
Coverage usually starts with some shots of the dress flowers shoes and so forth and the girls going about their wedding day preparations
Bouquets and the other flowers are must have photos for the start of the wedding album
Brides dress hangs ready for her before her wedding at The Elvetham Hotel
Flowergirls make for some charming wedding photos all day long
The Elvetham has lots of big well appointed rooms suitable for the girls to get ready in without being short of space
There are some great photos to be had whilst the bride finishes getting into her dress
A few semi-formal photos of the bride once she has finished getting ready can be a nice touch
The first look of the bride by her father
Groom gets dressed ready for his wedding
Lots of emotion as our bride Laura enters the Oak Room arm in arm with her dad
Guest makes a reading during the wedding ceremony. You’ll see there is a harpist in the background. Lovely!
There are some lovely mid-ceremony portraits just begging to be shot
Once the ceremony is underway I usually shoot most of the photos from the front corner nearest the window. This ensures that there are plenty of opportunities to photograph both the bride and groom and lots of guests as they look on. It can be a tight fit in that corner as it is also occupied by the second registrar at her desk whose job it is to complete the paperwork. But the Aldershot staff are a great bunch and we are all used to playing at sardines! Christmas weddings are even more of a challenge as this spot is usually occupied by an enormous tree
There can be some great opportunities for character photos of guests during the ceremony
Guests are gathered ready for this outdoor wedding ceremony at the Elvetham Hotel. This wedding was planned to be outside but until the very last moment it seemed the weather was having none of that! Rain rain and more rain, and the staff were not able to put the guest chairs in place until the very last moment. No chance of scene setting photos beforehand showing the ceremony area dressed ready for action. We took a chance on what appeared to be a short break in the wetness and the ceremony went ahead in the grounds.
Brides grooms witnesses and registrars may be under a permanent structure depending on which part of the gardens are used, but guests - and photographers - have to take their chances. Our registrar took the precaution of explaining to the guests that should the rain return the ceremony would continue but the guests would have to take their chances. The Elvetham staff were on hand with lots of umbrellas! We got away with it. Phew!
The exchange of rings is another key moment in the ceremony. Whether is can be photographed depends on the bride and grooms positions at that moment, but the registrars often make a point of ensuring that their hands are visible to the cameras just for a moment
The Library at the Elvetham Hotel is also licensed for wedding ceremonies. As with the Oak Room it dates back to 1913. It is trickier for professional photographers and videographers to shoot wedding ceremonies in as it is darker than the Oak Room
At the Elvetham the bride and groom are presented with their celebratory drinks immediately on exiting the ceremony room. The Elvetham staff gather in the main hall to proffer drinks to the guests
Confetti is allowed at the Elvetham so long as its used outside and its biodegradable. Our little pageboy has rather taken over in the next photo!
Everyone wants photos in "Yew Tree Avenue" and its easy to see why
Of course bridesmaids and flowergirls make great subjects
The manicured garden surrounding the pond at the Elvetham is yet another great photo location. Here is Susie with her Star-wars fan / new husband
Family groups tend to be smaller and therefore quicker and easier to set up. There are lots of photogenic positions around the Elvetham
The fellas have their own way of being photogenic!
The Italianate Pond looks wonderful featured in your wedding album
The oak tree in the background in the next photo was planted by Queen Elizabeth 1st on her visit to the Elvetham in 1591
The "formal" photos usually start with a big group shot of all the guests attending. If there are lots of guests this may be best shot from a first floor vantage point. The Elvetham staff can let professional photographers into the appropriate rooms
The period after the ceremony and before the wedding breakfast is known as the cocktail hour and its a time for candid photos as well as the must-have posed photos with family and friends
Many couples have a "receiving line" before the start of their wedding breakfast. The bride and groom - and usually all the parents - line up at the entrance to the reception room and greet each guest individually. This ensures that you have exchanged a few words with every guest at your wedding even if there are lots of them. The receiving line can have terrific photo opportunities
The Conservatory at the Elvetham Hotel has great natural light and is ideal for professional photography and video of your wedding breakfast
The Library at the Elvetham Hotel is a popular choice for the wedding breakfast. The next photo shows it all ready for battle to commence
I shoot lots of photos of the details in the wedding breakfast room. These look great in your wedding photo album. Believe it or not these wedding favours were home-made. Marvellous
The optional marquee is a great choice to accommodate large numbers of guests and as with the Conservatory is bright and therefore good for photography and video
There was a strong Irish connection with this groom. Who would have guessed!
This photo is the very definition of reportage style wedding photography. A totally natural, unposed, unscripted, decisive moment as our groom is embarrassed by his best man's speech
The speeches can be crammed full of marvellous photo opportunities, not only of the speakers but of the many guests laughing and enjoying themselves. To really make it count get me to shoot video of the speeches as well as make lots of photos
Groom makes his speech during the wedding reception
The bouquet toss is usually best performed outside otherwise it can get entangled with fixtures inside
The wedding cake is usually cut in the evening shortly before the first dance
The first dance is a must-have for photos and video
A live band can really get things going
