Steventon House Hotel

We’re ten minutes down the road from Steventon House, so we’ve shot this Oxfordshire venue in most weathers and know where the light lands. The conservatory is where you marry, glazed and full of daylight with greenery down the aisle, which means the vows, the rings and the confetti all happen without a flash. It’s exclusive use, so the place is yours and nobody wanders through the background. Outside, the private rose garden is where we’d take you for couple portraits, and the small palms in it give the frames something other than the usual English border. The wooden gazebo alongside is the more interesting spot, worth five minutes on its own. For the group there are steps by the restaurant window or the open lawn, whichever suits your numbers. Dinner and the band both stay indoors, and the rooms carry a loud evening comfortably. It’s an easy, friendly place to work, and that shows up in how relaxed everybody looks.