I’ve enjoyed photographing weddings quite a few times at The Talbot Hotel in Oundle so I thought it would be helpful to give you a few thoughts and tips about the venue from a photographer’s perspective.

Romantic photos

For a relatively small venue I always find so many great opportunities for beautiful shots of the wedding couple. It ticks quite a lot of boxes because the building itself is attractive, plus there’s plenty of shade, flowers and textures and archways. On top of that you have the whole of Oundle on your doorstep, which is an attractive small town to explore.

Recently I’ve also solved the only real issue I previously had with The Talbot. The hotel doesn’t get much golden sunlight or a view of the sunset, so now I take couples on the 3 minute drive to Oundle’s beautiful bridge that straddles the river Nene. Here you can get fantastic photos in the countryside with great views of the setting sun.

The staff

You can have the greatest wedding venue in the world, but if the staff are miserable then it can undermine everything. Fortunately Dorota and the rest of the team are super-chilled and helpful, but also organised.

Getting ready in the morning

The Talbot Hotel is a beautiful old Tudor building which means the rooms are wonderfully rustic with loads of character. Being a short guy I don’t have to duck under the big oak beams… but tall people beware! There are lots of different rooms, but one of them is right above the ceremony room so it’s super convenient. The ancient oak staircase you use to get to the ceremony room was transported from Fotheringhay after Mary Queen of Scots used it when she was being sent for her execution! Insert your own joke there!

The ceremony

The Talbot can seat around 70 guests in their beautiful ceremony room. There’s plenty of light coming in from the windows on one side and beautiful old furniture… like how they made things in the good ol’ days!

The Talbot Hotel is a listed building so they aren’t allowed to instal a lift. Therefore, anyone who would struggle to get up the stairs to the ceremony room wouldn’t be able to see the ceremony.

Confetti

There are two main options for the confetti shot. Usually I do it in the courtyard as soon as you come out of the ceremony. It’s fun because there’s usually members of the general public milling around the bar and restaurant area so you get an extra bit of excitement and a few extra cheers. However, if you’re a little shy, or would prefer to keep it more private then you can do the confetti shot in a separate courtyard next to where you’d be having your wedding breakfast and all the group photos. Both work great for photos so it’s totally up to you.

Group photos

I do all the group photos in the courtyard by the reception room. It’s got plenty of shade which is perfect for group photos to avoid squinting and shadows on people’s faces from glaring sun. There are also some palm trees flanking the archway which make a lovely backdrop.

I always take a big group photo of all the guests together. There are some steps up to the roof which I use to get high above everyone. At other venues I use my step ladder but at The Talbot their steps work perfectly.

The wedding breakfast and speeches

The reception room also has lots of character with those big old Tudor beams festooned with fairy lights. Like the ceremony the reception room is upstairs so bear that in mind if you have any guests who aren’t able to manage stairs easily.

The food is always great and certainly better than a lot of wedding venues I’ve been to. They do a great afternoon tea too. The staff are well drilled and really helpful in my experience.

The evening party

With a dance floor and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating there’s something for everyone. At one really hot wedding they even brought the DJ and dance floor outside!

If you’re looking for a rustic old wedding venue with plenty of character and a laid back atmosphere then The Talbot hotel is a fantastic choice.

If the photographs on this page are the kind you’d love to have on your wedding day then checkout my wedding services page here.