Wotton House, Surrey: Wedding Venue
Wotton House, a seventeenth century house near Dorking
Wotton House is a seventeenth century house outside Dorking, Surrey, with an Italian garden and a lot of ground around it. I filmed Jenna and Matthew here. The whole day happened in one building, which is the part that matters most to me.
Why Wotton House Country House Hotel is a great place to get married
The ceremony and the reception happen in the same building, so there is no gap in the middle of the day where everybody drives somewhere else. That gap is usually a forty minute hole in the film. There are rooms on site, so your guests do not have to get home either. The Italian garden is Grade II listed and it is where I would spend ten minutes with you both.
The ceremony
The Old Library is the indoor ceremony room. Vaulted ceilings, pillars and old fireplaces and the light comes in from the side rather than from behind you, which is what you want. The Italian garden is the outdoor option if the forecast holds. During the ceremony they had several beautiful readings from friends and family. It was such a personal service.
The Evelyn Suite takes the reception. The reason I like filming here is the ground outside it. You can walk thirty seconds from the room and be somewhere quiet, which is where the best two minutes of most films get made.
The reception
The couple had a cocktail drinks reception in the afternoon on the lawn and an intimate family dinner in the evening. It was lovely to move around the hotel for different parts of the day as they were transformed for different parts of the day. For dinner they had a gorgeous three course meal with a selection of starters and main courses and the first dance was a good old traditional wedding shuffle. They finished off the evening with dancing and a ‘few’ drinks.
The couple
Jenna wore a classic white dress and Matthew wore a three-piece suit and they looked really incredible along with all their family and friends.
The couple got in touch with me last minute and their enquiry excited me as the venue is local and I had not Ilmed there before. They said they wanted a videographer who would be like a guest and I loved that they just really wanted me there. From the moment I arrived everyone made me feel so welcome and really appreciated me stepping in with only 24 hours notice.
Advice for planning your wedding at Wotton House Country House Hotel
As the grounds are so stunning it is important to try and allocate at least 30 minutes for portraits and I would suggest a second portrait session in the evening at dusk.
If you’re planning a wedding at Wotton House Country House Hotel, get in touch!