Manor by the Lake Wedding Photographer & Videographer

A Victorian manor in seven acres beside a lake

Manor by the Lake is on Hatherley Lane in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (GL51 6PN). The venue describes a Victorian manor house with seven acres of gardens and a private lake, offered for exclusive use for weddings, and says it is near Junction 11 of the M5.

We photographed and filmed Lauren and Wayne's wedding here on 3 August 2022, and their day is the one in this guide.

For current venue details, explore Manor by the Lake.

01 / August 2022 / Lauren and Wayne

Lauren and Wayne: a floral arch, an ivy-covered doorway and sparklers at dusk

Lauren and Wayne married on 3 August 2022. The photograph at the top of this page is the two of them laughing as they walk back up the aisle, beneath a floral arch in front of a tall bay window. The morning begins with three women in white robes raising their glasses in a freestanding bath in front of a tall window.

Lauren walks down a parquet aisle on the arm of an older man in a navy suit beneath a brass chandelier, while a guest turns to watch. A long room is laid for the wedding breakfast with a hanging ring of foliage, a crystal chandelier, candelabras and tables dressed in greenery.

Outside, Wayne kisses Lauren on the forehead in a pointed Gothic stone doorway covered with ivy, and in black and white he kisses her on the cheek from behind in dappled tree light.

The evening ends outside at dusk, with Lauren and Wayne kissing while guests in bright dresses hold sparklers around them.

02 / The spaces / From the venue's own pages

The manor rooms, the pavilions and the Ballroom

The venue's ceremonies page lists outdoor licensed settings at the Manor Arches at the entrance, the Italian Pavilion next to the manor and the Lakeside Pavilion overlooking the lake. Indoors it names the Maximilian, a period room with garden views licensed for ceremonies for up to 100 guests, and the Lyderick, a panelled room that it says can hold a larger number.

For the reception it names the Ballroom, which opens onto the lake and gardens and holds up to 250 guests, with a bar, stage and dance floor, plus a glass-fronted Garden Lounge and a Marguerite Library. Its wedding page gives up to 180 guests for the wedding breakfast and up to 250 for the evening. The venue's own pages differ on what the licence covers, so confirm which spaces can hold your ceremony. It says its own chefs provide the catering and that external caterers are allowed only for dry-hire weddings.

03 / Staying at Manor by the Lake / From the venue's own pages

Bedrooms in the manor, a cottage and a lodge

The venue's stay page lists 12 bedrooms in the manor, each with an en-suite bathroom, with honeymoon suites with four-poster beds, plus Butterfly Cottage, a two-bedroom cottage, and Redgrove Lodge, a three-bedroom house designed for up to 6 guests. One of the venue's FAQ pages gives a different number of manor bedrooms, so confirm the total with the venue. It also says the venue is pet-friendly.

Planning your photographs at Manor by the Lake

A few things worth asking the venue, and how we would plan around the answers:

1. Where the ceremony is: indoors in the Maximilian or the Lyderick, or outdoors at the Manor Arches, the Italian Pavilion or the Lakeside Pavilion. Tell us your plan so we can arrange the morning around it.
2. Getting ready: ask when the manor bedrooms and any honeymoon suite are yours on the morning, since that is where the first photographs happen.
3. Group photographs: we do as many as you like and typically recommend around 15, which usually take about 20 minutes. Choose somewhere with room and a sheltered backup, and ask someone who knows everyone to round people up.
4. Portraits: we usually take a portrait walk of about 15 minutes, with photo and video together. The gravel path, the ivy-covered doorway and the trees give you very different backdrops. In August, we check sunset and light times for your date in advance and agree the plan with you.
5. Rain: agree an indoor option with the venue when you confirm the order of the day. The venue lists indoor ceremony rooms and the Ballroom.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings together, so a Victorian manor with clipped hedges, a doorway thick with ivy and a lake in the grounds is familiar territory. You get one conversation about the timetable, one set of questions for the venue and one plan for the portrait walk.

The photo and video team package carries a £120 deposit and a £400 saving over booking photography and videography separately. We are based near Cardiff, and travel across England and Wales is included in standard full-day packages. When the drive is over two hours we always stay in a hotel the night before and cover it.

Questions about a Manor by the Lake wedding