Old Thorns Hotel & Resort Wedding Photographer & Videographer

A hotel and resort in the Hampshire countryside

Old Thorns Hotel & Resort is on Longmoor Road at Griggs Green, Liphook, Hampshire (GU30 7PE). Its wedding page describes the tranquil Hampshire countryside, a Hampshire Suite with views over the golf course, and a spa with a terrace.

We photographed and filmed Stuart and Laura's wedding here on 18 June 2022. This page follows it in photographs and in their highlight film. Our Hampshire guide and Sussex guide show the hotel beside other venues nearby, and here we stay with the venue itself. What we say about the hotel comes from its own website, and what we say about the photographs comes from looking at them.

For current venue details, explore Old Thorns Hotel & Resort. Ask the venue which of its spaces suit your numbers before you choose a ceremony room.

01 / The spaces / From the venue's own description

A Chapel, a Walled Garden and three suites

The venue lists five ceremony spaces: the Hampshire Suite, for up to 85 guests; the Chapel, for up to 150; the Walled Garden, an outdoor space for up to 150; the Gatsby Ballroom, for up to 400; and the Grand Ballroom, for up to 500. For the wedding breakfast the Hampshire Suite seats 85, the Gatsby Ballroom 300 and the Grand Ballroom 500.

The venue adds that the wedding breakfast does not have to be a traditional three-course meal, and it names a firework supplier that it works alongside, suggesting a display to end the evening. It offers a spa with a terrace and a health club with a pool, which are useful for a bridal party.

02 / June 2022 / Stuart and Laura

Stuart and Laura: a hedge, a walled garden and a firework finish

Stuart and Laura married at Old Thorns on 18 June 2022. The photograph at the top of this page is a portrait against a clipped hedge: Laura, in a veil and holding a bouquet, and Stuart, in a grey suit, share a kiss on a bright day.

In black and white the couple walk through a crowd of laughing guests as they leave the ceremony, and later they walk along a garden path with the hotel building behind them.

In front of a brick wall covered with white roses, Stuart and Laura stand face to face holding hands. In the evening Laura leans back against Stuart in the dark, her bouquet of lilac flowers in front of her, and in another portrait they kiss beside a timber shelter as smoke drifts around them.

In a close black and white photograph the two of them kiss with their arms around each other. The day ends with fireworks, Stuart and Laura watching them from behind, their arms around each other, against a darkening sky.

Planning your photographs at Old Thorns

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

1. Where the ceremony happens: The venue offers five spaces, from the Chapel and the Walled Garden to its ballrooms. Ask to see the room you would use with a layout close to your expected guest numbers, and tell us your choice so we can arrange the morning around it.
2. Rain: Agree an indoor or sheltered option with the venue when you confirm the order of the day. On the day we settle it together with you and the venue.
3. Group photographs: We do as many as you like and typically recommend around 15, which usually take about 20 minutes. The hotel's gardens and the Walled Garden give you room. Ask a groomsman or bridesmaid who knows everyone to round people up.
4. Portraits: We usually take a portrait walk of about 15 minutes, with photo and video together. Hedges, a walled garden and garden paths sit close to the building.
5. Fireworks: The venue suggests a firework display to end the evening. If you want one, ask the venue for its rules and timings, and tell us so we can be in position.
6. Getting ready: If you and your partner are in different places, we move between you together, splitting our time as a team. Groom preparation typically takes about 15 minutes.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings together, so a hotel with gardens, a walled garden and a firework finish 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 Old Thorns Hotel & Resort wedding