Talbooth Restaurant Wedding Photographer & Videographer

A riverside restaurant and marquee on the River Stour

Talbooth Restaurant is on Gun Hill at Dedham, near Colchester in Essex (CO7 6HP). Its operator, Milsom Weddings, describes it as set on the banks of the River Stour, with a riverside restaurant and a marquee in the grounds, and says it has over 70 years' experience of weddings in the Dedham Vale.

We photographed and filmed Ryan and Kim's wedding here on 7 September 2024. It is the day in this guide, and the lawn beside the river, with the water and the trees, is a large part of why the photographs look as they do.

For current venue details, explore Talbooth Restaurant.

01 / September 2024 / Ryan and Kim

Ryan and Kim: a bow tie, friends on the lawn and a kiss by the water

Ryan and Kim married on 7 September 2024. The photograph at the top of this page is the two of them on the lawn beside the river, Ryan in a black dinner jacket and Kim in a veil with a pampas bouquet, a white footbridge behind them. The morning is relaxed: Ryan has his bow tie adjusted in front of a sash window, and two of Kim's people lie back on grey loungers with a glass and a bottle raised.

Out on the lawn Kim laughs between two friends, all with glasses raised, and later she and Ryan stop beside the still water for a kiss, the trees reflected in it.

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

The River Room, the Marquee and the Old Room

The venue's wedding page names the River Room, which it says holds up to 130 guests for a civil ceremony or up to 80 for a wedding reception, and the Marquee in the grounds on the bank of the River Stour, for 50 to 160 guests. The Old Room in the main building is for smaller ceremonies, from 4 up to 36 guests, and the page says the registrar from Colchester can officiate there. The Weavers Room, on the first floor of the restaurant, is suggested for an intimate reception.

The page says guests can arrive by car or by boat and be greeted on the lawns. The page title gives up to 150 guests, which differs from the room figures, so confirm numbers with the venue. It also lists a cottage called Idle Waters, with two bedrooms, across the river from the marquee, and points to the neighbouring Talbooth House & Spa for bedrooms.

Planning your photographs at Talbooth Restaurant

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

1. Where the ceremony is: the River Room, the Old Room or a church or register office nearby. Tell us the addresses and times so we can plan the morning and the first photographs around them.
2. Getting ready: ask where you will get ready and from what time, and whether you plan to stay at Talbooth House & Spa or another nearby place.
3. Rain: the lawns and riverbank are outdoors, so agree an indoor option with the venue when you confirm the order of the day.
4. Group photographs: we do as many as you like and typically recommend around 15, which usually take about 20 minutes. Choose a spot on the lawn with room, and ask someone who knows everyone to round people up.
5. Portraits: we usually take a portrait walk of about 15 minutes, with photo and video together. Water and uneven ground are part of the setting, so we plan the route with comfort and safe access in mind. In September we check sunset and light times for your date in advance and agree the plan with you.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings together, so a riverside lawn with a marquee and a footbridge 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 Talbooth Restaurant wedding