Wedding Photography at The Riding School, Calke Abbey

Calke Abbey is a National Trust property situated in Ticknall, Derbyshire. Weddings are coordinated by Ivy House Weddings & Events in the building that used to be the riding school. With access to over 600 acres of Derbyshire parkland, Calke Abbey is bound to give your wedding a stately air.

The Riding School at Calke Abbey is a beautiful building with high ceilings, wooden beams and raw brickwork; its a perfect blank canvas for your wedding day. Although it is part of the National Trust site the weddings are cordinated by an external team called Ivy House and if you’re looking for a hands-on approach from your coordinators then they are the team for you. Super friendly and welcoming, nothing is too much trouble. From a photographer’s perspective, they really worked with me to make sure I knew what was going on and that I didn’t miss a thing. I loved that they organised a buggy to get us around the parkland for the portrait session and even came with us to help. The decor for the wedding shown below was spectacular and I know that the Ivy House team did a massive amount of the styling and set up. In short, these guys have definitely got your back.

The grounds at Calke Abbey are everything you’d hope for from a National Trust property with acres of parkland where deer graze and more formal gardens too. Some of my favourite spaces include the walled garden and the flower garden. The couple shown below married in September when the dahlias were in  full bloom. There are lots of lovely old wooden garden doors evoking victorian charm, and the kitchen garden and gardener’s yard are straight out of  Frances Hodgson Burnett’s ‘The Secret Garden’. My absolute favourite space to photograph in is the Orangery, with the exotic plants and light streaming in through the antique glass, it is a photographer’s dream. But woe betide you if you call it a conservatory, it’s definitely an orangery!

The big ‘wow’ image is definitely to be had up on the hill with the facade of the main Calke Abbey building in the background. Unfortunately it had a lot of scaffold on it the day I was there but that didn’t detract from its grandeur. The National Trust market the property as the ‘un-stately home’ as it has been left as it was found, complete with personal possessions, peeling paintwork and abandoned areas. The intention is to tell the story of a period in the 20th century when, post-war, many country houses were unable to be maintained. You’re unlikely to have time on your wedding day to pay a visit to the house proper, but you should make time for getting to know this property’s fascinating history during your planning process.

You can find out more about weddings at the Riding School, Calke Abbey by visiting Ivy House’s website here.

If you’re getting married at The Riding School and are looking for a photographer I’d love to have a chat to see if I’d be a good fit you. Drop me a line if you like what you see.