Real Wedding · Sutton Coldfield
Moxhull Hall Wedding Photographers
Rachel & Rian at Moxhull Hall, Sutton Coldfield
Moxhull Hall is tucked away on Holly Lane in Sutton Coldfield, a country house hidden behind its own gardens on the edge of Birmingham. I have been photographing weddings here for years, and it is one of my favourite venues in the area: quiet, green, and full of the kind of soft natural light I build my work around.
This is Rachel and Rian’s wedding at Moxhull Hall, from the morning preparations right through to the marquee at the end of the night. Whether you are after a Moxhull Hall wedding photographer or planning your day anywhere across the city, you can read more about my wedding photography in Birmingham. Here is how their day came together.
Stage 01 / Bridal Preps
Bridal Preps at Moxhull Hall
My day at Moxhull Hall started the way I like them to, with a slow walk around the gardens before heading up to find Rachel in the bridal suite. The morning was all bridesmaids, hairspray and calm: makeup being finished, dresses hanging up, and a champagne toast in matching pyjamas before anything formal began.
Then came the dress. There is always a shift in the room when the bride steps into her gown, and Rachel’s bridesmaids felt it, one of those genuine, unposed reactions I am always watching for. While the finishing touches went on, I slipped across to Rian and the groomsmen for cufflinks, rings and a few quieter portraits before the ceremony.
Back with Rachel, her family saw her for the first time. Her brother’s face said everything, and moments like that, the ones you cannot plan or pose, are exactly why I shoot weddings the way I do.
Stage 02 / The Ceremony
The Ceremony at Moxhull Hall
Outdoors, in the Secret Garden.
Rachel and Rian said their vows outside, in Moxhull Hall’s Secret Garden, a green pocket of the grounds full of palms and ferns with a wooden gazebo at its heart. Rian waited at the front while the bridesmaids came through, and you could see the nerves go the moment he saw Rachel.
I always love an outdoor ceremony. The natural light is exactly what my photography is built around, and there is a looseness to marrying outside that you rarely get indoors. One small thing that made a difference: Moxhull had set up a microphone for the celebrant, so every word carried to the back, the kind of detail that is easy to overlook and matters a lot on the day. Then the vows, the kiss, the register, and the two of them walked back out married.
Stage 03 / Drinks Reception
The Drinks Reception at Moxhull Hall
With the ceremony done, everyone spilled out into the gardens for the drinks reception, and this is usually my favourite part of the day to shoot. It is a couple of relaxed hours, a mix of candid moments and a few posed portraits, with people finally able to unwind. Rachel and Rian had booked an Irish duo to keep things lively, there were garden games on the lawn, and I grabbed the group shots and a few quieter moments of the two of them in between.
This is where a documentary approach earns its keep. Nobody is watching the camera, so you get the real reactions, the hugs, the laughing, the kids running about, which are always the frames couples end up loving most.
Planning Your Day
Getting married at Moxhull Hall?
If you are planning a wedding at Moxhull Hall, or somewhere with that same relaxed, outdoor feel, take a look at my wedding photography services to see how I work with couples.
View Pricing & Packages
Stage 04 / Portraits
Couple Portraits at Moxhull Hall
A few quiet minutes, just the two of them.
Somewhere in the afternoon we stole Rachel and Rian away for their couple portraits, and rounded up the family and bridal party for the group shots while everyone was still together. I keep the formal groups quick and painless, a short list, done in a few minutes, so nobody is standing around missing the party.
The portraits of the two of them are looser. I am not big on stiff posing, so mostly I give a little direction and then let them talk, walk and wind each other up while I work around them. With Rachel and Rian that was easy, they spent most of it laughing, and those are the frames that look like them rather than a pose.
Stage 05 / Breakfast & Speeches
Breakfast & Speeches at Moxhull Hall
Good food, kind words, and the odd tear.
Before the doors opened I nipped into the Oak Hall to photograph the room while it was still empty, the table settings, the flowers, all the little details that took months to plan and about an hour to enjoy. If you want to see more of that side of a day, I have a whole post on wedding detail photos.
Then the doors opened, Rachel and Rian came in to a room full of napkins waving in the air, and everyone sat down for three courses before the speeches. The speeches are always a highlight for me. Rachel’s dad went first, then Rian, who had the room, and Rachel, in tears, and the best man closed it out with a few well-aimed jokes and props. That mix of laughing and crying in the same ten minutes is exactly what I am there for.
Stage 06 / Evening Reception
The Evening Reception at Moxhull Hall
The Starlit Marquee, and the party proper.
By the evening the day had loosened right up. The party moved to the Starlit Marquee, the band were setting up and there was a photo booth going, but the first thing that happened was a proper game of beer pong, which is not how most couples make their entrance, and all the better for it.
From there it was cake, then the first dance, with the whole room circled round. The band took over after that and the marquee filled up fast. This is the part of the day I stay loose for: the reserved daytime guests turn into the life and soul, and I spend the last hour chasing the best shapes on the dance floor before I head off and leave them to it.
In Closing
Final Thoughts on Moxhull Hall Wedding Photos
Moxhull Hall is one of those venues that just works. The Secret Garden for an outdoor ceremony, the Oak Hall for the breakfast, the marquee for the party, and the gardens tying it all together, so the day flows from one part to the next without anyone getting in a car. As a wedding venue it photographs beautifully in natural light, which is exactly how I like to work.
An easy venue to love, and an easier one to photograph.
Rachel and Rian’s gallery shows what a Moxhull Hall wedding really looks like. If you are still building a shortlist, take a look at more Birmingham wedding venues.
Jordan Fox
The Details
Getting Married at Moxhull Hall
Your Wedding
Want me to capture your day?
If you’re planning a wedding at Moxhull Hall, somewhere similar, or anywhere across the UK, I’d love to hear from you.
Check Availability
