David & Leah
Salmestone Grange, Margate, a unique 14th-century wedding venue in Kent
This was going to be a wedding with a difference, a 14th-century Benedictine monastic grange.
Originally owned and farmed by monks of St Augustine’s Abbey later converted into farmhouse dwellings. Uneven floors, low ceilings, and the scent of times gone by.
Salmestone Grange, Margate, a unique 14th-century wedding venue in Kent
This was going to be a wedding with a difference, a 14th-century Benedictine monastic grange.
Originally owned and farmed by monks of St Augustine’s Abbey later converted into farmhouse dwellings. Uneven floors, low ceilings, and the scent of times gone by.
As Historic houses go, Salmestone Grange has to be one of the best-preserved medieval granges in the country.
The venue
As a wedding venue, Margate is a venue all to its self, with lovely grounds, the duck pond, a real 14th century chapel in its back garden (and not a fake one).
The good point about Salmestone Grange, being a dedicated wedding venue, there’s no emphasis on timekeeping as there is with other wedding venues, which really makes a difference to the ambience of the day.
All very relaxed, and dare I say it again “very friendly staff”, a bit of a cliche in almost every blog but they really were very friendly. With the choice of either a civil ceremony wedding or the use of the 14th-century chapel, there really is nothing like it in the area all rolled into one.
If I did have one negative criticism, would have to be the weather, considering the same time last year was baking, this year was overcast, not cold, could feel the rain was trying to break through and just as we were finishing the group shots, the sky opened up.
On a perfect summer day, I would consider the grange to be a wedding photographer’s dream. Lots of places and little nooks and crannies to pose couples, if it rains plenty of covers, if the sun is too strong, lots of cover from the harsh sunlight.
No ugly cables and modern architecture to get in the way of a perfect shot. With the use of a little bounce flash to the side and behind the flintstone walls, a lovely finish to any image.
As Historic houses go, Salmestone Grange has to be one of the best-preserved medieval granges in the country.
The venue
As a wedding venue, Margate is a venue all to its self, with lovely grounds, the duck pond, a real 14th century chapel in its back garden (and not a fake one).
The good point about Salmestone Grange, being a dedicated wedding venue, there’s no emphasis on timekeeping as there is with other wedding venues, which really makes a difference to the ambience of the day.
All very relaxed, and dare I say it again “very friendly staff”, a bit of a cliche in almost every blog but they really were very friendly. With the choice of either a civil ceremony wedding or the use of the 14th-century chapel, there really is nothing like it in the area all rolled into one.
If I did have one negative criticism, would have to be the weather, considering the same time last year was baking, this year was overcast, not cold, could feel the rain was trying to break through and just as we were finishing the group shots, the sky opened up.
On a perfect summer day, I would consider the grange to be a wedding photographer’s dream. Lots of places and little nooks and crannies to pose couples, if it rains plenty of covers, if the sun is too strong, lots of cover from the harsh sunlight.
No ugly cables and modern architecture to get in the way of a perfect shot. With the use of a little bounce flash to the side and behind the flintstone walls, a lovely finish to any image.
