Wedding Photography at Blake Hall, Ongar

Blake Hall sits in the parish of Bobbingworth, just outside Ongar, on an estate the venue says has been home to the Capel Cure family since 1789. Weddings do not take place in the house itself but in three restored 17th-century barns beside it: the Essex Barn for dining and dancing, the Hay Barn for indoor ceremonies, and the Old Saddlery, a licensed outdoor ceremony space under a rustic canopy on the lawn (the barns). The booking is exclusive use, with the barns, selected gardens and the Stable Cottage for the wedding night.

Our studio is at 21 Joel St, Northwood HA6, photographing weddings since 2001 and rated 4.8 out of 5 from 580+ Google reviews. Blake Hall asks couples to tell it about outside suppliers in advance and does not tie photography to a list, and we are glad to photograph at Blake Hall. Coverage starts from £750.

What a Blake Hall wedding costs in 2026, 2027 and 2028

Blake Hall publishes venue hire for 2026 and for 2027/28, including VAT (pricing and brochure). The 2027/28 figures are:

• May to September: Monday to Wednesday £4,150, Sunday or Thursday £5,800, Friday £7,200, Saturday £7,900.
• April and October: Monday to Wednesday £3,500, Sunday or Thursday £4,900, Friday £5,800, Saturday £7,000.
• March, November and December: Monday to Wednesday £3,000, Sunday or Thursday £3,900, Friday £4,450, Saturday £5,650.

For 2026 the peak Saturday is £7,500 and the peak Friday £7,000; the other rows are the same or slightly lower. These prices apply only when you use the preferred caterer, Waters Edge Catering, so food and drink sit on top of hire. Registrar fees are not included. Days over a public holiday weekend are charged at Saturday rates, except bank holiday Mondays, which are charged at Sunday rates. There are no weddings in January or February (FAQs).

Hire covers exclusive use of the Essex Barn, the Hay Barn, the Old Saddlery and selected garden areas, the Stable Cottage for the wedding night, and help with coordination from the date you book. The terms add a £500 security deposit and a minimum of 50 day guests for the wedding breakfast (terms and conditions).

Dry hire, for couples bringing their own caterer, has a separate fees PDF linked from the dry hire page; those figures are not set out on the page itself, so ask for the current sheet. Twilight weddings, with a later ceremony and lighter catering, run on Mondays to Wednesdays and some Sundays from April to October for a minimum of 80 guests, with prices in a separate PDF (twilight weddings).

Ceremonies in the Hay Barn or under the Saddlery canopy

Two spaces are licensed for civil ceremonies. The Hay Barn is the indoor option, licensed for up to 150 seated guests, with a long beam-lined aisle, a large picture window and a mezzanine for a musician or sound system. The Old Saddlery is the outdoor option between the Essex Barn and the Hay Barn: guests sit on cedar benches on the lawn, a limestone path forms the aisle, and microphones carry the vows (the barns). Its capacity is not published.

Blake Hall's ceremony page sets out faith and cultural layouts. For a Hindu wedding, the Hay Barn window is the backdrop for the seven steps around the sacred fire. A Nikah can take place at the Saddlery or beside the Hay Barn window, and the driveway is named as the place for family dancing and drum processions (ceremonies page). For Jewish weddings the Chuppah can stand at the Saddlery or the window, with the Yichud in the Potting Shed.

On catering for those days, Waters Edge Catering offers a menu reflecting your heritage, and the venue says traditions its caterer does not cover, such as kosher, can be met through dry hire with your own caterer (the feast). Halal, Gujarati or Punjabi menus are not named, so ask whether Waters Edge or a dry hire caterer suits you. Ceremony times, registrar booking and whether a horse can join a baraat are not published; civil ceremonies need registrars booked separately, and their fees are not in the hire price.

The Old Coach House dressing room and the Potting Shed

The Old Coach House, a few steps from the Hay Barn, is the getting-ready base. It has three bedrooms (one double and two twins) sleeping seven, is booked for the night before the wedding, and has a large ground-floor dressing room with seating, lit mirrors, two lit dressing tables, hanging space for outfits and a hair washing station; the venue says there is room for the whole party to pose for photographs there (The Old Coach House). Breakfast is included the next morning.

The other half of the couple can use the Potting Shed, a converted dressing room next to the barns with long mirrors, a sink, a shaving socket and hanging space, at no extra charge (the barns). The terms say it is available from 9am for up to five people. Mehndi and haldi before the day are not mentioned, so ask whether the Old Coach House can host either the evening before.

A suggested order for a Blake Hall wedding day

An outline for planning, not a schedule. Times are shown only where the venue publishes them; everything else is a stage to time with you and confirm with the venue.

The Capel Cure estate and its 17th-century barns

Historic Houses describes Blake Hall as having original fabric dating from the 17th century or older, remodelled by George Basevi in 1822, and records the Capel Cure family there for over 200 years (Historic Houses). The venue's own site gives 1789 as the start of the family's time on the estate. Weddings use the restored 17th-century barns beside the house rather than the house itself: the Essex Barn, the Hay Barn and the Old Saddlery, with the Old Coach House, the Old Stables and the Stable Cottage as accommodation.

Parking and overnight cars at Blake Hall

There is ample parking on site for guests (FAQs). Cars may stay overnight in the Blake Hall car park at the owner's risk; the gates are locked at the end of the evening and cars are normally collected between 9am and 12pm the next day (guest information). The terms say cars must be in the designated area and that vehicles may not drive within the venue area. A space count is not published.

Blake Hall wedding photography, frequently asked questions

Other wedding venues we cover

• Gaynes Park, Epping
• Crondon Park, Stock
• Leez Priory, Chelmsford
• Braxted Park, Great Braxted

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• Wedding Venues in London: What Each One Publishes
• Best Asian Wedding Venues Near London
• Photography in Enfield
• Wedding photographer in Epping
• Asian wedding photographer in Epping
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• Asian wedding photographer in London

Enquiries for this venue are handled by Kaushik Bathia, FBIPP and FMPA, who has photographed more than a thousand weddings since 2001 and holds five European Kodak Gold Awards.