THE LIMES COUNTRY LODGE HOTEL — SOLIHULL, WARWICKSHIRE
THE LIMES COUNTRY LODGE HOTEL
Documentary wedding photography and creative night portraits for couples wanting natural moments and something magical. Your wedding story is beautifully told, with genuine moments, elegant details, and stunning evening portraits.
Wedding Photography at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel, Solihull
The Limes Country Lodge Hotel is set within more than six acres of Warwickshire countryside in Earlswood, Solihull. It is a family-run wedding venue that combines a relaxed, countryside atmosphere with everything a couple needs under one roof: ceremony, reception, accommodation, and catering.
For the bride, groom, and their wedding guests, the all-in-one layout removes the stress of travelling between locations. Up to 250 guests can celebrate across the venue's indoor and outdoor spaces. 27 en-suite bedrooms mean the bridal party and close family can stay on-site, making the morning of the wedding day feel unhurried and intimate.
I'm Paul Hickey, founder of Once in a Lifetime Photography and an award-winning wedding photographer based in Worcestershire. I regularly cover weddings across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, and Solihull. The Limes Country Lodge is a venue I particularly enjoy working at. The combination of outdoor ceremony space, natural indoor light, and generous grounds creates strong photographic opportunities from preparation through to the evening.
Why Choose Me as Your Limes Country Lodge Wedding Photographer
I've photographed over 100 weddings across Worcestershire, Solihull, and the wider West Midlands since 2014. My background in performance photography — theatre, dance, stage production — has trained me to anticipate moments rather than wait for them. At a venue like The Limes, where so much unfolds across six acres of grounds, that instinct matters.
EXPERIENCE & RECOGNITION
Award-Winning Photography
Selecting the right photographer for The Limes Country Lodge Hotel matters. The venue's mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, changing light throughout the day, and the natural flow between different areas all require a photographer who reads an environment quickly and responds to it.
With 100+ weddings photographed across Worcestershire and the West Midlands, I bring both experience and creative vision to every booking. My work earned multiple Weddison Awards and a prestigious Flashmaster Gold Award in 2023, recognising technical excellence and creative coverage that stand out from standard wedding photography.
DOCUMENTARY STYLE
Documentary Coverage That Lets Your Day Flow Naturally
My approach is unobtrusive documentary coverage throughout the entire wedding day. I arrive early, work quietly, and focus on capturing genuine moments as they happen, the bride and bridesmaids laughing during preparation, the groom waiting at the altar, and wedding guests relaxing on the lawn during the drinks reception.
At The Limes Country Lodge, this approach works particularly well. The outdoor games, the informal garden spaces, and the easy movement between the ceremony, reception rooms, and grounds create natural, candid opportunities throughout the day. A photographer who is watching rather than directing will always find more here.
SIGNATURE SERVICE
Creative Night Portraits: The Signature Difference
Every booking with Once in a Lifetime Photography includes the opportunity for creative evening portraits, a signature part of my coverage, and consistently the images couples display in their homes for years afterwards.
Using off-camera flash, coloured gels, smoke effects, and dramatic lighting techniques, I create evening images that are cinematic and entirely distinct from the daytime documentary coverage. The exterior spaces and grounds at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel provide strong backdrops for this work as the light fades. These are the images that make people stop scrolling.
FULL-DAY DOCUMENTARY COVERAGE
My Wedding Day Photography Services at The Limes Country Lodge
My Signature Wedding Photography package covers your complete wedding day — from bridal preparations through to the first dance and beyond. At The Limes, a full day typically looks like this:
✓ Bridal preparations — detail shots, natural-light portraits, and the candid atmosphere of getting ready
✓ Ceremony coverage — whether in the outdoor Wedding Lodge or the indoor Limes Suite, full unobtrusive coverage including guest reactions
✓ Drinks reception — candid storytelling, efficiently coordinated family groups, and a short couple portrait set in the grounds
✓ Wedding breakfast — speeches, table details, quiet moments between the formality
✓ Evening — first dance, reception atmosphere, and the signature creative night portrait session using dramatic lighting techniques
A second photographer accompanies me throughout the day, ensuring no moment is missed from two perspectives simultaneously.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
700+ professionally edited, high-resolution images
Private online gallery with unlimited downloads and easy sharing
Musical slideshow of your complete wedding story
Delivered within eight weeks
Full printing rights
For couples who want a physical keepsake, I offer beautifully presented 30-page wedding albums in a premium gift box. I also offer a unique hybrid photography and video service — a 3- to 5-minute cinematic highlight film produced alongside full photography coverage by a single, coordinated artist. This typically represents a significant cost saving compared to booking a separate photography and video team.
Wedding Photography Packages for Your Limes Country Lodge Wedding
| Package | Coverage | Price (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Signature Wedding Photography | Full day (10 hours), second photographer, 700+ images, online gallery | £1,295 |
| Complete Wedding Collection | Everything in Signature + beautifully presented 30-page album | £1,695 |
| Premium Hybrid Collection | Everything in Signature + 3–5 minute cinematic highlight video | £1,695 |
| Ultimate Wedding Experience | Everything in Signature + album + cinematic highlight video | £2,095 |
All packages include high-resolution images with full printing rights, a private online gallery with unlimited downloads, and a musical slideshow of your complete wedding story.
Images from The Limes Country Lodge Hotel, Solihull
Wedding photographs by Paul Hickey, Once in a Lifetime Photography, at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel.
Planning Your Wedding Photography at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel
When to Book
The Limes Country Lodge Hotel is a popular wedding venue in Solihull. Couples typically enquire 12–18 months ahead for peak dates. Saturday bookings in May, June, September, and October fill earliest. Securing photography early ensures availability and allows time for a pre-wedding questionnaire and consultation before the special day.
What Working Together Looks Like
Once booked, you receive a detailed wedding questionnaire covering your timeline, group photo requirements, key family members, and any moments you want prioritised. I arrive knowing about your wedding, not learning it on the day.
On the day itself, I arrive early to photograph the venue, the rooms, and the atmosphere before guests arrive. I cover bridal preparations, the ceremony, drinks reception, group photos, reception, speeches, first dance, and the evening portrait session, all documented in a natural, unobtrusive style.
Group photos are coordinated efficiently so the bride and groom return to their wedding guests quickly. The evening portrait session is the creative centrepiece of the coverage, using dramatic lighting to craft images that stand apart from everything else in the gallery.
Your finished gallery is delivered within eight weeks. It includes high-resolution images with full printing rights and a private online gallery for sharing with family and friends.
Getting Ready at The Limes
The Limes Country Lodge Hotel offers 27 en-suite bedrooms on-site, making it ideal for the bridal party to get ready at the venue. Getting ready in the same location as the ceremony keeps the morning relaxed and means preparation coverage flows directly into ceremony coverage without any travel.
I make the most of whatever natural light the rooms offer. Window light, directional morning light, and the detail shots of the bride's dress, flowers, and accessories all contribute to the preparation story.
Photo Locations at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel, Solihull
Part of what makes The Limes Country Lodge such a strong venue for wedding photography in Solihull is the variety available within a single estate.
A photographer who knows the grounds can build a portrait route that gives genuine variety without taking couples too far from their guests.
INDOOR CEREMONY
The Limes Suite
The Limes Suite is the venue's indoor ceremony space, a marquee-style room that comfortably accommodates the full guest list. Natural light and the room's dimensions make it a workable space for ceremony coverage in any weather.
Indoor civil ceremonies in the Limes Suite are well suited to intimate gatherings, where guests' proximity to the couple creates a genuine emotional atmosphere. Candid wedding photography in this setting tends to yield strong images because the reactions of the bride, groom, and family are close and easy to read. Having a reliable indoor option means a winter wedding at The Limes is never compromised by the weather.
WEDDING RECEPTION
The Limelight and Reception Spaces
The reception and dancing take place in dedicated spaces, including the Limelight, which houses the dance floor and evening entertainment. A resident DJ or live band keeps energy high through the evening. First dances, speeches, and guests celebrating on the dance floor all provide rich material for documentary coverage.
Candid moments during the reception, conversations between family members, guests watching the first dance, and children running between tables are where some of the most natural and memorable images of the day are found. The seating plan and room layout at The Limes allow relaxed movement throughout the space without disrupting the celebration.
OUTDOOR CEREMONIES & PORTRAITS
The Outdoor Wedding Lodge
The outdoor Wedding Lodge at The Limes is one of the venue's most distinctive features. Ceremonies here take place beneath a thatched roof structure overlooking the gardens, with the surrounding Warwickshire countryside as a natural backdrop.
Open-air ceremonies at the Wedding Lodge benefit from natural daylight and space. There are no restricted sightlines or tight interior corners to navigate. This allows clean, unobstructed coverage of the couple's expressions and the reactions of wedding guests throughout. The Limes Country Lodge is fully licensed for outdoor civil ceremonies, so couples can legally marry in this setting.
For summer weddings, late morning ceremony times typically offer the most even, flattering natural light before the sun climbs too high. Spring and autumn weddings benefit from lower, warmer light that photographs particularly well against the green grounds.
COUPLE PORTRAITS
The Grounds and Gardens
The six acres at The Limes Country Lodge offer multiple portrait locations across the day. Wooded areas provide dappled shade for softer midday couple portraits. Open lawn spaces work well for group photos with larger wedding guest numbers. The transition from ceremony to drinks reception creates a natural window for couple portraits without taking the bride and groom away from guests for long.
The lovely gardens and open spaces also encourage the kind of natural, playful moments that documentary photography captures best, such as outdoor games, guests mingling, and bridesmaids gathering before the reception. These are often the most memorable and natural images from a wedding day.
For creative evening portraits, the venue's exterior provides excellent backdrops as the light fades. The exclusive-use option at The Limes means there are no unfamiliar faces in the background during portrait sessions, which couples genuinely appreciate when reviewing their gallery.
Questions About
The Limes Country Lodge Hotel
How much does wedding photography at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel cost?
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How many guests can The Limes Country Lodge Hotel accommodate?
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Is The Limes Country Lodge licensed for civil ceremonies?
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Where are the best photo locations at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel?
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Is The Limes Country Lodge suitable for a winter wedding?
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Can the bride and groom get ready at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel?
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Does The Limes Country Lodge offer an exclusive use option?
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What catering options are available at The Limes Country Lodge?
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Once in a Lifetime Photography — Paul Hickey
What Couples Say
Paul used lighting and shadows to take beautiful photos that are pure art. They stand out from any other wedding photos I have ever seen, but he also captured the classic storytelling of the day.
Paul and his team captured absolutely every part and detail of our special day and went above and beyond anything we expected. The pictures are amazing.
They made us feel so at ease. They looked after every detail, sourprised us with creative photography, and captured every moment and emotion.
LET'S CONNECT
Ready to Book Your Limes Country Lodge Hotel Wedding Photographer?
Documentary wedding photography and creative night portraits for couples wanting natural moments and something magical. Your wedding story is beautifully told, with genuine moments, elegant details, and stunning evening portraits.
I cover weddings at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel and throughout Solihull, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the wider West Midlands. If you are planning your special day at The Limes and would like to discuss photography, I would be glad to check availability for your date.
Once in a Lifetime Photography | Based in Worcestershire, covering the West Midlands