Hogarths Hotel Solihull - An August Wedding in the West Midlands
Mike and Sandrine were married at Hogarths Hotel Solihull on 25 August 2025. It was a Bank Holiday Monday, and it delivered everything an August day in the West Midlands can offer. Hard sun, deep green grounds, and warmth that lasted well into the evening. The ceremony took place on the hotel's island, reached by a moss-covered stone bridge over the water.
The reception room was dressed in white and gold from floor to ceiling. By the time the evening portraits were done, the grounds had given up something quite different from what the afternoon had offered.
I know the Hogarths' properties well, and that familiarity shaped the day from the start. The morning began with Mike preparing at Hogarths Stone Manor, the sister hotel nearby. From there, he made his way to Solihull, where Sandrine was already at the hotel. The two venues share a character, established grounds, and considered spaces.
It is the kind of setting that rewards a Worcestershire wedding photographer who knows where the light will be, and when to wait for it.
Getting Ready
Sandrine's morning took place in one of the hotel rooms at Hogarths Solihull. The atmosphere was calm and unhurried: a small group, warm light coming through the windows, the quiet focus of a makeup artist working close. When a room is settled, you find the details: the dress laid out, the rituals that mark the beginning of a day like this. Sandrine had a composure about her that morning that carried through everything that followed.
Mike's preparation at Hogarths Stone Manor had a different quality, looser, more candid, the easy energy of men who know each other well. The boutonniere was pinned in the grounds before the drive over. I caught him walking through the lobby at Solihull on arrival: white dinner jacket, black bow tie, Gucci sunglasses, not in any particular hurry. It was a deliberate entrance, and the black-and-white frame from the hotel lobby captures it well.
The Ceremony
The ceremony at Hogarths Solihull takes place on an island. You cross a moss-covered stone arch bridge over the water to reach it. The space that opens up on the other side is one of the more distinctive outdoor ceremony settings in the West Midlands. A two-storey treehouse pavilion, open-sided at ground level, with a thatched upper storey and balcony, frames the space.
The gold hoop arch stood in front of the pavilion doors, draped in white and adorned with white florals. Beneath it sat a rustic signing table and wicker chairs. Mature pines and woodland close in on all sides, and fairy lights are strung across the canopy overhead, visible even in full daylight.
The procession began with two flower girls in white, one older, one very small. Both wore matching dresses and floral headbands, and carried small white flower baskets. They walked the gravel path through the iron gates and onto the island. They came first, and the room followed their lead.
Sandrine walked down the aisle with her son, who wore a black tuxedo, bow tie, and boutonniere. That detail was not something I had been told in advance. He walked with her to the arch and handed her over to Mike. The guests around them understood what that moment meant before any words were said.
I positioned myself from the side to catch both of them, and the faces turning in the seated rows.
August at 2 pm means overhead sun, and the island setting offers little shelter from it. I worked the shade where I could find it and accepted that some frames would carry the brightness of a proper summer day. What that light gives back is clarity: reactions read well, colour is true, and the open space lets me move without disrupting anything.
Mike kept the sunglasses on throughout, which suited him entirely. There was a moment between him and his best man just before Sandrine arrived. A hand on the shoulder, a quiet word — the kind of moment I wait for.
The first kiss was framed within the gold hoop arch, the dark timber of the pavilion behind them, the white draping on either side. The confetti exit that followed was white-petal confetti in full August sun, the two of them walking through it, the bridge visible behind.
The Speeches
Speeches came first, a full hour before the wedding breakfast, and the room gave everything it had. There were at least five speakers across the session, more than most receptions carry. Every one of them had the room's full attention.
Mike stood to speak in his white jacket, phone in hand. Sandrine looked up at him with a quiet, settled expression. No one in the room noticed, but the camera did. The man in the light blue suit was animated, working the space with genuine warmth, and reached across to shake Mike's hand mid-speech.
A woman in a blush sequined dress read from notes with a steadiness that quietened everyone. Another speaker in cream delivered something that had Mike throwing his head back, and Sandrine doubled forward over the table. The best man in black followed.
The moment the whole room remembered was a young girl in a white flower crown, bracelet, and a microphone who performed during the speeches. She held her own completely. The frame of her with the microphone and the sage-panelled walls behind her is one of the strongest portraits from the day.
The couple entered the reception room together to a room already on its feet. One guest was silhouetted in the foreground, arm raised. The hand-drawn seating plan, done in calligraphy, sat just inside the door. The energy in that entrance frame tells you exactly what kind of wedding this was.
Couple Portraits
The portraits after the wedding breakfast were the part of the day worth waiting for. The August sun that had made the afternoon difficult was dropping by seven, and the Hogarths' Solihull grounds changed entirely in that light. The dry August grass had turned gold, the pines were holding the last of the warmth, and there was finally something workable to shoot in.
I used several locations across the grounds. The treelined path, a canopy of mature trees running through the gardens, gave a natural tunnel frame. Low sun cut through from the far end.
The moss-covered stone bridge returned as a portrait location, with the water beneath and the trees overhead. I positioned behind them as they walked across it, Sandrine's train trailing behind her, the iron gates on either side. That frame places the couple within the grounds, rather than simply in front of them.
The wooded area beyond the island, where the dry August undergrowth had caught the last of the light, gave a texture entirely different. The open lawns in front of the main hotel building provided a wider frame with the conservatory and the treeline behind.
Once it was fully dark, I moved to the tree-lined drive for the creative evening portraits. I used off-camera flash on the long straight avenue, the trees receding into darkness on either side. Both of them stood close together in the centre of the frame, Sandrine's train spread on the tarmac behind her.
The result is a set of images that look nothing like the daytime coverage, which is exactly the point. The contrast between the documentary wedding photography of the day and the creative portraits at night is what gives the gallery its range.
The Reception Room
The marquee reception room at Hogarths Solihull had been dressed with considerable care. Tall white floral centrepieces on gold stems anchored each round table, white linen throughout, cross-back chairs tied with white fabric sashes. The overhead branch installation was the detail that lifted the whole room.
Large twisted branches ran the length of the ceiling, wrapped in fairy lights and trailing white flowers and greenery. The marquee lining itself is set with star lights, which read particularly well in the first dance frame. Shot from outside through the open glass doors, the couple stood in the centre, the room gathered around them.
Hogarths had placed a gift on the top table for the couple: a white envelope tied with a branded blue ribbon, addressed in handwriting to Mr and Mrs Cunningham. A small detail, but the kind of thing that confirms the venue's attention to detail.
The top table was a long rustic trestle, with children seated alongside Mike and Sandrine throughout. The cake was three tiers of white with pearl detailing, suspended on gold rings with white roses between each layer. The DJ took over after the speeches, and the first dance followed at ten past eight.
Why Hogarths Hotel Solihull Works So Well for Wedding Photography
The island ceremony setting is what distinguishes Hogarths Solihull from most West Midlands hotel wedding venues. The stone bridge, the water, and the mature woodland combine to give the ceremony photographs a character that a terrace or lawn setting rarely achieves. Couples walk to their ceremony rather than simply entering a room, and that transition is worth capturing.
The two-storey treehouse pavilion on the island is unlike any other ceremony backdrop I have photographed in this region. The dark timber, the thatched roof, the fairy lights overhead, and the gold arch in front of the doors frame the couple in a way that is specific to this venue. It does not read as a generic hotel backdrop.
The grounds beyond the ceremony island offer a wide variety of portrait options. The treelined path, the wooded areas, the stone bridge, and the open lawns around the main hotel building give several distinct settings within a compact area. The contrast between each location keeps the portrait session from feeling repetitive.
The marquee reception room ceiling installation is one of the more distinctive decorative features I have encountered at any West Midlands wedding venue. The branch-and-flower structure photographs well from below, and the star-lit lining gives the first-dance frame an evening atmosphere that standard function-room lighting cannot replicate.
As a recommended photographer at both Hogarths Solihull and Hogarths Stone Manor, I find couples consistently underestimate how much the grounds contribute to the photography. The work improves significantly once the afternoon sun drops below the treeline.
Planning a Wedding at Hogarths Hotel, Solihull? A Few Things Worth Knowing
Ceremony timing and summer light. An outdoor ceremony on the island in August means full sun overhead at 2pm. The treehouse pavilion offers partial shade for guests, but positioning for ceremony photographs needs adjusting. The grounds look their best from around 7pm, so scheduling the main portrait session into that window gives markedly different results than anything taken mid-afternoon.
Plan for the evening. The most distinctive portrait spots at Hogarths Solihull — the wooded areas, the stone bridge, and the treelined drive — all benefit from lower or artificial light. Build time into the evening schedule, ideally before the first dance, rather than relying only on post-ceremony portraits when the sun is still high.
The stone bridge deserves proper time. This feature appears in most portrait sessions at this venue, and it deserves more than a quick passing shot. The angle, the timing, and whether to include the water's reflection are all worth discussing with your photographer in advance.
Speeches before the meal work well here. Mike and Sandrine had speeches before the wedding breakfast, with an hour between them. This suits Hogarths Solihull particularly well, since the light outside is still reasonable at 4 pm, and it keeps the energy in the room through the meal.
Large families need a plan for group portraits. With an extended family group list, Mike and Sandrine used the island setting and the gravel area by the pavilion as a natural gathering point. Nominate a helper on each side who knows the guest list and can quickly locate people.
Confirm the confetti policy in advance. The island exit works well for confetti photographs, with the gravel path, the trees, and the bridge behind. Confirm the current confetti policy directly with Hogarths Solihull before the day, as rules can vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hogarths Hotel Solihull a licensed venue for outdoor civil ceremonies?
Hogarths Hotel Solihull holds a licence for outdoor civil ceremonies on the island in the hotel grounds. This setting, reached by a stone-arch bridge over water and a two-storey treehouse pavilion surrounded by mature trees, is one of the most distinctive outdoor ceremony spaces in the West Midlands. Confirm current licensing details directly with the venue.
What makes the ceremony setting at Hogarths Solihull unusual?
The ceremony takes place on an island within the hotel grounds, accessed by a moss-covered stone bridge over water. The space is surrounded by mature woodland, with a two-storey treehouse pavilion serving as the backdrop. It is a setting specific to this venue, and one that gives the ceremony photographs a character that indoor or terrace ceremonies rarely achieve.
What makes Hogarths Solihull good for wedding photography?
The island ceremony setting, stone bridge, mature woodland grounds, treelined drive, and overhead branch installation in the reception room give the venue real variety across a full day's coverage. The grounds after 7 pm in summer offer some of the better evening portrait conditions of any West Midlands hotel wedding venue.
When is the best time of year to get married at Hogarths Solihull?
Late spring and early autumn typically offer the most comfortable conditions for outdoor photography at Hogarths Solihull. Summer weddings are workable, but August in particular brings direct overhead sun during the ceremony. September and October bring softer light and stronger colour from the mature trees surrounding the island. The reception room and island setting work year-round.
How many guests can Hogarths Solihull accommodate?
The marquee reception room at Hogarths Solihull accommodates a substantial guest list. For precise current capacity figures, contact the venue directly, as configuration can vary by event.
Is Hogarths Solihull related to Hogarths Stone Manor?
Yes, Hogarths Solihull and Hogarths Stone Manor are sister properties within the same group. Some couples, as Mike did, use Stone Manor for preparation before the ceremony and reception at Solihull. The two venues share a character and the same attention to their grounds and outdoor spaces.
Is Hogarths Solihull suitable for a winter wedding?
The reception room and indoor spaces at Hogarths Solihull work well in winter. The island ceremony space is weather-dependent, and winter couples should confirm the indoor ceremony option with the venue. The stone bridge and woodland grounds can be particularly atmospheric in winter light, and the star-lit marquee ceiling reads well against warm evening lighting.
Ready to Talk About Your Wedding at Hogarths Solihull?
Mike and Sandrine's day had a fullness to it that came through clearly in the photographs. The size of the family around them, the number of people who wanted to stand up and say something. The young girl who took the microphone and held the room, the son who walked his mother to the arch. The evening portraits on the drive, once the August light had finally given way to something workable, gave the gallery the contrast it needed.
If you are planning a wedding at Hogarths Hotel, Solihull, I would be glad to discuss photography coverage. I cover weddings across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, and know both Hogarths properties well. Details on availability and packages are on the contact page.
Once in a Lifetime Photography | Paul Hickey | Worcestershire
Paul Hickey is an award-winning documentary wedding photographer based in Worcestershire, with multiple Wedisson Awards and a Flashmasters Gold Award, and over 150 weddings photographed across the West Midlands. Connect on LinkedIn.