A very popular venue, Orton Hall Hotel is off the A605 Oundle Road opposite the Nene Park entrance to Orton Mere. Civil wedding services are held in the superb conservatory at the rear of the hotel. The room offers fantastic lighting and is always immaculately decorated for the big day and with spectacular grounds providing the perfect setting for post service relaxation and drinks, there really is little or nothing to fault this venue !

Photography - easily the best venue photographically in Peterborough with the well-lit conservatory, large patio area, spacious grassland and woods which are carpetted in snowdrops and bluebells if you time it right. Indoors or outdoors, sun or rain, a great photographic shoot is gauranteed !

Barnsdale Hall Hotel sits in extensive grounds overlooking Rutland Water between Stamford and Oakham. Both the ceremony and reception rooms (all of my weddings have been at the Edith Weston Suite) are spacious and exquisitely prepared, with the food on both occasions being top class. The icing on the cake is without a doubt the Barnsdale Hall staff who combine impeccable professional discipline with a relaxed, friendly manner, making the entire occasion as enjoyable as you dared to dream of. Easy access, ample secure parking, an excellent venue !

Photography - plenty of outside options, albeit the most popular spot frustratingly has the sun behind it ! Bar area is a little cozy but the reception room is bright and spacious.

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The Holiday Inn, formerly Peterborough Moat House, is based at Thorpe Wood, just along from Thorpe Wood Golf Course. If catering for big numbers is your challenge then the Holiday Inn can certainly do large - and more. The ceremony room and reception rooms are always turned out with meticulous attention to detail and feedback on the food and service has always been positive. On the downside, the decor and ambience of the interior doesn't work for me. The broad corridors and plain, boxy rooms always remind me of an old NHS hospital !

Photography - very little natural light indoors but plenty of space for informal shots. Outside is nothing more than a grassy bank with a wooden arch alongside the main entrance - functional rather than attractive !

The Town Hall in Bridge Street, Peterborough certainly offers it's own unique brand of hospitality. Wedding services are carried out in the main council chamber which offers a pleasingly surreal atmosphere and the upstairs reception room is a spectacular venue with all the olde-worlde trimmings you'd expect from a room dating back to the 1930s. Not a huge venue, it is in the city centre (albeit you enter from the quieter rear entrance !) and car parking can be a problem on a Saturday afternoon but the period decor, marble staircase, etc makes the Town Hall an interesting option, particularly for the smaller wedding reception.

Photography - not ideal - indoors only unless you walk to the Cathedral grounds or Bishops Gardens !

The Marriott Hotel is situated off the old A605 Oundle Road, opposite the main entrance to the East of England Showground. Offering two suites, the Emperor and the Henry Royce - the latter scores the higher marks being spacious and linked to the impressive patio area. Outside, the patio/lawns/ lake area are first class for warm summer evenings. As you'd expect, attentive and professional staff add the icing to the cake for what is a top "big wedding" venue.

Photography - Henry Royce suite is well lit, the Emperor isn't so a big difference between the two. Outside is very good and would have been perfect if the lake wasn't frustratingly backing into the sun !

The Bull Hotel is situated on Westgate in Peterborough city centre. Despite its city centre location, the Bull offers easy and ample secure parking and a lot more space inside than might be apparant when you view its Westgate frontage. Various rooms will handle receptions of all shapes and sizes and the combination of period decor, eye-catching preparation and a very professional support team will guarantee you a top draw experience.

Photography - very limited indoor options and no outside options at all so best bet is to shoot elsewhere beforehand or travel to the Cathedral grounds or Bishops Road gardens.

Hambleton Hall is spectacularly sited on a peninsular of land stretching out onto Rutland Water, off the A606 just short of Oakham. The location is idyllic, peaceful, secluded and oozes class and quality throughout. All rooms are prepared perfectly for your big day and are very well attended by top notch hotel staff. Hambleton is definitely a small wedding to medium wedding venue and you need to get outside for maximum return but if the wedding fits and the sun shines, you won't find a better venue anywhere ..... and I mean anywhere !

Photography - indoors is dark and cozy so getting outdoors is a must at Hambleton but, for photos, the gardens are simply the best location you will find within an hour's drive of the city - simply stunning !

One of the area's longest established wedding venues, the Haycock Hotel is sited in Wansford, just off the busy A1 between Peterborough and Stamford. The hotel offers a range of service/reception rooms that will cater for some seriously large numbers if required. You'll often find more than one wedding being hosted at the same time but the Haycock is one of the few venues that can pull this off without impacting on your day. Once again, you really do need to get outside to get the best out of the venue but if the sun shines, the Haycock is still up there challenging the best in the area.

Photography - really need to get outside where you have everything from patios, lawned areas, formal gardens to riverside walks. Worth making an effort to seek out the best spots if you want the best results !

Barnsdale Lodge Hotel is situated just off the A606 just short of Oakham. The Hotel offers ample car-parking and a superb outside courtyard, enhanced with flower beds and well tended hanging baskets. Relaxing with drinks in the sun-drenched courtyard make this a potentially cracking option and the introduction of a draped "marquee style" banqueting and reception room now places the venue up on the A-list for local wedding options.

Photography - plenty of outdoor options from courtyard to manicured lawns to open coutryside and meadows. The banqueting suite supports photography well in daylight but slips to very subdued lighting after that so get the bulk of your photos completed before the light goes !

The hotel is situated at Bar Hill, just off the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge, approximately 30 minutes drive from Peterborough providing the busy A14 is moving well ! Very experienced in catering for up to 180 people at the service and/or reception. The reception room was very spacious and light with pleasant views over the adjacent golf course. The immaculate presentation aside, the hotel scored bonus marks for offering a small but very nice lawned area immediately outside the reception room and bar for drinks and photographs - spot on for a relaxed, sunny summer wedding !

Photography - plenty of room, plenty of light and decent outdoor options too !

The Peterborough Suite is the large "Scandinavian style" building right at the heart of the East of England Showground. The Suite is able to cater for very large wedding receptions, seating up to 300 people in the very spacious main room. Adjacent to the reception room is a small bar area and, all in all, the venue offers the more traditional feel of a venue dedicated 100% to your special day. Nothing too attractive on offer for photographs but for the drink/eat/dance element of your wedding, it delivers a well turned out and very easy to access option.

Photography - indoors is okay while the natural light pours in but very dim once it goes. Outdoors - well there really isn't an outdoors so best shoot elsewhere if you can !

Based just off the A15 between Market Deeping and Bourne, the Baskervilles Hotel offers a little known option for those prepared to take a little drive from Peterborough. Inside, the Hotel offers a very traditional reception feel with a single large room with its own bar and doors opening onto the patio and lawned area. Tables and decorations were simple but well presented and the attending staff were very friendly. Worth checking out as an option for the smaller wedding party.

Photography - neat and tidy little outdoor patio/garden area can make this a decent photo venue so long as you can get outside and use it !

The City Club is situated at the city centre end of Priestgate and offers its upstairs suite as a venue room for wedding receptions, catering for between 80 and 120 guests. I've only shot one reception here and I may have caught it on a bad day because it was untidy, and - with no air conditioning - uncomfortably hot too. There are some definite plus points, namely the professional and attentive staff and also the photogenic internal staircase but, based on my one experience, it was definitely in need of quite a few "finishing touches" to make the grade as a serious wedding reception option.

Photography - aside from the staircase, very little to aid photography indoors and no outside options other than to walk to Cathedral Square (can be fun !) or into the Cathedral grounds.

Situated adjacent to the Bretton Centre, about ten minutes north west of central Peterborough, the Cresset is licensed to accomodate civil ceremonies as well as hosting receptions in one of two spacious function rooms. In its favour, the Cresset has made real efforts to establish itself as an all round wedding venue and the staff are enthusiastic and friendly and both the service and reception rooms were immaculately presented. The big down side is that, despite their efforts, the Cresset is still an ugly, characterless building in a bleak and dour location with no outdoor options and that doesn't lend itself to a relaxed wedding reception.

Photography - roomy and reasonably lit inside and there is a very small garden hidden out front but nothing too helpful for photos.

Elton Furze golf club is situated mid-way between Peterborough and Elton, just off the old A605 Oundle Road. On my one experience of Elton Furze to date, the reception room was as immaculately presented as any I have seen anywhere - very impressive. The wedding staff were also totally tuned in and evidently eager to impress. Sadly, there was no outdoor options and our one venture out was met with a request from a golfing official to "keep it quiet" which seemed totally disrespectful for a wedding celebration. Could be good but they need to realise that a wedding reception is a vibrant celebration and shouldn't be hidden away to please the local golfers !

Photography - needs an accomodating outside option and didn't have one last time I was there !

The Parkway Social Club was formerly known as the Railway Club and is situated off Maskew Avenue, just short of PC World. No surprises with the Parkway - it's a very traditional "old-skool" social club setting but that means plenty of space, a decent bar, a very large dance-floor and a nice stage for your DJ or band. Add to that, the ease of access, ample on-site car parking space and the friendly staff and the venue certainly has plenty in its favour. Hardly the most atmospheric of venues and certainly a tough challenge to decorate but, if there's enough of you, there's certainly plenty of scope for creating a good old-fashioned wedding reception knees-up !!!

Photography - decent space and light indoors but its purely an indoor setting so shoot your formal photos elsewhere !

Situated in the heart of Stamford town, the George Hotel offers up a classic, character filled setting for civil services and receptions. Being a period building, the rooms are relatively cosy and more suitable for smaller weddings but, if the weather is in your favour, the outside grounds more than make up for that. The immaculately presented lawned area is simply idyllic for post-service drinks and early evening relaxation. The reception rooms are usually separate from the main hotel and service venue but that does provide you with some space to let the hair down. Wonderful staff as you would expect and an all round quality venue.

Photography - another venue where you have to get outside - the gardens are a must for a decent photo shoot.

Situated just outside of Oundle, on the road to Corby, the four star Benefield Wheatsheaf nestles in a quiet village with nice rear garden views over the Northamptonshire countryside. On the outside, the venue offers a nice relaxed setting with plenty of rear lawn space even if there is little by way of a purpose built wedding backdrop. The indoor reception room was clearly only capable of handling smaller receptions but the lawned area now has an excellent marquee for larger weddings. A lively team of smart hosts look after your every need and plenty of car parking space too.

Photography - well lit interiors and space outside too so the venue offers plenty of options.

Well off the beaten track but if you are seeking the ultimate dream venue for your big day then an hour's drive to the other side of Northampton is well worth it for this treasure. Everything about Fawsley Hall is out of the top draw. The location really is off the cutest of beaten tracks, the rooms are huge and full of character, the outdoor setting is fantastic and varied and the staff provide the very best care and attention throughout. Hugely popular around the Northampton and Daventry area and rightly so, but Fawsley Hall really is good enough to be on the map for any Peterborough couple who need to have perfection !

Photography - great interior settings and all sorts of options outside - top draw photographic venue !

Ufford is situated well off the beaten track mid-way between Peterborough and Stamford and The White Hart has a well earned reputation for quality dining. As a wedding venue, it offers a quiet location for a small wedding party but the cosy and fragmented layout would not lend itself to anything larger. The outside gardens are again fragmented and steeply tiered, making them less than ideal for young inquisitive kids and/or those less mobile. The sharing of locations with regular diners also did little to enhance the special day. A quality venue with great staff and food but not convinced that it has the necessary key componants for a top wedding venue.

Photography - definitely need to get outside for a decent photographic return - can deliver on a good day !

The Whitwell Hotel and Conference Centre is situated in the village of Whitwell on the A606 between the A1 and Oakham. A relatively unknown venue that really deserves to be on the radar for Peterborough weddings. The hotel is separate to the very cute service venue which in turn is separate to the reception room but all have a certain charm and it's all there - plus a very nice and expansive set of grounds for photographs and for your wedding party to lose itself in ! Having nice weather will undoubtedly help you get the most out of the venue but if you are looking for something with a little character then keep this one in mind !

Photography - a cute location that offers plenty of options indoor and out !

The Normanton Park Hotel is situated on the southern edge of Rutland Water, a short distance off the A606 between the A1 and Oakham. Definitely not your standard wedding venue in appearance, looking more like a Spanish villa with it's single storey buildings and imposing clock tower but it does offer all you could need with plenty of space inside and even more space outside with a patio and lawned area. The real bonus, however, is that you can stroll out of the grounds straight onto the shore of Rutland Water.

Photography - the grounds make this venue a winner photographically and you can even stroll along to Normanton Church for a classic photo-shoot location overlooking Rutland Water !

The Sibson Inn is perched precariously on the side of the busy northbound A1 just below Wansford but don't let that put you off ! Weddings are held in a separate building just up from the Inn which offers a couple of service room options but - best of all - an adjoining marquee entered directly from within the building. The marquee can hold up to 120 guests and offers a decent sized dancefloor. Plus marks for great service from welcoming hosts and top quality food with the only serious negative being the rather nondescript gravel patio area and barren grassed area.

Photography - decent indoor lighting, especially in the marquee but loses marks for the underwhelming outdoor options which offer little to aid wedding day photographs.