Cockley Wood Wedding Photographer

Hi, I’m Dave, a wedding photographer based in West Yorkshire. I love a relaxed, outdoorsy wedding where people can wander, play and enjoy themselves, and I photograph them in a natural, unposed way so your pictures feel like the day actually felt.

Looking for a wedding photographer for Cockley Wood? It’s a woodland venue on the hills between Huddersfield and Wakefield, eight acres of old trees with a covered ceremony area, a double tipi, shepherd’s huts and firepits. It’s a wonderful place to photograph, with soft light under the leaves and something lovely around every corner.

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Cockley Wood at a Glance

  • Setting: Around eight acres of mature woodland dating back to the 1790s
  • Location: Liley Lane, Grange Moor, on the hills between Huddersfield and Wakefield
  • Guests: Up to 120 seated in the double tipi, and up to 150 in the evening
  • Ceremonies: Celebrant-led, in a private, covered ceremony area in the woods
  • Bars: Two serviced bars, one in the tipi and one in a shepherd’s hut
  • Catering: Choose from the venue’s recommended caterers or bring your own
  • Exclusivity: A maximum of one wedding a week
  • Parking: Free parking for around 30 cars, plus space for two coaches
  • Staying nearby: Three Acres Inn is about 3.7 miles away

Photographing a Wedding at Cockley Wood

A Cockley Wood day runs at an easy pace. At Katie and Jake’s wedding the ceremony was at two, grazing tables went out around three, evening guests arrived any time between five and seven, and the first dance was at nine. With no formal sit-down meal to work around, there’s lots of flexibility, and I can fit portraits in whenever the light and the mood are right. I always arrive at least forty minutes before the ceremony so I can see how the light is falling in the ceremony area and say hello to everyone.

The heart of Cockley Wood is the ceremony area: a covered space in the trees with woven willow walls, handmade woodland seating and festoon lights overhead. It’s north facing, so the light is soft and even rather than harsh, which is great for faces. I like to be at the front during the vows so I can see your expressions, and there’s room to move around quietly without anyone noticing me.

Katie walking into the woodland ceremony area at Cockley Wood with her dad

At Katie and Jake’s wedding the first kiss happened under an arch draped in green fabric and greenery, and it looked fantastic against the trees. The signing table is a big slice of log, which makes for a lovely detail picture too.

Katie and Jake's first kiss under the green-draped arch at Cockley Wood
Katie and Jake signing at the log table in the Cockley Wood ceremony area

For couple portraits I head off into the wood itself. In late spring and summer the leaves make a big green canopy, so there’s no squinting into the sun and the light stays gentle all afternoon. There’s a twisted willow arch, paths lined with ferns and festoon lights strung between the trees, all within a couple of minutes’ walk. I usually take about twenty to thirty minutes for portraits, often split into two shorter visits so you’re not away from your guests for long.

Katie and Jake under a twisted willow arch in Cockley Wood, West Yorkshire
Katie's veil flowing out as she and Jake kiss under the willow arch at Cockley Wood
Katie and Jake walking through the ferns in Cockley Wood

Group pictures work well on the open ground beside the ceremony area, where there’s room to get everyone in with the trees behind them. It’s also a great spot for the big all-guests picture, with plenty of space for a good cheer.

All the wedding guests cheering in a group photo among the trees at Cockley Wood

Because the day is so relaxed, the reception is full of natural moments: lawn games, grazing tables, hugs and catch-ups. I spend a lot of that time simply wandering and catching people enjoying themselves. If you’re bringing a dog, let me know and we’ll get some pictures together early on before they head home.

Katie and Jake with their dog Bruno on a woodland path at Cockley Wood
A guest laughing as the giant Jenga tower wobbles at the wedding

In the evening the party moves into the double tipi, which is dressed with fairy lights. It gets properly dark in the wood, so I bring lighting for the first dance and the dancefloor to keep everything sharp and full of atmosphere.

Katie and Jake's first dance in the tipi at Cockley Wood

If it rains, the ceremony area and the tipi are both covered, so the day carries on. The trees give a surprising amount of shelter too, and a few brollies under the canopy can make for lovely pictures.

A Short History of Cockley Wood

Cockley Wood is a mature woodland that dates back to the 1790s and was once part of the Whitley Beaumont Estate. It’s run by the Smith family, who ran a construction business for thirty years before buying the land and turning their hand to hosting weddings.

They follow a ten-year woodland management plan to look after the plants and wildlife, and the weddings help fund that work. Their plans for the future include powering weddings with renewable energy from wind and solar. In 2025 the venue won two SME News Northern Enterprise Awards, including Best Woodland Wedding Venue in Yorkshire.

Location of Cockley Wood

Cockley Wood Weddings and Celebrations, Ninevah Farm, Liley Lane, Grange Moor, Wakefield WF4 4EN. It sits on the hills between Huddersfield and Wakefield, with Dewsbury, Horbury and Huddersfield all close by. Parking is limited, so the venue recommends booking taxis or arranging transport for guests in advance.

Real Weddings at Cockley Wood

Katie & Jake

Katie laughing with Jake as she holds her wildflower bouquet in the woodland

A relaxed June wedding with homemade flowers, giant Jenga, a first dance in the tipi and their dog Bruno at the ceremony. Read Katie and Jake’s Cockley Wood wedding story.

Why Choose Cockley Wood?

Cockley Wood suits couples who want to be outdoors and want the day to feel like their own. With exclusive use, a choice of caterers and plenty of room to personalise everything from the decor to the food, there’s no fixed formula to follow.

Because there’s only one wedding a week and three days set aside for each, there’s time to set up properly and make the space your own. Katie and Jake brought homemade decor and flowers made by Katie and her mum, and it all looked right at home among the trees. It’s a venue that rewards a bit of imagination.

It also has the practical side covered: covered spaces for the ceremony and the party, two bars, good toilets, firepits and lighting. For a woodland wedding, that combination is hard to beat.

Jake kissing Katie's forehead under festoon lights at Cockley Wood
Katie and Jake laughing with friends as the evening begins

Cockley Wood Wedding Questions

The venue seats up to 120 guests in the double tipi, with up to 150 guests in the evening.

Ceremonies at Cockley Wood are led by a celebrant, and the venue works with recommended celebrants who offer things like hand fasting, jumping the broom and unity candles. Celebrant-led ceremonies aren’t legally binding in England on their own, so couples usually do the legal paperwork at a register office separately. Check the details with the venue when you book.

The ceremony area and the double tipi are both covered, so the day can carry on whatever the weather. The tree canopy gives some shelter for portraits too.

Yes. The venue publishes a list of recommended caterers, from barbecues and grazing tables to wood-fired pizza and three-course meals, or you can bring your own.

There is free parking for around 30 cars and two large coaches. The gate is locked overnight, so cars left behind are collected the next day between 10:30am and midday. Taxis need booking in advance, as Uber isn’t an option out in the countryside.

The venue doesn’t list rooms on its website, but it does list nearby places to stay, including the Three Acres Inn about 3.7 miles away and hotels in Huddersfield and Brighouse.

The venue hosts a maximum of one wedding a week, with three days set aside for each wedding.

I usually suggest twenty to thirty minutes in total. At Cockley Wood I like to split that into two short visits into the woods, one in the afternoon and one later on, so you get variety in the light and plenty of time with your guests.

My favourites are the willow arch and the fern-lined paths for couple portraits, the ceremony area under the festoon lights, and the tipi in the evening once the fairy lights are on.

Planning a wedding near Wakefield? Have a look at my Wakefield wedding photography page for more venues nearby, my prices, and answers to the questions couples ask me most.

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More Yorkshire Wedding Venues

If you are still choosing your venue, have a look at my guide to the best wedding venues in Yorkshire.