Sedgewell Barn Wedding Photographer

Hi, I’m Dave, a relaxed, documentary wedding photographer based near Castleford in West Yorkshire. I love weddings where people can just get on and enjoy themselves, and I’ll capture the day as it really happens, with very little posing and plenty of laughter.

Sedgewell Barn is a family-run farm venue three miles west of Northallerton, with two barns, a cobbled courtyard and 60 acres of open farmland running out towards the Yorkshire Dales. I photographed Sophie and James’s wedding here on a warm July day, and it’s the kind of place where a wedding really does feel like a weekend with your favourite people.

Looking for a wedding photographer for Sedgewell Barn? See if I’m free on your date, or have a look at my packages.

Sophie and James at sunset over the fields at Sedgewell Barn near Northallerton

Sedgewell Barn at a Glance

  • Where: Sedgefield House Farm, near Ainderby Steeple, three miles west of Northallerton, DL7 9JY
  • Setting: 60 acres of family-run farmland, with views from the Celebration Barn over to the Yorkshire Dales
  • Ceremonies: Licensed for civil ceremonies. The Rustic Barn seats up to 80, the Celebration Barn up to 150, and celebrant-led ceremonies are welcome
  • Church nearby: St Helen’s Church, Ainderby Steeple, is a ten-minute walk away
  • Guest numbers: Up to 150 in the Celebration Barn for the meal and the evening
  • Staying over: Eleven glamping pods with hot tubs, plus The Nest, for the couple and up to 45 guests, for two or three nights, included in the venue hire
  • Getting ready: The Nest is set up as a getting-ready suite on the morning, then turned into your honeymoon suite
  • Food and drink: A dry-hire venue: choose from six preferred caterers or bring your own, with a bar run by Louisianna’s in the Celebration Barn
  • Dogs: Welcome, and they can join the ceremony and the photos
Red vintage double-decker wedding bus on the country lane near Sedgewell Barn

Photographing a Wedding at Sedgewell Barn

Because everyone can stay on site, the morning at Sedgewell Barn is lovely and unhurried. Sophie got ready with her bridesmaids, and I spent the morning catching the laughs in the kitchen, the matching pyjamas, the toast on the big green sofa and the quiet moment with the earrings in the mirror. There’s room to move without getting under anyone’s feet, which suits the way I work.

Sophie and a bridesmaid sharing a toast on the green sofa at Sedgewell Barn
Sophie laughing with a bridesmaid on the sofa during wedding morning prep

Sophie and James married at St Michael and All Angels in North Otterington, then came back to the barn on a red vintage bus. If you’d rather keep everything in one place, both barns are licensed for ceremonies, and St Helen’s in Ainderby Steeple is a short walk down the road.

Sophie and James walking back down the aisle at St Michael and All Angels Church

Drinks happen out in the courtyard, under the festoon lights, and it’s a brilliant time for natural pictures of your guests catching up. I borrow the bridal party for a few group pictures while everyone is relaxed, and the open fields make a big, simple backdrop that lets a large line-up shine.

Black and white picture of the bridal party outside the barn at Sedgewell Barn

Inside the barn, the white drapes and timber walls give soft, even light for the speeches, which is exactly what you want when the room is in stitches. Sophie and James did their speeches before the meal, so everyone could relax and enjoy the food afterwards, and I could concentrate on all the reactions around the tables.

A guest laughing out loud during the wedding speeches in the barn

For portraits I took Sophie and James out twice, for around twenty minutes in total: once in the golden light of the early evening by an old wooden fence with the trees and the house behind, and again at the edge of the fields as the sun went down. The farmland is open in every direction, so there’s space and sky wherever you look, and the sunset over the fields is something special. With the Signature and Complete packages we pop out for fifteen minutes of twilight portraits too.

Sophie and James at golden hour by the wooden fence at Sedgewell Barn, North Yorkshire
Sophie laughing with her bridesmaids in the churchyard at North Otterington

The two barns are interlinked and the Byre forms the entrance, so if the weather turns, everything is close together and nobody has far to go. Sophie and James had sunshine all day, so if you’re worried about rain, ask the team about their wet-weather setup when you look round.

Location of Sedgewell Barn

Sedgewell Barn is at Sedgefield House Farm, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 9JY, about a ten-minute drive from the A1(M). From junction 51, head east on the A684 towards Northallerton, then follow the brown Sedgewell Barn signs. Bedale and Northallerton are the nearest towns.

One tip worth passing on to your guests: the venue says satnav won’t bring you to the entrance, so use the what3words address ///cabin.campers.craftsman and follow the weddings and events signs on site.

Guests mingling in the barn before the wedding breakfast at Sedgewell Barn

Planning Your Sedgewell Barn Wedding Day

A few things I’d suggest, from the photography side of the day. First, think about the light. The best portraits here come in the last couple of hours before sunset, so if your timings allow, keep a little gap in the evening for a quick walk out to the fields. In high summer that can be late, and it’s well worth it.

Second, because Sedgewell Barn is dry hire, your caterer, bar and planner all work from the same running order. Share your timings with everyone early, including me, and the day flows beautifully. Sophie and James did speeches before the meal, which kept the room relaxed and gave me lovely light inside the barn.

Third, if your dog is joining in, ask a friend or family member to look after them for the day, so they can bring them over for the ceremony and a few pictures, then take them for a walk while you enjoy the drinks. And send your guests the what3words address with their invitations, because satnav won’t find the entrance.

Finally, use the afternoon before. Being able to decorate the barns the day before means the morning of the wedding can be all about getting ready, and that’s when some of the best, most natural pictures happen. Get in touch and I’m happy to help you plan the timings around the light.

Real Weddings at Sedgewell Barn

Sophie & James

Sophie grew up in Northallerton, and she and James came home to get married. They chose browns, greens and creams, a red vintage bus, food by Dom’s Kitchen and a dance floor that never emptied. It was one of those days where everyone seemed to be laughing, from the first glass of fizz to the last song. See Sophie & James’s Sedgewell Barn wedding.

Sophie and James with their bridal party in browns and creams at Sedgewell Barn
Guests raising their glasses for a toast in the barn at Sedgewell Barn

Why Choose Sedgewell Barn?

It’s a true blank canvas. You can decorate the barns the afternoon before, pick your own caterer and suppliers, and the in-house planners coordinate everyone and are there on the day, so it feels personal without you having to run it all yourselves.

The accommodation makes it. With the pods and The Nest yours for two or three nights, your closest people can stay on site, and a wedding easily turns into a whole weekend together. Add the dogs being welcome, the courtyard drinks and that sunset over the fields, and it’s a really happy, relaxed place to get married.

Guests laughing around the table at the wedding breakfast in Sedgewell Barn

Sedgewell Barn Wedding Questions

Yes. I photographed Sophie and James’s wedding here in July, with a church ceremony at St Michael and All Angels in North Otterington and the reception, portraits and party at the barn.

Yes. The venue is licensed for civil ceremonies, with the Rustic Barn for up to 80 guests and the Celebration Barn for up to 150, and celebrant-led ceremonies are welcome. St Helen’s Church in Ainderby Steeple is a ten-minute walk away.

The Celebration Barn holds up to 150 for the ceremony, the meal and the evening. The on-site accommodation sleeps the couple plus up to 45 guests.

Yes. The eleven glamping pods and The Nest are yours for two or three nights, for you and up to 45 guests, and the venue says the accommodation is included in the hire.

Out on the farmland. I love the old wooden fence with the trees and the house behind for early evening light, and the edge of the fields at sunset. Portraits take about twenty minutes, so you’re not away from your guests for long.

The two barns are interlinked and the Byre forms the entrance, so everything is close together. I’ve only had sunshine there so far, so it’s worth asking the team about their wet-weather setup when you visit.

My packages start at £1,300, with discounts for winter weddings (October to March) and midweek weddings. Everything that’s included is on my prices page.

Around 800 edited pictures from a full day, in an online gallery within three weeks.

Looking at other venues near Northallerton? Have a look at High Brockholme Barns at Danby Wiske, a converted barn on a hilltop just north of the town.

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More Yorkshire Wedding Venues

Still looking at venues in North Yorkshire? Have a look at Thief Hall and Aldwark Manor, or browse all the Yorkshire wedding venues I’ve photographed.