Five reasons to consider Roma Orchard for your outdoor wedding venue from a photographer’s perspective.
On 24.02.24, I was lucky enough to capture Brooke and Jack’s wedding at a venue that I had not previously been to before: Roma Orchard. This is out of my regular shoot area in the Upper Hunter as it is roughly 3 hours away from home for me, but I am so glad I took this booking to discover a new favorite. Nicole and I enjoyed the venue so much that we have both agreed we will have to come back just to camp at this venue for a few days, tied into a few more days at our regular spot around the corner at Lake Glenbawn. Here is some insight into Roma Orchard for couples who would like an outdoor, DIY venue to build the day of their dreams from the perspective of a wedding photographer. The wedding day was overcast all day, with a very slight shower just as the ceremony concluded.
Preparation - Two Separate Accommodations
Roma Orchard has two amazing buildings on their grounds that allow a couple to stay in separate accommodations the night before the wedding and have separate places to get ready on the morning of your wedding day. The best part about these two buildings is they are far enough away to not accidentally run into your partner or see them on the morning of the wedding, but they are close enough to walk between if you had forgotten your phone charger or needed to borrow some toothpaste. Both have all the regular requirements of accommodations such as showers and kitchens, but from the perspective of a photographer they both had great access to light and different locations within and just outside of each building.
I was able to meet Jack at the Lodge and capture him getting ready with his best man in a bedroom, followed up by some quick photos just outside of their accommodations against hedges and in a small field. The boys were then able to pass some time whilst they waited for the girls to get ready by playing a game of pool on the provided table in the heart of the Lodge. We then drove 30 seconds to Roma Cottage where we met Brooke and her team getting ready. We kicked off with a champagne pop outside surrounded by amazing trees, shielded from the view of the boys. We then decided to take a range of dress photos in 3 separate locations in this building. Then it was time to get Brooke ready, we decided to do this in the light-filled sunroom. We easily maneuvered furnishings out of the way to build an amazing looking space for photos with her bridesmaids and family.
TLDR: Both accommodations are close to each other, but far enough away for privacy, both have a number of great shoot locations, both have good lighting options
Ceremony - Absolute Goals
There are a number of locations for ceremony options at Roma Orchard, but I was so excited that Jack and Brooke had chosen the campgrounds area. The entire space is surrounded by perfectly planted and grown Paulownia trees that make you feel like you have stepped onto a film set of the Lord of the Rings. The trees create amazing leading lines in almost any direction that you look, provide shade from the sun for your guests and in our instance protected us from a small rain shower that came past just after their ceremony had finished. This spot was so nice that we completed the group photo, family photos and even bridal party and couple photos all in this one location. This significantly reduced travel time required which can eat into your wedding day if you are having to drive to a number of locations. This helped us finish photos early, allowing the couple to go and join their guests for part of Cocktail hour, whilst we waited for the sun to set a bit more for more photo opportunities later in the afternoon. There is also a purpose-built bathroom building within this area so your guests can feel comfortable knowing amenities are close by which is not often provided at outdoor wedding locations. This would be an extra hire cost of a portaloo if you considered other DIY venues.
TLDR: Amazingly planted trees to create a beautiful space, Shade from sun and light rain, amenities building for bathroom use for guests, reduced travel time for photo location so you can enjoy more of your day.
Photoshoot Locations - Too many of them
In almost any direction that you look at this venue, you will find a spot to take an amazing photo. On Brooke and Jack’s wedding day, we broke this up into key areas we wanted to take photos in: The Paulownia Trees, the Vineyard, and the Dam. Each of these locations was within walking distance of one another across fairly level ground to help reduce you working up a sweat on your wedding day, and as you move between each of these areas you will find other photo opportunities along the way such as the bridge that crosses the brook. We started in the Paulownia trees for the ceremony and completed the group photo, family photos, bridal party photos and couple photos in this location. We then began to move back to the Main Lodge area and took the bridge crossing as a photo opportunity for Brooke, Jack and their dog Billy. The vineyard is located one minute away from the bridge and we captured some more bridal party photos here. This was a great spot for a champagne pop. Later in the afternoon, located just behind the vineyard is a dam with a small jetty. This was a nice spot for Jack and Brooke to practice their first dance away from the eyes of their guests and made for some great drone shots as can be seen in their wedding highlight video we produced for the couple. Just next to the dam is the main road, whilst the couple spotted us, and Nicole and I spotted them we quickly took some photos that showcased the beautiful landscape that Roma Orchard is surrounded by. These became some of my favorite photos of the day.
TLDR: Heaps of photo locations all super close to one another.
Dogs - Bring all the dogs!
Roma Orchard is pet-friendly. Brooke and Jack made use of this and not only invited their closest friends but their dog Billy’s closest friends as well. We tried to snap a picture of each dog guest at this wedding as well. Pets are our family and it is amazing when they can be included on your wedding day.
Accommodation for Guests - Let everyone stay at your venue
This one’s not photography-related but something we notice at heaps of weddings we shoot: There’s nothing worse than trying to get home after a wedding when you are in the middle of nowhere. As wedding photographers, Nicole and I always talk about the day on the way home together and go over pros and cons of each day. One con that always sticks out is trying to ensure your guests get home safely at the end of each wedding. Because Roma Orchard provides campgrounds, your guests can stay on site after your wedding has concluded for the evening. This means you don’t have to organize a bus or another form of transportation at the end of your night. There are also a number of beds available in the lodge for any guests who can’t camp or require a more comfortable form of accommodation
TLDR: Guests can crash on-site after your big day
Bonus reason: Covered for a range of temperatures
This wasn’t something I considered directly on the day of Brooke and Jack’s wedding because we were fairly lucky with the temperature being comfortable all day. If your wedding day is a bit warm, however, guests have the ability to dip their feet into the running brook which is where you would find me if I camped at Roma Orchard during Summer. They also have a massive communal fireplace just outside of the Lodge as well to cover those colder evenings.
Nicole and I made a weekend out of Brooke and Jack’s wedding as we stayed in Muswellbrook the night before and the night of the wedding. We would both love another reason to come out to capture couples weddings at this location again in the future! Feel free to get in contact and we can walk you through how we have captured their wedding day in more detail to help you plan your wedding at Roma Orchard. To get in contact with Roma Orchard find their website here at: https://www.theorchardlodge.com.au/
