If you are searching for Stonehurst at Hampton Valley wedding photos at the Mansion, dig no deeper.
As a photographer, when I look at Laura and Abe’s Stonehurst at Hampton Valley photos at the Mansion, I get chills! Their day was filled with love, laughter, beautiful green backdrops, a romantic ceremony site, the most intentional gift exchanges, and a foundation for the best partnership around.
Anytime I photograph at Stonehurst, I know it’s going to be a beautiful day, and nothing quite compares to the Mansion at Stonehurst! The property is set upon 90 beautiful acres, with carefully sculpted gardens, that are lush with hydrangeas, boxwoods, and other foliage during the summer months! They make the perfect backdrop for portraits. The outside architecture resembles a traditional post and beam swiss chalet but also showcases a gorgeous stone facade. However, the moment you walk inside the wrought iron doors of the Mansion, you are met by the most stunning and modern set of stairs, flanked down the hall by a beautiful stone fireplace and clean, crisp, recently renovated reception space. The contrast between traditional and modern elements make the Mansion at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley a must consider wedding venue for 120 guests or less.
It’s also important to note that Stonehurst is a full service wedding venue. They provide the space, catering and coordination. Their team, many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with (Jenna, Kayla, and Francesca were all AMAZING), take the time to ensure every detail is considered and they go the extra mile for their couples, AND their vendors. They’re truly amazing.
MUST SEE: Stonehurst at Hampton Valley Getting Ready Suites
The natural light filled getting ready suite at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley’s Mansion is by far my all time favorite getting ready space. The custom hair and makeup stations provide a refined yet practical elegance and the remainder of the space is great for your wedding attendants relaxation and photos once you are wearing your gown, suit or other outfit! It is so open and bright! Add to that the fact that Stonehurst knows the value of fueling yourselves on a wedding day, they provide both partners with lunch for their attendants and some cheeky mimosas. Getting ready on site at your ceremony and reception space has countless benefits. PS – totally worth noting: Stonehurst is a DOG FRIENDLY venue!
The OTHER suite (YES they have TWO), is modern with striking light. They infuse several industrial elements with traditionally rustic but playful elements like whisky barrels. The mirrors, sky lights, and furniture all add to a fantastic vibe. The matte black hardware is the icing on the cake and don’t get me started on the stunning harsh light coming from the slider doors to the balcony. Abe and his side of the wedding party used the space to relax and play Catan before getting ready!
Lush Greenery for a first Look and family formals
There is so much beautiful green space behind the Mansion for first looks! Out front is an architecturally stunning area, but to give the feeling of more intimacy and privacy, many couples opt for first looks in the grass, along the tree line with large stones scattered around which provide visual interest, where you can hear the Little River flowing. Laura and Abe had a deeply heartfelt first look; they were joined by their pup Emmy at one point, and Abe gifted Laura with a handcrafted gift that was truly born out of love and excitement for spending the rest of his life with her! These emotions – this is what I will capture for you, and this is the type of emotion, privacy, and love that Stonehurst lends itself towards. Toward the left side of the green space is an area with beautiful tall trees, which I have seen ceremonies happen under, right past a beautiful wrought iron fence, is where we opted to take family photos away from the hot sun!
Ceremonies at the Little River at Stonehurst
So…. the Little River is quite possibly my favorite ceremony site at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley. Weddings that take place there are PERFECT! In recent years they have upgraded to a cement walkway and pebbled area for chairs which made it wonderfully accessible in my opinion! It also makes it more weather proof! Even if it rained the day before, you don’t need to worry about your shoes, dress, heels, walker, anything sinking into grass or mud! HOWEVER, you are still surrounded by lush greenery and light that finds it way through leaves and wraps around everyone in the space SO beautifully. This was true of Laura and Abe’s Day! The backdrop was perfect, Green Valley Floral designs delivered as always, and there was so much raw emotion I was tearing up behind my cameras.
Cocktail Hour at Stonehurst Mansion: An opportunity to get creative!
Cocktail hour at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley *at the mansion* is amazing. In this post about the Barns at Stonehurst I talked about how amazing the food was and that’s true of the Mansion too. The catering team for Stonehurst is UNREAL – from mini philly egg rolls to teeny tiner sliders, and literally anything and everything under the sun they are amazing. Seriously, I aspire to only make cheeseburgers with their perfect burger to pickle ratio. This cocktail hour was highly unique though! Because among the passed hors ‘devours there were also axes flying around! Laura bustled her dress in the getting ready suite (and took a moment to survey the event from above with Abe), and then the newly married couple took to the Axe throwing games!! Litchfield County axe house is unreal for this. I didn’t realize they had a mobile axe throwing truck and it’s crazy cool! Seriously. It was such a highlight for all of the guests, everyone got into it!
Inside The Mansion at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley
Later that evening Laura and Abe had a wonderfully intimate reception that really spoke to who they are and what they enjoy as a couple! They opted for a first dance, and a really awesome concept: simultaneous parent/family member dances! It was super cool and really fitting for them. After that Laura and Abe paid serious homage to their favorite board games *if you recognize the game that the table settings belong to, comment below* and they rolled the dice to decide which table numbers would do certain things first, and then, before their final unique surprise of the night, they cut their cake!….
THE FINAL SURPRISE….
Laura and Abe are much more ice cream people and all about ice cream then they are about cake… so they had the MilkCraft Ice cream truck with their famous bubble cones!! Let me tell you, Laura is onto something with that blue cookie flavor. It was amazing. It was such a cool way to share their favorite dessert with their guests! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box – and don’t underestimate the value of a venue who is willing to work with your ideas and accommodate axe throwing and food trucks!
Some dancing and a few night photos!
This was the perfect end to a wonderful day. It was so full of emotion and love, and friends and family who were excited to be a part of the day and celebrate two lives coming together! One last key item to note, is that the Mansion has way too many amazing places for night portraits. We could have gone to every single one if we wanted to, but we prioritizes with a few high impact places that best suited Laura and Abe (you’ll notice them in the axe throwing trailer!). From the stonework and tall grasses out back, to the balconies (yes PLURAL) to the front of the building with it’s beautiful stone and wrought iron architecture and around the rest of the gardens, the options are limitless. If night photos are important to you, this is a great place to celebrate your wedding! Night photos round out an heirloom album that tells the story of your day in such a natural and intuitive way as well! So, consider the Mansions! You’ll be glad that you did! PS – peep the night sky in the final night portrait!
Full Vendor Team
Venue and Catering – Stonehurst at Hampton Valley (@stonehursthv)
Photography – Catherine Johanna Photography (me!)
Florist – Green Valley Floral Designs (previously known as GGF)
Hair and Makeup – Smudge Makeup
DJ: DJ Marty and Company
Cake: Chocolate Rose Bakeshop
Dress: The Persnickety Bride by Lillian West
Ice cream Truck: Milk Craft Milk Truck
Axe throwing: Litchfield County Mobile Axe Throwing
Transport: Post Road Stages, Inc.
A few more important facts about Stonehurst at Hampton Valley
- Stonehurst is a full service wedding venue – this means you can spend the WHOLE day there without having to get transport from one place to another – getting ready suites, ceremony venues, reception venues, catering, and coordination!
- If you want even more space, with two totally different feels, you can do a Full Buyout for both the Mansion, and the Barns! Look at a wedding at the Barns, here!
- Music can be played inside of the barns / mansion all the way until 11:30!!
- SH supplies tables and chairs for weddings (with an option to add on napkins and linens).
- The mansion has AC and heat.
- In January every year, they host a tasting for couples.
Are you thinking about the Mansion for your wedding? They have visits and tours by appointment only, here! Inquire away.
119 Providence Turnpike, Hampton CT, 06247
https://www.stonehursthamptonvalley.com/
Barns’ Capacity – 299 (Mansion – 120)
Includes: Venue, Catering and Coordination
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