Today Sarah Illingworth, photographer at Mirror Imaging and I visited Norwood Park, Southwell with a view to us hiring it for makeup makeovers and photo shoots.
It was a lovely summer's afternoon and the scent of the mature lavendar bushes infront of the house came alive with nectar gathering bees. Standing on the terrace, where I imagine many a wedding party has gathered to toast the happy bride and groom, you can fully appreciate the beautifully maintained Norwood Park gardens and grounds, incorporating the quintessentially English cricket pitch and pavilion, lake and Southwell's famous Bramley apple tree orchards.
The house itself is splendid; it felt like we had stepped back to a time reminiscent of the Gatsby era. Each room has it's own elegance and charm; from the magnificent entrance hall infused with the heady fragrance of white lilies; the light-filled drawing room where couples can exchange their marriage vows; the fabulous four-poster bedded honeymoon suite; the characterful bedrooms - each one individually styled to perfection with numerous artefacts and treasures; to the quietude and comfort of the library filled from floor to ceiling with books with old fashioned typewriter.
Sarah and I were inspired. Norwood Park is the perfect venue not only for wedding celebrations but also for pre-wedding photographic engagement shoots, bridal portraits and elegant boudoir photography. Girls, picture yourself having a dream sitting where you are your beauty ideal being photographed against this wonderful backdrop of house and garden.
Wedding or no wedding, wouldn't that just be the most romantic , sexy gift for a lover or husband- to-be?