As you know, I’m very proud of my natural wedding photography style and outdoor wedding ceremonies lend themselves very well to this beautiful style! I get to capture those gorgeous moments by moving freely around the ceremony area and be able to photograph all the emotion that comes with couples declaring their love. Read on to find out all about my favourite outdoor wedding ceremony venues! In no particular order!
LATTENBURY HILL WEDDINGS
- Where are you located? Cambridgeshire, between Huntingdon and Cambridge
- Where are the outdoor ceremonies held? We have approximately 4 acres of paddocks and gardens where couples can hold their outdoor Celebrant or Humanist ceremony.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? No, as couples can get married anywhere within the venue, this allows complete flexibility for where the ceremony can be held. Get the legal bit out of the way and make your ceremony here all about the love 🙂
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? I always advise couples to plan the layout of their structure to allow enough space to hold an indoor ceremony should the weather not be on their side.
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? As above, we are in the UK so always have a plan B and make sure your hair is wind proof!!
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? I love getting to know our couples in the run up to their big day, when the bride arrives and steps out of the car, the excitement to see her in her dress, with her hair and makeup never grows old. I get butterflies every time!
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://www.lattenburyhillweddings.co.uk/
SWYNFORD MANOR
- Where are you located? Six Mile Bottom – close to Newmarket and Cambridge
- Where are the outdoor ceremonies held? On our terrace area under our Pergola
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Yes! On the terrace under the pergola for up to 150 guests
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? Yes – 2 spaces one for up to 98(the study) one for up to 148 (the garden room)
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? Make sure your decorations are wet weather back up friendly (i.e flower pieces are on pedestals that can be easily moved to an indoor ceremony, and make sure you have practiced your walk down the aisle – outside ceremonies often require a longer walk and entrance the outside ceremony space is so versatile and meant couples can really make the space their own – whether it be a rusitc vibe, traditional or super modern
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://swynfordmanor.com/
PARKGATE FARM
- Where are you located? Higher Poynton, Cheshire
- Where are the outdoor ceremonies held? We are licensed for civil ceremonies under what we call The Bower in our woodland. It is a handbuilt wooden pagoda surrounded by an amphitheater of oak trees. It is a truly magical place with an air of tranquility.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Yes!
- A celebrant you love? You can marry legally at our venue, however, some of our couples are choosing to marry first at a registry office then have a celebrant-led ceremony to say more personal vows. I highly recommend Laura at Colours and Promises. She has been booked for 2 of our couples this year and she is a wonderful celebrant. Read more about hand tie ceremonies here.
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? We are an outdoor venue and the legal part of the ceremony must be conducted under The Bower. We provide gazebos for guests to cover them in case it was raining! If you chose to have a celebrant-led ceremony then you can do this where you like so if it was extremely bad weather then we could do this under the tipis!
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? You can only control the controllable. Embrace the fact we live in England and it might rain on your wedding day! You can’t control the weather. Choose to see it as a positive, the saying tying the knot derives from the fact that a wet knot is hard to undo, so this suggests that if it rains on your wedding day your marriage will be stronger!
- What is your proudest bit of feedback from couples after they’ve had an outdoor ceremony at your venue? We only launched our venue last year, booking weddings for 2021 onwards. We are now fully booked for 2 years in advance we are looking forward to receiving all the best feedback from our couples!
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? We are so excited about the whole journey with our couples. Both Roy and I are there on the wedding day to make sure everything goes to plan and cannot wait to share the celebration! It feels like our wedding day everytime and cannot wait to make each and every wedding as special and unique as our couples.
- TO BOOK: https://www.facebook.com/parkgatefarmweddings
HORSLEY HALE FARM
- Where are you located? We are in Littleport on the rural Cambridgeshire / Norfolk border just five miles from the Cathedral City of Ely and twenty miles from Cambridge.
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? Couples are welcome to hold their ceremony anywhere on the farm! Popular spots are on the lakeside jetty, in the woods and under the festoon on our cathedral-like avenue of poplar trees.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? We don’t have a license for legal ceremonies. As a relatively new venue, we have instead been waiting for the much anticipated legislative changes which should allow couples to hold legal ceremonies pretty much anywhere.
- A celebrant you love? We have worked with lots of wonderful celebrants, each with their own unique style and approach. Two of our favorites are Jamie Walker and Kelly Hawes!
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? We always work with our couples to put a contingency bad weather plan in place using their marquee or tipi. That said, to date no couple has chosen to use it and every ceremony we have hosted has taken place in the open. There is actually something quite magical about a rainy ceremony!
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? One aspect of the elements couples sometimes overlook is the wind. Everyone worries about rain but even just a little wind can cause havoc if it hasn’t been taken into consideration. Make sure you choose your spot carefully and find out what the prevailing wind direction is likely to be so you can opt for a more sheltered space if need be. Make sure that any flowers, decorations, arches and gazebos etc. are sturdy and well tethered.
- What is your proudest bit of feedback from couples after they’ve had an outdoor ceremony at your venue? We have been thanked numerous times for helping couples to hold an outdoor ceremony which far exceeded their dreams and expectations.
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? A sea of smiling faces in the sunshine accompanied by the sound of laughter and clinking champagne glasses
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://www.horsleyhalefarm.co.uk/
SPRING FARM
- Where are you located? Newmarket Road, , Cambridgeshire, C25 9BD
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? Dovecote Cottage
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? No, we aren’t yet licensed for wedding ceremonies.
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? The barn can be used for ceremonies!
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? We are really looking forward to couples and their families enjoying the farm surroundings and meeting all the animals!
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://angliafarmshop.co.uk/Weddings-and-Events.php
CHESHIRE VIEW
- Where are you located? Christleton, Chester. 5 miles from the city centre. It’s a small village surrounded by Cheshire country side.
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? Civil ceremonies can take place in our new Gazebo. This is called our Garden room. It is fully licenced.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Yes! There are also 4 other locations at the venue to hold a legal civil ceremony!
- A celebrant you love? Our resident celebrant is Jen Walker. Read more about elopement ceremonies with Jen here!
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? There are 4 locations inside for civil ceremony’s downstairs we have the conservatory which offers wide views of the Cheshire countryside and the Littleton.
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? Have a backup location just in case it rains. But most importantly don’t let the weather ruin your day. The weather will be what it will be. I’ve seen so many brides cry on their wedding morning because of the rain, and it ruins it for them. So plan ahead. Have a second location in mind, know what it will look like and how you want it to be. So if it does rain you know you still have a lovely place to marry your partner.
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? Oh this question is so big! Firstly making the venue beautiful. Putting the venue together the way a bride has envisioned it for so long is such a magical process, then seeing her face when she walks in. that moment is lovely. Some brides plan for two years and this is the moment they have been waiting for. I love to go over every single detail and create her dream. Secondly, it’s the happiness and love and emotions that happen at weddings. Even though it’s so busy to work one, you can feel and see the emotion in the room. It’s so beautiful. Weddings after covid are going to be even more special because it’s been so long since we’ve all been together. The hugging, the photos the laughing. The memories being made. I cannot wait!
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://cheshireview.co.uk/
FURTHO MANOR FARM loves my Natural Wedding Photography style!
- Where are you located? We are located between Milton Keynes and Northampton, just in Northamptonshire but very close to the Buckinghamshire border. Furtho is half a mile off the A508 but once you come down our drive you feel miles away.
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? The gazebo at Furtho Manor Farm down on the lake is licensed by Northamptonshire Registrars for marriage and civil ceremonies. Some couples have also chosen to get married in the doorway of our wedding barn. It is just the registrars who have to be inside and the couple go inside to sign the registry book whilst guests all sit outside. If a couple chooses to do the legal part of the wedding elsewhere they can have a celebration service either using a celebrate, friend, or relative in the field outside the wedding barn.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Yes if the barn doorway and the gazebo legal ceremonies can take place outside.
- A celebrant you love? Although we are licenced I still recommend celebrants as some couples want to create their own service. The celebrants I recommend are on Instagram as @kellyhcelebrant and @janegowercelebrant
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? The wedding barn and a smaller ceremony room are both licenced.
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? Have a plan B and if it has to be used on the day just go for it and enjoy your day. You can’t change the weather.
- What is your proudest bit of feedback from couples after they’ve had an outdoor ceremony at your venue? Often, the couple and guests have lived local and never knew this beautiful spot was here remark on how they found this hidden gem!
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? I just want to see happy smiling faces again!
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://www.furthomanorfarm.co.uk/
VOCO OXFORD THAMES HOTEL
This beautiful venue hold outdoor wedding ceremonies under their pagoda right by the river Thames. STUNNING!
TO BOOK: https://oxfordthames.vocohotels.com/weddings/
WILLOW GRANGE FARM
- Where are you located? In Chittering, between Ely and Cambridge
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? We have a gorgeous Oak pergoda for licenced outdoor ceremonies. There are some beautiful backdrops for blessings/ celebrant, such as the long grass in the glampsite, the orchard with wildflowers, we even have one couple that want to have their ceremony in the carpark as they love the industrial vibe.
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Yes, we are licenced in The Silo Barn and The Oak Pergoda
- A celebrant you love? I love Katie The Celebrant! She is so vibrant!
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? The Silo barn is the perfect wet weather backup. It’s pretty special!
- What is your biggest piece of advice for couples considering an outdoor wedding ceremony? Love the indoor option as much as the outdoor setting. The British weather is unpredictable and you may have no choice in where your ceremony takes place!
- What is your proudest bit of feedback from couples after they’ve had an outdoor ceremony at your venue? Thank you for the most magical day. The farm has such a special feel to it.
- What are you most looking forward to about hosting weddings again? Seeing the love and joy around the farm, and of course the party!
- TO BOOK VISIT: https://www.willowgrangefarm.com/
SOUTH FARM – Natural Wedding Photography
I love shooting weddings at South Farm! They have a gorgeous arrangement for legal outdoor wedding ceremonies inside their pargoda but they do also have an indoor area incase of wet weather!
- Where are you located? Located on the borders of Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire South Farm is the perfect choice for a romantic countryside wedding. With stunning gardens, elegant barn buildings and a charming farm it’s a unique setting for indoor and outdoor weddings alike. Weddings can take place in the garden summer house or in a choice of four gorgeous indoor spaces, all of which are licensed for civil ceremonies. Couples can enjoy South Farm’s stunning setting in complete privacy as the entire venue is reserved exclusively for your for the duration of your wedding.
- Where is the outdoor wedding ceremony held? If you have your heart set on an outdoor ceremony the friendly South Farm team will also ask you to choose one of the indoor space as a wet weather option and if needed the team will set up both for you on your wedding day so the final decision can be made close to the time of the ceremony!
- Is the outdoor wedding ceremony legal? Weddings can take place in the garden summer house or in a choice of four gorgeous indoor spaces, all of which are licensed for civil ceremonies.
- Indoor wedding ceremony alternative? Yes!
- What is your proudest bit of feedback from couples after they’ve had an outdoor ceremony at your venue? “We fell in love with South Farm the very first time we visited it and we had the most beautiful, fun, and perfect wedding there. We were extremely lucky with the weather and had the most stunning setting for an outdoors wedding. You will honestly not find a better venue or place to get married than South Farm, we could not recommend it more!The venue is a magic, special and completely unique, you have to visit to completely understand it. We have had so many compliments from all our guests on how much they loved the venue, the food and they had such a great time! The food is really exquisite, organic and local, and South Farm is very flexible to adapt to what you really want. The food, just like the service, couldn’t be better. We had some challenges with some guests’ diet requirements and as Spanish I wanted to have some Spanish food too. South Farm were more than happy to help us and follow some of the recipes I provided. My family complimented this, and were surprised it was really good! The staff are warm, friendly and they put a great amount of effort and thought into everything, means we didn’t feel at all stressed! -Andrea & Steve
TO BOOK VISIT: https://www.south-farm.co.uk/
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this blog helps you to plan your amazing outdoor wedding ceremony! Please contact me for any further supplier recommendations as I would be so happy to help!
Check out another blog showing the beautiful Horsley Hale Farm Weddings here!
Natural Wedding Photography
