Sophie Mort Photography

This blog was inspired by two pieces written by Jemma on her beautiful website: A Guide to Wedding Flower Installations and Your Stately Home Wedding: A Guide to Florals and Styling

What is a wedding floral installation?

Floral installations bring a sense of artistry and atmosphere that goes far beyond traditional arrangements. They’re large-scale, sculptural designs created specifically for a location. These statement pieces are typically fixed in place and crafted to suit the unique shape, features, and mood of your venue. Well-chosen wedding flower installations can highlight a stately home’s architectural features, create beautiful photo moments, and tie the whole floral scheme together.

Think of installations as floral art: a grand arch to frame your vows, cascading flowers down a staircase, or greenery suspended from a ceiling. They are often more complex to design and install, but the impact is unforgettable.

Sophie Mort Photography

How flower installations elevate stately home weddings

The grandeur of stately home weddings means high ceilings, vast rooms, and dramatic staircases. Make the most of every inch of your venue by using the venue’s existing architecture, grand fireplaces, sweeping staircases, and decorative ceilings—as a focal point for floral installations. Tall statement pieces can draw the eye upwards, complementing tablescapes and smaller arrangements used elsewhere.

Appreciate, respect and take inspiration from your wedding venue’s architecture and decor

This is where hiring a florist experienced in stately homes becomes so important. Jemma Khan understands the challenges and opportunities a stately home wedding location brings: from incorporating your venue’s gardens’ own seasonal blooms into your indoor arrangements, to working under strict conditions to preserve the venue itself. The owners of stately homes care deeply about preserving their venues’ features, from centuries-old flooring to humidity levels and more!

Bridgette Ibbotson Photography at Holesfoot Cumbria

Yes, you can have sustainable wedding flowers in a stately home

When I spoke to Jemma Khan I learned so much about wedding floristry, not least the steps taken to provide sustainable flower installations and arrangements with as little waste as possible. Seasonal, eco-conscious designs not only enhance the romance of your chosen estate but also reflect thoughtful values, ensuring your day feels both indulgent and responsible. Jemma works without floral foam, sourcing seasonal flowers designed to last: even for three-day wedding weekends where flowers can be repurposed. She even offers a bunching-up service after your wedding, gathering used flowers into beautiful bouquets to be taken home.

Where do wedding flower installations work best?

Every stately home wedding venue is different. A visit will show you the heart and soul of the space you’ve chosen: perhaps a grand entrance hall, breathtaking ballroom or exquisite courtyards are a highlight. Many have sweeping staircases which suit floral installations perfectly. Your stately home wedding florist will advise you where to place flowers to the greatest effect for your specific venue.

Types of wedding flower installations for luxury country houses and stately homes

Flower arches: can be can be full and abundant or wild and asymmetrical, depending on your style.

Use flower arch installations to complement entranceways, grand gates and church steps, or as a backdrop to your ceremony.

A “broken” arch means two asymmetrical pieces, for a more natural, romantic look

Cascading flowers: down a grand hallway staircase or at the entrance to your venue, these are luxurious and dramatic, perfect for heritage homes and elegant manor houses.

at Birdsall House

Analogue and Light at Capesthorne Hall

Desiree A North at Tortworth Court

Cornerhouse Photography

Emilie May Photo

As an experienced stately home florist, Jemma Khan has designed wedding flowers at some of the UK’s most breathtaking estates, including Chatsworth House, Dorfold Hall, Birdsall House, and Boughton House.

Further reading:

• A guide to wedding flower installations
• Sustainable flowers for stately home weddings
• Your stately home wedding: a guide to florals and styling

The post How to style the most stunning floral installations for your stately home wedding appeared first on English Wedding.

All images in this blog post are by Hampshire wedding photographer Anna Rainbow Photography

1 – Choose a brilliant marquee supplier

Don’t plan your marquee wedding alone! Find a marquee company who will help you and offer advice, because they are worth their weight in gold. (I’ve heard of some cheap and cheerful marquee companies who are more used to farm shows and village fetes, who will literally dump a marquee in place the day before… and leave everything up to you.) Trust me – get a wedding marquee specialist and ask for all their advice and tips!

2 – Pitch your marquee in the right place

Anna’s advice is spot on: “Before you fall in love with a tent style or seating plan, take a good look at the space where you’ll be setting up. Is the ground level? Will it drain well if it rains? Do you have enough room for the marquee and things like caterers, loos, and parking? Where will your guests park?”

And a pro tip: If the area is prone to being a bit marshy, flooring and matting will be your best friend — and could save the heels (and spirits!) of your guests. ~ Anna Rainbow Photography

3 – Know your wedding marquees

There’s a world of beautiful marquees out there. Choose yours according to your budget, the space you need and availability close to where you’re getting married. Clearspan marquees tend to be the most affordable, with stretch tents and tipis costing more. There’s more advice about the cost of wedding marquees here.

4 – Consider lighting, heating, power and loos

Rock My Wedding calls toilets, power and parking “the unsung heroes of marquee weddings” – and they’re not wrong.

Anna writes, “Not the most glamorous part of wedding planning — but definitely one of the most important! You’ll likely need a generator to power everything from the fairy lights to the band, and mobile toilets (the good ones!) are a must. Some luxury loos even come with mirrors and proper lighting — your guests will thank you.

“Don’t forget lighting outside too — think festoon lights for pathways or a few solar lanterns to help guide guests as the evening draws in.”

5 – Be aware of costs and extras

Hiring a marquee involves more than the canvas above your heads. Essential extras include flooring and lighting. Most wedding marquee companies offer furniture hire, some have mobile bars and other add-ons – and insurance is an absolute must.

6 – Make it spacious!

Imagine a rainy day – all day. Consider your guests’ comfort if they’re inside the marquee for 6 hours or more, and make sure there’s plenty of space. (Don’t forget there’ll be furniture and dancing space too.) If in doubt, hire a bigger wedding marquee than you think you’ll need! This is where a professional wedding marquee specialist is really useful for their advice and experience. 

7 – Have a backup plan

Your plan B should be watertight, and almost as amazing as your plan A.

In Anna’s words, “we all love a good British summer, but let’s be honest — it’s unpredictable. Rain, wind, blazing sun… you need to be ready for anything.” She advises all couples to

• Make sure your marquee is waterproof and properly secured
• Provide umbrellas or parasols for guests if the ceremony is outdoors
• Consider hiring some heaters for chilly evenings — even in August!

As a specialist marquee wedding photographer, I’ll always be watching the weather and light so we can get the best photos come rain or shine — but a little prep can make all the difference.

8 – Tell your neighbours (and your council)

If you’re having a big wedding, and you don’t hate your neighbours (!) invite them – it’s the polite thing to do! At least let them know there’ll be music, and what time it might start and end. If you’re having fireworks it’s essential to let people close by know, because of the effect these have on pets, farm animals and wildlife. You might also need to get a Temporary Event Notice if you’re having a band, playing music or having a paid bar.

Anna says, “A quick chat and a thank-you note go a long way — especially if you might be partying into the night!”

9 – Embrace the flexibility and make the day your own!

Anna has photographed many marquee weddings in Hampshire, and has this golden advice to share:

One of the best things about a marquee wedding at home? It’s a blank canvas for your creativity. There are no rules — so lean into what feels like you. And have fun letting your personalities shine!

By all means keep the three-course meal; or swap it for a pizza van or BBQ. Choose local flowers or wild meadow blooms. If your garden allows, grown your own. Involve your horse, dog, maybe even the cat if it will co-operate. Invite the neighbour’s chickens – OK maybe not, but you see where I’m coming from. (I’ve seen it all and loved every second.)

These are the moments that make your wedding feel unforgettable.

We’ve featured plenty of marquee weddings on this blog over the years. Iona & Ed told us their Kent marquee was set up a few days before the wedding, so they had plenty of time to decorate and make the space their own.

10 – Bear access in mind

Sometimes it’s the little things that turn out to be the big things – and again, your wedding marquee company will help. Logistics and access aren’t the most glamorous side of wedding planning, but they’re the most important!

How do guests and suppliers get to your garden – through the house? Is there a back gate? How about your florist, crockery hire company and so on: is there adequate van access? (And can they all cope with a muddy track? The answer might reasonably be no!) How much space do catering need? For more tips on planning a marquee wedding, you might find this post useful too.

Some real life marquee weddings to inspire you!

• Shaden & George’s Wiltshire marquee wedding
• Sarah & Richard’s marquee wedding in Hampshire
• Esme & Sam’s hillside marquee wedding (Herefordshire)

The post 10 super helpful tips for couples planning a marquee wedding – with Anna Rainbow Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

There’s no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to weddings. Everything’s optional, from cakes to catering, from gowns to guests. Intimate weddings and elopements can be more authentic and meaningful than big weddings. For some couples, the dream wedding is a registry office ‘do’ followed by a party in a city bar. For others, it’s embracing the elements and hiking alone with a photographer to a windswept mountain top.

Charlie and Bobby’s wedding in Tuscany, planned by Elegante by Michelle J, with photographer Charm Wedding (Italy)

So yeah – those tables set under a canopy of twinkling fairy lights might look fabulous in sunny Tuscany, and set the perfect scene for a wedding in southern France. Maybe your chances of a dreamy outdoor ceremony are higher at balmy Yosemite Lakes than if you were to plan for a big wedding in rainy Queenstown.  The stats definitely back that up; but it all depends what kind of a wedding the two of you would really like to have. Because these days, the world’s your oyster when it comes to wedding destinations!

Curious about weatherproof wedding destinations? Dreaming of an outdoor ceremony? Here’s the results of that study I mentioned, put together by the destination wedding experts at Destify who analysed current climate data from 40 popular locations around the world. Each destination has been ranked according to the reliability of its climate during the most favourable season for weddings.

Grooms and brides, grab your brollies: riskier wedding destinations (for unpredictable weather!)

Queenstown, New Zealand
With a mild average temperature of 12.7°C, balanced cloud cover, and steady breezes, Queenstown scored just 1.20/10, making it the worst choice for couples seeking reliable wedding weather.

Reykjavik, Iceland
Known for its dramatic landscapes, Reykjavik ranked second with a weather risk score of 1.30/10, due to relatively low temperature and consistent cloud cover year-round.

Tokyo, Japan
The Japanese capital placed third with 2.13/10, balancing warm average temperatures (16.3°C) with heavy rainfall and moderate winds.

London also ranks in the global top (or bottom!) 10, coming in 7th place with a score of 3.23/10. Despite its reputation for unpredictable weather, the capital’s relatively low rainfall (38.6mm per month on average) and mild 17°C yearly temperature make it one of Europe’s least reliable city wedding destinations.

Where weather wins: the ultimate spots for destination weddings

Yosemite Lakes tops the list as the ultimate destination wedding spot, with near-perfect temperatures of 23°C, minimal cloud cover, and one of the lowest rainfall averages. Its strong score of 9.06/10 makes it the most reliable location for sunny vows.

Close behind, Tenerife shines with a year-round warm climate of 22.2°C, very low deviation from the ideal temperature, and a balanced mix of sun and breeze. Its steady conditions earn it an impressive 8.13/10, making it a dream location for couples.

Finally, Seville secures third place, offering 21.2°C warmth and a slightly higher chance of rain compared to the top two. Still, with plenty of sunshine and mild winds, it scores 7.60/10, making it a beautiful and dependable setting for a wedding abroad.

Aside from the simple perspective that sunny weddings are good, and rainy weddings are undesirable – there’s a lot more to weddings and weather. First off, a little rain won’t be enough to ruin the day you marry the love of your life. Honestly, a torrential downpour that last eight hours shouldn’t even ruin that! So long as the two of you are there, and your favourite people can make it, and you get to commit to a lifetime together, the rest is all optional.

Having a plan B for rain is non-negotiable if you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, or an afternoon of garden games or drinks on the veranda. Always make sure your wedding venue has plenty of space for all of your guests if it rains all day long. Provide entertainment that works inside or out.

If you’re ready to embrace the rain – perhaps you’re an outdoorsy couple, want to do something different or a traditional wedding just doesn’t suit your personalities – then know one thing: embrace the wind, rain and whatever else nature throws your way on your wedding day. Because some of the most incredible real wedding photos I’ve ever seen have been windswept, rosy-cheeked and bursting with joy – embrace your wild spirits and grab those tickets to the Lake District, Scotland or the Welsh peaks, or to the Dolomites or Alps if you want to elope!

Some of the best advice I’ve read about planning for wet weather on your wedding day is here. Michelle Jacobs is a leading UK destination wedding planner and her advice is golden.

Header photo by Olga Solodilova on Unsplash

The post Will the weather affect your destination wedding? Discover the world’s best – and worst? – dream wedding locations appeared first on English Wedding.

1. Choose classic accessories: pearls and heirloom wedding jewellery can be affordable and more meaningful than expensive pieces. Think of timeless pearl earrings which will become family heirlooms over time, or pieces treasured by your mum or grandma.
   

   Freshwater pearl earrings by Carl Oliver Jewellery; calligraphy by By Moon & Tide

2. Opt for calligraphy: a beautiful personal touch which, used sparingly, doesn’t have to cost the earth. Place name calligraphy from By Moon & Tide starts at £1 – £2 per guest. Add a handwritten menu or two for gorgeous, understated luxury – and for just £10 each.
3. Don’t blow your budget on masses of blooms. Instead choose seasonal flowers, locally grown: ethics is where it’s at and florists working with local growers often have a luxe aesthetic.
4. Embrace laid back, all-day wedding wear: day to night doesn’t have to mean an outfit change. Prioritise comfort and quality fabrics over trends, mass market suits and dresses – and start your day mid afternoon so you won’t need to change. And if you want something you can dance in? Wear it from the moment your celebrations begin!
5. For elegant signage think fabrics, not plastic. Acrylic (a single-use plastic) is OVER. Fabric and banners are where it’s at. We love Alice Gabb’s custom banners (and everything she stands for too).
   

   Bespoke banners by Alice Gabb

6. Clear tables to create space. Clean and minimal styling costs less and screams sophistication (albeit quietly). Soften straight edges with bud vases or simple fabric napkins, but don’t be tempted to add more.
7. Opt for chic and elegant over whimsical and rustic. While a rustic barn wedding might sound like the affordable option, styling a space like this can cost more. Whimsical generally means lots of stuff, while chic is pared back – and so is your budget.
8. Personalise it: notes mean more than trinkets. Think individual polaroids (or postcards printed at home) with your guests’ photos and a handwritten thank you on the back, as place settings. (Ramp up the luxury with calligraphy, or hand write them yourselves: as a calligrapher I promise they’ll be just as special, if not more, in your own scribbles!) Pop them in mini envelopes or just place them on plates – and they’ll mean more than any favour you could buy.
9. Hire your glassware. Wedding hire companies are helping the industry down on waste and single use items. They also specialise in gorgeous glassware and crockery – at an affordable price. Luxury handed to you on a plate. In a plate. As a plate! Literally!
10. Cake is optional: but make it a showstopper – no Colins or Connies – sorry. Yes, grabbing a wedding cake from Aldi or M&S is cheap. It can be cute, and we’re not knocking the caterpillars – but luxury they are not. Find a wedding cake designer who’ll create an exquisitely made modern wedding cake: their attention to detail and aesthetics are where luxury lies: not in the seventh tier of a cake that’s as tall as you!

Exquisite modern wedding cake design by Wren Cake Design (Lake District). Photography by Tiree Dawson.

The post How to add a little wedding luxury without overspending – and how not to! appeared first on English Wedding.

As you read, I hope you’ll enjoy the stunning images from Ashleigh & Dean’s humanist wedding at Kent’s beautiful Wise Wedding venue, by the amazing Smiling Tiger Studios.

What is a humanist celebrant

• someone who belongs to Humanists UK and follows a humanist way of life
• who is trained, accredited and has insurance through Humanists UK
• humanists are often atheists, and perform non religious (but often spiritual) ceremonies

What is an independent celebrant

• a trained person who will create a joyful and personal ceremony for your wedding
• who can include your religions in your ceremony if you wish
• no religious or organisational affiliations are required
• can choose to belong to an association of independent celebrants

Celebrants are very different from registrars. Registrars are employed by councils to officiate legal marriage ceremonies. In some areas of the UK, councils are recognising the popularity of celebrant-led weddings and trying to add a little personalisation to legal ceremonies. Which is nice… but a world away from the beauty of real celebrant-led weddings.

If your council has “Legal Celebrants” – they’re registrars, NOT celebrants.
I was inspired to update this blog by Miranda the Celebrant, whose description of celebrants as “someone trained to write and deliver personalised, meaningful ceremonies” explains everything. In Miranda’s words:

“A Registrar can legally marry you. A Celebrant creates a ceremony that actually celebrates you… please don’t confuse legal registration with a crafted, personal ceremony that tells the story of who you are.”

Things both humanist and independent celebrants can do, and registrars can’t

• create a joyful, highly personalised ceremony, unique to the two of you
• completely change the words, spending a lot of time with you both beforehand to ensure they’re perfect
• perform a ceremony anywhere – from your favourite beach to your front garden
• include your children, friends and family in the ceremony itself
• personalise your ceremony from head to toe

Things a wedding celebrant can’t do

• use the formal wording a registrar would
• make your wedding ‘official’ in England and Wales

Additional benefits of a humanist wedding celebrant

• In Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, humanist ceremonies are legally recognised. This means you won’t have to nip into a council building to ‘make it official’.

Extra benefits of independent wedding celebrants

• choice! There are hundreds of independent wedding celebrants all around the UK, so you can research and find someone who is perfect for you both
• independent celebrants can mix elements of different faiths into your wedding – from paganism to Catholic hymns or Hindu prayers: literally anything.

On a personal note, as editor of English Wedding for 15 years I have learned so much about modern weddings and seen the rise in celebrant-led weddings first hand. I’m an atheist but I respect couples’ choices where a church wedding is important because of their faith.

However, I will shout from the rooftops to advocate celebrant-led weddings. Did you know UK churches are legally prohibited from performing same-sex marriages under UK law? And that Hindu and Islamic marriage isn’t legally binding in the UK? Couples have to make it legal at a registry office.

… which brings me back to registrars and the government approved wordings for marriage ceremonies in the UK. While the registrars I’ve met have been lovely, and some personalisation of ceremony wordings is allowed, declaring your love to the government isn’t romantic. And while I totally see the pride and victory in civil ceremonies for LGBTQ+ couples, and the appeal of making it official after so many years of non-acceptance and persecution, nothing can hold a torch to the absolute liberty, love and joy of a celebrant wedding.

Originally published March 2025, and updated August 2025

The post Your essential 2025 guide to humanist and independent wedding celebrants appeared first on English Wedding.

Everyone’s talking about authentic weddings right now. Since Charli XCX and George Daniel said their I dos at a London registry office, the internet’s alight with authentic wedding advice. But they’re missing something. Actually, the likes of Brides, Vogue and The Wed have missed a LOT in their analysis and advice for authentic, Gen-Z weddings. If you really want an authentic wedding, here are our best tips for making it happen – and for doing it beautifully.

1. Choose wedding flowers with heart

Being authentic absolutely isn’t about spending £10 on a supermarket bouquet. Supermarket flowers are usually imported, treated with pesticides, and grown on such a large scale they’ve lost their scent.

IF you choose to have flowers at your wedding – and remember they’re optional: there’s no such thing as a wedding “must-have” – choose flowers with heart and soul. That means finding a local florist who pours everything they have into a business they’re passionate about. There are loads around the UK, sourcing organically grown flowers (in farms that do everything for pollinators) and making magic from seasonal arrangements.

2. Opt for locally sourced wedding catering

Whether your venue’s catering is in house or brought in, and whether you’re having traditional menus or street food, make sure it’s ethical.

Choosing responsibly sourced ingredients is the sustainable way to go, always. This could be plant-based or ethical farming: always knowing you’re supporting local farmers.

3. Choose a welcoming, warm venue for your celebrations

I’m not sold on the registry office trend as a way of having an “authentic” wedding. For me, this is where you do the wedding day admin. But to have a wedding with heart and soul, there are other amazing options to consider: the best are family run venues where you can choose everything from your caterers, styling, and timings of your day. A great venue will feel – from the very first time you visit – relaxed, welcoming, and warm-hearted.

4. Let your personalities guide your wedding styling

I see hundreds of romantic, feminine weddings. If that reflects both of you – and it might, if you’re romantics and fans of Bridgerton or gardening. Oodles of pink peonies and roses are a classic wedding look. A more authentic approach might be if you both love colour, to trust your florist to use all colours of the rainbow in your arrangements. Or if you’re outdoorsy, or foodies, to incorporate more foliage or scented herbs.

Styling isn’t just about flowers though: it’s everything from your outfits to your tables, stationery and signage. It can be minimal or designed to completely fill a space. It can be joyful, pared back or super elegant. The most authentic wedding styling is where your wedding space reminds you of your shared home, in the best possible way.

5. Consider a wedding celebrant

Authenticity isn’t content creators or styling alone. With a celebrant, your ceremony itself can be the heart of your day. Independent celebrants work with you to plan a bespoke ceremony which has your relationship at its very heart.

For a while, receptions and aesthetics felt like the most important part of weddings. Ceremonies were led by vicars or registrars, so the only place to inject personality was by adding personalised vows at the end of a ceremony, and styling the hell out of weddings. With celebrants, your vows, your personalities and your commitment can be the very core of your day.

6. Wear your very best, but look and feel like you!

Follow tradition or break rules – that’s entirely up to you! Just find a suit or dress you look and feel amazing in. It doesn’t have to be what’s expected at a wedding: for guys, it certainly doesn’t have to be a hired suit and for brides, it doesn’t have to be a dress made in China (that’s sometimes why they take 6 months or more – and the air miles alone make them a less than ethical choice when there are designers making dresses much closer to home).

If your budgets allow, look for local tailors, boutiques and seamstresses. Ask questions at wedding shows: “where are these dresses made?”

The most important thing is that your wedding outfit makes you feel great. Comfortable, not stiff or squeezed into a rigid bodice or too-small pair of trousers – or shoes! I wholeheartedly recommend pockets for everyone too!

7. Invite close friends only

The smaller your wedding, the more relaxed you will be with only the people you love most in the world around you. That’s family – but not your distant cousins. It’s faces you know well and see often, people you hug hard when you see them, and everyone you love being around.

Inviting people you don’t know so well can make the day more of a performance, or an exercise in people-pleasing. There’s no need – just invite the folks you really love.

8. Choose your key suppliers really well

This is really important. It’s the reason I wanted to write this article about authentic weddings in the first place, and it’s from something lovely Annabel over on Love My Dress said last week.

“Supporting small, independent businesses who honour time, skill and the handmade feels not only important, but necessary. There’s so much value in work that’s made by hand, in the time, the care and the unmistakable human touch.” ~ Annabel Beeforth, editor of Love My Dress wedding website

Gathering a team of talented, dedicated, lovely people to make your wedding amazing will also make it authentic.

Great wedding suppliers – from cake designers to hair and make up artists, videographers and photographers, content creators to wedding calligraphers – will take the time to get to know you. They’ll listen carefully and offer genuine advice as they talk through your shared ideas.

On the day you’ll spend time with your hair and make up team who will feel like friends. You’ll be around a videographer, photographer and content creator (if you have them) who are relaxed, smiling and care about you and your wedding. Those little styling touches will be full of heart because you know how illustrated / wrote / assembled them for you. And that’s far more authentic than choosing low cost, mass produced styling touches online, or choosing your key suppliers based on price instead of how well they’ll fit in with your day.

9. Incorporate hand crafted wedding stationery

When I think of authentic wedding stationery it’s illustration that I imagine. A beautifully painted wedding venue, a monogram made just for you, or a painting of the two of you.

I adore a more traditional look, and that’s kind of my thing! But equally, elegant stationery with carefully crafted typography can fit some couples like a glove. The secret is to work with a real life human person to have it made, just for you.

10. Choose the right photography & videography

The best you can ask from a wedding photography and videography team is for candid, authentic images after your day, and an unobtrusive way of working on the day. When couples tell me their wedding photographer “got amazing images, despite us hardly knowing they were there on the day!” I know they’ve chosen one of the brilliant documentary wedding photographers I love so much.

The same goes for videography and content creators – find someone experienced, friendly and great at what they do, so your wedding flows in an authentic way and the memories they capture for you will be genuine and full of heart.

11. When it comes to timings, do what comes naturally

There’s a traditional running order for a wedding, especially at older venues, which isn’t necessarily the best for everyone. For example: couples should be able to choose when to do their speeches (so long as it doesn’t cause problems for their caterers). For some, a late afternoon wedding will make more sense than the old school all-day event. I think that’s really lovely. (It’s how Charlotte and Adam did their luxury wedding in Cambridge, and the photos are incredible!)

So find a venue which won’t dictate timings for you because “this is just how it’s done”. (Do listen to your wedding planner or coordinator if they explain genuine reasons for certain timings!) You can have speeches outside, all at once, or scattered through the day. You can have no speeches. You can have a first dance mid afternoon, late in the day, or not at all. Cake cutting doesn’t have to be reserved for evening guests; do it anytime. You don’t even need to invite evening guests: if you’re having a wedding weekend, spend all day with them the day after  your ceremony!

One last piece of advice for an authentic wedding:

We let the internet guide our entire lives, and that’s one thing Gen Z are stepping away from. So as your wedding plans evolve I heartily recommend that you avoid Pinterest and any wedding influencers on socials. It’s easy to fall into a trap of imitating online weddings – even if you try not to! Even more importantly, avoid AI wedding content. Those images are evil.

Step away from all the visuals of what weddings “should be”. Ignore average budgets and checklists that don’t suit you both. Plan together, and enjoy doing it. And when it comes to personal touches, make sure they really do feel personal: choose Etsy makers crafting with heart and soul over eBay sellers flogging mass made, bargain basement wedding tat!

The post 11 ways to have a more authentic, heartfelt wedding appeared first on English Wedding.

Why choose documentary wedding photography?

Ok. I may be a bit biased about this, being a documentary wedding photographer myself. There’s a lot you may disagree with & I think documentary wedding photography is either something you love or hate. But I love it so I think I should outline why I think it’s the perfect way to bottle the spirit of a wedding day. I am going to back it up with some words from my couples, too, though.

A documentary approach allows you to be fully present for your wedding day. This is a biggie, so I thought I’d put it up there front and foremost. Your wedding day flies by, it is a few hours surrounded by family and friends who want to celebrate YOU.

Most of these people you’d be happy to spend all day with just by themselves – getting round them all can seem quite the challenge. I have worked with photographers before (and I’m sure you’ve seen them too) where the day has felt more like a photoshoot. They produce beautiful work from this photoshoot. Some even made me consider working in a different way. But if you’ve been at these weddings, you’ll remember how little you saw of the couple. And how much it felt like a photoshoot.

The beauty of hiring a documentary photographer is that they integrate into the day rather than control it. They want you to be enjoying yourself with your guests – and that is where the true gold comes from.

“We had a chilled, no-fuss wedding – no posing, no fake grins, and absolutely no “look lovingly into each other’s eyes while walking through a meadow” nonsense.
Somehow, Simon managed to sneak around and capture all the best moments – including loads we missed while we were too busy drinking, laughing, or trying not to trip over someone’s kid.

The photos are perfect. Candid, full of personality, and totally us. We can’t stop looking at them.” ~ Colleen & Rob

“As plenty of people surely say, neither of us love having our photo taken, but Simon has a calming approach and doesn’t demand anything of you that you don’t want or aren’t comfortable with. We have beautiful, natural photos that captured the day just as it unfolded.” ~ Rebekah & Philip

Documentary wedding photography has a raw, authentic feeling

I don’t think all documentary wedding photography even looks or feels the same – the personality of the photographer comes across in every image. So photos by York Place Studios, Jeff Ascough or Cafa Liu are going to look totally different. But what they are going to do is reflect your personalities, your stories and your guests. You aren’t going to be posed and events aren’t going to be staged to follow current trends. So to that end, the photos are more real.

If you take away the cheesy, performative aspects of a wedding, what’s left is real moments, real stories and real emotions. And they are so much more fascinating than whatever hot pose is trending on social media. (I recently heard a bridesmaid describe what I thought to be a current trend as “that boomer pose”- so there’s no way I’m keeping up with it anyway)

“On the day Simon really took his time to understand the venue and where he would look for us to have photos throughout the day. We have no idea how he did it, but he managed to be in all the right places at the right time and (in the best way possible) we didn’t notice at all!
We have ended up with the most incredible wedding photos, they have captured all emotions of the day and when we look at them we are transported back to exactly how we felt.” – Emily & Luke

Documentary Wedding Photography is Timeless

Following on from the last point – because they’re authentic and real, the photos don’t go out of style. Trends and fashions in weddings may date the photos, but your wedding album will still look timeless in years to come. It’s because documentary wedding photographers aren’t constantly restyling to fit market trends (most of us really are ignorant of what’s in style at all). Our guiding light is telling your story as well as possible.

“You’ve honestly left us with the best gift ever. You capture moments, movements and most importantly, emotions.
And then, you wrap them all up into gorgeous photos which tell story after story at every turn. You truly captured the essence of our day.”
Claire & Adam

Documentary Wedding Photography is about your family stories

Documentary wedding photography is also known as photojournalism. And a huge part of any kind of journalism is getting to know people and their stories so we can tell them better. What do you get if you don’t gather and tell real stories? A sort of cookie cutter approach to wedding photography where every wedding looks the same, just with different actors playing the parts. I’ve trained for years in composing and telling stories – and a lot of my favourite photos (both of mine and other peoples) are multi-layered and full of detail.

“The pictures arrived and what can I say? The amount of happy tears I shed looking through each one. The more I looked the more I spotted. The attention to detail Simon has is absolutely out of this world.
They are beyond beautiful, real and so full of love and care.” – Caris and Josh

“Every time we look through our photos we notice little details that we hadn’t before,” – Rebekah & Philip

Documentary Wedding Photography allows for imperfection and the unexpected

I’ve always thought of documentary photography as a more lassez-faire approach. Some of my favourite (and award winning photos) are from when things are not going to plan. A wedding balloon pose goes wrong as the balloon disappears over the tops of neighbouring houses. The bride decides she cannot spend another minute in these shoes, and we take a detour to Clarks. These are moments you will always remember far more than a posed cake cut, or the groom fake-getting-dressed by a window.

“The photos Simon took of our wedding are just amazing. We had such a fun and happy day and the pictures capture that perfectly. He caught some wonderful moments and we’ll truly treasure these photos forever.” – Laura & Rich

Summary

It feels weird writing a summary – but this wasn’t written by Chat GPT, honest! Documentary wedding photography, wedding photojournalism, reportage, or whatever you want to call it isn’t really a style. It’s more an ethos. And that ethos is about photographing your wedding in an unposed, unobtrusive way and not treating it as a performance.  Weddings are inherently fascinating and joy-filled occasions, so photographing them is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. All you really have to do is bring playfulness, curiosity and trust in serendipity and you’ll end up with photos that capture how it felt to be there on the day.

The post Forget posed wedding photos: why couples are choosing documentary photography for a more authentic, relaxed day appeared first on English Wedding.

Sometimes all the trends from every generation just seem to merge into something extra special. In fifteen years of writing about weddings, I’ve seen everything from vintage to fine art, boho and timeless weddings go by. A favourite “trend” for me was intimate weddings, which followed the 2020 pandemic out of necessity. And through all of these trends, one constant remained: the longing for a unique and different wedding.

Listen to experts like Mark Niemierko, the UK’s leading celebrity wedding planner, and you’ll see how uniqueness and creative thinking go way beyond wedding trends. And the quiet wedding – brought into the limelight by Gen-Z celebrities this summer – has always been a super classy approach for the ultimate in celebrity weddings. Suddenly we’re all talking about quiet weddings and “RegistryCore” (where your ceremony’s in your local registry office) is exciting news.

Should you have a quiet wedding?

Never listen to what the wedding media say you should do. Your wedding is your own, and it’s up to you whether you fall in love with this trend, or any other you see on Pinterest for that matter! We shared a lovely blog about quiet proposals earlier this summer, and scaling things back certainly seems popular right now. While the media are already proclaiming wedding trends for 2026, and many are talking of smaller guest lists and a focus on authenticity (and content creators!), plenty more will be claiming 2026 as a year of opulent, luxurious weddings. (They always do!) Everyone’s different… and that’s always been a wonderful way to approach planning an individual, unique wedding. You do you!

Pros and cons of quiet, registry office weddings

• Smaller guest lists are the simplest way to rein in spending
• Fewer guests will often mean less planning stress
• If you have a generous budget, a more intimate wedding allows you to focus on really luxurious details
• Personal touches can be ramped up if you’ve only a handful of guests. Think handwritten notes with special memories for every guest, or polaroids of your times together, elegant calligraphy menus and handwritten touches
• A pared down, minimalist ceremony in a registry office almost invites a full-on celebration later – and this can be anything you want it to be. Hire a celebrant, dance all day long, hike up a mountain. With the formalities out of the way, you can have a weddingy event full of imagination and authenticity – and that already sounds amazing
• But you can’t style a registry office wedding. I’m thinking of spaces like Hackney Town Hall, where your time slot is everything. In contrast, a country house or barn venue allows a creative, styled ceremony
• And you will have to sit through the standard, “we declare our relationship formally to the UK government” vows if you marry in a registry office. (Note: they don’t literally make you say those words, but that’s the gist of it, and romantic it is not!)

What can we learn from the RegistryCore and quiet weddings trend?

I’ve always loved wedding blog readers for being independent thinkers, and ahead of the crowd! You lovely lot don’t follow trends blindly – so it’s almost pointless me saying there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Q: Where did the ‘trend’ for registry office weddings come from?

A: A desire for a unique and different wedding.

Cheeky Q: What’s not going to be unique and different now?

Cheeky A: Registry office weddings. Oh.

If you’re looking for something unique and different, look to your relationship, to what makes the two of you special and unique (ask your friends).

I’ve yet to see a trend for not formalising your wedding vows at all, but having a celebration regardless – and that one, I will jump on the bandwagon for! Hell, I’ll drive the thing!

My ultimate tip for a unique and different wedding

Don’t avoid Pinterest and instagram entirely. Binge them – understand what other people are doing on their wedding days, and what you like and don’t like. Then drop all wedding social media like hot potatoes. Go cold turkey. (Sorry for the food metaphors: I’m writing this hungry!) Step away from all of those preconceptions about what a “wedding” should be, and ask yourselves how you’d celebrate your relationship and declare your commitment if you were the first couple ever to do it? 

Where would you go? (up a mountain, out to sea, to Africa or Iceland?)
What would you wear? (party clothes, suits, wetsuits, glitter?)
Who would be with you? (no one, everyone, or family and friends at separate events or times?)
What would you eat? (breakfast, pizza, street food, ice cream?)
What would you dance to? (nothing, your fave festival band live, classical on the lawn or RnB at the coolest club in New York?)

Then do that. And have the most incredible time doing it!

The post The new trend for “quiet weddings” – a simple reinvention of unique, different celebrations appeared first on English Wedding.