Flower-filled Summer Garden Marquee wedding

Just managing to escape and of the restrictions that had been put in place Bethan and Dan married at Poets House in Ely before heading back to the family home to celebrate in the most stunning garden marquee.

The wedding

The day started with both Dan and Bethan getting ready in the hotel, in separate rooms but at one point they just had to see each other.  This perfect moment calmed the nerves before the ceremony started.  There was not a dry eye in the house as Bethan walked towards Dan, arm in arm with her father who had gained the strength to walk again to give his daughter away on her wedding day.

Photos

After a few drinks and photos of the grounds of Poets House, the guests headed to the reception venue.  Keeping the Bride and Groom back for a while we walked around the nearby streets next to Ely Cathedral for a few couple’s portraits.  There are some wonderful gateways and brick walls around and any wedding photographer will just love those textures.

Reception

Arriving back at the family Home Bethan and Dan were welcomed with a flurry of dried flower petal confetti before enjoying the afternoon mingling, chatting and celebrating with champagne.  The Garden Marquee looked just beautiful with trestle tables laid out with stunning flowers in Gin bottles and place settings for all the guests to enjoy the wedding breakfast bbq.

Speeches

Speeches followed the meal and many laughs and giggles were had, just how speeches should be.

Relax and Party

As day turned into evening the rain started to fall, but this did not dampen anyone’s night. The First dance happened outside and the rest of the dancing continued under the shelter of a large tree. the fire pit gave a warming glow over the garden which was lit by scattered lanterns.  If ever there was a perfect summer garden marquee wedding, then this is it.

Wedding planning? Tell me the good, bad and fabulous
We took a one-and-done approach to most things! We were keen to support small local businesses, and we got so lucky with our suppliers who were just wonderful.

Seeing how our friends and family really pulled together to offer their help was so wonderful – the signs at the reception were lovingly made by a friend, and a friend in the local wine shop helped us choose some fabulous wines and painstakingly applied our own labels to each bottle and our cake was made as a gift by another very talented friend! A special mention to Bethan’s mum and sister who worked hard for 9 months to get the garden wedding-ready.

It has to be said, the best part of wedding planning through COVID was the number restrictions on stags and hens – why have one when you can have three?!

What was your favourite part of the day?
We were both worried about the ceremony, not liking all eyes on us, but this turned out to be our favourite part of the day. Bethan’s dad had been secretly practicing to be able to walk her down the aisle, and it was such an incredible moment that we weren’t sure would ever be possible. It felt like time slowed down during the ceremony itself, and we were able to take in every moment.

Any tips you learned along the way which may be useful for other brides or what would you change?
We took a fairly relaxed approach to the planning and the day itself but still ended up getting caught up with little details that ultimately didn’t matter. A wedding isn’t just about the day – it’s about the planning, the build-up and the excitement. It’s so important not to lose sight of that and to enjoy the whole process!

If you are planning a garden marquee wedding then have a look at this handy blog to help you plan it perfectly.

10 things to consider when planning a garden marquee wedding

If you need any more information about wedding photography or help with planning your perfect day then I’d love to chat more.

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