Al & Sam’s June wedding felt a bit like a festival, embracing the rustic country setting as much as possible. They booked me for their Glastonbury marquees wedding photography and what a day it was. Their beautiful humanist ceremony took place on Sam’s family’s cider farm, near Glastonbury in Somerset. Upon arrival, guests strolled to the apple orchard where hay bales had been set up for the ceremony. Sam & her bridesmaids arrived on a tractor, driven by her grandfather in a bowler hat. Needless to say the best bridal party arrival I’ve ever photographed. ;-)
Glastonbury marquees wedding photography:
The ceremony was led by celebrant Karen Partridge and included the warming of the rings, a beautiful performance by Al’s sister in law, Sarah Darling, all the way from Nashville and even a fly over by the Red Arrows (ok, this last part wasn’t planned)! Little flowergirl Tessa took center stage, alongside Al & Sam and some of my favourite images from the ceremony are of Tess holding Al & Sam’s hands while they read their vows. So sweet!
Sam looked stunning in an elegant beaded gown by Eliza Jane Howell and loose curls. I loved the way her dress was less traditional than normal wedding dresses and added a touch of glamour to the farm & tipi setting.
The day was wonderfully relaxed and it was an absolute pleasure spending it with Al & Sam and their guests. After the ceremony in the apple orchard, canapes & Orchard Pig Cider were served on the lawn and the hog roast was served in the tipi next to the house. The speeches were incredibly emotional and it was actually one of the very few weddings I have photographed where the best men speech was less silly / embarrassing, and more meaningful and left me with a lump in my throat! Al & Sam clearly mean a lot to their friends & family and it was an honour to listen to the speeches and capture the candid reactions.
The night ended with a ceilidh by the very talented Licence to Ceilidh whom I have worked with at a few weddings before. The dance floor is always guaranteed to be packed until the end of the evening, when these guys are around!
Al & Sam…I have to confess. I wanted to photograph your wedding from the very moment we met! Your love for each is beautifully obvious and I knew this would be the most important element of your day. You invited me into your lives without hesitation and I loved getting to know you. The fact that you are best friends and soulmates shine through these photos and it was my honour to capture your wedding day. Couples like you are the reason I do what I do, so thank you for trusting me with your memories. I hope you’ll cherish your photos forever.
A little note from Al & Sam: “My goodness, Anneli. These are FANTASTIC!!! We’re absolutely thrilled. We’ve had such a lovely time watching the beautiful highlights video (repeatedly), then going through the gallery photos one by one. You’ve captured the sense of fun so brilliantly – and it’s so wonderful for us to see what our guests were up to, when we weren’t around! Also, we can’t believe you got a photo of the Red Arrows!! Nobody managed to snap a picture of them, so we almost didn’t dare to hope that you might have captured one. Magnificent :-) We’re so grateful for your wonderful work. Many, many thanks, Al and Sam x”
Here are some of my favourites from the day:
Yep, those are indeed the Red Arrows!
Gorgeous Sarah Darling, Al’s sister in law, sang a beautiful song for them, during the ceremony.
I mean, how cute is little flower-girl Tessa??
Al & Sam, looking effortlessly cool during their tractor exit!
Scrumptious canapes by The French Kitchen.
I loved the simple and elegant tipi wedding breakfast. Perfect for a festival wedding.
Lucille by Eliza Jane Howell, was clearly made for Sam. Just stunning!
Every festival tipi wedding needs a fire pit or two.
Licence to Ceilidh getting the party started!
Wedding day suppliers:
Dress style & designer: Lucille by Elizabeth Jane Howell
Jewellery: Parchment Jewellers
Shoes: Vivian by Rainbow Club
Hair stylist: Clair Newbury
Groom’s suit: Viyella
Transport (wedding car / other): Taxi & tractor!
Music / entertainment: Licence to Ceilidh
Catering: The French Kitchen
Cheese stack wedding cake: DIY
Flowers: DIY
Bridesmaids dresses: Reiss, Whistles and John Lewis
Click here for an elegant black tie wedding in Hereford, here for a relaxed wedding High Billinghurst Farm and here for a pretty Sudeley Castle wedding in the Cotswolds.