If you're planning a wedding at Scrivelsby Walled Garden in Lincolnshire, Charlotte and Rory's wedding should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from this lovely venue near Horncastle.
Think giant tipis, a walled garden, plenty of DIY touches, garden games, a camper van photobooth and a proper good party.
Oh, and some very questionable British weather.
When I arrived, the sky wasn't looking particularly promising. Everyone was keeping an eye on the clouds, hoping the rain would hold off long enough for the ceremony.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite go to plan.
The rain arrived just before the ceremony, but thankfully cleared shortly after. And somehow, after all that, we ended up with one of the best sunsets I've photographed at a wedding.
Not a bad turnaround really!
Scrivelsby Walled Garden Wedding Venue in Lincolnshire
Scrivelsby Walled Garden is a tipi wedding venue near Horncastle, Lincolnshire, surrounded by countryside on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds.
The venue sits within the historic Scrivelsby Estate, with three huge tipis tucked away inside a private walled garden.
There's also a smaller snug tipi with sofas and a fire pit, plenty of outdoor space and loads of little spots for guests to wander off and have a drink.
It's a really good setup for couples who want something a little different from a traditional hotel wedding.
One thing I particularly like about Scrivelsby is that everything is in one place. Guests can move between the tipis and gardens throughout the day without constantly being shuffled between different rooms.
And from a photography point of view, the gardens, old brick walls and surrounding countryside give us plenty to work with for photographs.
No need to disappear for an hour either. Ten or fifteen minutes for some couple portraits and you're back enjoying your wedding.
Getting Ready for the Wedding
The morning started with Charlotte getting ready alongside her bridal party.
Her dress was from Elizabeth Kate Bridal, with Sophie Emerson Makeup looking after the makeup and Hair by Katie Peck taking care of everyone's hair.
I always enjoy photographing morning preparations. There's usually a nice mixture of excitement, nerves, people running around getting things sorted and plenty of laughs along the way.
I tend to keep things pretty relaxed during this part of the day. I'll photograph what's happening, grab a few details and generally stay out of everyone's way while they get ready.
Before long, everyone was dressed and ready to head over for the ceremony.
An Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at Scrivelsby Walled Garden
One of the things that makes Scrivelsby such a good wedding venue is having the option to get married outside in the gardens.
The venue has a licensed ceremony space called The Laurels, which can accommodate up to 120 guests. There's also St Benedict's Church just a short walk away if you'd prefer a church ceremony.
Of course, when you're planning an outdoor wedding in England, there's always one thing you can't really plan for.
The weather.
Charlotte and Rory had been keeping an eye on the forecast, and unfortunately the rain decided to make an appearance just before the ceremony.
Thankfully, it didn't stick around for too long, and once the ceremony was finished, things started looking much more promising.
And to be fair, a bit of rain wasn't going to stop these two enjoying themselves.
DIY Wedding Decorations and Garden Games
Something I really liked about Charlotte and Rory's wedding was how much of it they'd put together themselves.
Rather than hiring someone to style the entire venue, they'd done the table decorations and plenty of the other little details themselves.
And it suited Scrivelsby perfectly.
The tipis already have loads of character with their wooden beams, fairy lights and rustic tables, so you don't need to go overboard decorating them.
They'd also organised garden games outside, which kept everyone entertained throughout the afternoon.
As a wedding photographer, I love things like this because they give people something to get involved with and usually lead to some brilliant candid photographs.
Whether that's guests getting far too competitive over a garden game or people just enjoying a drink and having a laugh, there's always something happening.
The flowers were supplied by Horncastle Florist and fitted in really nicely with everything Charlotte and Rory had put together.
It was all very much their own wedding, which is exactly how it should be.
Drinks, Food and Plenty of Candid Moments
After the ceremony, everyone could finally relax, grab a drink and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
This is probably one of my favourite parts of a wedding day to photograph.
All the formal stuff is out of the way, people are catching up with friends and family, and there's usually plenty going on without anyone really noticing the camera.
Scrivelsby works particularly well for this because of the amount of outdoor space. Guests can spread out across the gardens, play games or head into the tipis for a drink.
Food for Charlotte and Rory's wedding was provided by Black Peppermint.
The venue has space for up to 150 seated guests inside the tipis, along with a fully stocked bar, so there's plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves.
For most of the afternoon, I was just doing what I normally do at weddings. Wandering around, chatting to people and photographing all the little moments happening throughout the day.
The stuff you don't necessarily notice at the time but love looking back on afterwards.
Sunset Wedding Photos at Scrivelsby Walled Garden
Now, considering how the weather had started, I wasn't expecting much in the way of sunset photographs.
But as the evening went on, the clouds started clearing and suddenly we had some absolutely gorgeous golden light.
So naturally, I grabbed Charlotte and Rory for a few more photos.
I always tell couples that if we get a decent sunset, it's worth sneaking away for five or ten minutes to make the most of it.
Nothing overly posed or awkward. Just a little wander, a few photographs and then straight back to the party.
The countryside around Scrivelsby is ideal for this, and the light that evening was unreal.
We managed to get some lovely relaxed portraits with the sun setting behind them, which ended up being some of my favourite photographs from the entire day.
Not bad considering we'd spent half the afternoon wondering whether it was going to chuck it down again!
A Camper Van Wedding Photobooth
One of the more unusual additions to Charlotte and Rory's wedding was their photobooth.
Rather than your usual photobooth tucked away in the corner of a room, they'd hired a converted camper van from Oh Snap UK.
It was parked outside and made a great addition to the evening.
I always think little things like this are a nice touch at weddings. It gives guests something fun to do, especially once everyone's had a few drinks.
And yes, I may have ended up having a go myself.
Strictly for research purposes, obviously.
An Evening in the Scrivelsby Tipis
As the sun went down, everyone headed back towards the tipis for the evening celebrations.
This is when Scrivelsby starts to feel completely different.
During the day, you've got the gardens and all that outdoor space, but once it gets dark, the fairy lights inside the tipis really come into their own.
There's a dance floor for everyone wanting to get stuck into the party, along with the smaller snug tipi and fire pits for anyone fancying a quieter drink.
It's a nice balance, especially when you've got guests who want to dance all night and others who'd rather sit and catch up.
And after everything the weather had thrown at us earlier, it was lovely to finish the day with everyone enjoying themselves.
Planning Your Wedding at Scrivelsby Walled Garden?
If you're getting married at Scrivelsby Walled Garden and looking for a wedding photographer who'll keep things relaxed, I'd love to hear about your plans!
I'm Dan, a wedding photographer based in Hull, East Yorkshire, photographing weddings across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the rest of the UK.
My approach is pretty simple. I want you to enjoy your wedding without feeling like you're spending half the day having your photograph taken.
I'll capture the big moments, the little moments and everything in between, with a few relaxed couple portraits thrown in along the way.
If that sounds like your kind of thing, get in touch and let's have a chat!
And a massive thank you to Charlotte and Rory for having me along to photograph their day. It was an absolute pleasure!
Frequently Asked Questions About Scrivelsby Walled Garden Weddings
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Scrivelsby Walled Garden is located on the historic Scrivelsby Estate near Horncastle in Lincolnshire, close to the Lincolnshire Wolds.
It's surrounded by countryside and offers a lovely private setting for couples wanting a relaxed wedding away from the usual hotel venues.
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Yes! Scrivelsby Walled Garden offers an outdoor ceremony setting, including The Laurels stretch tent.
There's also St Benedict's Church nearby if you'd prefer a traditional church ceremony.
As with any outdoor wedding in the UK, it's always worth checking the venue's wet weather arrangements beforehand.
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Definitely! You've got the old brick walls, greenery, gardens, giant tipis and surrounding countryside, which give us plenty of different backgrounds for photographs.
It's particularly lovely later in the evening when the sun starts dropping over the countryside.
And because everything is so close together, you don't need to spend ages away from your guests getting photographs taken.
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Well, Charlotte and Rory can certainly tell you that a bit of rain doesn't have to ruin anything!
The venue has covered spaces, including the tipis, and it's worth discussing the ceremony's wet weather arrangements directly with the venue.
From a photography point of view, rain isn't necessarily a bad thing either. We can usually find somewhere sheltered for photographs, and sometimes the light afterwards is absolutely gorgeous.
Charlotte and Rory's wedding was a perfect example of that!
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There are loads of lovely spots around the venue, including the walled gardens, old brick walls and surrounding countryside.
Personally, I particularly like making use of the gardens for relaxed couple photographs and heading out for a few minutes later in the evening if we get a nice sunset.
Nothing too complicated or overly posed. Just making the most of the surroundings and the light.
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Absolutely!
I'm Dan, a wedding photographer based in Hull, East Yorkshire, and I photograph weddings throughout Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and across the UK.
My style is relaxed, natural and documentary focused, so you can enjoy your wedding without feeling like you're spending the whole day having your photograph taken.
If you're planning your wedding at Scrivelsby Walled Garden, I'd love to hear what you've got planned!