A Farm Style Wedding: East Bergholt Church to a Sun-Drenched Teepee Reception
Looking back over the weddings we’ve photographed this year, a few truly stand out, and today we are sharing one of our absolute favorites. This beautiful day perfectly balanced the grandeur of a traditional ceremony at St Mary’s Church East Bergholt with the ultimate rustic, festival-farm vibe for the reception.
Here is a look behind the scenes at how myself (Dave) and Emma captured this incredible day.
Setting the Scene: Architecture and Epic Arrivals
For this wedding, the couple opted out of morning bridal prep photos. As photographers, we love it when couples build a timeline that feels right for them. This gave us the perfect opportunity to arrive early at the stunning, spacious church in East Bergholt.
We used that quiet morning time to capture the grand architecture, the beautiful grounds, and plenty of scene-setting detail shots before the guests began to appear. It also helps us catch up with other vendors like the videographer, so we can align our plans for the day.
When the groom and his groomsmen arrived, they certainly made an entrance! Being farmers, the groom and his party arrived in style on a tractor pulling a trailer, bringing along a cool little ATV buggy that the newlyweds would later use for their getaway.
We captured some natural, candid shots of the groomsmen chatting, laughing, and greeting guests as the anticipation built. Soon after, the bridal party arrived in a gorgeous traditional car. We made sure to capture those final, quiet moments of the bride stepping out and the bridesmaids gathering themselves before making their way inside.
The Ceremony
When it comes to the ceremony, Emma and I always work as a tag team to ensure no moment is missed. I positioned myself at the front to capture the bridal party coming down the aisle, while Emma stayed back with the bridesmaids, capturing the anticipation and their entrance from the rear.
To everyone’s delight, the couple’s dog was one of the first to walk down the aisle! I made sure to get low to the ground to capture this brilliant moment from the pup’s perspective.
We had already spoken to the reverend who was fairly flexible, which is always a concern when going to various churches. His only restriction was that we couldn’t stand directly behind the couple or himself at the front of the altar. Because it was a large church with side aisles, I (alongside the fantastic videographer) was able to seamlessly move down the sides. This allowed us to capture beautiful, intimate reaction shots of the bride and groom from alternating angles, while Emma continued to cover the wide, sweeping shots from the back. While it can be more challenging this way, we have a good range of zoom lenses so we can still capture some close up shots.
Confetti
Following a beautiful ceremony, the couple made their exit. To make the most of the church’s stunning exterior, we had the newlyweds walk around the venue and emerge through a massive, beautiful brick archway at the front.
Their guests were already lined up on the other side, aided by one of the groomsmen (always helpful when they are happy to round up their friends and family), and the resulting confetti shots, framed by the archway and full of pure joy were absolutely incredible. Afterward, after a few minutes of celebrations with their loved ones, they hopped into their ATV buggy and sped off to the reception!
The Reception
The couple hosted their reception in a friend’s field, and they completely transformed the space. They set up a massive teepee marquee, bringing out the ultimate festival-farm vibe.
It was a blisteringly hot day with incredibly strong sun, so guests naturally sought out the shade, which was limited initially, but the energy was unmatched. The music was fantastic, the drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was perfectly relaxed.
We captured a few group photos with a lovely green field backdrop. Even though the sun was stronger than we’d normally like for these photos, we think they turned out great. Our approach is always to make these quick by being organised, so no-one is left out in the heat too long.
When golden hour finally hit and the harsh summer sun softened, we took the couple out for a wander. We utilized a stunning cornfield right next to the teepee. The warm, golden light filtering through the crops made for some of the most romantic, beautifully lit portraits of the year.
With plenty of open space to chill out and explore, the videographer was able to get a drone up in the air, capturing sweeping, cinematic shots of the couple walking through the nearby fields.
Letting Their Hair Down
As the sun set, the party really started. The dance floor got wonderfully messy very quickly, and we were right there in the thick of it. We captured some absolutely amazing, high-energy shots of everyone just completely letting their hair down.
All in all, it was one of our favorite days to photograph. We had so much fun capturing the story, and we know the couple had the most amazing time celebrating it.
Keep an eye on the blog for more real weddings, and if you are planning a festival-style wedding of your own, we’d love to hear from you!
Venue Spotlight
Situated right in the heart of the village, St Mary’s is a Grade I listed medieval church dating back to 1350. It’s steeped in history and happens to be the church where the famous landscape painter John Constable’s father is buried. But from a photography and wedding experience perspective, here is why it stands out:
- The Unique Bell Cage: This is undoubtedly the church’s most famous feature. Because the main tower was never finished, the bells are housed in a 16th-century wooden bell cage right on the ground level in the churchyard. Not only are these the heaviest set of five hand-rung bells in England, but the rustic wooden structure creates a brilliant, completely unique backdrop for your couples’ portraits after the ceremony. Source: Suffolk Churches.Â
- Space & Flexibility: St Mary’s comfortably holds up to 200 guests, making it perfect for both intimate gatherings and larger celebrations. As we mentioned in our last blog post about our recent East Bergholt wedding, the side aisles here are a huge bonus for photographers, allowing us to discretely move around and capture reactions from different angles without getting in the way! Source: A church near you.
