Tipi Wedding: Lau & Andy
This colourful, outdoor tipi wedding, in Northamptonshire, was one of my favourites to date.
Not least because we got lucky – the weather was perfect – but because Lau and Andy are the kind of people who make you feel at home. They didn’t want any fuss, just lots of fun on their wedding day. Lau didn’t even require me at bridal prep (love a bride who knows her own mind and does things her own way). So I started my day at Long Furlong Farm, where the wedding tipi was set up and the boys were getting ready. Long Furlong Farm have their own barn and plenty of space for you to pitch hired in tipis or yurts for your wedding day, like this one from Country Tipis. They are also some of the most helpful and kind venue holders I have met in a long time.
When the girls turned up to the tipi wedding they looked stunning. Lau wore a beautifully simple lace wedding dress, which she accessorised with a colourful flower crown and a big smile. The bridesmaids wore long sky-blue dresses, perfect for a summer’s day.
Lau and Andy had their hearts set on an outdoor ceremony, which was easily the right option for the day. They shared self written vows which were so heartfelt.
The drinks reception at the tipi wedding was held outdoors, in between the barn and the tipi. A steel drum player treated everyone to 90s dance anthems, Caribbean style.
The Speeches.
Following a bbq wedding breakfast, the speeches were done in the tipi. I always think that a set of good speeches really makes a wedding, and these didn’t disappoint. They were emotional, warm and downright bloody hilarious.
It’s the small things that count: yes this was an amazing tipi wedding. But what really made it the perfect day were the small touches. Andy and Lau had re-connected on Facebook over a post about a wildlife documentary. During the groom’s speech, Andy gave Lau a letter from DAVID ATTENBOROUGH!! A letter to say happy wedding day, from the man himself.
The best men spoke about Andy through the medium of hair: they actually made wigs of his alternative hairstyles throughout his youth and got him to wear them for the funny stories they had recollected. All the guests were in stitches. I’m not gonna lie – I struggled to not get camera shake I was laughing so much too!
After the speeches everyone rushed outside when they heard the jingle from an ice cream van.
Tipi Wedding Party
This wedding was always going to be about the party. Lau and Andy had made that much clear from the start. They booked me and sorted my working timeline based on what was important to them – and they wanted lots of coverage of the evening. Whereas most wedding photographers shoot first dance and then leave shortly after, I work within a timeframe and allow you to set my start and finish time based on how many hours you have booked. This worked perfectly as the party spirit upped about five million notches once it had gone dark.
