Back Garden Wedding Celebration in Hampshire

Nicki and Joel

Not all weddings need a “venue”. Sometimes a gazebo, a small marquee, some tables, a back garden, and bit of imagination is all that’s needed to create something special. Nicki and Joel LOVE their garden - I mean if I had the cutest little stream running along the back of mine, I would too - and they knew they didn’t want a huge, grand affair. They simply wanted to keep it intimate, in the place that’s “them”. And so it was that in late August I headed to Chandlers Ford in Hampshire for their back garden wedding celebration.

But hang on, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. They actually had to, you know, get married first. For that kind of important part they took the short trip into Southampton and Westgate Hall. Built into the old city walls, I have shot so many weddings here and each one is special. What I love about it though is there are so many little pockets dotted around the area for photos that I never get bored.

Nicki looked simply divine. A hint of boho to her styling, her dress (Tilly by Savannah Miller) just worked perfectly. I’m actually getting pretty good at guessing the style of dress each bride is going to go for, and I was certainly in the right ballpark here (if I do say so myself). More than anything else about this day though, what I loved most was Nicki and Joel, and their simple trust in me. When I suggested we take a walk up the road from their house as the sun was setting they were more than up for it. They mentioned a bridge that might work but isn’t particularly photogenic, and this was the perfect example of good light and composition making something that isn’t too great to look at, look amazing (Check the pics out towards the end).

This wedding was all about stripped back simplicity, and it shows that even a simple back garden in Hampshire can be a wedding venue if you have the imagination.

Here’s Nicki and Joel’s day as I saw it.

Shout Outs

Dress - Tilly by Savannah Miller
Shoes - Charlotte by Rachel Simpson
Caricaturist - Sam Allen