A tipi, a secret garden, a handfasting ceremony, incredible food and drinks, speeches full of love, tears and laughter,  and venue styling like no other – Ev and James’s tipi wedding in Letchworth just kept giving and giving.

When Bradley of Bradley Martin Films asked if I’d be available to shoot the wedding of some good friends of his I was more than a little intrigued.

Bradley has an unblemished track record in collecting the very best friends and shooting colourful, characterful weddings full of detail and personal touches.  I first met Bradley at Helen and Matt’s wedding at Almshoebury Farm near Hitchin in Hertfordshire where he was videographer and I was photographer. If Helen and Matt were a barometer of Bradley’s friend quality I was IN.

I had an inkling that I was in for a treat shooting with Bradley again, but had absolutely no idea quite how big a treat Ev and James’s day was going to be. All I knew was that the wedding was going to take place in the garden of Ev’s family home in Letchworth.

I didn’t know that the ceremony would be conducted by the fabulous, enigmatic Humanist Celebrant Zena Birch, or that the food and drinks were being supplied by the phenomenal team at The Kite (watching the team work solidly all day, with such passion and enthusiasm, gave me an even deeper respect for good food from independent caterers – they were there when I arrived and they were there when I left and I’ve never seen so many beetroot prepared in my entire life!). Here they are in action >>

I also didn’t know that Ev’s mum, Alice, is the incredible Alice van der List of All In One Season – a Dutch floral designer and venue styling magician who’d poured every last ounce of her being into transforming her Letchworth Garden City home into a magical, twinkling wedding venue like no other.

 Walking from the drinks reception patio, through to the secret garden, via the ceremony tipi and reception barn I was speechless. Every nook and cranny, every little corner of their beautiful arts-and-crafts home and garden had been lovingly shaped and styled by Alice, her team and family to create a unique wedding space that had me in awe at the level of love, work and attention to detail that was woven throughout the never-ending florals and decor, the miles of fairy lights and the dozens of paper lanterns. As a Letchworth wedding photography I was in for a treat.

Ev and James and their families are the warmest, loveliest gang. I arrived, a complete stranger and was immediately welcomed into the fold with huge, enthusiastic open arms. Being welcomed into Ev’s family home with such love was quite something. It put me at ease and gave me permission to get fully involved in the day and shoot with abandon.

Their day was relaxed, natural, full of character and personal touches and 100% all about them.

This is the story of their day.

A truly special, perfectly unique day – thank you James and Ev for having me along and to Bradley for asking.

~ The cast ~

Ev + James

~ Support crew ~

Venue | Alice Van der List

Florals, venue design and styling | Alice Van der List of All In One Season

Videography | Bradley of Bradley Martin Films 

Celebrant | Zena Birch

Caterers | The Kite

Planner | Atena at Sephid Events

Tipi suppliers | Tipis4Hire

Make up | Isabella at Bella Beauty Creative

Hair | Floriana Price

Band | That Other Band

The North Hertfordshire town, Letchworth Garden City is famous as the world’s first garden city and home of the world’s first roundabout.

The Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation explains the history of the town – which was first noted in in 1086 Domesday Book.

Letchworth is just 5 miles from my hometown of Hitchin and is home to approximately 35,000 people – as well as the rare black squirrel.