Grantchester wedding
Alice and Jamie
Grantchester may be known to many from the TV series, but to Alice and Jamie it’s personal. The village church of St Andrew and St Mary was the location for their wedding ceremony. It’s utterly charming in its own right. But if you fill it with flowers and love, it’s even more magical. Have a read and check out my favourite photos from the day. I promise there’ll be lots of country flowers inspo!
Ever felt like you’ve stepped right into a film set? Well, Alice and Jamie’s Grantchester wedding gave me all of those feelings! Yep, the Grantchester … from the TV series. It’s a real-life village with a real-life church just outside Cambridge. And very picturesque it is too. But don’t worry, I’m not just here for the TV references – or James Norton. Because whilst the backdrop is famous, it only added to the day. This was Alice and Jamie’s story.
Be the star of your own show
My best piece of advice to anyone planning a wedding is to plan a day that’s you. And Alice and Jamie certainly brought together everything that was important to them.
Grantchester is Alice’s home town and her parents still live there, so getting married in the village held all the meaning and memories. Not to mention the llamas across the road ready to wish them luck!
Alice works with lifestyle brands, so she had a really clear creative vision for their wedding, and my oh my, did it look fab! She loves natural images – but has a very keen eye for carefully composed and nicely lit details and non-posey posey portraits.
Meanwhile, Jamie is an actor and public speaking coach. So he was keen to enjoy every moment of the day without posing for the camera. That’s work stuff for him!
And between them, they wanted a wedding photographer to fit in and capture natural moments as they happened. Beautiful pictures of all the styling were a must-have. And they wanted some classic family photos – Opal the cat and her kittens included – and a few stylish pics of the two of them… without spending ages on them. Bingo! That’s just my cuppa!
Flowers, flowers, flowers
It started with the bouquets – hand-tied beauties in fresh green and white with playful pops of yellow.
Next, the church. The door, porch, aisle, window sills, altar, candelabra, and urns were filled with peonies, roses, delphiniums, sweet peas, frilly yellow tulips, cow parsley… All locally grown or foraged from Grantchester Meadows, and foam-free too. Nostalgic, whimsical, and just WOW!
Then, the marquee. Tablescapes with delicate florals in bud vases, wistfully illustrated stationery, and personalised pressed flower candles for everyone.
Right on theme, the bridesmaids wore floral-patterned floaty dresses and pretty flower crowns.
And I can’t forget Alice’s parents’ garden where they had their reception. I started the week photographing the Chelsea Flower Show for the RHS… and it felt like I was still there!
It was a dream to see and photograph – with the floral elements adding layers, texture, and context to the photos.
Grantchester church wedding
Alice and Jamie both got ready in Grantchester (Jamie at The Red Lion and Alice at her parents’ home) and walked to the church. Jamie’s casual but stylish stroll through Grantchester Meadows and Alice appearing amidst a scene full of signs are two of my fave photos of the day.
The church itself was a highlight too – even with fame aside. St Andrew and St Mary’s is unusually bright inside with lots of large windows and pale decor that reflects the light. Good light is so important in photography so I was a very happy bunny. It was brilliant to have access to the balcony too as it meant we could capture a bird’s eye view of the aisle processions.
Wandering through famous Grantchester locations for Alice and Jamie’s wedding was such a treat for the eyes – and the camera! Their impeccably styled day in this beautiful little village deserves a TV series all of its own – and maybe a feature on Gardener’s World too!
Planning a wedding in Grantchester?
Need a Grantchester wedding photographer to go with it?! If you fancy pictures like these for yourselves, I’d love to hear from you. Or if it’s still early days and you want to find out more first, make yourself at home and have a good root around.
Credits
Alice Dress 1: Lilian West at Brides by Solo Newmarket | Alice Dress 2: Self Portrait | Headband: Etsy | Bridesmaid dresses: Hope and Ivy London | Hair: Lino Thomas Saffron Walden | Table stationery: Papier | Florals: Cecilia’s Flowers | Cake: Fitzbillies Cambridge | Catering: Crown Catering