Bohemian Festival Wedding at Radford Mill Farm

Anyone for a hay bale fight?

There are two types of wedding guest in this world – those who will run away from a hay fight, and those who love to get stuck in.  The guests at this bohemian festival wedding, were definitely the latter.

Festival wedding at Radford Mill Farm

This made Radford Mill Farm a great location for Sarah and Harry’s wedding photography.  Sarah explains:

‘It took us a while to figure out how to do a wedding in our own way. Neither of us are traditional, and neither of us knew where to start, but we figured it out along the way.

‘We wanted a laid back, creative, inclusive festival style wedding weekend, with colourful decorations, quality food and drink. Being a DIY wedding, it was a production we built from the ground up and can be proud of, thanks hugely to the help and support from of a lot of our closest family and friends and of course our talented suppliers, to whom we will be forever grateful.’

The farm is a natural eco friendly site surrounded by beautiful woodland gardens, where guests were free to wander and explore.

Colourful wedding details

Sarah and Harry took care with the details of the day, embracing colour to create a relaxed carnival vibe.  In their invitations, guests were asked to dress colourfully and I can’t tell you how joyful it made doing their wedding photography at Radford Mill Farm!

Bright garlands were hung throughout the marquee.  Guests sat on hay bales for the ceremony and speeches, each laid with a unique wool blanket.  Colourful wildflowers were hung in and around the tent, courtesy of The Rambling Rose, Bristol.  And of course, the hay bales doubled up as fodder for fights later on, much to the joy of big and little kids alike.

True to festival form, this wedding began wet.  The bride and groom were unsurprised; in fact, Sarah remembers it fondly.  She says:

‘We particularly loved the ceremony. We had watched a rain cloud sit over our wedding date consistently in the lead up.  By the time the day came, the storm had a name – storm Antoni.

‘As the bridal party arrived on site and the ceremony started, the heavens opened. There was a power cut half way through the ceremony too. It was hilarious, emotional and atmospheric all at the same time, and and it brought everyone together closer in a magical way.’

It was an emotional ceremony, with live music and much laughter.  Harry threw his arms up in the air with joy as he and his new wife were declared married.  

Afterwards, their family and friends delighted in throwing flower petal confetti upon them as they walked out into the newly emerging sunshine.

Bohemian wedding styles for a festival wedding

Bride and groom took full advantage of the beautiful grounds around The Piggery for couples’ shots before heading back to the tent for the party. 

Sarah opted for an elegant silk dress from The Mews Bridal for the ceremony, her long hair curling around her shoulders, adorned with wildflowers, styled courtesy of Amy Marie Wedding Hair.  For the second part of the day, she switched to a wedding jumpsuit complete with leopard print jacket, which, let’s face it, looked fabulous!  I love an outfit change on a wedding day! 

Harry pipped for a traditional blue suit from Home, but as the party got going he adopted a Panama hat.  Source: unknown, but I suspect it was formerly owned by a guest.  Accessories and arms were thrown into the air with gusto as the party got underway, with terrific tunes from wedding band The Soul Strutters and later, DJ Luka.  Another moment which Sarah recalls with joy:

‘We loved the epic rave moment at the end, when we knew we only had a few songs left, and the energy went up a few levels. A light show from the reflection off the disco ball, smoke machines and a full dancefloor. What more can you ask for to end the night?’

Wedding Photography by Mike

You can see in the pictures, the laughter, the gentle touches, the bonds between bride, groom and guests.  I’m proud to say that Sarah picked up on this too:

‘Mike was recommended to us by a friend and we loved his photography style. He was able to find the special and cheeky candid moments, while also capturing so much joy.

‘The photos we got back were gorgeous, they were artistic, documentary, joyful and full of rich colour – just what we were after.

‘Our wedding album takes us right back to August 5, 2023, a special date for us and our families. We feel really grateful to be able to have all of our photos to look back upon, as a remind us of such a happy weekend together, with our favourite people.’