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Colourful, relaxed Berkshire wedding with festival theme & Oscar de la Renta dress

It’s been a busy year since weddings opened back up properly but never fear: that just means more inspiration and wedded wisdom for you. After taking a break from posting, I’m back with a bang; more specifically, a super cool, colourful, relaxed and alternative Berkshire wedding that I know you’re going to just LOVE.

that just means more inspiration and wedded wisdom for you. After taking a break from posting, I’m back with a bang; more specifically, a super cool, colourful, relaxed and alternative Berkshire wedding that I know you’re going to just LOVE.

Chris and Sarah chose an uber fun festival theme for their wedding, and it was the perfect example of how blissful, relaxed and enjoyable your big day can be. Whether you’re planning a Berkshire wedding (local to me! *waves*) or you’re planning a bit further afield, it’s a great source of cool and colourful inspiration.

From the start, I could tell Chris and Sarah were very much my kind of people. They definitely didn’t want a traditional wedding, instead wanting a big, chilled party that would give them the opportunity to just relax and have a great time with family and friends. Judging by the smiles that adorned their faces all day, I think they definitely nailed it…!

The outfits

The first thing we need to discuss, of course, is the outfits, because both the bride and groom rocked some alternative aisle style with amazing results. With his dapper blue shorts suit, Chris wore a shirt with prowling jungle cats embroidered on it, and rocked a pair of Nike Air Jordans on his feet. Meanwhile, Sarah wowed in a jaw-dropping colourful occasion dress made by none other than Oscar De La Renta (Oscar. De la. Renta!) Its stunning, classic silhouette was emblazoned with bright yellow and inky blue shapes and was met with gasps for all the right reasons when Sarah walked down the aisle in Hungerford Town Hall. Wedding outfits are meant to make you feel like the best version of you, and you could feel Chris and Sarah’s personalities radiating for miles around. 

The festival wedding

After saying their I dos and exchanging their rings, the newlyweds walked out into the blazing August sunshine and the crowd of their nearest and dearest for confetti, well wishes and photos (of course.) Then…it was festival time, baby!

When planning Perry Fest, Chris and Sarah had wanted a day that prioritised celebration, fun, and having a bloomin’ good time. With this in mind, they provided their guests with loads of incredible things to see, do, and eat, taking over the sprawling lawns at The Croft Field and making it their own. (If you’re looking for a Berkshire wedding venue that you can totally make your own, by the way, I’d highly recommend The Croft Field – it was an ace alternative venue! Here’s some advice on what to look for when you’re choosing yours.) 

With that in mind, guests were met with a plethora of games, to be enjoyed by those both big and small. Whether you wanted to channel your inner Alice in Wonderland with a spot of croquet, sweep up at swingball, or preferred to jump around on a bouncy castle, there was something for everyone. If games weren’t your thing, Chris and Sarah had also planned some less active – but no less fun – activities, including glitter tattoos and a themed photo booth with props. 

They’d also handpicked some of their favourite eateries to set up stalls and food vans on the grass. Guests took their pick from delicious woodfired pizzas, delectable gourmet burgers and more, not to mention liqueur coffees and a bar dedicated to all things gin. In addition, they’d dotted around wheelbarrows filled with ice to keep some bottled beer and soft drinks cool too, alongside plates piled high with donuts.

As you can see from the photos, the sun was out in full force for this Berkshire wedding (did no-one tell it that UK festivals always rain?!) Luckily, Chris and Sarah had set out some different seating areas, one in a cosy display inside the tipi and one on some blanket-covered hay bales outside too. Shade and seating is so often forgotten about when couples plan outdoor weddings, but it’s one of my top tips to remember in case you are blessed with blue skies and bright sunshine. It’s especially worth remembering if you’re having a family-focussed day, like Chris and Sarah were, to make sure you can protect your more vulnerable guests.

Just before it was time to get the dancing going, Chris, Sarah and I slipped away to a tree-lined road not too far from the green, so that we could get some couples’ portraits. Lots of people get nervous about this bit beforehand as they imagine it’ll be really awkward, but as you can see from these shots, it was just as chill (and dare I say enjoyable) as the rest of the day was. In fact, even on a day dedicated to sharing with family and friends, it can be nice to have a few minutes just to yourselves to take it all in!

Now it was time to return to the festival for the main event – the dancing. Chris and Sarah hadn’t chosen any old wedding DJ; oh no. They’d picked Disco Shed, an alternative wedding DJ who literally raves from inside a shed. Not stopping there, they also had none other than Pat Sharp, host of Fun House and radio legend, on the decks – a wedding to remember, I’m sure you’ll agree.

If you’re planning a fun, colourful wedding of your own and Chris and Sarah’s Berkshire wedding has inspired you, make sure you get in touch to talk photography. I’d love to hear from you!

Their dream team

Venues: The Town Hall Hungerford and The Croft Field

Wedding planner: Harriett from Van Heil Events

Furniture hire: @omjfarms

Music: Disco Shed

DJ: Pat Sharp

Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Suit: Gresham Blake

Bridesmaid attire: Monsoon

Make up: Javeria Gilmore-Kahn

Hair: @oasishairboutiqueltd

Flowers: Martin & the Magpie

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