Jenny & Alex’s relaxed Bowland Tipis wedding with a unique woodland ceremony followed by the best food, music, and ceilidh chaos
Bowland Tipis Wedding Photographers
Jenny and Alex got married at Bowland Tipis in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. They wanted their day to feel more like a relaxed party than a traditional wedding, with plenty of great food, good music, and all their friends and family celebrating with them.
Bowland Tipis was the perfect place for Jenny and Alex’s wedding. They booked us to capture their day after being recommended by another of our lovely couples, and we couldn’t wait to join them in the beautiful forest setting.
“Having memories that capture the spirit of the day is really important to us.”
Bowland Tipis Wedding Photography
We absolutely love Bowland Tipis. The whole place is lush, and the on-site lodges mean you can turn it into your own little wedding village for the weekend! Up to 80 guests can stay within a short walk of the Nordic wedding tipi and woodland ceremony area. The luxury lodges have awesome hot tubs, and there’s even space for glamping and camping. As if that’s not enough to have us excited about coming back here, there are also plans in progress to add even more incredible options for couples planning their wedding at Bowland Tipis. We can’t wait to see what comes next!
Getting ready in the woodland lodges
Jenny got ready in the bridal lodge with her Mum, maid of honour, and five bridesmaids. The whole process felt super chilled. Sarah Meredith Hair and Make Up was working her magic as the girls chatted, sipped their drinks, and snacked on freshly baked pastries. We work with Sarah quite a lot, and her calm, down-to-earth energy means she gets along with everyone and fits in like an extra best mate (who is also a wizard with a make-up brush).
The woodland lodges are lovely and light, with plenty of space for everyone to get ready and do their own thing. There’s also something really relaxing about only being a short walk from the ceremony – no transport or traffic to worry about!
There was time for the kids to have a quick trip to the park while the grown-ups got ready for the main event. Alex had his own little beauty moment (pre-wedding face masks are for the guys too!) and then helped add some finishing touches to the décor in the woodland ceremony area before getting into his Moss Bros suit.
Jenny wore a lace-topped dress from Etsy and a cute, whimsical flower headband, which looked so beautiful in the woodland setting. The girls then set off on their short walk from the lodge to the ceremony, along the tree-lined pathway with great big smiles on all their faces.
A meaningful woodland ceremony at Forest of Bowland
The bunting criss-crossed the woodland, and guests sat on benches armed with ribbon streamers to welcome Jenny as she walked down the aisle with her Mum. There’s something really magical about the simplicity of the woodland and the dappled shade surrounding such a personal ceremony. They had musicians playing and Annie Richardson “The Rivington Celebrant”, to guide them through their hand fasting, ring blessing and mead ceremony (replacing mead with Limoncello, legends!).
The ring blessing got their guests involved as they passed the wooden ring box between them before they said their vows. Their friend Charlotte also sang for them, which was a lovely touch, and really reinforced that their family and friends were part of their day and their story.
After being covered in Shropshire Petals confetti, it was time for canapes and live music from her talented brother Sam, on his guitar. With his biggest fans in the audience, it wasn’t long before people were making requests and singing along to their favourites!
While their guests mingled and chatted, we captured some group photos in the shade of the trees. There was an extra guest for their photos as newlyweds, a cool vintage car that Jenny’s uncle had driven up from Nottingham especially for them (that’s the kind of lovely people these two have around them).
Relaxed Tipi wedding
Jenny and Alex had told me they wanted the wedding to feel “more like a relaxed party than a traditional wedding.” And so far, they were exactly on brand! Their guests were enjoying the gorgeous setting, the kids were playing and exploring the woodland, and everyone had a drink or snack in their hand. The tipi had been set up for their first dance to Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World”, and then they launched into a fun-filled Ceilidh under the disco balls hung from the foliage chandelier.
A Ceilidh is always chaotic fun, we love them. Add that to a tipi, and you’ve got a whirlwind of dancing, laughter, and expert dodging of supporting poles! People threw themselves (sometimes quite literally) into the dancing, and this really got the party off to a great start. A disco continued into the night and it was funny to see how a pre-disco ceilidh continued to inspire the dancefloor moves!
Proper sociable food to fuel the party
Cheek and Tongue Catering provided pizza and loaded Yorkshire puddings to refuel the partygoers, which suited the relaxed vibe of the day. Proper sociable food for a proper sociable bunch. Jenny and Alex added so many unique personal touches to their day, and cutting their cake (which they bought from M&S) was an epic event, thanks to the sword Alex had made on his Viking-themed stag do!
The beautiful woodland setting of Bowland Tipis was the ideal place for Jenny and Alex’s friends and family from across the country to celebrate and make memories. It was a really fun day, super relaxed, and full of little hints to Jenny and Alex’s story and their life together.
Why Jenny and Alex chose us
Jenny and Alex found us after attending Maximus and Beverly’s wedding, which we photographed down south. It meant the world to be trusted through a personal recommendation, and as they’d seen us at work, they knew what to expect. When they first got in touch, Jenny and Alex said they loved how our photos capture “the story and the character of the people”. They wanted to be reminded of “the spirit of the day”, not just what it looked like, but the feeling of being there. That’s exactly what we believe photography should do.
We don’t direct or stage anything. We blend in and document the day as it happens, using our experience and creativity to create images that make you feel something. Jenny and Alex wanted to make memories with their friends and family, and we photographed the day to capture the atmosphere so they can relive it again and again.
Looking for Bowland Tipis wedding photographers?
If you’re planning a relaxed, festival-style wedding, we’d love to hear from you. From Lancashire and Yorkshire wedding photography to celebrating in the Lake District and capturing weddings in the Cotswolds and beyond. Whether you’re getting married at Bowland Tipis or further afield, let’s chat about your plans.
