Rural village hall wedding photographer | Simon Withyman Photography

Marquee wedding in small village

After chatting with Pippa and Ben online, I could tell straight away that they had something truly special planned for their wedding day, and I was so excited to capture it all as their rural village hall wedding photographer.

Pippa and Ben have a long history together, having known each other since school and both growing up in the countryside near the beautiful church they chose for their ceremony. Their wedding was a brilliant example of how a village hall wedding can be completely personal, relaxed and full of character.

A Countryside Wedding Ceremony

The ceremony took place at St Mary’s in Hawkesbury, a beautiful, well-maintained church nestled in the heart of the English countryside. With its traditional character and peaceful rural surroundings, it couldn’t have been a more fitting backdrop for Pippa and Ben to say their “I dos”.

The church was packed with around 150 of their nearest and dearest, all dressed to impress and buzzing with excitement. The ceremony itself was emotional, joyful and full of brilliant little moments. There were happy tears, plenty of laughter and lots of genuine reactions from friends and family, making it an absolute pleasure to photograph.

As the newlyweds stepped outside, they were greeted by a huge shower of pure white, biodegradable confetti. They walked through what felt like a never-ending line of cheering guests, creating some brilliant photographs and the perfect start to the celebrations.

A Rural Village Hall Wedding Reception

From the church, we made our way to Horton and Little Sodbury Village Hall for the rest of the day’s celebrations.

A super-cool marquee had been stylishly decorated and immediately set the tone for a relaxed and fun-filled afternoon. There was no sense of formality, just a beautiful space for everyone to eat, drink, catch up and celebrate.

It turned out to be one of those properly hot summer days of 2025, but the heat didn’t stop the party one bit. Guests spent the afternoon soaking up the sunshine, dancing, laughing and enjoying themselves, while an upbeat live band provided the perfect soundtrack to the celebrations.

Relaxed Village Hall Wedding Photography

As a rural village hall wedding photographer, I love weddings like this because they give couples the freedom to create something that feels completely their own. There’s no need for a grand hotel or elaborate wedding venue when you’ve got a great group of people, a beautiful rural setting and the freedom to put your own stamp on the day.

Pippa and Ben’s wedding had everything I love about this kind of celebration, a beautiful countryside ceremony, a relaxed village hall reception, loads of personality and a brilliant group of people who were clearly there to have a fantastic time.

“Simon documented our wedding day beautifully with a relaxed, easy presence that helped us both feel at ease. He blended in with guests, caught real moments and delivered a vibrant, natural set of photos that truly reflected the atmosphere and colours of the day.”

“The turnaround was impressively fast and we appreciated getting so many images to choose from. Our engagement shoot before the big day helped us feel comfortable and confident, and Simon’s thoughtful planning meant he guided us to peaceful photo spots for us the catch a break from the fun to spend time together.

We had lots of compliments from friends and family about how seamlessly Simon fitted in—his candid, unobtrusive approach and gorgeous editing made the experience completely stress-free, his communication was brilliant throughout.”

Pippa + Ben

If you’re planning a relaxed countryside celebration and are looking for a rural village hall wedding photographer, I’d love to hear about your plans and capture your day in a natural, documentary-style way.

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