weddings

couple pouring champagne into champagne tower at retreat east wedding venue

Retreat East Suffolk Wedding – Eirian and Simon

Retreat East Wedding Photographer

As a wedding photographer with a passion for capturing love stories against the backdrop of stunning landscapes, Retreat East holds a special place in my heart. Nestled in the heart of Suffolk, this enchanting venue offers an abundance of natural beauty.

With 35 acres of organic countryside and wildflower meadows, Retreat East provides endless opportunities for breathtaking photographs. From romantic outdoor ceremonies surrounded by lush greenery to intimate moments shared amidst the rustic charm of the dairy farm, every corner of this venue is brimming with picture-perfect settings.

With ample luxurious, modern accommodation options, Retreat East is an ideal venue for your wedding weekend celebrations.

Martina liana wedding dress handing in bridal suite at retreat east

Bridal Preparations at Retreat East

Eirian and her girls all got ready at ‘The Piggery’ one of the many onsite accommodations available at Retreat East. The morning was chilled and relaxed as the sun was shining. Eirian’s dress was by Australian dress designer Martina Liana and she looked absolutely radiant. She opted to wear her veil under her hair up do. Which I personally LOVED as it’s a more modern vibe and also showed off the elegant hairstyle so much more.

The florals were all shades of pink with so many gorgeous peonies which are Eirian’s favourite flower. They all looked so gorgeous all together with the bride and bridesmaid bouquets.

First look before the ceremony

Eirian and Simon opted to have a first look before the ceremony. I absolutely love when my couples choose to do a first look as it enable to reduce any possible nerves before the ceremony and it’s a much more wonderful and private moment of seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day.

outdoor wedding ceremony set up at retreat east with flower urn arrangment

outdoor wedding ceremony set up at retreat east with flower urn arrangment and cross back chairs

Outdoor ceremony in garden at Retreat East

Eirian and Simon were lucky to have such gorgeous weather for the Retreat East Wedding. We all know how unpredictable the weather in the UK can be! They did have a fabulous plan B rainy day option where they could have held their ceremony in the Great Barn. The couple chose to include their golden retriever, Charlie, in their ceremony celebrations and had him as the ring bearer.

Aaron – the live wedding painter, was busy in the background painting the ceremony. What a magical way to capture your wedding ceremony moment as an alternative to photography.

After the ceremony Eirian and Simon walked back down the aisle straight into a confetti line. The most glorious end to a beautiful ceremony.

To kick off the drink reception Eirian and Simon opted to have a champagne tower which looked so magical and sparkled in the sun. This is a great way to start the drink reception and great photo opportunity (and can be an alternative to a cake cut!)

bride and groom pouring champagne into champagne tower at retreat east

Reception in the Great Barn

The beautiful and characterful Great Barn hosted Eirian and Simon’s wedding reception. It was fun of pink peony flowers, candles and linens in shades of pink and a personalised neon sign at the head table.

They chose to do their speeches before the meal to get them out of the way then followed by a delicious 3 course wedding breakfast catered by Retreat East.

Cocktail hour kicked off outside the barn with living singing by Peter Hepworth which really set the vibe and the guests and the couple were all having a fabulous time enjoying the June weather.

When it came to cutting the cake the bride and groom did this slightly differently and ‘cut it’ with champagne flutes. We then when straight into the first dance which was elevated with confetti canons, creating a really special and magical memory for the couple.