Skip to main content

How to plan your alternative wedding

Firstly, let me tell you my top tips to planning your alternative wedding. You do you and make sure it’s truly what your heart really wants, make sure both of you are involved in the decisions. Finally – do not feel obliged to stick to any traditions that you do not want.

Got that?

Good!

Now let’s talk more about top alternative wedding ideas for you to consider.

1. Non Traditional Venue – Alternative wedding style

So what is a non-traditional venue. Well come on that’s easy right? It’s anything away from the norm. Think quirky features, unique locations, bars, industrial spaces, warehouses, old castles (i’m not talking princess style here). Think outdoor wedding locations, unique tipis, restaurants, pubs. Ultimately you are so lucky now that you can literally get married anywhere. Hell you want to get married on a cliff top, go do it, this is the beauty right there of humanist celebrants. You can still have the ‘wedding’ just go do the legal bit on the down low in a registry office.

Ultimately what i’m saying is – a non traditional venue is anything other than the typical hotel, the typical manor house, the princess bride, the chair covers and organza purple bows. Here’s a few of my favourite stand out alternative venues from over the years. Featuring:

The Old Bell Hotel 

the old bell hotel wedding by an alternative wedding photographer

Old Cow Shed

Old cow shed wedding by an alternative wedding photographer

Middleton Lodge

Middleton Lodge wedding by an alternative wedding photographer

Cheshire Woodland weddings

Cheshire woodland weddings alternative wedding photographer

Camp and Furnace

camp and furnace liverpool alternative wedding photographercamp and furnace liverpool alternative wedding photographer

Tipi festival weddings in a field

alternative wedding festival photographer in manchester and liverpool liverpool festival alternative wedding photographer

Trafalgar Warehouse

Quirky industrial wedding at Trafalgar Warehouse by alternative wedding photographer

St Mary’s Wedding Space

st marys wedding space alternative wedding photographer in glencoe

Battle Abbey School

Battle abbey alternative wedding by manchester alternative wedding photographer

Gwrych Castle

Gwrych castle alternative wedding photographer in wales

2. Smoke bomb battle baby – Alternative wedding photography

In 2021 i kinda started something by accident. I sort of screamed battle during a bomb group shot and low and behold it stuck, it’ actually stuck. The amount of couples who ask me for this is nuts.

Disclaimer – maybe do not try this at home, unless you are with a pro, a pro who knows how to handle these bad boys.

Disclaimer 2 – if it’s bad weather i won’t do it, and if there’s drunk guests partaking who don’t like they have their head on earth… i won’t do it.

Anyway – safety talk over, it doesn’t have to be a battle though, we can create some serious drama and atmosphere during portraits too.

smoke bomb alternative wedding photographer at the giraffe shedalternative wedding photographer in manchester and london, unique wedding at battle abbey with smoke bomb battlesalternative modern wedding at battle abbey, modern manchester wedding photographermodern festival and alternative wedding in lake district shot by the manchester and liverpool wedding photographersmoke bomb alternative wedding photographer in the lakes for a festival wedding

3. Confetti by the bucket load – how to do this at your alternative wedding

modern manchester wedding photographerfun confetti shot at cheshire woodland weddingsAlternative and modern manchester and liverpool wedding photgrapher at Calderstone Mansion26alternative modern wedding at battle abbey, modern manchester wedding photographermodern manchester wedding photography, confetti shot and dancing at the old cow shedAlternative and modern manchester and liverpool wedding photographerliverpool quirky modern and fun wedding photographer at oh me oh myliverpool wedding photographeralternative manchester wedding photographer at the giraffe shed

4. Rock a jumpsuit instead of a dress – go nuts, and embrace your alternative wedding

Next up the jumpsuit!

I’ve seen such a trend with jupsuist recently, brides rocking it from the start of the day instead of a dress. Brides changing after ceremony into a ‘white’ jumpsuit and then i’ve seen brides saying F it, and going full on out there untraditional and rocking sequinned jumpsuits even for the ceremony.

My point is with this, just because it’s your wedding day, doesn’t mean you HAVE to wear a dress. If you’re more of a trouser person then blinking do you. Go for it, embrace it and enjoy it!

Alternative cow shed wedding photographer in manchestercow shed alternative wedding photographer at an untraditional wedding in manchestermodern festival and alternative wedding in lake district shot by the manchester and liverpool wedding photographer.                  alternative wedding at middleton lodge where bride where's jumpsuit

5. Think different throughout your day – think like a true alternative wedding pro

Take a look at this gallery of inspiration, from wingsm the unique interactive speeches, cardboard cut outs, shots wagons, rifle shooting, dogs at weddings, glitter madness, street parties and much more.

modern festival and alternative wedding in lake district shot by the manchester and liverpool wedding photographerlondon festival wedding photographerlake district festival wedding photographermodern manchester wedding photographermodern wedding at cheshire woodland weddings by manchester wedding photographer lake district alternative tipi and festival wedding documentary manchester wedding photographerliverpool alternative wedding photographer at oh me oh myfun baltic hotel wedding photographer by the liverpool wedding photographeralternative wedding photographer in manchester and london, unique wedding at battle abbeyliverpool quirky modern and fun and alternative wedding photographer at baltic hotelmodern manchester festival wedding photographer at the giraffe shed Alternative london festival wedding photographer

So you’ve seen enough now to decide you want to book me right? GREAT! you can do that by clicking here now! 

Do you want to see even more adventures? Click here now.

Finally – remember, if you really want an alternative wedding photographer who understands how to have an alternative wedding, then seriously get booking. Send over your details, and don’t forget. Spaces are always limited and i book up fast!

Leave a Reply