Oxfordshire farm wedding venue Jess & Tom
There’s something uniquely magical about hosting a wedding on your own land. No curated gardens, no venue rules, just wide-open fields, rustic barns, worn footpaths, and the quiet hum of farm life in the background. An Oxfordshire farm wedding feels personal, handmade and deeply rooted in the countryside — and that’s exactly the charm of Jess and Tom’s celebration.
I had the pleasure of photographing their intimate Oxfordshire farm wedding, beginning with their ceremony at St Giles, Newington. Some weddings run like clockwork, every detail pre-planned. This one was joyfully personal, rustic, a little eccentric in the best way, and a total dream for a documentary-style wedding photographer.
Jess and Tom’s day began at St Giles in Newington for a traditional Church of England ceremony. With under twenty guests, it was intimate and heartfelt. Jess walked up to the church gate with her father, Tom arrived in either a Willys jeep or a vintage tractor (the final decision was still between them when we first spoke — both perfectly fitting for their Young Farmers love story), and inside, Jess even delivered the reading herself. After a confetti-filled exit, we wandered around the churchyard for a few relaxed portraits before heading back towards the farm.
Their wedding wasn’t about trends or glossy magazine perfection — it was about who they truly are. Almost everything was thrifted, foraged or second-hand: the dresses, the suit, the umbrellas, the rugs, the vases, the table settings. The long summer drought had turned the surrounding fields from green to warm, golden browns, and instead of worrying about it, they embraced the warm, film-like tones. The result? A wedding full of character, texture and countryside soul.
Are you looking for a wedding photographer in Oxfordshire — especially if you're planning a farm wedding? Whether you’re farmers yourselves or simply love the countryside, feel free to browse my FAQs or send me a message to chat about your day.
Oxfordshire farm wedding
Oxfordshire farm wedding: Documenting the day
With no bridesmaids, ushers or lengthy formal shot lists, Jess and Tom were keen for their photography to feel natural and documentary-led. The only structured photos were the ones that held real meaning: Jess walking to the church with her dad, a few family frames, Tom with his parents, and a kiss outside the church doors. Inside, I worked gently and quietly from the sides, respecting the church’s no-flash policy while still capturing the emotion of the ceremony.
On the journey back to the farm we planned a few photo stops — the kind you only get at a countryside wedding. One favourite was a viewpoint across the fields, looking back towards the church from raised duckboards (ideally with a few cows wandering in the background). Another was the ford at Drayton St Leonard, perfect for slightly adventurous, timeless countryside portraits. Rain or shine, their umbrellas, barns and grain stores meant we had plenty of backup options if the weather turned “industrial chic."
Back on the farm, their reception was relaxed, homemade and wonderfully personal. They arrived up the driveway in the jeep to another cloud of confetti, children darting around their feet and vintage tractors parked proudly on the lawn. There were toasts, finger food, tea and plenty of cake. Jess’s dad planned a small speech, and there’d be a little first dance — more of a twirl, really — with the children encouraged to join in.
One of the ideas I was most excited to photograph was Jess’s wish to recreate the famous Debo Mitford portrait, complete with chickens (and hopefully their elusive peacocks if they could be tempted over). It’s the sort of gloriously bonkers countryside detail that makes photographing a farm wedding such fun — and so unique to each couple.
Jess and Tom first met dancing to “Call Me Maybe” at a Young Farmers party back in 2012, and after thirteen years together, their wedding felt less like a performance and more like a celebration of the life they’ve built — rooted in kindness, adventure and a fierce love for the land. My goal was to capture those in-between moments that say everything: the shared laugh on the duckboards, hands intertwined in the jeep, the way they looked at each other across the garden as their guests chatted around them.
If you're planning an Oxfordshire farm wedding and want photography that feels warm, real and rooted in the countryside — whether that’s mud on your boots, tractors on the lawn or a confetti-covered jeep — I’d love to hear from you. As a wedding photographer for farmers, these are the days I absolutely love to document.
You also can’t beat a farm wedding in the Oxfordshire countryside…
