WEDDING SPECIAL
TO THE CITY, WEDDED Why stay-at-home weddings are ‘in’ – and more from the local experts that can help you achieve the day of your dreams! A t the tail end of last year, British Vogue declared 2025 the year of the stay-at-home wedding – and who are we to disagree with them?
creating a wedding narrative around a place which has significance tracing back to childhood provides inspiration and immediate storytelling.” With a host of wedding venues across the region, perfect photo backdrops around every corner and streets thrumming with memories and shared moments, residents of Cambridge are among the best poised to embrace this trend. In fact, a quick glance at social media during wedding season is all you need to get inspired: happy couples in city church and chapel porches, in towering college gateways, in quads and gardens, reclining in boats on the Cam, amid rural Cambridgeshire surroundings, or even, in one instance, joyfully letting rip a bottle of champagne at the Backs – round of applause, @thymelanephoto ! By sharing your big day not just with loved ones but with the places that have always held meaning for you, you’ll be telling a story of past, present and future – through the day itself and through the photos and memories too. So where to begin with your hometown wedding? Here are just a few of the many local experts on hand to help…
Alongside other key trends, including drapery in decor, ready-to-drink cocktails, calligraphy for invitation design and the return of film photography, hometown wedding bashes were a standout prediction among the top international event planners that the magazine canvassed. The reason? The post-pandemic panic, during which the desperation to travel saw destination weddings reach an apex, has finally petered out. While, of course, some will still favour an overseas venue for a host of personal reasons, the general trend has turned homeward. Perhaps the faff of travel delays, passport control queues and language barriers has disinclined couples to take their parties international, or maybe it’s down to the cost and time investment – for guests too. But British Vogue cites another reason: emotional disconnect. For this year’s couples, it’s all about resonance of place, rather than making a destination statement, as event planner Augusta Cole told the magazine: “Whether the setting is their private residence or a smattering of venues steeped in meaning,
CLOSE TO HOME The central Gresham House at The Gonville Hotel is an idyllic backdrop (left)
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK AUGUST 2025 09
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