Laura & Ugo: An Oxford Register Office Wedding and a Walk Through the City

Laura and Ugo got married in Oxford at the end of April, with a ceremony at the register office and an afternoon spent walking the city centre together. No venue to travel to, no marquee, no seating plan to fret about. Just a city they love, a short white dress, a grey suit with a floral tie, and a lot of their favourite people.

Getting ready

Laura got ready by a tall window, in a short, simple dress that was clearly chosen for walking round Oxford rather than standing still in it. Good decision.

The ceremony

Register office ceremonies are short, which is one of the things I like about them. A room full of people sitting close enough to hear every word, and very little time for anyone to get self-conscious. Ugo waited at the front looking calmer than most grooms manage. That lasted until Laura walked in.

They came out onto the steps to a wall of friends and family, hugs all round, and the particular noise people make when a wedding they’ve been looking forward to has actually happened.

Walking the city

Then we walked. Out into the streets, up to Radcliffe Square, past the carved doorways around the Bodleian, under the Bridge of Sighs and down the lanes towards Magdalen. In spring the centre of Oxford is full of people, and most of them stop to watch a couple in wedding clothes go past. Nobody minded.

There’s a wall along one of the back lanes that, in late April, is covered in wisteria. We timed it well.

We finished in a garden full of yellow flowers, by which point the two of them had completely forgotten I was there, which is exactly what I’m hoping for.

If you’re getting married in Oxford city centre

Keep it walkable: The register office, Radcliffe Square, the Bodleian and the Bridge of Sighs are all a few minutes apart. You can see a lot of the city in an hour without getting in a car.

Go early, or go quiet: The centre is busy, especially at weekends. Mornings are quieter, and the back lanes are always quieter than Broad Street.

Choose clothes you can walk in: Cobbles, kerbs and a lot of steps. A shorter dress or sensible shoes will pay for themselves.

Think about timing for flowers: Spring in Oxford is excellent. Wisteria in late April and early May, blossom in the colleges, and long light in the evenings.

There’s more about getting married here on my Oxford Register Office wedding photographer and Oxford wedding photographer pages, and the Lookbook has what I charge and what’s included.

A short ceremony, a long walk, and a city that looked its best for them.