Getting Married at The Perch Inn Oxford

The Perch Inn Oxford is a riverside pub just outside the centre. You can walk there from the city, but once you arrive it feels completely removed – surrounded by fields, the Thames, and long stretches of open sky.

I’ve photographed several weddings here over the years and it’s still one of the most relaxed venues I work at. The atmosphere is informal, guests hangout by the river, the food is insanely good, staff super friendly and no matter the weather – it’s always cosy.

In this blog post I’ll walk you through what it’s like to get married here at The Perch Inn Oxford and what you can expect if you choose it as your wedding venue. To see a gallery of a recent wedding, take a look at this Relaxed Wedding at The Perch.

The Perch Inn Oxford pub and wedding venue.

A Wedding Ceremony under the Willow Tree

The Perch Inn isn’t licensed for civil weddings. Couples who would still want a ceremony under the famous willow tree usually complete the legal paper work at a registry office beforehand. This lets them create a ceremony exactly as they want, often led by a friend, family member, or celebrant.

Bride speaking into a microphone at an outdoor ceremony under a willow tree at the Perch

Woman in a blue dress giving a reading in front of a colourful flower arch at the Perch

Travelling to The Perch by Boat

For couples who have a legal ceremony in the city first, arriving at The Perch by boat is one of the perks of having your reception here. Cruising along the river with your loved ones, while sipping champagne, is simply the best!!

Couple in flower crowns and sunglasses on wicker seats aboard a wooden river boat

Bride and groom smiling at the wheel of a river boat as guests chat behind them

Bride and groom sitting together at the back of a wooden boat on the river

Wedding party arriving by canopied river boat across calm water on a sunny day

Arriving at The Perch Inn Oxford

When you arrive at The Perch by boat, your guests’ boat usually docks before yours, giving you a chance to be greeted by confetti as you step off. Other confetti options include further down the river, along the woodland path to the pub or once you’ve reached the pub itself.

“The beauty of our location. We are based right on the river, so if you are getting married in the city you can give your guests the most wonderful experience by travelling here by boat. You can then lead your guests through the magical fairy-lit woodland path and straight into our stunning back garden.”

To see more boat arrivals, take a peek here at Maisy and James wedding from The Bodleian to The Perch.

Bride and groom in flower crowns walking hand in hand through falling confetti at the Perch

Bride and groom laughing in a thick shower of colourful petal confetti

Two grooms kissing as a large crowd of guests throws confetti over them

Bride and groom walking through a line of guests throwing confetti on a garden path

MARRIED COUPLE WALKING TO THE PERCH INN OXFORD | OXFORD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

CONFETTI THROWN AT COUPLE AT THE PERCH INN OXFORD - PHOTO BY PHILIPPA JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY

Drinks Reception

After your ceremony and confetti celebration, it’s time to catch up with your guests during the drinks reception. Drinks and canapés here never disappoint! The team suggest three canapés per guest, with plenty of options from meat to vegan, they can cater for any dietary requirement.

This is also the time garden games might be played, or listening to a fortune teller – see here at Jo and Adams wedding.

Bride hugging a guest in a colourful scarf in the garden at the Perch

Tray of Pimm's with cucumber, orange and mint in glasses with striped straws

Guests laughing around a game of beer pong in the garden at the Perch

Plate of mushroom and crispy sage toasts carried round as canapés

Bride lining up a shot at beer pong as guests in suits watch at the Perch

Guest taking a canapé from a wooden tray carried by a waiter in an apron

Baby in a waistcoat and bow tie lying on the grass surrounded by family

Tray of canapés topped with crushed peas and beetroot

The Marquee

The heated marquee can host 120 guests for a seated meal, and up to 180 for evening reception. The space is large yet it retains a cosy atmosphere.

It includes a rustic bar serving a range of drinks, and the teams an even arrange a barrel of real ale if you wish. A cosy indoor seating area, an old piano for decoration, as well as a rear courtyard is great for mingling and garden games.

The dining area comes equipped with everything you need and transformed into a dance floor in the evening. There are a variety of ways to design the tables for your meal, here are a few examples.

Marquee laid with long wooden tables, folding chairs, bunting and fairy lights at the Perch

Marquee at the Perch laid with long wooden tables, bunting and fairy lights for the wedding breakfast

Marquee at the Perch set with flowers, bunting and a foliage-wrapped pole before guests arrive

Portraits and Group Shots

I aim to capture family group shots and portraits of you both before dinner. This will either happen immediately after stepping off the boat, or after you’ve spent time mingling. We’ll discuss the timings in advanced, but you can always expect a mix of formal and informal family photos as well as some portraits of just the two of you.

Bride and groom with their dog under the fairy-lit willow arch at the Perch

Bride, groom, bridesmaids in navy and groomsmen standing in a meadow of long grass

Bride and groom embracing on a wooden jetty beside the river at the Perch

Two grooms kissing in a family group photo by the water, with a black dog in front

Four wedding guests smiling together in front of green foliage at the Perch

Bride with arms raised among cheering female guests outside the marquee

Bride and groom standing with family in front of a willow tree

Groom in military dress uniform smiling at the bride, who wears his cap and wellies, in a leafy garden

The Country Feast

The Perch is most famous for their sociable country feast, served on the table to share, so everyone’s encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Each meal includes three courses, offering a hearty, mingling dining experience.

Guest holding a Country Feast menu card at the wedding breakfast at the Perch

Guests serving themselves from sharing boards of soup, bread and roasted vegetables

Smiling guest passing a plate of food to a man at the marquee tables

Overhead view of hands reaching for sharing dishes of potatoes, salads and tart

Guests seated at long tables under colourful ribbon bunting in the marquee at the Perch

Two guests holding a platter of baked whole fish with lemon slices and herbs

Guests passing sharing dishes along a long table during the wedding breakfast

Cheesecake with caramel sauce and honeycomb on a blue and white floral plate

Bride and groom in flower and leaf crowns laughing with guests at the tables in the marquee

Speeches

Who speaks and when they speak is entirely up to you. I’ve seen weddings where all the speeches happen before the meal, others where a speech is given between each course, and the more traditional approach of leaving speeches at the end of dinner.

Man in a waistcoat giving a speech with a microphone in front of fairy lights in the marquee

Two guests laughing and clapping during the speeches in the marquee

Guest with a glass raised hugging the groom, who wipes away tears after his speech

Guests standing at their tables raising glasses for a toast in the marquee

Group Shot of all your guests

After dinner and speeches the team at The Perch need to clear away tables and turn the marquee into the evening event. This is when your DJ or band will some and set up. A swift way to get everyone out of the tent, and for me to gain a group shot of everyone, this is a perfect time to take everyone down to the river to capture a group shot of all your wedding guests. Once everyone heads back up to the pub, I will use this opportunity to make a few more portraits of just the two of you.

Bride walking along the riverside path at the Perch with the groom and wedding guests

Large group photo of the couple with all their wedding guests on the lawn at the Perch

Bride laughing with her bridesmaids in green and a friend in a pale blue suit at golden hour

Guest in a flower crown taking a selfie with her partner beside Port Meadow

Two grooms holding hands under a large tree with cows resting in the field around them

Two men in suits lying on the grass, one sitting up and smiling at the camera

Couple with their arms around each other watching a swan on the water at Port Meadow

Bride, groom and guests wading barefoot into the shallow water at Port Meadow

Bride and groom in flower and leaf crowns standing knee-deep in the water at Port Meadow

Groom in a leaf crown twirling the bride by the hand in evening sunlight

Bride and groom embracing on the grassy bank of the river at Port Meadow

Close-up of the groom and bride laughing together, both looking down

Before the dancing begins

While everyone is taking a breather before the evening dancing begins, I take this opportunity to document informalities, such as guests hanging out, the bouquet being tossed, hats and flowers removed and cutting of the cake.

Pippa and George hired punts for this part of the day, take a look at their wedding blog post here.

Blue wedding hat and a bouquet of white roses and eucalyptus resting on a wooden bench

Baby sitting on a pub garden table surrounded by smiling guests at the Perch

Bride throwing her bouquet to waiting guests in the garden at the Perch

Bridesmaid in pink catching the bouquet as guests cheer in the garden at the Perch

Four guests sitting on a wooden garden bench with drinks, smiling at the camera

Bride in a flower crown showing her ring to two guests on a sofa in the marquee

Two grooms cutting a semi-naked cake decorated with blue hydrangeas as guests watch

The Dance Floor

The team at The Perch swiftly clear away all the tables and chairs and create an area for your dj or band, and ample space for a boogie. Who doesn’t love a good boogie!

Bride and groom sharing their first dance as guests clap under ribbon bunting in the marquee

Bride and groom dancing their first dance as guests look on in the marquee at the Perch

Guests laughing and dancing on the dance floor in the marquee at the Perch

Guest in a red dress dancing with her arm raised among guests in the marquee

Guests dancing energetically on a crowded dance floor at the Perch

Bride smiling over her shoulder as guests gather round her on the dance floor

Guests laughing as they help themselves from an evening cheese board in the marquee

Four guests laughing together on a red leather sofa late in the evening

Bride hugging a crowd of laughing guests wearing sparkly party hats and photo booth props

Final Thoughts

I really do rate The Perch Inn Oxford as a wedding venue. It has a relaxed atmosphere, stunning riverside surroundings, and a team who genuinely care about creating a great experience for couples and their guests.

When I asked the team what their secret was, they said:

“Our secret is our happy and really friendly staff. It’s important to us to be relaxed and fit into the wedding day, so our whole team are warm and welcoming. Behind the scenes we are very organised and efficient, which means on the day we can be professional while still having a good time.”

To see how a full wedding day flows here, take a look at these examples:

Pedro and Joe’s Wedding at The Perch

Pippa and George Relaxed wedding at The Perch

James and Maisy Wedding at The Perch

The Perch Contact Details

WEBSITE
The Perch Inn, Binsey, Oxford, OX2 0NG
01866728891