The ceremony is at 3pm in the Brooke Room, Castle Lodge, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP. Guests are asked to arrive by 2.45pm to be seated.
There is parking available at Shire Hall but the spaces are unreserved (i.e. open to the public) and it’s likely to be busy. We would suggest parking instead at Fitzwilliam College or on the road on Storey’s Way outside the College (both free). It is a ten minute walk from Shire Hall to Fitzwilliam College.
If you can avoid bringing a car, Panther Taxis are a local and reliable firm. Their telephone number is 01223 715715 and there is a taxi rank in the city centre. A taxi from the centre of town up to Fitzwilliam is about £6 and from the train station is about £10.
Confetti is permitted at Shire Hall but it must be biodegradable.
After the ceremony, guests are requested to make their way to Fitzwilliam College. The Huntingdon Road entrance (North Lodge) is the closest entrance to Shire Hall (see map of the College). Signage and college staff will direct you to the Grove Lawn.
Drinks, ice cream, and music will be available on the lawn while we have some photos taken. There will be plenty of chairs (and there’s a back-up room indoors in case the weather doesn’t cooperate!).
Dinner will be served at 6pm followed by speeches and the all-important cake!
For a map of the college, click here.
On the invitations we have specified lounge suits and cocktail dresses. Lounge suits for men just means an ordinary suit. Ladies, it doesn’t have to be a cocktail dress – anything smart that you fancy wearing is fine. We know that some guests want to wear hats and others don’t – it’s totally up to you and we’re really not fussed!
We have hired a professional photographer, Alex Hall, for the day.
Please note that photography is not permitted in the Registry Office (apart from the authorised photographer).
After the wedding Alex will put all of our photos in an online gallery, which you will all be able to view. We will have digital copies of the photos, which we can send you, or you will be able to order photos directly from Alex.
Fitzwilliam has 6 single en-suite bedrooms available at £69.95 per night and 6 twin en-suite bedrooms available at £83 per night, both including breakfast. This is probably the cheapest option in the city. If you would like to book one of these rooms, please email Georgina Buckley at conference.ops@fitz.cam.ac.uk and let her know that you are coming to our wedding.
This has changed since the website was first published, some en-suite rooms are now available.
There is a Travelodge and a Premier Inn. This Premier Inn is probably the closest hotel to the College, but there are others in the city.
In the centre of town, try the Hilton (City Centre).
There are various B&Bs and smaller hotels in the villages around Cambridge. Let us know if you’d like any help finding one.
Cambridge is a fantastic city, with plenty to see. Make sure you visit some of the colleges. King’s College (with its famous chapel), Trinity, and St John’s (very close to each other) are some of the most well-known.
We would recommend visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum, and punting is definitely worth a go! You can hire a punt and learn to punt yourself along the river (it’s not that hard!) or you can go on a tour with a punt guide, which is more expensive. Some of their facts / stories aren’t that accurate either! Punting through the city centre can be quite hectic in the height of summer; for a more relaxed option head away from the city towards Grantchester for some lovely views of the countryside.
The University’s Botanic Gardens (near the train station) are well worth a visit. We can recommend a picnic in the gardens – this is where Michael proposed!
For a light lunch, try Tattie’s or Patisserie Valerie.
Our favourite restaurants include Teri-Aki and the Cambridge Chop House.
In memory of Doug and George, who sadly can’t join us on the day, we have chosen to support The Alzheimer’s Society and Parkinson’s UK, and the vital research that they carry out. We would be delighted if you could make a donation in our name in order to support their work.
Alternatively, if you wish to purchase a wedding gift, we have a gift list at John Lewis. The list number is 672691 (no password) and it will be open from 2 July 2016 until shortly after the wedding. Gifts can be purchased online, in branch, or by telephoning John Lewis.