Wedding Decor Hire in Ely

Ely is a small city with a big spread of venue types, from grand heritage interiors to open Fenland marquees ten minutes out. The decor that works in one of them won't work in another. Here's how I approach styling across the venues I'm booked at most often.

For Jacobean manor venues like The Old Hall Ely

The Old Hall is the closest thing Ely has to a flagship wedding venue, and it brings its own beauty before you've put a single stem on a table. Panelled rooms, a glass-walled Orangery, manicured gardens, and that view of the cathedral on the horizon. The mistake I see couples make here is over-decorating the interiors and competing with the architecture. I always pull it back. Tall pedestal arrangements either side of the Orangery aisle, taper candles in restrained brass holders, white linen, charger plates, and compact centrepieces that won't block your guests' view across the table. For the outdoor pavilion ceremony, a free-standing floral arch in cream and blush picks up the garden palette and photographs beautifully against the lakes. Less, done properly, always wins here.

For Fenland marquee and farm venues like Gravel Farm, Willow Grange Farm, and The Meadow Garden

The Fenland marquee scene is a different job entirely. You're decorating a blank canvas under canvas, often with big skies, riverside or meadow backdrops, and far fewer rules than a heritage venue. This is where I'll lean into hanging florals, fairy light canopies running the full length of the marquee, long trestle tables with eucalyptus runners, candle clusters, and a freestanding ceremony arch (oak pergolas, willow trees, and Sperry tent poles all work as natural anchors). For colour, I usually steer couples towards warm seasonal palettes (sage, terracotta, dusty pink, soft amber) that feel right against the Fens rather than fighting them. Bring height: empty marquee ceilings make the room feel bigger and colder than it needs to be. A statement chandelier or hanging foliage installation transforms the space.

For Georgian boutique venues like Poets House

Poets House is the right pick for couples wanting an intimate, central Ely wedding within walking distance of the cathedral, and it deserves a different decor register again. Boutique Georgian interiors, smaller guest counts, courtyard garden: this is where styling needs to feel considered rather than abundant. I usually recommend an intimate top table or compact rounds with low centrepieces (the rooms are smaller, so anything tall blocks the conversation), garden roses or peonies in a soft seasonal palette, and brass or smoked-glass accents that suit the period bones of the building. For the courtyard drinks reception, hanging foliage and candle lanterns turn the space into something properly memorable.

For riverside and cathedral-adjacent venues like The Maltings

Riverside venues with cathedral views need decor that lets the view do most of the work. The Maltings has a brilliant position on the river beside the cathedral, and the brief I'd give any couple booking it is the same: don't crowd the windows. Long banqueting tables running parallel to the river, low compact arrangements, mirrored runners catching the light, and plenty of candlelight. Spring and summer call for fresh greens and pastels; autumn and winter, for deeper jewel tones, copper, and amber-glass votives. Cathedral-view venues photograph best when the styling is restrained enough that the building still leads the shot.