A wedding at Herberts Hof near Leipzig: small, private and full of late-summer light

Anne and Robin got married at Herberts Hof near Leipzig in mid-September, with 22 guests. No big stage, no tightly timed schedule, just a day in a small circle where everyone knew everyone. And the light I love so much in late summer: warm, low and, by the afternoon, already a little autumnal.

The venue: Herberts Hof

Herberts Hof is in the small village of Werben near Pegau, about half an hour south of Leipzig. It's an old three-sided farmstead that has been brought back to life by hand, restored almost entirely with natural materials. The farmhouse and the big barn stand around a cobbled courtyard.

Behind the farm is a beautiful garden with a greenhouse, home-grown beds and vegetables, and in spring and summer everything is in bloom. In the middle stands a big old lime tree, where the outdoor ceremonies take place.

What makes the farm special to me: you can shape so much of it yourselves. There's no fixed template you have to squeeze your wedding into. If you want to bring your own ideas to life, Herberts Hof gives you the space for it, and you can see that in the photos afterwards.

I've been here a number of times now, and every wedding is different.

Getting ready and ceremony

Anne got ready in a room on the first floor of the farmhouse, with her maid of honour at her side. Then came the first emotional moment of the day: a first look, not with Robin, but with her dad. When he saw his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time, Anne shed her first tears.

Robin didn't see Anne until the ceremony. He was already waiting under the lime tree in the garden when her father walked her in. I capture the moment he first sees her at every wedding, and here in the garden, between the flower beds and in front of the pampas grass arch, it was especially beautiful.

The ceremony was led by celebrant Maxi Rauschenbach. At its heart were the personal words Anne and Robin had written for each other. With 22 guests, you really hear every word in a moment like that, and you can see on every face that it lands.

Couple shoot in the evening light

We headed out for the couple shoot in the late afternoon, around the farm and through Werben. By now I know a few spots here that work wonderfully at that time of day: a field path, a wide meadow, an old barn and a single tree.

In mid-September the sun is already low in the late afternoon. That's ideal for backlight: it puts a warm glow around hair and dress, and the landscape behind turns soft and golden. It was a very relaxed shoot, and the two of them really enjoyed their time together. I was there, of course, but on a wedding day this is still one of the few moments when you're almost alone, without all the guests around you.

The celebration in the barn

Everything from dinner to the party happened in the barn. The catering came from genussreich in Leipzig, and in the evening a band played. Kindermobil24 had set up play stations for the children, so the little ones had just as much fun as the adults and the parents could relax and celebrate.

And then there was the cake: white, topped with fresh berries and two dinosaurs, one in a top hat, one in a veil. That's the kind of detail you only find at a wedding a couple has shaped entirely their own way.

The decoration by Kupsch Event & Design suited the farm: natural, warm, never overdone. At a small wedding like this, the barn doesn't feel empty, it feels cosy.

The most beautiful detail was one Anne had made herself: countless folded paper cranes, strung into long chains hanging from the ceiling of the barn. Behind it is a Japanese custom, senbazuru, the "thousand cranes". According to legend, whoever folds a thousand cranes is granted a wish. In Japan the crane stands for happiness, long life and fidelity, because cranes stay together for life. There's hardly a more fitting symbol for a wedding, and it shows what's possible at Herberts Hof when you shape your day yourselves.

Tips for your wedding at Herberts Hof

• Plan the couple shoot for the late afternoon. That's when the light is most beautiful, especially in late summer and autumn when the sun is low. 30 to 45 minutes is plenty.
• Think beyond the farm. Around the farm, Werben has field paths, meadows and old barns that are perfect for couple portraits. No need to drive far.
• Dare to make it your own. Herberts Hof gives you a lot of freedom. Use it for details that truly suit you.
• Small can feel big. Garden and barn work beautifully even with few guests. It's the private atmosphere that makes a day here special.

Vendors

• Venue: Herberts Hof
• Celebrant: Maxi Rauschenbach
• Decoration: Kupsch Event & Design
• Hair & make-up: Renée Tippner
• Catering: genussreich
• Childcare and play stations: Kindermobil24

Planning your wedding at Herberts Hof and still looking for someone to capture it? Find out more about my work as a wedding photographer in Leipzig and my packages. To see what a day at the farm feels like on film, watch Doreen & Marcus's wedding film. For another farmstead wedding near Leipzig, take a look at my story of the wedding at Lehmhaus am Anger. For a castle wedding, take a look at the wedding at Schloss Schkopau.