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Weddings

About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: July 2024

About

Swan Tipis are based at the picturesque, thatched Swan Inn, in the village of Lawshall, just South of Bury St Edmunds. The large grounds to the rear of the inn, and the beautifully crafted Tipis, provide a unique and stunning setting with uninterrupted views over unspoilt countryside. With catering and bar services on site and a licence for civil ceremonies either inside or outside the Tipis, this venue has everything you need for a perfect celebration..

Facilities and Capacity

The giant-hat Tipis are based on a traditional Scandinavian design and are made in the UK from natural sustainable materials. boasting wooden poles and natural canvas. Although most popular in their more natural form, the Tipis are hugely versatile and can be set up, themed and dressed as formally or informally as you wish. The sides can be raised to create a really airy, outdoor, festival type feel if desired which makes the most of the views and outdoor space. Couples hosting a more intimate event can choose to rent a single tipi, which can accommodate from 25 up to 72 guests. Those looking for a larger capacity can chose to link Tipis together which increases capacity in a double Tipi to 120 guests.From Summer 2022, there will be a total of 4 Tipis available extending capacity and options still further.

Services Offered

There are a range of packages available which are always tailored to suit the ideas and budgets of couples. Tipi and Venue hire includes all the necessary essentials; woven flooring, internal lighting, handmade rustic tables and seating as well as an optional entrance porch with double doors. There is a wide selection of finishing touches to chose from including an internal firepit, decorated suspended hoops, poles, and arch, large oak barrels, a PA system and much more. The friendly team will assist couples through the planning process, ensuring that every detail is taken care of and that their dream day comes to life. Couples appreciate that everything from the venue and Tipi’s to the interiors, the catering and bar can all be arranged through a single point of contact, which means they don’t just save costs but really reduce the hassle factor. The team are always on hand to liaise with you leading up the big day and to help take care of arrangements. Swan Tipis were award winners in the 2022 Hitched wedding awards and in the Top 5 for Muddy Stilettoes venues for Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Cuisine

All tastes and budgets are catered for from buffets and BBQ’s to more formal seated dining. The chefs from the Swan Inn work with you to create menus that really complement your ideas for the day. Discounted ‘all-in’ packages can be designed to include not just the Tipis and services above, but also main event and evening catering as well as welcome drinks, canapes and most other ideas couples come up with! There is a Hog Roast option and an outdoor wood-fired Pizza oven which is particularly popular with evening guests, and a variety of flexible, simple options for Bar and drinks arrangements.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Pub or restaurant
Unusual weddings
Marquees and tents
Woodland and festival
Outdoor license
Tipis and yurts
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Marquee available
Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser
Beautician

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
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Do you have any questions?

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Reviews for Swan Tipis

5.0 out of 5 rating
Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
5.0 out of 5 rating
15 reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Tash
Tash W. Sent on 03/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Best day ever!!!

Rob and Laura make a fantastic team. From the moment we first visited the venue they were professional, friendly and helpful. We had a very small wedding and we loved every minute. The Tipis are in such an idyllic location looking out across the fields. We can officially say we were the first couple to get married in the Tipi due to a downpour just before the start. 🦆🌻🥰 We can't thank Laura and Rob enough for making our day run perfectly we wish we could do the whole day again. Our little boy took a real shine to Laura and he can't wait to visit again. We loved how natural and down to earth and relaxed our whole day was. The most magical day spent with our closest friends and family in such a fantastic setting. ❤️
Rachel
Rachel C. Sent on 04/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Professional & Accommodating

Fantastic venue . From the day we met Rob & Laura the journey was easy and without stress , anything I requested was no trouble …the staff were super on the day and the food went down very well with all our guests ….. we would do it all again if we could. My family has never been to a venue like this and they were blown away ..
Josh
Josh Sent on 03/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Wow! Wow! Wow!

It’s was just PERFECT! the venue, the food, the staff; everything was amazing!

We had our wedding ceremony and celebration with SWAN TIPI’s in Lawshall and it was everything we could have ever dreamed of!

We had the double tipi set up, with the aisle out the side, overlooking the beautiful fields behind. The venue was set up beautifully and the back drop was stunning!

For food we had the BBQ for lunch and the wood-fire pizzas for dinner, both were absolutely delicious! Everyone couldn’t speak more highly of the food!

For anyone who’s considering an outdoor wedding this is the place to go! Even the sceptical family members, who wanted a church wedding, were schooled and in awe of the beautiful the venue!

Words really don’t do justice so please see our pictures!

Laura, Rob and the rest of the Swan Team thank you for making our day so special, it ran like clock work and you guys were amazing! I wish we could do it all again!

All the best for the future. We will see you again soon!

Shan and Josh
Luke
Luke N. Sent on 08/02/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Friendly & welcoming

After visiting Swan Tipis at one of their open days in September 2020 we knew straight away that this was the right venue for our wedding.
The space and atmosphere in the Tipis is something really special, and felt magical. We were shown how flexible the layouts and decorating can be so our day will be very special and personal.

The Tipis are set up in the large garden behind the Swan inn, with lovely views over countryside. The food we sampled from the Chef's at the Swan Inn was absolutely delicious!

We are so excited about celebrating our wedding in these beautiful Tipis this summer.
S
Sophiyah E. Sent on 25/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Mr & Mrs Emmins

Could not of had a more beautiful magical day everything went so smoothly everyone was so helpful and happy nothing was too much to ask
F
Felicity S. Sent on 25/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

An idyllic setting for an intimate wedding

My stepdaughter was looking for a venue that was different to the norm. She was planning a small wedding of 60 people so needed somewhere to feel intimate and didn't want a soulless function room in a hotel. The moment we saw the website for Swan Tipis we knew it was just the perfect location. The opportunity (weather permitting) to get married outside was too good to ignore.
The team (Rob, Laura & Lawrence plus all the bar and waiting staff) were so helpful and friendly. They kept us all calm when the rain was threatening the outdoor ceremony and they didn't flinch when my stepdaughter mentioned there would be her 6 week old baby attending and that timings may slip because of breast feeding.
We enjoyed a hog roast with all the trimmings followed by homemade pizzas from Lawrence's pizza oven in the evening. All dietary requirements were catered for too. I made the cake and smaller cakes which doubled as dessert.
The guests commented that the venue was beautiful with amazing views across the Suffolk countryside.
The games we hired from Rob kept the children and grown-ups entertained whilst others chatted in the sunshine inbetween the meal and the evening disco. Even though we were a small party and guests had spread out between the tipis, the outside seating, the games and the bar, it still felt intimate. When you are a small wedding there is a risk of the group dispersing too much and the atmosphere being lost. That didn't happen at the Swan Tipis.
I highly recommend the venue and the team as a place to hold your wedding.
PS. The rain stopped just as my stepdaughter began walking down the aisle and we enjoyed beautiful sunshine for the rest of the day.
J
Jack B. Sent on 22/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The best venue!

We couldn’t possibly have had a better wedding day at The Swan and can’t thank Rob and Laura enough for helping make our day so special! They were so responsive and accommodating throughout the whole planning process and the day itself, offered advice where needed on how to make things work better, and put us both at total ease which allowed us to enjoy our day without any stresses! The food was incredible, both the afternoon tea and the pizza in the evening, and everything ran smoothly with their constant but never overbearing presence in the background. The venue itself is beautiful, the tipis, the fields and the pub itself, the perfect backdrop for our day. We really couldn’t recommend this venue enough!
C
Charlotte H. Sent on 20/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Simply fabulous!

Rob hires the tipis, Laura is front of house and Laurence does the food. They were fabulous all the way through and really lovely people. Nothing was too much trouble and they worked really hard to help us put together the day we wanted. The venue was stunning, they gave lots of suggestions on decorations and helped us set up the day before and the food was exceptional. Our guests gushed about the setting, atmosphere and the catering! We would highly recommend The Swan and loved that they gave us the flexibility to put our personal touches on our special day.
N
Nb Sent on 06/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Our Magical Wedding at The Swan Inn Tipis

My Husband and I fell in love with the setting of the Swan Inn Tipis the moment we viewed it, so much so that we booked the venue before they even had a licence to marry us!
From that moment on, just shy of a year of planning, everything, from communication, to detail on the day, was exceptional.
Rob really listened to and understood our vision for the day, which was relaxed, whimsical and intimate.
Rob recommended a band and photographer, both of whom we booked, and we couldn't have been happier! In addition to this, Rob and the Team liaised with our Florist and Cake Maker to bring it all together.
As the Bride, on the day, I was blown away by the final look; the Tipis really are magical just as they are, but with all the finishing, personal touches, like the foliage rings (the team put these together) and table setting, it was perfect.
We had an outdoor Ceremony which really was a dream come true! The backdrop is simply gorgeous, with the field/s in the distance and tipis in the other direction.
It was forecast 80% chance of thunderstorms the time we were due to marry (in July!), needless to say we were pretty gutted that we may not be able to have our Ceremony outdoors; Rob and the Team knew how special it was for us and reassured us no end that they would do everything they could to support our hopes of an outdoor marriage! And, luckily, the weather was on our side, there was no rain and it happened! But, even if it had rained, we know the Team would have made an indoor Ceremony just as incredible. We trusted them.
The staff were calm and approachable; the food was stunning (from the canapes to the main meal and woodfire pizzas in the evening) - the Team were so accommodating for all of our Parties dietary requirements too! We have had many positive comments from our guests about the food and, it was obvious from multiple people going up for seconds as to how yummy it all was.
Oh, and the children's play equipment/climbing frame was great for our son - especially the tractor (we have a tractor loving toddler!) which featured on the aisle on the day, inspired by Rob! And absolutely loved by our son.
We hope to stay in touch with the Team and visit the Swan Inn regularly.
What. A. Day. Thank you so, so much for everything.
XxX
M
Meg G. Sent on 18/07/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Swan Tipis surpassed our expectations for the perfect wedding!

Swan Tipis surpassed our expectations for the perfect wedding. From our initial meeting to final planning session, they were absolutely fantastic ensuring our special day was everything we could of dreamed of (and more!). The venue was beautiful and the staff were friendly, fun and overall just brilliant. The day ran perfectly smoothly and we couldn't have been happier. I couldn't recommend Swan Tipis high enough!
E
Eleanor Sent on 03/10/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Gorgeous setting, personalised service

We had both a ceremony and reception at The Swan, it enabled us to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful setting, but the team were flexible and supportive about the prospect of moving this indoors depending on the weather! The setting is gorgeous as it is, and then the tipis allow for lots of personalisation so we could easily decorate things to our tastes. The team were really flexible with options throughout the day such as layout, menus and drink options and were keen to find what was right for us. On the day they supported things to run as smoothly as possible and throughout the process they were responsive to any questions and facilitated a few visits to help us make decisions. We wanted quite an informal feel, we had BBQ food and pizza, we spent the whole day in one venue which we wanted to do, able to have an outdoor ceremony and later a ceilidh band. We absolutely loves our day and it was certainly the right venue for us!
A
Anna S. Sent on 17/08/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding - August 2022

Amazing, professional, funny and kind - they worked with us and thought of everything
E
Elizabeth C. Sent on 05/09/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Friends Events-

I have had two events with The Swan
No, not a wedding but the first was a funeral wake for my husband who died in January. There were 60 at this event in two tipees. More recently I had a gathering for 30 of my women friends in one tipee.
The venue is perfect with lovely views. It was airy and spacious and we were looked after by the Swan team with love and care. As always the food was perfect and service excellent. All my guests felt ‘at home’ and welcomed.
Every effort was made with great care to accommodate those with dietary needs. I’m already planning another event for next year.
I have seen that I have to select a role. I was not a bride! but just want everyone to know this is a perfect venue for all sorts of occasions so I have selected bride!!!
M
Michelle M. Sent on 27/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Tipi Wedding

We stumbled across Swan Tipis when we were looking for a last minute wedding venue. We knew we wanted something low key, intimate and different but we had never thought of a Tipi. The major deciding factor for us was the fact that catering and all facilities (bar, toilets, tables, chairs etc) were included as part of the pub venue which took a lot of hassle out of us having to find all of these services.
Rob, Laura and Lawrence were great start to finish and allowed us to put our own stamp on our special day.
We had the option of a single Tipi or double, the double looks amazing but due to our low numbers we went for the single one. We were really lucky with the UK weather and spent alot of our day outside where we had an acoustic band playing all afternoon but the Tipi provided seating and shelter for when we needed it.
The service and food was first class. We’d highly recommend and would do the day all over again if we could.
Thanks so much for making our special day a reality.
D
Debbie Sent on 28/05/2023
5 out of 5 rating

From a very Happy Mother of the Groom

26th May, 2023
Perfect location, the service provided was outstanding. An idealic location for both the ceremony and reception. We had the most amazing time. The Swan, Lawshall - "You Rock" Keep doing what you're doing xxx
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Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

Swan Tipis Real Weddings

Kirsty & Connor
18 photos · 23/12/2023
Simran & Tyler
12 photos · 13/05/2023

Map

THE SWAN INN LAWSHALL THE STREET BURY ST EDMUNDS IP29 4QA IP29 4QA Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk)
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