EAST QUAY WEDDING
WHITSTABLE, KENT
“We are a very laid back fun party couple haha who just want to have the best day ever with all the people we love. We are getting married on the beach in whitstable and we want very natural fun photos. ”
Back in April 2024 an enquiry hit my inbox. It was in Kent. These days with a sassy 5.5 year old who enjoys guilt tripping me if I so much as go to the loo, I have to carefully consider each enquiry. The impact it has on family life and childcare can be the stuff divorces are made of but this one was an exception and caught my eye. By the sea? In Kent? Where the hell even is Kent and does it have a seaside? I’d actively chosen to take very few weddings in August 2025. Down from the usual 8-12, I was set to pap 4. So the 4 I have taken are all ones further from home, which give me some down time for editing and mental space. After a 6.5 hour train journey (very painless actually) I arrived in Kent to meet Miriam and Megan for the first time. I always do a pre wedding shoot for full day weddings so we squeezed this in a Meer 12 hours before their wedding.
“If we could only have 5 photos of our day they’d be.....A photo of us really laughing and showing that we’ve had fun, a dance floor photo, a photo with important family, bridesmaids shots at the reception, beach couple shot ”
Miriam and Megan had a beautiful day filled with love, fun and relaxed vibes. No formal stuffy shenanigans, just a day that reflected them in every way.
Megan had requested me to capture her walking to the venue from her accommodation along the beachfront with her parents, I really enjoyed this, darting around getting different perspectives between the colourful beach huts and the backdrop of the sea. It was a really fun brief to work on.
A gorgeous ceremony with the most amazing ceremony exit ever - Jade sang to Shania Twain - Man! I feel like a woman, and all their guests danced their way to the confetti line, It was just one of this emoments of pure joy and energy where it was about every body there on the day and not just the couple. this roomful of happiness for the couple. Everybody laughing and smiling. A real pleasure to watch. The reception again was a few hours of dancing, hugs and smiles. Jade singing well into the afternoon. Drinks flowing and canapés rolling.
Speeches up next and they were some crackers. I don’t think there were any dry eyes left in the room by the end. After that, a glorious cake cut and straight outside to meet the guys from the ice cream tricycle whipping up some frozen goodness.Miriam had requested fun bridesmaids shots which I really really enjoyed, again with the backdrop of the beach huts. On our communication prior to the wedding both of them had said they were not too bothered about couple shots, but on the day that changed when timings ran perfectly to plan and the most insane sunset treated us. It was couple shot heaven.
An epic first dance followed by a full dance floor and then a wonderful fireworks show to end my time on their day. It really was a refreshing change to work somewhere new, different and with such a different atmosphere. All weddings are wonderful, all weddings have their own quirks and individuality but sometimes working away from my usual venues and usual backdrops really does make me think outside of my creative box. With no green space or sheep, and no car to dart off up a hill I had to play with what I had and what I had really did give me a wonderful day at work.
Solo hybrid shooting - photo and video plus speeches.