Quirky beach-side wedding in Whitstable – Whitstable Wedding Photographer

Last summer I took a day trip to the seaside to help capture this gorgeous beach wedding in sunny Whitstable

This lovely bride and groom got married last August in the lovely seaside town of Whitstable, in a quirky house right on the beach. They had their ceremony in the back garden, which was the perfect setting for their intimate wedding. The weather was absolutely perfect for this gorgeous beach wedding, and we couldn’t have asked for better!

Getting ready

Because I was helping out my good friend Mike from Michael O’Sullivan Photography, I spent the morning with the groom whilst he was with the bride at a local hotel a short drive away along the beach.The groom got ready at the wedding venue with his best man. The atmosphere was a little tense, as he made the final checks that everything was in place and running to plan!  Mike and the bride then jumped into a vintage campervan, which took her and her dad to the ceremony.

The ceremony

The wedding itself was an intimate affair under a beautiful flower installation overlooking the sea. The guests watched as the bride made her way down the aisle to the sound of an acoustic guitar player. It was so unique. and they had some lovely words read by their nearest and dearest.

After the ceremony we went for a short walk with the couple to take some photographs by the colourful beach houses along the coast of Whitstable. As a Whitstable wedding photographer I love capturing these quirky elements of the town which make it so unique and special! Later in the evening, we were really lucky to get a gorgeous sunset too. It didn’t take much to persuade the couple to go for a romantic paddle together in the golden light, which was a really special moment.

The reception

The reception was on the decking and gardens of the gorgeous house and they had an old fashioned ice cream bike (I believe I tried a bit of salted caramel!). There was also a heart shaped piñata for the kids in the afternoon, and a live band in the evening. They decorated the venue with some of the most incredible floral displays I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. I loved the gorgeous summery colours and turquoise accents to the styling.

There were flowers over the arch where the couple got married, stunning arrangements in jam jars and vases on the tables, and also hanging from the ceiling of the small marquee set up over the decking. There was another arrangement on the stairway where the speeches were made in the hallway of the house (accompanied by shots of whiskey!). This was one of the most memorable parts of the day, because the bride’s father had had a fair few glasses of wine over dinner and was a bit sozzled by this point, and got the groom’s name wrong a few times and had everyone in stitches!

The details

I absolutely loved the couple’s table plan and place names. Each guest had their own customised Lego figure to keep, and small polaroid photos of each of these figures were pegged to the table plan. For dinner they had seriously delicious sharing platters, which was such a great idea. With everyone sharing the food there was a real family atmosphere to the wedding breakfast. The first dance was on the decking of the house with seaside views in the background, and they finished off the evening with fish and chips on the patio. I love a good fish and chip supper by the seaside! It was a lovely way to finish a great day!

Big thanks to Michael O’Sullivan Photography (http://mosullivanphotography.com/) for inviting me along to photograph this amazing wedding!

If you’re looking for a Whitstable wedding photographer then I would love to hear from you all about your plans for the big day. Please pop over to my contact page to send me a message!