I remember when I first met Amy she warmly greeted me into her home in Kent, where her beautiful dog said hello to me as well. It felt like I had known her for years and we just got on so well. Dan got home from a run and we joked that he would go for a run on his wedding day and may wear his running fleece as he loved it so much. I hung with them for longer than I usually would especially on a first time meeting. Amy booked me in full that day. We continued out friendship via instagram where we chatted frequently. Then covid hit and Amy & Dan’s wedding was postponed to the following year.

On the day of Amy & Dan’s wedding I turned up to Havenfield hall and was met with some awesome suppliers and owners of the place who made me feel so at home. I popped my head into where bridal prep was taking place and Amy came over and gave me the biggest cuddle and then presented me with a gift a beautiful bee necklace and some unicorn sweets and the most heartfelt card ever. I still wear the necklace everyday.

I absolutely adored capturing their day, with humping donkeys, swarming flying ants and the most kindest, sweetest couple with a bunch of friends and family who adore them as much as I did. It was perfect. I asked them to answer some questions for this blog post so please continuing reading and then of course let the pictures showcase how lovely the day was.

How did you both meet?

Dan added me on Facebook. He was 18 and I was 16. 

How did you know they were the one?

From the moment we met we loved each other's company straight away. We laugh so much, we're best friends and he's my home. 

Can you tell me how you proposed?

Dan got down on one knee just before crossing the finish line at the Brighton Marathon. 

What made you guys choose your wedding venue?

The minute we arrived we both knew we wanted to get married there. It was absolutely perfect and the team always made us feel so at home and comfortable! 

What was your inspiration behind your wedding theme/day?

We wanted the decoration to be simple, for our wedding party to feel confident and gorgeous and for it to be elegant and timeless. 

What was your first song and why?

All of me by John Legend. When Dan first heard it on the radio he came home and said he'd heard a song which really reminded him of me. 

If you could give any couples getting married one tip what would it be?

Plan your wedding together. I love that Dan and I have made all of the decisions together, it's been a real team effort and project for the both of us and we had a lot of fun doing everything as a couple. 

What tips would you give to couples to keep that spark alive?

Communication is key. Be brave for each other and be kind to each other. Grow together. 

Wedding Suppliers

Hair stylist: Luxe hair and make up 

Website: @luxe_hair_makeup

Make up artist: luxe hair and make up and beauty by sammie Marsden 

Website: @s.marsden_

Brides Dress: Ivy Rose 

Website: http://www.ivyrosebridal.co.uk/

Bridesmaids dresses: Chi chi london 

Website: https://www.chichiclothing.com

Brides Shoes: chi chi london 

Website: https://www.chichiclothing.com

Grooms Shoes: Moss Bros 

Website: https://www.moss.co.uk/

Suits: Moss Bros & DKNY

Website: https://www.moss.co.uk/

Florist and Venue Decoration: yours sincerely flowers 

Website: @yours_sincerely_flowers

Cake: The Lane, Deal

Website: https://www.thelanedeal.co.uk/

Band/DJ: DJ Dare (Nick Dare) 

Website: https://linktr.ee/Itsdare

Car/Transport Hirer: Havenfield Hall 

Website: http://www.havenfieldhall.com/

The gorgeous Katie and Simon got married in November at the stunning venue called Secret Garden., Kent. The weather was picture perfect deep blue skies, gentle sunshine and just the right amount of cloud. I have been obsessing over this wedding for ages - Katies style had me written all over it. It was hard not to “borrow” the dress and Dr Martens haha.

What I adore about this wedding is Katie use to teach my children at primary school, she was also a bridesmaids to another wedding I photographed who was also a teacher who taught my children as well. You can find the wedding here Emma & Jack

On the day itself I was chatting away to her parents completely forgetting that these guys have seen me very very drunk as a plus 1 to another wedding many years ago and the bride from that wedding was also a guest and remembered me, I actually got on the dance floor with a young man and we did a strictly come dancing style dance where I ended up flashing my knickers to everyone - I got a standing ovation for it though 💁

I cannot believe I forgot about how I basically entertained the guests with my dancing or didn’t make the connection who Katies parents were 😂, we had a giggle over it.

Back to the wedding it was full retro, with dinosaur cake made by the amazing Cake Witch her cakes literally fill the room with the most inviting delicious smell and taste divine! Then there is that dress literally a unicorns dream, my candy floss sparkly bride! The Secret Garden in Kent is so pretty and whimsical it really is a photographers delight as a Kent wedding photographers I get excited when I find out the venue booked is here. With its wild flower meadows, quirky green house, cobbled pavements and sparkly lights everywhere - heaven.

I asked Katie and Simon a few questions so I’ll let them finish the blog post off. If you love the pictures then leave the couple some love in the comments!

How did you both meet?
I joined the Dungeons and Dragons group that Simon was already in and he used to walk me to the train station afterwards.

How did you know they were the one?
It was at a Cure concert in Hyde Park, I’d last seen them when I was 15 with my first boyfriend and I remember looking at Simon and thinking ‘and now I’m seeing them with my last boyfriend’.

Can you tell me how you proposed?
It was Christmas day and I had a shocking hangover and was in my pajamas. Simon got home from work and after we’d open our presents I was on the sofa stuffing my face with cheese when he handed me a card with a lot of very romantic sentiments and ‘PS Close your eyes’ at the end.

What made you guys choose your wedding venue?
The sausage rolls. We both decided quite early on that food would be one of the most important elements and The Secret Garden do the most amazing homemade sausage rolls.

What was your inspiration behind your wedding theme/day?
There wasn’t any! We just picked a lots of different things that we loved, everything from Portal to Jurassic Park to my love of giant neon puns and threw them together then hoped for the best.

What was your first song and why?
The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel. We realised we didn’t actually have ‘a song’ so in the name of democracy we made playlist where we both added songs we loved and picked from there.

If you could give any couples getting married one tip what would it be?
Don’t read too many articles about what you ‘must’ do and when. It will stress you out and on the day you won’t even notice the placecards you spent hours looking for.

What tips would you give to couples to keep that spark alive?
Whenever possible don’t take life too seriously.

Wedding Suppliers
Hair stylist: Christopher Wise
Website: @chris_snips
Make up artist: Jessica Hawkins
Website: https://www.jessicahawkinsmakeup.com/
Brides Dress: WardrobeByDulcinea
Website: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WardrobeByDulcinea
Bridesmaids dresses: Willow and Pearl
Website: https://willowandpearl.co.uk/
Brides Shoes: Dr Martens
Website: https://www.drmartens.com/
Suits: Next
Website: www.next.co.uk
Florist and Venue Decoration: Anemone Blue
Website: https://www.anemoneblue.co.uk/
Cake: The Cake Witch
Website: https://thecakewitch.co.uk/
Band/DJ: Fred Clark and Iain Baker
Website: https://www.fredclark.co.uk/
https://www.iainbakerweddingdj.co.uk/

This wedding for me for was wedding goals, the styling, the colour palette and the live music throughout was phenomenal. Charlotte & Brett got married at Hayne House, Kent ( I am a recommended supplier for the venue yay). Charlotte and Brett were simply awesome, so happy to allow me to document the day as I saw it. Charlottes dad is bonkers but equally adorable and so much fun and as a whole the day was literally just fun and full of laughter! Congratulations guys and thank you so much for letting me capture your beautiful day!

How did you both meet? He was the DJ in the priz, local nightclub, and The club manager was my best friend. She introduced us and I only started going out with him because I got free drinks and he had a nice car!! Hahah

How did you know they were the one? He listened to me, he took the time to understand me and he gives the best foot massages.

Can you tell me how you proposed? He proposed on Xmas eve at a family party. He put the ring inside a cracker and pulled it with me. I didn’t realise and was more interested in the pink party hat!

What made you guys choose your wedding venue? The staff. The Hayne house staff were just phenomenal and put us at ease after a bad experience. The venue is beautiful and speaks for itself.

What was your inspiration behind your wedding theme/day? I wanted eclectic and minimal, lots of greenery to set it off. I love plants so there had to be plenty of them.

What was your first song and why? Let’s stay together Al green. We both just love the song and the words mean a lot to us.

If you could give any couples getting married one tip what would it be? Take as many moments as you can to look at what’s going on around you. Also family will always come together regardless of the history and squash it for a day- don’t sweat it.

What tips would you give to couples to keep that spark alive?
Set aside time for each other and do different things together. Throw each other a compliment every now and then always helps.

Wedding Suppliers
Make up artist: Olivia Goldberg Make-up
Website: @oliviagoldbergmakeup
Brides Dress: Ivy Rose
Website: @ivy_rose_brides
Bridesmaids dresses: ASOS
Website: ASOS
Suits: Moss Bros
Website: Moss Bros
Florist and Venue Decoration: Emily & Me
Website: @emilyandmeweddingflorist fun fact I photographed their first ever wedding!
Band/DJ: Club Live
Website: @clubliveuk

Hope you love the photos as much as I do!

If you fancy having a photographer like me capture your day then please get in touch!I am more than just a photographer, I am your personal cheerleader, agony aunt, seamstress, go getter and just someone who values who you are as a couple and ultimately a friend :0)

Carla x

Rebecca and Simon’s wedding was absolutely stunning, I loved the fact she wore blue shoes. These guys were up for anything and were happy to allow me to be creative and fully supporting of various ideas and visions I had. I love the Crown lodge in Wye, Kent the venue is so ideal for a rustic vibe and the views well they are unquestionable. We rounded up the day with the mist gorgeous sunset across the downs. Anyway here is what the couple have to say abut their day and planning. Make sure you scroll down and check out their gorgeous photos.

How did you both meet?
Simons sisters wedding. Knew each before but this is where it all began.

How did you know they were the one?
Rebecca - Because he loves me on my good days and my bad days.
Simon - Because she is selfless, always puts me first, and has mad me into a better man.

Can you tell me how you proposed?
I took Simon to Las Vegas for his 30th, and he proposed the night we arrived in our room with a beautiful view of the strip.

What made you guys choose your wedding venue?
It was beautiful, we both instantly fell in love with it and it had the most amazing views.

What was your inspiration behind your wedding theme/day?
Blue, my favourite colour with everything natural and subtle to match the venue.

What was your first song and why?
Ed Sheehan - Tenerife Sea. We both love the song and it comments on how I look beautiful in my dress.

If you could give any couples getting married one tip what would it be?
Be patient and understanding, and remember if you can get through planning a wedding you get through anything.

What tips would you give to couples to keep that spark alive?
Enjoy the little things and make time for each other. Don’t get lost in every day life but enjoy spending time together.

Wedding Suppliers
Hair stylist: Kay Sharp, from Sharp and Owen in Gravesend.
Website: www.sharp-owen.com/
Make up artist: Alicia Cooper (my cousin)
Website: Facebook - LUXE hair & makeup by Alicia Kirsty Cooper
Brides Dress: WED2B Ashford
Website: https://www.wed2b.co.uk/
Bridesmaids dresses: Quiz
Website: www.quizclothing.co.uk
Brides Shoes: Rainbow Club
Website: https://www.rainbowclub.co.uk/wedding-shoes/bride
Grooms Shoes: Dune
Website: https://www.dunelondon.com/
Suits: House of Fraser
Website: https://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/
Florist: Weddings by Amelia (was bespoke floral designs by Amelia)
Website: www.bespokefloraldesigns.co.uk
Venue Decoration: All done by me.
Cake: The Abbey Cake Shop
Website: Facebook - The Abbey Cake Shop
Band/DJ: Karl Vince from KarDan Entertainment
Website: Facebook - KarDan Entertainment
Car/Transport Hirer: My dad and Simons sisters cars for drop off.
Website:

want someone like me to capture your day? Then please get in touch

Zoe & Jonny got married at Wadhurst Castle, Sussex. Cool venue and doggo friendly - bonus! They are a gorgeous couple and completely into photography so got to have some creative fun with them! Anyway I sent them some homework and absolutely love what they said in their questionnaire! Hope you love the images as much as I do and if you fancy having a photographer who is more than just a photographer on your day to capture it then please get in touch. I wanna know all about your plans and can help, advise and recommend a number of suppliers.

Here’s what they said.

How did you both meet? 

We met at Focus DIY in 2003. Jonny already worked there and I got a job on the checkouts on Saturday’s whilst completing my A-Levels. 

How did you know they were the one? 

Zoe: I know its cliché to say, but we are soul mates. We have always ‘got each other’ and are always on the ‘same page’. We have grown up together and grown closer during that time but our outlook and goals have always included one another. I just couldn’t imagine my life without Jonny and his commitment to coming to see me every weekend in London did and will forever mean everything to me because neither one of us wanted to give up on what we had. 

Jonny: Zoe has always made me really happy and when she went off to University I knew then she was the one because of how much I missed her and I just wanted to be with her. I spent three years driving to London every weekend so I could spend time with her. I love her so much and always will. 

Can you tell me how you proposed? 

Well…we kind of just decided together in June 2018 that the time was right! We have been together for so many years and have always talked about the future and ‘when we get married’ that after attending a friend’s beautiful wedding in Majorca we were once again talking about ‘our wedding’ and how we would do things and Jonny said ‘shall we just do it?’ and that was it. We started planning and got married just over a year later. 

What made you guys choose your wedding venue? 

I was searching for dog friendly wedding venues!! It was very important to us that our beloved cocker spaniel Coco was a part of our day. I had never imagined looking at a castle before but up popped Wadhurst Castle. As soon as we pulled up and walked around to the back and saw the beautiful views and landscaped gardens, we just knew that’s where we wanted to get married. The icing on the cake was the stunning walled garden which was licenced to marry us outside (another thing on our wish list) and meant that Coco would be able to run around in a safe, enclosed space! Then we saw the castle itself, which was absolutely beautiful and the rooms all interconnect which allowed for a free flowing and open space between the bar, dance floor and dining room. The bridal suite, wow…the room itself is absolutely stunning but you are drawn to the balcony and windows which are floor to ceiling revealing the most amazing view of East Sussex. It was just perfect in every way. On top of that Sue the venue manager was so helpful, relaxed and made us feel extremely welcome, important and could visualise our ideas and offered some of her own. We left feeling extremely excited after we booked our wedding for Thursday 8th August 2019 ☺ 

What was your inspiration behind your wedding theme/day? 

I have always loved the rustic/vintage look and always imaged having old ladders, crates, log slices as centre pieces and started to buy/source these items. We decided to collect glass jars and decorated them with lace/beads. My Mum is amazing at arts and crafts and she made all of the bunting and dream catchers (something I had seen on Pinterest and loved!). I found a lovely little shop in Hastings Old Town which sells the most beautiful dried flowers and I decided to use them, that way we were able to prepare all of the decorations prior to a couple of days before. I then found a company called The Artisan Dried Flower Company that make wedding bouquets, button holes and corsages using wild meadow flowers which fitted perfectly with the other flowers I had already bought helped to reflect/capture the vintage theme, plus, we got to keep them all!! 

What was your first dance and why? 

Eric Clapton, You Look Wonderful Tonight. 

Jonny: It just reflects everything about Zoe and how wonderful she looked not only that night, but the whole day! 

If you could give any couples getting married one tip what would it be? 

During the (wedding) day itself take some time away from everybody to spend 5/10 minutes alone. The day goes incredibly fast and you will probably feel like you barely see your new husband/wife as you are circulating around your friends and family. 

What tips would you give to keep that spark alive? 

Tell each other that you love them – every day! 

Talk…talk about anything and listen 

Laugh with each other 

Make time for each other

Support each other’s own interests 

Wedding Suppliers

Hair Stylist: Kitty Radford-Earle (Friend)

Website: 

Make-up: Own make-up 

Brides Dress: Jesus Peiro

Website: http://www.pantilesbride.com/

Bridesmaids Dresses: ASOS Design maxi dress with flutter sleeve and lace insert

Website: https://www.asos.com/women/dresses/bridesmaid-dresses/

Brides Shoes: Warehouse sandals with toe post

Website: https://www.asos.com/warehouse/warehouse-sandals-with-toe-post

Suits: Empire Mills Signature British Wool – Taupe 

Website: https://www3.next.co.uk/g232237s10#542317

Grooms Shoes: Derby Lace Up – Tan 

Website: https://www3.next.co.uk/g23398s10#193365

Florist and Venue Decoration 

Bouquets, button holes and corsages – Wild Meadow dried flowers

Website: The Artisan Dried Flower Company - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/558352450/wild-meadow-dried-flower-lapel-corsage?ref=yr_purchases

Centre Pieces / Decoration – dried flowers from Reste, Hastings 

Website: www.reste.co.uk 

Cake: Sandra Brasier (Friend) 

Website:

DJ: Alfie Eldridge from Matt Maurice Event Production

Website: www.mattmaurice.co.uk 

So here it is the sneak peek of Jonny & Holly’s wedding which took place on a gloriously hot day in April at cool wedding venue - The Gardens, Yalding, Kent! Now these two are blooming epic, their taste in music is exquisite so much so I got them to send me over their playlist for the day which I have been playing whilst editing their collection. Holly with her boho chic wedding styling and Jonny with his immense suit, I am in love and thoroughly enjoyed being part of their day and also having a dance on the dance floor! Also brides should do a speech! This wedding venue has so much to offer and is a wedding photographers dream.

Few weeks ago I met up with this gorgeous couple for their engagement shoot at Thornden Woods, in Canterbury really recommend this woodland area especially for dog walks and general exploring. I particularly love this location for engagement shoots. It was a very windy Sunday afternoon so we went for a walk and I basically documented it. It was a lot pf fun and something I always recommend my couples do before the big day ( engagement shoots are included in my full day package)

Holly & Jonny are actually a really cool couple and it was a lot of fun spending time with them and with their wedding next month it was good to go through the timings of the day and find out all the details of what they have planned and organised so far. During the shoot we had a couple of very muddy dogs take a liking to us hence the picture of random dogs we was going with the vibe of look at us with our dogs haha.

We finished the shoot of with them following me to Casa Mia an amazing pizza place in Herne bay! I am actually really hungry typing this thinking of the place!

Cannot wait for their big day in April and one of my favourite venues The Gardens, Yalding Kent.

Crisp, sunny winters day set the tone for Mike & Zoe’s wedding. The light was glorious. The venue was at winters barn in Kent as always did not disappoint and the added sparkle of Christmas decorations in tow made it eye candy for me! I loved hanging out with Mike and Zoe which really felt like friends hanging out having a laugh at their wedding. We had mulled wine, gingerbread men, all the gorgeous Christmas touches which really made their wedding stunning and I LOVE Christmas so for me it was a really beautiful setup. Zoe looked absolutely stunning and her veil and dress had a real Spanish feel to it, in the morning I ask the question will Mike cry? She was adamant he wouldn’t and I even offered my services of giving him a thud so he would shed a tear but it was not needed as he definitely welled up although… who wouldn’t right??

We basically spent the day laughing and along the way got some artistic, natural photographs of them both who are clearly very much in love and if I recall rightly they have been together for 10 years if not more?!! To top the day off Mike & Zoe became Mr & Mrs Love how cool is that!!

I wish you all the best and look forward to walking the dogs together!!

Carla x

Zoe’s wedding dress was from http://www.withlovebridals.com

Mike’s suit was from Red Herring https://www.debenhams.com/women/red-herring

Flowers and decor by Louise at confetti connections

Cake by Billie from sweet darling cakes

Make up by Lauren Elle Bridal Make up

Hair by Lisa from Perfect wedding Hair

This gorgeous couple got married in October at the wonderful venue Etchington Golf Club. We had lots of fun and was able to go off on a little adventure in the golf buggy. Maureen even had a little go at driving which was a little scary as she liked to drive fast over every bump! I was holding on for dear life! Maureen and James love to star gaze so their theme was based around the stars and moon. So I bought some smoke grenades - blue and purple to match their theme and we totally rocked the bride and groom portraits! The sun even came out briefly, but come rain or shine I always make sure we get some lovely candid beautiful moments and the scenery was stunning complimenting the shots. Congratulations guys!

Sally and Julian had what I call the most intimate weddings I have ever documented I have photographed many weddings in Kent but this one for me nailed it. We started off at The Marine Hotel, whitstable, Kent for bridal prep, Sally had her best friend do her hair, make up and even did her gorgeous bouquet. Even thought here was only two people getting ready at the hotel it did not stop the laughter and giggles. Sally was so excited and you could really see it, her eyes lit up and sparkled whenever she spoke about her wedding day. She had two pairs of shoes for the day, my kinda girl! Sparkly gold shoes right up my street! But to sill the deal she had these amazing irregular choice bride and groom shoes - epic!

Her lovely father was equally over the moon, he absolutely adored his daughter and treated her to an awesome wedding transport in the shape of a yellow VW camper van sporting black and white chequered flooring! We managed to get a few sneaky shots by Tankerton slopes before heading off to the tiniest church I have ever photographed a wedding at - it could only fit 50 guests if you are friendly (vicars words)plus their dog. So I spent most of the wedding shooting from the back with limited moving around but it actually worked out ok for me and managed to get some lovely shots of the gorgeous couple during the ceremony. We had a confetti shot which I love doing but this one was extra special as the vicar told the guest it was ok, they instantly thought they could throw straight away and launched the dry petals at Julian and Sally inside the church made everyone giggle and since handing over there USB & Box Sally and Julian both commented on who was the culprit that started the mass confetti launching was! We had lots of laughs and it was wonderful to hear them reminisce about their day after receiving their images. Reception was held at Sally & Julian's house with paella being cooked as we walked in! 

The day was lovely, full of intimate moments especially when we went off for some private shots down at hampton pier. Stunning couple full of colour and love. These two made me feel so warm and fuzzy I had such a buzz and feel very privileged to have been asked to capture their day.

Carla x