Pretty back garden wedding - Kent wedding photographer

Kent Wedding Photographer – Pretty Back Garden Wedding with an outdoor ceremony

When Lucy and Nick first got in touch with me about their back garden wedding in Kent, I was so excited â€“ they were planning a romantic outdoor wedding at Lucy’s family home with a humanist ceremony, live music, drinks, dancing and lots of fun. Lucy and Nick are the sweetest people, who I clicked with instantly, and I couldn’t wait to shoot their wedding!

The excitement before the back garden wedding

I turned up at Lucy’s parent’s house, where the bride and her friends were getting ready. It was so relaxed, during the morning with everything ready to go. Lucy wore a beautiful floaty dress by Essence of Australia and Nick wore suit Hawes & Curtis and they looked so incredible. As everything was on site I spent the morning dashing from the house, to capture photos of the prep, to the tipi where everything was set up ready for the day. Nick and the guys, with some of his family, had headed to a local pub in the morning. What they didn’t realise was the pub had no mobile signal so when it came time to order taxi’s back there was a bit of a hiatus. They ended up flagging down a passing car for a lift back up the road!

The outdoor ceremony

The wedding took place in the field above the house and was a gorgeous setting for a wedding ceremony. They had a flower arch and rows of benches for their guests, which made for a very pretty setting for their back garden wedding. The couple exchanged personal vows and gave each other rings. After the ceremony, they had a dramatic first kiss and were then were showered with confetti as they walked back down the aisle.

The afternoon reception

It was a mixed day with the odd shower followed by sunshine. Thankfully, by the time the drinks reception started the weather cleared and turned warmer day, which made for a perfect afternoon. While the guests enjoyed drinks, canapes and live music, the couple mingled and enjoyed catching up with everyone. I wandered, taking candid photos and capturing the fun of the day. During the reception a 3 piece jazz band played, which gave the afternoon a really chilled vibe. There were a table tennis table and garden games to keep everyone entertained.

A little before it was time for dinner I whisked Lucy & Nick away for a bit of time alone to get some photos of the two of them. They are the easiest people to spend time with. As we wandered and chatted I took photos of the two of them. My favourite photo from our couples session is in the wildflower field. The flower field had been planted especially with the hope it would look amazing for the wedding, and it did. Lucy & Nick wanted photos surrounded by the wildflowers, which looked wonderful as the sun shone down. We also had a bit of fun dashing around on the golf buggy which was used to transport people to and from the field.

The evening party

Soon it was time for food. Lucy & Nick made a grand entrance to cheers and whoops. After dinner, they had some wonderful speeches with some very funny moments and a few emotional ones when the best man choked up during his speech.

As the band prepared for the dancing the couple and their guests made their way outside. The firepit was lit and coffee was served. The truly spectacular cheese table was set up (this was my idea of heaven!). Lucy & Nick cut the wedding cake and it was time for the first dance. After their moment in the spotlight, their guests piled onto the dancefloor and the party started. It was a perfect evening with cheese, cake, drinks, dancing and a lot of fun.

I finished for the evening and made my way down the field. As I was looking back at the tipi I noticed the circle of lights in the field that had been set up in the shape of a heart. A fabulous little finale and flourish to this pretty back garden wedding.

“Fiona, they are amazing! Thank you so much!! I’ve not managed to get much work done this morning as I’ve been looking through them all! We can’t wait to sit down later and look through them all properly!” – Lucy & Nick