“We would love you to be our wedding photographer and we are getting married at East Quay.” East Quay is one of my absolute favourite wedding venues in Kent to photograph, plus Whitstable will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where I met my true love.

I’ve been privileged to photograph a number of weddings at East Quay but none are the same. The Whitstable backdrop is always changing, the weather and the sunsets are unpredictable and the venue is a blank canvas.

The wedding venue

East Quay is such a special place to have your wedding. It’s full of original character and rustic charm and offers a ‘shabby chic’ ambience. Originally it was the home of Seasalter & Ham Oyster Fishery Company. Located conveniently at the end of Whitstable harbour so that the oyster companies could keep a watchful eye over their precious oyster beds.

Now the venue’s authentic seaside appeal makes it a perfect place to celebrate your wedding. Plus the photography opportunities are endless. It’s directly next to the beach and the harbour arm, so you benefit from the most amazing beach lit sunsets. You also have the industrial, urban backdrop of the working harbour and the colourful and fun beach huts dotted along the entire shoreline.

Exciting beginnings

I first met Laura and Chris in a cute little coffee shop in Whitstable, The Blueprint Café for their couple shoot. On possibly the coldest day in December! However I instantly warmed to them. Laura has the biggest heart and really wanted their wedding day to be as special for their friends and family as it would be to them. Chris was calm and relaxed and complimented Laura perfectly.

Couple engagement shoot

So we braved the cold just long enough to prevent our fingers from freezing. In that short space of time I really enjoyed photographing them. Laura was really keen for me to be creative and was just as concerned about me enjoying their wedding day as their guests.

The wedding day

It’s very evident that Chris and Laura are both creative but with Chris running his own graphic design company they had really gone to town with the decoration. Large plastic nametags for the prominent guests, tons of ribbon bunting, cool graphic posters and lovely quotes chalked around the venue. This is one of the benefits of having your wedding at East Quay – it’s a blank canvass that can be dressed to the max or kept really simple.

Rock n roll bride

Laura was possibly one of the most cool and quirky brides I’ve worked with. Her hair was styled in a really amazing but elegant Mohawk. She wore wedding branded Converse all day and her black leather biker jacket worked so well with her stunning Sincerity lace dress. Chris and his groomsmen styled it out in blue/grey tweed that tied in perfectly with the blue and yellow theme.

After capturing lots of great documentary shots with Laura and her crew at bridal prep it was time for me to spend some time with the boys. Chris and his groomsmen were keen to fit in a beer before proceedings started, so we decided to walk to The Duke of Cumberland. Being a local girl I knew this pub would deliver on the cool backdrop stakes, so when Chris and his gang were enjoying a pint on the music stage I was snapping away.

Knowing how in love Laura and Chris are I knew their wedding ceremony was going to be emotional. In addition to the legal requirement they also wanted to make their ceremony more personal by writing their own wedding vows. This is always such a special moment to document and will totally bring a tear to my eye. It’s so romantic! Whilst they exchanged their vows the light flooded through the windows and the waves crashed on the rocks below.

Fun group photographs

We’d briefly discussed the possibility of using smoke bombs before the wedding so when Laura told me she had brought some to use during their group pictures I was really excited, and slightly nervous. There was no need for my nerves the smoke bombs were so much fun and a great idea! Group photos can be quite sterile but using the smoke bombs for the wedding party pictures was awesome. I absolutely love how they came out.

Couple wedding photos on the beach

Laura and Chris were totally up for their couple pictures so we made use of the coloured beach huts and rickety pontoon a short walk from the venue. Despite it being cold and grey you could still feel the love radiating from them. Whitstable never lets me down and we were lucky to get a gorgeous pink, spring sunset. Perfect for photographs on the beach.

One mega wedding party

After the heartfelt speeches and excellent food from the in-house chef. The guests partied the night away to the DJ, played giant jenga wars, had their face painted in glitter and drank many shots. Oh and I ended up experimenting with a flash lit smoke bomb photograph.

Make up by Lydia Rae

Dress from Perfection Brides in Maidstone

Graphic posters and design by Chris himself and Buttaside Up

If you’re getting married at East Quay, thinking of using smoke bombs or just love my style of photography then I want to meet you 🙂