Kamala & Phil - An outdoor wedding at West Acre Theatre in Norfolk

Rewind to 2020 and I was quite new to weddings and still very much building a portfolio, which was very difficult when the wedding industry was at a halt. I was really trying to find my style during this time so I posted an AD on Facebook searching for a couple to model at a styled shoot. I received a lovely message from Kamarla and Phil saying they'd love to have a go, so they collected the wedding dress, got themselves ready and we all met at the woods for a shoot.

Little did I know that Phil would end up proposing to Kamarla at the end of the shoot and I almost dropped my bloody camera. So the shoot turned out to be a little more memorable than I had thought it would.

Then January 2023 - I was thrilled to get a wedding enquiry from this very couple saying they were getting married in July and wanted me to help complete their story.

Of course this absolutely made my day and I can't wait to share some of their day with you.

They chose a church ceremony followed by an outdoor picnic reception at West Acre Theatre. It was the theatres first ever wedding so this was so exciting.

I met Kamarla and Phil at the theatre in the morning for some wedding prep photos and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was so calm and relaxed and when I arrived, the girls were all ready nice and early. This gave them lots of time to chill, drink fizz, open gifts and make TikToks and Reels which made some great photos.

The church was in walking distance of the theatre so the lads all walked to the church.

Phil and his 4 best men [yes they were all best men - an I'm here for it] all wore cream linen suits with rusty orange ties. Finished with brown brogues, they all looked so stylish for this outdoorsy, picnic wedding. Perfect for the warm weather than we had in June.

Kamarla, her girls and her dad all came to the church in a cream VW Campervan. Dressed with an ivory ribbon and greenery. The couple then had the Campervan stay for photos after the ceremony and took them back to the venue. Her bridesmaids wore sage green dresses and bouquets of white and orange roses, white gerberas and white gypsophila.

Kamarla and Phil's church ceremony was beautiful. Their Vicar was very down to earth with a great sense of humour which matched the vibe of their day. Both of their mum's did a reading which added a personal touch.

Kamarla and Phil opted for bubbles instead of confetti. As you can see on a bright sunny day this works really well. The sun reflected off the bubbles and they glistened.

We lined the guested up in two lines outside the church. Every guest either had a bottle of bubbles or a bubble gun. We dotted the bubble guns randomly down the line so every few steps there was a big burst of bubbles. I absolutely love how these turned out.

Formal photos were limited to just immediate family. Parents and grandparents - so this only took 15 minutes.

I think there is still a place for formal wedding portraits as these are most likely the ones that get printed and hung on walls.

As the rest of the guests made their way back to the venue we spent 20 minutes taking some couples portraits. Not too posey but always reflecting Kamarla and Phil's personalities.

Back to the theatre for an outdoor picnic reception and outdoor speeches. From a photographers point of view this was epic. So much room to move around and get those lovely reactions.

They opted for a grazing table for their picnic which looked, smelt AND tasted incredible. Having an outdoor picnic really allowed the venue grounds and nature to be the decor.

There was a blanket and cushion station, so people could get comfortable as well as a few seating areas for guests who didn't want to be sitting on the ground. Kamarla and Phil were absolutely blessed with the weather considering the rain we endured across summer here in the UK. But this venue has a huge Tipi marquee that could easily have supplied enough cover for everyone.

When I saw a crepe truck for desserts - my heart was filled with joy! These were delicious [and yes I may have had one than one]...

Provided by Collette Crepes.

I whipped the couple off later with their bridesmaids and groomsmen for some fun group shots. There was lots of laughing and silliness - everything I love.

Group shots that reflected this couple perfectly. I tend to let the group lead these photos with very minimal direction. They had a dance off, a champers spray, silly walking and then threw the groom in the air. What more can I say really.

Kamarla took me to one side a few days before the wedding and let me know they had planned a surprise flash mob dance for Phil. It let on from the father and daughter dance and all of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents and a whole load of guests were all involved and it was brilliant in every way.

My advice to anyone planning on doing this - definitely let your photographer and videographer know in advance. the more prepared can be the better.