What better way to marry than an elopement wedding? In recent years, elopements have gained immense popularity among couples seeking a more intimate and adventurous wedding experience. While traditional weddings have their charm, city elopements offer a unique and unforgettable way to tie the knot. In this blog post, we'll be looking at Amy and Mikes day and the allure of city elopement weddings and why they have become an enchanting choice for couples.
I met Amy and Mike in 2021 when I did their engagement shoot at the beach. They were playful and clearly besotted with each other and the beach photos are still some of my favourites.
So when they set a date for their wedding and got back in touch, I was over the moon. They decided to have a small and intimate wedding with just immediate family attending. I love ALL types of weddings so we looked at their days plans and we mutually decided that a 5 hour booking was enough for me to cover it all. So lets go!
Amy arrived at her wedding at The Assembly House in Norwich City centre, with her mum and her daughter in absolute style in a limited edition Cadillac.
The Assembly House main ceremony room is beautiful, with a gallery to take photos looking down into the room. With chandeliers, high ceilings and large windows, natural light is not a problem.
Amy and Mike opted for an unplugged ceremony, so there were no phones during their ceremony and they had signage stating this on the way into their ceremony room. As they got married on the Easter weekend they had a basket of Lindor Lindt chocolate bunnies for guest to enjoy. And I may have eaten one...
Amy's daughter was their flower girl and walked down the aisle before her mum.
One of my favourite images is of their daughter looking back towards the door waiting for her mum to walk down the aisle. So cute!
Mike waiting patiently at the end of the aisle wearing a navy suit and dried flower button hole from The Artisan Dried Flower Co.
Amy was walked down the aisle which was lined with white rose petals, by her dad which was clearly an emotional moment for everyone.
Amy wore an off the shoulder knee length 50's style wedding dress which had lace detailing. Her bouquet was from The Artisan Dried Flower Co.
After their ceremony we headed straight outside for the confetti shot. I am delighted to say that this venue allow this right out the front door, which made a beautiful backdrop.
After a few formal (and non-formal for the kids) group shots it was back inside for some mingling and some of the best food I've seen. Small pots of different dishes and they were incredible. Perfect for a standing, non sit down affair which was exactly what Amy and Mike was going for. Just because you are having a small intimate wedding it doesn't mean you HAVE to cut out the traditional things like speeches and cake cutting. Amy and Mike still had all of this. Their incredible cake was made by Sugar Butter Becca who can be found on Facebook or Instagram.
Just before 4pm all the guests started to depart so it was time for me to whisk Amy and Mike off into the city centre for some couples portraits. A lot of people ask what we do about all the people that are around when we shoot in the city and the answer is nothing. Your ignore them and carry on and if anything they add to your photos. Lots of people stopped to congratulate them and it was genuinely a lovely experience for us all.
Some of my favourite wedding photos I've ever taken are of Amy and Mike in the shopping mall - The Royal Arcade in Norwich. For about 10 seconds there was not a soul around so we ran back in and grabbed these dancing and twirling shots. In the city you need to be ready for anything to grab the shot. Work with what's around you and spot the pretty shop fronts, stone archways and graffiti walls. You will of course get people walk in front and in the way, but it all adds to the storytelling of the day.
A really beautiful and love filled day.
Thank you for trusting me out in the city guys!
Also a huge shout out to Liane Marie Photography who tagged along for some city wedding experience and nailed it with some incredible shots, some of which are included in this blog and in their final gallery.



