bride and groom kissing on top of a skate ramp at a skate park

Rustic back garden wedding in Sussex // Amber + Josh

Jun 28, 2016 | Weddings

Amber has always dreamed of having her wedding in her parent’s back garden (or under the marriage tree in the nearby park), and today her dream came true! Amber and Josh met in a skatepark when they were 15 and have been together ever since. So it was only fitting that we did some photos there, after doing a first look under the marriage tree. I knew I loved Amber the moment she tramped through the long grass during the first look and her dress got muddy and she said “oh well!”. Amber and Josh have a little boy called River who has the most gorgeous red hair and looked super cute in his braces and bow tie.

Their wedding blessing was held in Amber’s mum’s back garden, officiated by a mate, and the effort they all went to (especially her mum) was incredible. Josh even turned the summer house into a bar, with a tattoo station, dart board and beer pump. Josh made the chalkboard signs (as a tattoo artist he’s pretty good with a pen!) and the whole wedding was super chilled. No speeches, no sit down meal, no “cake cutting”, no first dance (although hilariously during mad dancing Amber looked at me, beer in hand, and shouted “hey let’s just call this our first dance!”). Instead they had limbo, giant jenga (which at one point fell onto me, one of my favourite pics!), a tattoo station, hoopla, cake cutting that involved Amber picking out random-sized “slices” (from bricks to slivers) with her hands, lots of beer and a good helping of British summer rain to dance in. At the end of the night, after getting soaked on the outdoor dance floor, Amber and Josh were sent off with sparklers and whisked away in a fancy car that her lovely mum organised as a surprise.

I feel like this after every wedding I shoot (I have awesome couples!), but if every couple is this awesome and chilled and fun and every wedding could be this relaxed and enjoyable I’ll stay a very happy wedding photographer! I love you guys!

Dress: Asos // Hair and Make up: Sophie Marsh (friend) / Shannon Belle Make up // Florist: Dutch Masters Twyford supplier / arranged by mother of the bride // Cake maker: Karolina Grycko
back garden wedding

More awesome back garden weddings:

Back garden wedding in Kent with space hoppers // Jo + Olly
Orchard wedding // Emma + Rory
Florida backyard wedding // Nanna + Rasmus
Festival wedding in Kent // Daisy + James
Four Oaks Farm Sussex Wedding // Al + Ruth
Tipi wedding in a meadow // Hermione + James

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who’s more like a guest who takes awesome photos than a boring supplier, get in touch!

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