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Child-Friendly Wedding at The Old Kent Barn

With a neutral theme and a palette of whites, gold and pinks, Katie and Ben wanted natural wedding photography for their big day in Kent. From the moment they were engaged, the Pinterest board began, full of ideas for their child-friendly wedding!

Flowergirls celebrate with confetti at a child-friendly wedding captured by alternative photographer Dale Weeks Photography

The Styling: Child-Friendly Wedding with a Twist

Sourcing most of their décor second-hand, the couple had a mix of vintage and modern pieces. Katie told me, “We wanted our photographs and film to look quite classic when we look back in years, so went for simple things with a little twist.”

A child-friendly wedding was required, and The Old Kent Barn in Dover fit the bill perfectly. With their own children as well as nieces and nephews as flower girls and page boys (13 in total!), Katie and Ben ensured they were suitably entertained, providing fun vintage carnival games, a chillout corner and plenty of food, including a sweet cart, as well as an outside area they could run around in.

A groom and his groomsmen share a pre-wedding drink at The Old Kent Barn captured by alternative photographer Dale Weeks Photography

The Important Stuff: Music, Entertainment and Food

There was a definite focus on fun, especially important after Covid lockdowns, and Katie and Ben had a real mix of guests, from old friends to family they hadn’t seen in a while. A true post- lockdown celebration, Katie and Ben told me, “We tried to mix tables and include lots of different parts in the day – the games, music, entertainment and food (the pudding bar was a hit with everyone!)”.

a relaxed portrait of a bride and groom in the gardens at The Old Kent Barn cpatured by alternative photographer Dale Weeks

The Goal: Relaxed Wedding Photography

With a couple of Covid-related postponements, they chose ‘At Last’ as their recessional song, with their talented niece singing ‘A Thousand Years’ as they signed the register. Katie and Ben told me that their Kent wedding suppliers were amazing, and truly made the day. I was actually the first person they booked, as they knew they wanted a relaxed wedding photographer. Katie said, “I had followed you for a while on Instagram, and loved your natural wedding photography style. The photos looked natural but also like they wouldn’t look out of place in a magazine spread. We hardly ever have photos taken and both tend to do a Chandler Bing smile when asked to pose, so having someone we felt comfortable around was key.”