Georgie & Katy’s Joyous August Wedding at Colchester Arts Centre

Georgie and Katy’s wedding at Colchester Arts Centre in August 2024 was a celebration full of personality, warmth and unforgettable details. The venue is housed in a converted church in Colchester’s historic town centre. It gives old-church character meets arts-venue energy, which made it the perfect match for this couple’s style.

Katy works at the venue and knows the place inside out, so they were able to host their wedding in a space that doesn’t traditionally do weddings! That made it all the more special and unique for them, and meant that every member of staff helping out on the day knew the couple personally. Everyone worked so hard to pull the perfect day together and it was magical to see.

I knew this was going to be a corker of a day when Georgie rolled up to the venue in the coolest pink Cadillac I’ve ever seen!

An emotional ceremony

The ceremony began with a deeply touching moment: as Georgie walked down the aisle towards Katy, her gran reached out, pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. It was so sweet it genuinely brought a tear to my eye! Katy awaited at the front with her bridal party, and their best friend Caitlin, who also served as celebrant, led the ceremony. Having their ceremony written and performed by someone who knew them both so well and loved them so much meant that it felt all the more intimate, personal and full of love.

Adding to the magic, Georgie’s sister sang Taylor Swift during the ceremony which was a proper tingly moment! There were also lovingly handcrafted, home-made and DIY elements everywhere during this gorgeous day, with personalised table decor, themed tables, and thoughtful little touches that made the day unmistakably theirs.

The venue and portraits

Colchester Arts Centre, in its converted church building, brought dramatic atmosphere to the day. The churchyard outside gave us beautiful grounds for portraits, and inside the space had twinkly lighting, warm golden fairy lights and bold neon initials on the stage that really lent themselves to the theatrical feel of the venue.

For our couples’ portraits we of course made full use of the gorgeous pink Cadillac as it idled on Colchester’s cobblestones. We then wandered out to nearby Castle Park, where we took relaxed portraits around the pond with the Roman walls of Colchester in the background. When we got back to the venue, we gathered the colourful bridal parties for some super fun group photos and smoke bombs!

One of my favourite things about this wedding day was the truly relaxed vibe - guests were encouraged to turn up as themselves, with no super strict dress code, which meant that there were so many stunning and unique outfits to admire. Katy’s bridal party wore orange while Georgie’s wore purple, which added such a vibrant twist to the group photos.

Unforgettable moments

During the drinks reception we had some extremely exciting guests: alpacas! This added a relaxed, playful vibe, accompanied by live music that really kicked the party into gear. One of the funniest and most charming details of the day was that there was a pizza van outside, and each table nominated someone (wearing a chef’s hat) to collect their pizzas. It was engaging, fun and brought everyone together.

Later in the evening, a drag-queen violinist performed and set the mood beautifully, before the DJ took over and got everyone dancing. One of my favourite moments was being on the dancefloor and seeing Georgie and Katy stroll in with McDonalds milkshakes in hand. Iconic.

Why this wedding stood out

To be honest, there wasn’t a single part of this magical day that wasn’t a stand out! However, I think the highlight for me was just how personal and wholly authentic it was to this brilliant couple. They used a venue with meaning, filled it with DIY touches and tons of people who clearly adored them, and the result was an atmosphere of warmth, fun and unadulterated joy. This wedding also held a special place in my heart as I grew up in Colchester Town Centre, and the Arts Centre, Castle Park and town centre streets hold so many memories for me and it was wonderful to make such lovely new ones with Georgie and Katy.

If you’re planning a vibrant, personality-filled wedding at an exciting or unconventional venue and are looking for storytelling, relaxed photography that captures the full personality of your day — I’d love to chat.

Get in touch with me to tell me your plans!