Katy and Matt dreamt up and then fully executed (with pure greatness) an incredible, colourful and super fun DIY wedding on Dartmoor!

I have shown this wedding to so many couples over the last couple of years. Because I’m so proud bloody of these photos and also, Katy and Matt are a super inspiring couple. Especially if you are planning a fun, laid back, DIY wedding.

This wedding was also featured in Bride Magazine Southwest Printed magazine! Pretty awesome right!

These guys really embody the spirit and the good vibes of lots of the couples who enquire with me.

There were so many highlights and fun things going on all day long. I’ll mention a few below, but because there’s nothing better than hearing about a wedding from the couple themselves, I’ll share my chat with them too.

Highlights include VW Beetles, speeches that made people ugly cry, a broken bridesmaids dress, a Magician, live music, a homemade bar, Ice cream and pizza vans, a totally dreamy moment where it was raining as the sun came down and we got amazing photos, sticky buns on the dancefloor (yep! haha) and an absolute banger of a party! (hosted by the EPIC Double A and the Bay).

Katy and Matt added extra coverage to their wedding (which is where I stay until the end and capture all of the antics) and I loved how these two were the only ones left still dancing when the band were packing away and everyone had left!

I already felt Katy, Matt and I were kindred spirits. From the first meeting we were so in tune and on the same page with everything. But this was HUGELY confirmed, when to my suprise, their first dance started with the very same song that Samantha and I had for our wedding. This wouldn’t be that weird if it was a popular song. Only It’s a really obscure song too, so much so, that it’s actually from the Dawson’s Creek Soundtrack. Haha. What Katy and Matt did (that Samantha and I would never have had the balls to do) was went from a gentle sway to their song and then suddenly broke into a perfectly choreographed routine to Come Alive from the Greatest Showman

After the wedding I had a chat with Katy and Matt and here’s how it went…

WOAH Katy and Matt, your wedding was EPIC! Tell us your story of how you met and got to this awesome stage in your lives?

We both work in a secondary school and were right under each other's noses for years. We started getting to know each other when we began running an outdoor activity club together. Instantly, we fell madly in love and have been inseparable ever since.

What was your favourite part of your wedding?

It's so hard to narrow it down to one as the whole day was amazing. Initially I thought it was when we saw each other for the first time, where we both took each other's breath away.

But actually, I think it was later in the day. All our guests were enjoying themselves, we had eaten delicious food and the speeches were all done, so Matt and I went off for half an hour with Jamie to get some photos on our own on Clapper Bridge.

It was then, for the first time, we could just stop and take it all in. We were on our own (apart from Jamie but he was so discreet we didn't really notice) and we both had a moment where we were like 'Wow, we did it! After all these months of planning it's all come together and we are husband and wife.'

It was a really special, private moment, where I just stood in Matt's arms and felt ridiculously happy. Jamie captured it all and I love looking at those photos because I know how relaxed and loved up we were both feeling right then.

Your favourite story/s from the day - The one/s that you will tell when you are really really really old?

I will always remember how the day before was the most miserable day ever! I was trying to set everything up, Matt was stuck in Cornwall, it was torrential rain, I mean serious down pouring! And I just wanted to cry.

I couldn't imagine how it was going to come together and the marquee was flooding around my feet. We stayed there until 3am with a few awesome friends who helped us and somehow we managed to transform everything.

When I woke up the next morning, it was beautiful sunshine and the weather was perfect all day. I was certain it was all going to be a disaster but it felt like in the final hour everything came together. We wouldn't have achieved it without our friends.

What made you choose your venue for your wedding?

It was important to us that our day was a reflection of us. It had to be relaxed and fun, and not too 'weddingy'.

We found St Gabriel's Church and fell in love with it. It's small, intimate and just lovely. Next door was the village hall, which I felt we could make our own, and then a big space for the marquee.
The setting was perfect. It's a small village on the moors, surrounded by fields and trees. It didn't feel at all pretentious and it gave us the perfect backdrop.

Doing it all ourselves was hard work, no two ways about it! It doesn't save you any money at all and it can get really stressful arranging everything on your own. It was so worth it though. Every last detail had us all over it, it felt so personal, happy and chilled.

The venue was small so we had to be tight on numbers but again that was fine, all the people who mean the most to us were there. Quality over quantity!

What made you choose the details and theme/styling for your wedding?

There wasn't a theme as such. However, I am quite boho (since before it became 'a thing') so wanted a whimsical feel to everything. Matt loves the outdoors and trees so that natural feel was very important. We made seats from straw bales and kept everything simple.

We chose my favourite colour, orange, and that added a pop of colour. I love bright and bold but I kept it still quite rustic to go with the setting. Our friends lent us their vintage beetles as our wedding cars. They are incredible, and mine just happened to be bright orange, perfect!

We had wood whittlers who made gypsy roses with our guests, an alternative entertainment which everyone loved!

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?

Firstly, don't stress. All the tiny things you worry about simply don't matter on the day. If you have the love of your life, your friends and family, and plenty to eat and drink then you are sorted. The rest of it you will barely notice on the day.

Secondly, take time out with your new husband/wife. Breathe it in and enjoy it. It's a crazy, busy day but make sure you spend a few quality moments alone.

Thirdly, remember to cut your cake!

Lastly, book Jamie Webb as your wedding photographer. Seriously, don't think twice. I hate having my photo taken usually, I can feel a bit shy and awkward. However, Jamie just makes you feel so at ease.

I read other reviews about Jamie before booking him where people described him as a friend and a guest rather than the photographer. That is genuinely the case! We adore Jamie so much, he's is such an unbelievably nice guy. He blended into our day perfectly and we never felt he was there doing 'a job'. Our photos are beautiful, he is an insanely talented photographer and you will not regret booking him. We are trying to think of what else we can get Jamie to photograph just so we can hang out with him again!

I love food, music and entertainment They are the some of the best things about weddings! - What food did you have, was it yummy and what did you have to entertain yourselves and your guests?

We kept everyone watered with the bar we had made ourselves filled with cider and rum. The food was great too, delicious high tea in the afternoon, vintage ice cream van at 6pm to keep everyone going, woodfired pizzas in the evening and pasties and pink iced fingers at midnight.

My best friend and Maid of Honour made our wedding cake. It was insane! She did it all herself, this incredible wooden stand covered in cakes and flowers, with a handmade felted fox and stag (our favourite animals) as the toppers. You need to see it to appreciate how amazing it was!

Fun and music were essential to our day having the right atmosphere. The Pause are ridiculously talented singers, everyone loved them. They sing songs that are modern yet everyone knows and they put their own style to everything.

Lewis Belcher was our magician and utterly mind blowing, we didn't want him to stop. Highly recommend!

In the evening we upped the tempo with Double A and the Bay. They are an energetic, incredible duo who had us dancing all night. I've since seen photos of a boy vs girl dance off that I can't remember happening :) and the boys from Double A were off the stage and joining in the dance-off themselves. The atmosphere was amazing.

We made a dartboard and had lawn games for everyone to enjoy. We kept it quite simple and laid back though. Our guests loved just chatting with a glass in their hands, sometimes with entertainment less is more!

We are lucky that one of our friends is Dave Wright, a brilliant saxophonist. He played Thinking Out Loud for me to walk down the aisle too. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? and You've Got a Friend In Me were played for signing the register.

Finally, it was Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop the Feeling for us to walk out on. They were fun songs that are all very significant to us.

A Shout Out to your awesome wedding suppliers!

Flowers - Rachael's Freelance Florist
Cake - Celebration Cakes by Kelly.
Caterers - The Kitchen Table
Ice Cream - Devon Vintage Ice Cream Van
Pizzas - Kerno Fernow
Marquee - Hire Class
Singers - The Pause
Magician- Lewis Belcher
Band - Double A and the Bay
Saxophonist - Dave Wright
Hair - Charlotte Bondy
Make up - Hannah May
Hotel - Prince Hall Country House

Wood Whittlers - Running Deer

What were you looking for in your photographer, Why on earth did you choose Jamie Webb as your photographer and what was it like working with Jamie on the day?

We picked Jamie because we loved his relaxed, fly on the wall style. He didn't disappoint! From the moment I messaged Jamie asking for some more info, he has been the best. Communication has been amazing, sometimes I'd just email him to chat about the wedding because he was so genuinely excited for us!

On the day he was the perfect blend of professionalism, fun and friendliness. We laughed and joked with him all day but barely noticed the camera. We have the best wedding photos now, better than we ever imagined.

Jamie honestly made our wedding. I would not consider using anyone else. I know there are lots of very talented wedding photographers in the south west, but they're not Jamie!

Oh my goodness I’m in bits reading all the wonderful things you have said! THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!! It’s been such an honour to do your maternity photos since your wedding and I’m super excited that we have a few more shoots booked in to capture the first year in your little ones life!

Below are some of my fave photos from the day…

If these words and the photos above gave you alllllll the feels and If you are planning a fun wedding and you want super relaxed and non-awkward photos. Hit the button below to message me and let’s have tea, LOL’s and a good chat about your wedding photography.