Carrie + Charlie: A festival style outdoor autumn wedding at Moonacre
If you're looking for a Moonacre wedding photographer in Dorset who is more interested in photographing what actually happens than making your wedding look like a Pinterest moodboard, hello. Read on, dare ya.
What rain…!
Some couples you meet at a wedding fair and immediately think, yep. These are my people. Carrie and Charlie were very much one of those couples. We got chatting at a wedding fair, somehow got onto music and festivals within approximately two minutes, and then discovered that Carrie’s dad had a mutual friend with me - one of the founders of 2000 Trees Festival. So, basically, the relationship was doomed to succeed. They even had their hag do at the festival that year - bosh!
Anyway, these two are outdoorsy, festival-loving, music-obsessed and gloriously themselves, so when we met up for their pre-wedding shoot in the woods, it felt completely natural. We spent the afternoon stomping around, chatting absolute nonsense and generally getting caught on twigs and almost falling off logs which is pretty much my favourite kind of engagement shoot.
And then came the wedding… *dreamy eyes*
Moonacre, Dorset
Getting ready before the ceremony
Moonacre was basically made for Carrie and Charlie. Woodland, meadow, autumn, slightly dramatic weather and enough space for everyone to embrace the fact that this was absolutely not going to be a traditional wedding. All of the guests were in fine bloody fettle even though it was raining before the outdoor ceremony… Nothing some brollies can’t fix - it’s pretty British to just sit there and take it isn’t it??
Carrie wore a spectacular custom embroidered cape (pictured above, holla to Holly Winter for making it!). There were handmade elements everywhere, embroidered jackets including some siiiiick battle jackets, and mead made especially for the wedding by Charlie’s Dad… who between you and I, I also suspect sampled a fair amount of the mead in the making of it. Gotta make sure its good!
The actual wedding bit
A rainy ceremony in Doorset at Moonacre
The ceremony itself was brilliant. Personal, emotional, funny and completely them, with a ring warming, handfasting, Norse blessings and even rock, paper, scissors to decide who would say their vows first. The art of a magical ceremony is something that Miranda the Celebrant understands perfectly. The work she puts in to get to know couples and to artfully create a ceremony which feels personal and most importantly flows… I love this kind of planning; it’s exactly the sort of wedding where you don't need to manufacture moments on the day because the moments are already happening. This just makes for the best photographs!
An emotional ceremony from Miranda the Celebrant
One of my favourite parts of a wedding is the bit where I get to know everyone. There’s a bit during prep where I meet the A-List, but then I spent loads of the day chatting to Carrie and Charlie's friends and family, getting some great mingle shots and generally having a bit of a laugh with everyone. There was some fairly fierce banter around the group photos, a few in-jokes established for winks during the speeches, and by the time the evening rolled around I knew enough people to be able to shout across the dancefloor at them.
Which is probably why I had such a bloody good time.
Personal vows, handfasting and mead in a woodland festival style at Moonacre
(In fact, I got on so well with everyone that I'm photographing two of Carrie and Charlie's great friends next year. Apparently I was doing something right.)
Colourful confetti post ceremony
A moshfest of an evening reception…
And then the music started...
The evening was basically my personal kryptonite.
Carrie and Charlie first cut their cake, with the band helping them along by perfmorming a personal rendition of Papa Roach… “Cut my cake into pieces, this is my last resoooort!”
Excellent music. People dancing. People absolutely losing their shit on the dancefloor. A mini mosh pit. The battle jackets came out. Festival energy. I was heartbroken (and dancefloor sweaty) when I eventually had to leave.
Fortunately, I had my delicious baby waiting for me at home, otherwise I'm not entirely convinced I'd have managed to tear myself away.
My first wedding after having my daughter
This one was particularly special for me because it was my first wedding back after having my daughter early in June 2025… I was four months postpartum, exclusively pumping breastmilk, and honestly? I couldn't have asked for a better couple to come back to. I just knew Carrie and Charlie trusted me to do my thing, which meant I could throw myself back into photographing the day without feeling like I had to second-guess everything.
Moonacre Dorset and Carrie and Charlie were also bloody incredible about me sneaking off to pump when I needed to. In fact, I managed to do it while photographing candid shots and even the big group photo… You genuinely wouldn't know. Technology, eh!
This is probably a useful reminder that sometimes working motherhood involves simultaneously creating beautiful wedding photographs and operating an Elvie breast pump.
Balance.
Sort of.
Bubbleguns, a vintage camper as the transport, and an epic guest whose wedding I can’t wait for!
The dream team
I was incredibly grateful to photograph Carrie and Charlie's wedding alongside my best friend, Nat. Nat and I have worked together for around 20 years, and although our artistic approaches are quite different, we've grown up learning our craft alongside each other which makes having her as a second photographer ridiculously good fun AND infinitely worthwhile.
Her eye for light is genuinely unrivalled, and I love the different perspective she brings to a wedding gallery. You get my photographs, her photographs, and all those little moments that happen simultaneously when two photographers are covering the day.
Creative couple photos that are beautiful AND get you an opportunity to spend some much needed time away just the two of you.
(A second photographer is £400 as an upgrade. Bargain.)
ANYWAY. Carrie and Charlie’s wedding was exactly the sort of day I love photographing: personal, colourful, slightly chaotic, deeply meaningful, full of brilliant people and absolutely no interest in doing things just because that's how weddings are supposed to be done.
More of this, please.
Band - Freshman Year
Celebrant - Miranda Ash
Flowers - peaches creations
Hair - Lizzy Jarrett
Food - Hannah's Kitchen
Venue - Moonacre
Coordinator - Hayley Paignton
Selfie pod - miss selfie pod
Ice cream - Events cart hire
Temporary tattoos - Doris loves tattoos