Oyster Shells and Disco Balls: Grace & Rich's Beachside Wedding

Handmade rings, hand-picked place names and hot favours!

'The best day of our lives with all of our favourite people in one place,' is how British love birds Grace and Rich remember their wedding day. Our real wedding couple said 'I do' in June with a beach party that included a crowd-pleasing playlist, delicious food, sweet personal touches, and spontaneous photoshoots. Anyone dreaming of tying the knot in a unique wedding venue will no doubt be charmed by East Quay Venue in Whitstable. Grace and Rich rolled up their sleeves and jumped headfirst into the wedding planning and their hard work seriously paid off, as their day was so true to them. Re-live their beautiful beach wedding day with these stunning shots from Miracle Moments Wedding Photography.

A wedding ring on a wedding pamphlet ahead of a beach party wedding
Gold wedding shoes on a cream woven pillow ahead of a beach party wedding
A wedding ring on a wedding pamphlet on a cream woven pillow

Let's begin by getting to know our Mr and Mrs a little bit better. The newlyweds live in South East London but heir happily ever after began back when they were teens when they were first introduced to each other by their friends. It was a decade later that their friendship blossomed into true love. They reconnected at a festival and the rest, as they say, was history.

Yellow and blue flowers in brown bags on a kitchen counter
A glass of orange juice on a 'Wonder Woman' placemat on the morning of a beach party wedding
Bride getting ready getting her makeup done

Grace had prepared heartfelt cards and gifts for her bridal party, and her parents too.

A woman reads a note written with gold ink ahead of a beach party wedding

Finding the perfect proposal spot can make asking the all-important question an unforgettably magical moment. Rich picked a very picturesque place to get down on bended knee. He surprised Grace by whisking her away to the Cotswolds to ask her to be his wife. How dreamy!

Bridal gown dress hanging up on wardrobe with silky velvet bridesmaids dresses hang from a wardrobe ahead of a beach party wedding
A bridesmaid ties a bride's straps the back of her dress
Mother and father open letter
Bride seen by her father as bridesmaid does up back of dress ahead of her beach party wedding and there are burnt orange wedding robes hanging from the wardrobe behind them
Bride walks down the stairs as her father carries her veil ahead of her beach party wedding

The bride wore a sleek satin gown by Shona Joy which included a cut-out on the torso and a statement exposed back. She brought her bridal look to new heights of cool with her golden Terry de Havilland platform heels. Her bridesmaids wore elegant dark green satin gowns, a mix from ASOS, Coast and Warehouse. The groom looked sauve in a light grey three-piece suit. The couple are very relaxed so they went on the hunt for a wedding venue that had a chilled-out vibe, they didn't want anything stuffy or too formal. East Quay Venue in Whitstable was a match made in heaven for the pair. Perched right by the sea, they adored the cool and cosy atmosphere of the venue.

Roof of East Quay Venue
Groom at the alter in a wedding venue with guests seated in pews
Father of the bride walks daughter down the aisle during her beach party wedding
Father hands daughter bride over to groom as she kisses him during their beach party wedding
Daughter bride groom and father at alter

The couple exchanged vows in front of 120 of their nearest and dearest. They added a pop of gorgeous greenery to their reception with a foliage wreath for the altar while dried flowers and herb arrangements were hung from chairs along the aisle and they were dotted in the groom and groomsmen's buttonholes. Rich and Grace found beautiful ways to make their family and friends a part of their big day. One of Grace's best friends, who she used to live with when she first started dating Rich, read As Time Goes By by Jenny Dalleywater during their wedding ceremony. Rich's sister Kate played an integral role on the day in more ways than one. She handmade their beautiful wedding bands and she was also the wedding ring bearer during the ceremony.

Bride and groom stand holding hands at alter
Groom puts wedding ring on bride's finger
Bride and broom kiss at wedding ceremony with guests sitting on pews behind them
Bride and groom smile at each other after signing registry during their beach party wedding
Bride and groom smile at guests as they walk down the aisle

The music had to be just perfect for their beach party wedding and Grace created the playlist for the daytime portion of the day! If the idea of making your own wedding playlist is music to your ears, why not check out our wedding morning playlist or our wedding dinner playlist for toe-tapping inspiration?

Bride and groom showered by confetti outside
A bride and groom stand on an old boat with her veil flowing through the air at their beach party wedding
Bride and groom sit on beach chairs in front of house
Bride and groom walk down towards sea
Groom carries bride in his arms on beach

As for her advice for couples planning their big day, she says: "Relax and enjoy it!' 'Take some moments to yourselves through the day to soak it all in. Find a great photographer who you click with and you'll love your photos. Bart was amazing at making us laugh and feel relaxed. He embraced our energy and went along with spontaneous moments like all of the best women in my life posing on a boat, which then turned into an incredible bride and groom photo shoot. We never felt like we missed a moment of our day because we had so much fun with the photos.'

Cocktails in wine glasses with red and white straws beside a bucket full of ice with bottles of Corona at a couple's beach party wedding
A wedding party on a beach
Oysters on ice

There were some absolute non-negotiables when it came to their beach party wedding day. "Great food and lots of it, and a free bar. Lots of mingling and not too much sitting!" While the drinks were a-flowing they also had an oyster shucker and gelato stand!

Bride groom bridesmaids groomsmen celebrate wedding on the beach sand rocks and sea at their beach party wedding
Bride twirls on beach in white wedding dress with sunglasses on as bridesmaids stand behind her in green satin dresses with bouquets with the groom in a light brown suit
Bride and groom face each other on the beach sand and rocks sea in background at their beach party wedding
Bride with bridesmaids who are holding up their bouquets in the air

The wedding flowers were designed by coastal wildflowers and they were packed with soft hues. The flowers were all locally sourced and in-season.

Wedding sign showing order of the day
Wedding reception wooden tables with vases full of colourful flowers at a couple's beach party wedding
Tablescape from wedding with tall white candles and brass candleholder with vases of colourful flowers at a couple's beach party wedding
Placenames in white dishes beside a bottle of bubbly
Chilli oil on the table

Beautiful wildflower illustrations bloomed across their chalkboard table cards and their signage. The couple got creative when it came to making their own wedding favours. Grace made beautiful name places by picking oyster shells from Whitstable beach. The groom also got creative when it came to the tablescaping as he rustled up herb and chilli oils from chillies he grew and dried at home! Setting the right ambiance for evening was very important too and fairy lights and hanging disco balls created a dreamy atmopshere. When it was time to hit the dancefloor, they enlisted a wedding band that they knew would keep the party going all night. "We absolutely loved our evening band. A packed dancefloor was a must and they delivered! We watched the dancefloor from the balcony above and it's one of my most vivid memories of the day, seeing all our loved ones there for us and having the time of their lives." They picked Thinking of You by Sister Sledge as their first dance song.

Bride and groom hold heads together in wedding reception room
Bride and groom enter reception room
Father of the bride reading speech beside newlyweds
Bride looks at groom during his wedding speech

We love Rich and Grace's non-traditional and fun choice of cake. It was made up of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and M&S yumnuts! Rich and Grace celebrated saying their 'I dos' by mini mooning in Salcombe in Devon. They brought a special guest with them, their six-month-old cocker spaniel puppy, Ziggy. They will be jetting off to Mauritius in December and Grace says their honeymoon can't come quick enough.

Donut wedding cake

Thank you so much to our real wedding couple Grace and Rich for sharing their beach party wedding with us and to Miracle Moments Wedding Photography for the love, fun and joy-filled images!

Want even more inspiration? Of course, you do! We have so many stunning Real Weddings on One Fab Day that are just waiting to be swooned over.

Suppliers 

Photographer //
Miracle Moments UK
|
Wedding Dress //
Shona Joy
|
Bridal Shoes //
Terry de Havilland
|
Bridal Boutique //
Selfridges
|
Bridesmaid Dresses //
ASOS
|
//
Coast
|
Groom's Suit //
Reiss
|
Groomsmen's Suits //
John Lewis
|
Wedding Bands //
Soul and Sapphire
|
Makeup //
Tamara West
|
Wedding Venue //
East Quay Venue
|
Flowers, Bouquets & Boutonnieres //
Belladonna Florist
|
//
M&S
|
Wedding Band //
Season
|
Rentals/Decor //
Jane at Graham Greener
|
Celebrant //
A Kentish Ceremony
|
Chalk Board Table & Signs //
Boards by Jess
|
Confetti //
Your Confetti
|
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