Wedding Receptions at The Waterfront, Harwich
The Waterfront in Harwich was the setting for this easy-going evening wedding reception by the sea in my hometown. From the moment I met Leigh and Ben, I knew they were my kind of people! A couple who wanted to enjoy themselves with their friends and family, and have it all captured in a very natural way without any fuss.
Morning Preparations at The Pier Hotel
The Waterfront doesn’t have any on-site accomodation, so you will need to do your wedding prep at another location and travel to the venue. The bridal party decided to start the day at The Pier Hotel (run by Milsoms) in Harwich, after spending the night there before the wedding. We are fairly limited on hotel options in Harwich, but thankfully the bridal suite at The Pier Hotel offers plenty of space and beautiful natural light coming in through the massive windows looking out to Harwich harbour and the Stour estuary. This is perfect lighting for your morning prep photos, but also a really lovely view to wake up to and start prepping for the big day ahead.
The groomsmen were getting ready at Leigh and Ben’s home with the usual groomsmen shenanigans! Leigh and Ben only wanted a handful of groom prep photos, so we limited ourselves to around 45 minutes to allow me time to get back to the bridal party for the dress reveal. The lads were under strict instruction to be ready on time (by the bride), and in all fairness, they were super organised and ready for me when I arrived.
The Ceremony at All Saints Church
The Waterfront does have a wedding license so you absolutely can get married here as well as hosting your evening reception, if you prefer to have your whole day in one location. Leigh and Ben wanted a traditional wedding though, and decided to get married at All Saints Church in Dovercourt instead. St. Nicholas’ Church in Harwich is another option for local churches, and it’s my favourite to photograph due to its size and available light.
I must also mention Reverend Kirsty Emersen for being one of the easiest-going, nicest, and happiest vicars I’ve ever met. I’ve worked with Kirsty a few times now and I highly recommend chatting to her if you do decide on a church wedding in Harwich.
Portraits on Harwich Beach
Before we headed into The Watefront for the reception, our lovely couple wanted a few photos on Harwich beach nearby which is less than a sixty second walk away from the venue. From the day we met, the main photo that Ben wanted was a photo of him and his friends with smokebombs on the beach. They’re big Ipswich Town fans, hence the blue and white smoke. Leight and Ben not super-posey people and didn’t want loads of couples portraits but they requested a few portraits of just the two of them on the beach, weather and tide permitting. It wasn’t exactly a warm day in November… but dispite the freezing cold, and a slight smoke bomb mishap (which gave us a laugh), we came away with some beautiful, natural shots that really reflected the two of them (and the chaos of the groomsmen!).
“We really wanted to get some photos on the beach, and Josh facilitated this despite the freezing weather! And made the smoke bomb photos look amazing, even despite a smoke bomb malfunction! From the start we wanted a fun and relaxed day, and Josh captured this perfectly, we are so grateful!”
The Food
The guests welcomed back our newlywed couple into the venue with some lively energy, right before tucking into some food and drink. Big thanks to Leigh and Ben for providing me with a meal for this wedding and I have to say the food here was beyond excellent. One of the main things that guests will remember from your wedding is the food, and there’s no need to worry about the quality of quantity here. I don’t think I’ve ever been served so much roast beef on a plate before and the three courses nearly put me in a food coma!
The Speeches
One of the biggest attractions of The Waterfront is that it has plenty of space to accomodate a lot of people without being crowded. You have plenty of location options for the top table and layouts for dinner and the speeches here, so chat to the venue coordinator and/or your wedding planner about what works for you.
Candids
The first image below shows the large glass front door and windows at The Waterfront which makes for a beautiful backdrop when the fairy lights are turned on for the evening part of the wedding day. I’m incredibly camera-shy myself so I love capturing people in their natural moments without interrupting or making anyone feel awkward. Sometimes this is difficult to do when venues are small, but fortunately there was plenty of space here for my documentary style photography approach. Most of my work is colour, but I do like to throw in a few timeless black and white images as well.
The First Dance
A big wedding trend that I don’t think will be going away any time soon is light-up letters for your dance floor. In my opinion, they really add to the aesthetics of your reception and your first dance in particular. When the lights dim down for the evening your dance floor letters will be a key feature for your guests to see, and they look fantastic on the dance floor! Our local supplier for light-up letters in Harwich is a good friend of mine and I recommend speaking with Tom at Empire Hire.
The Party!
One of my favourite parts of the wedding day is the evening reception and capturing all your dance floor fun for you and your guests. This is the part of the day where most people are a good few drinks in and everyone is ready to let loose and have a good time, and it really shows in the photos! The Waterfront have their own lighting setup which is absolutely perfect for dance floor pics with a nice contrast between a dark background, the DJ lights, and the fairy lights in the background.
After the wedding, I sent over previews within a few days. The couple were a pleasure to work with throughout, and I really appreciated their kind words once the full gallery and album were delivered.
If you’re planning a day that’s relaxed, full of character, and focused on people rather than absolute perfection, I’d love to be there to document it. Please get in touch if you’d like to chat through your plans.