Kirsty & Ryan’s Relaxed Summer Wedding at Weymouth Rugby Club
A fun-filled outdoor wedding in Weymouth, Dorset
When I first met Kirsty and Ryan, one thing was clear almost immediately: they didn’t want their wedding day to feel overly formal.
They wanted to get married, celebrate with the people they loved and, most importantly, have fun.
So when we talked through their plans for their wedding at Weymouth Rugby Club on 27th June 2026, we worked out photography timings that would give them the photographs they wanted without turning their day into one long photoshoot.
And looking back through their finished gallery, I think their personalities and the atmosphere of the day come through perfectly.
A very warm summer wedding in Weymouth
It was an incredibly warm June day, during an exceptionally hot spell of weather, so keeping everyone comfortable was always going to be important.
Ryan was already at Weymouth Rugby Club when I arrived just after midday, giving me time to capture him, some of the guests arriving and all those little moments that happen as everyone realises the wedding is finally about to begin.
Kirsty had already told me that she didn't want bridal preparation photographs, which was absolutely fine. Wedding photography doesn't have to follow a predetermined checklist.
Instead, Kirsty and her bridesmaids made their entrance in style and I was there ready to photograph their arrival.
One of my favourite things about weddings is that every couple wants something slightly different. My job isn't to make their wedding fit my photography — it's to make my photography fit their wedding.
An outdoor ceremony overlooking the Dorset countryside
The outdoor ceremony area at Weymouth Rugby Club provided a wonderful setting.
Rows of guests looked towards Kirsty and Ryan with the countryside around Lorton and Lodmoor stretching away behind them.
It is one of those ceremony locations where the wider photographs are just as important as the close-ups. The landscape gives everything a real sense of place, while I can move between wider storytelling photographs and the expressions between the couple without dominating the ceremony.
There were bridesmaids, flower girls, family, plenty of smiles and, eventually, that all-important first kiss.
And then Kirsty and Ryan were married.
Keeping the family photographs relaxed we had deliberately agreed on a short list of family photographs beforehand.
I generally recommend keeping formal group photographs manageable because nobody wants to spend an hour of their wedding standing in different combinations waiting for photographs.
There was another consideration on this particular day too. Some family members weren't able to comfortably move around for photographs, particularly in the heat.
So rather than insisting everybody came to a predetermined location, we adapted.
Some photographs were taken outside and others were photographed in the marquee where guests could remain comfortable.
That's something I think is really important. A wedding schedule is useful, but people matter more than a schedule.
Then it was time for some fun…
And this is where Kirsty and Ryan's wedding really came into its own.
Weymouth Rugby Club has acres of open space and they certainly made use of it.
There were giant garden games including Jenga, Guess Who? and croquet, while A1 Bouncy Castle Hire supplied a bouncy castle and a bucking bronco.
Children could run around, adults could rediscover just how competitive they really are and there was always something happening somewhere.
For documentary wedding photography, it's brilliant.
Rather than manufacturing moments, I can simply watch for them: expressions, reactions, children playing, friends laughing and all those little incidents that couldn't possibly have been planned beforehand.
BBQ food and a marquee reception
Kirsty and Ryan chose outdoor BBQ catering for their wedding reception, perfectly matching the relaxed atmosphere of their day.
Their marquee gave everyone a spacious base for the reception while the surrounding grounds meant guests could easily wander outside, play games or simply enjoy the sunshine.
That combination worked particularly well — a proper wedding reception without the feeling that everyone had to stay seated inside a function room all afternoon.
And as the day progressed, things became increasingly relaxed, exactly as Kirsty and Ryan had hoped they would.
Wedding photography doesn't have to be formal
I think that's probably the story these photographs tell better than anything else.
You can have the important photographs.
You can have photographs with parents, grandparents, bridesmaids and friends.
You can have beautiful couple portraits and photographs of the ceremony.
But that doesn't mean your wedding needs to become a photoshoot.
For Kirsty and Ryan, we planned the photography around their day rather than planning their day around the photography.
That left them free to enjoy their wedding — and left me free to photograph all the fun that followed.
Congratulations Kirsty & Ryan
A wonderfully relaxed summer wedding, a gorgeous outdoor ceremony, BBQ food, garden games, a bouncy castle, a bucking bronco and a lot of laughter.
Kirsty and Ryan wanted a wedding that was fun rather than formal.
I think they absolutely succeeded.
And it was a pleasure to be there to photograph it.
Planning your own wedding in Weymouth or Dorset?
I photograph everything from small ceremonies and micro weddings through to full wedding days, with an emphasis on relaxed, natural storytelling and keeping the formal photography straightforward.
Wedding photography from £325.
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
Ryan and Kirsty
