Charlotte and Jack – An Autumn Wedding, Ardencote Manor Hotel Wedding Photography
The lovely Charlotte and Jack were married at Ardencote Manor in Warwickshire in October. It was a fabulous day filled with lots of love and laughter at one of my favourite local venues.
On the morning of the wedding, Jack was at his family home getting ready. As well as his groomsmen, he had lots of family members coming round to wish him well, many of whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time, so another photographer colleague of mine was with them to capture all the family love.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was getting ready with her mum and the rest of the bridal party. When I arrived, they were all getting stuck into the prep, blowing up props for the photobooth that was to be set up downstairs. Within minutes, Charlotte’s mum was jumping across the bed with an inflatable saxophone, and I knew I had a fun day ahead.
What I was less prepared for was the moment that Charlotte’s mum’s friend, blissfully unaware that I’d arrived, burst in from an adjoining room sporting not much more than a pair of incredible, suck-it-all-in big knickers, shouting ‘check out these bad boys!!’ I’ve never seen an expression change for triumph to horror so quickly!
Once props were fully inflated and the bride and her guests were fully dressed, it was time for the marriage ceremony itself. At Ardencote Manor, the ceremony room overlooks the beautiful lake and grounds. After a lovely service, it was gorgeous to see (in October!!) everyone out celebrating Charlotte and Jack with a few glasses of fizz out in the blisteringly hot sunshine, and with the backdrop of the lake behind them, it made for a blissful and beautiful moment.
Jack’s young son was an important part of the wedding day, and like many little ones at weddings, showed a real interest in all my tech and gear, so I gave him a camera and sent him off to take some pictures of his own. Don’t worry, it’ll be a few years until he becomes my competition…
After the wedding breakfast, Jack took his groomsmen to a little picturesque hut in the middle of the lake. He’d got cigars at the ready, so it was time for a bit of bromance as the group toasted Jack and his new wife and shared memories about youthful times spent together (very few of which are suitable for this blog!). My mischievous side always comes out when cigars appear at a wedding reception – few people are accustomed to igniting a large wad of tobacco between their lips, and there’s usually the opportunity for some shots of over ambitious young men accidentally inhaling a little too much cigar smoke. These guys did not disappoint!
Soon, the sun started to set over Ardencote Manor, and like many autumn sunsets, it was stunning. We managed to grab some photos of Charlotte and Jack under a very romantic, multi-coloured sky.
Once the night was drawing in, it was time to get the party started! Jack and Charlotte had hired a fantastic DJ who really knew his stuff – it was one of the busiest dancefloors I’ve seen at a wedding, he definitely knew how to appeal to the guests without a Birdie Song in sight!
Wishing Charlotte and Jack many happy years of love and laughter!
