The wedding of Caz & James at Bourton Hall, Warwickshire, Bourton Hall Wedding Photography

New Year's Eve Spectacular - Wedding Photography Bourton Hall

The Wedding Day Build up

At our first meeting, Caz and James blew me away with their plans for a New Year’s Eve wedding.

They had big intentions to create a memorable day for everyone involved with some super fun elements, including a games room, fireworks and a photo booth.

This, coupled with Caz’s love for sport and travel, meant they were - definitely my sort of people, and as I drove into Bourton Hall on the ‘big’ day, I knew this day would be spectacular.

Prepped to Perfection

Photographing a wedding day is much more than just shooting a ceremony and a party.

Yes, these parts are pretty epic and integral, but the real heart of the day is usually found in the little moments in between and definitely in capturing the day from its beginning to end.

A big part of this is in the preparation, being part of the pre-wedding build-up for both bride and groom.

If you’re considering your photography package, it’s worth shooting both because they’re filled with so many memories we can capture, and at Bourton Hall, this is made easy because both bride and groom get ready at the same venue.

In my experience as a photographer, the wedding prep is full of things that you will look back on in years to come and remember some of the best parts of your day.

One such moment for Caz was when she was sitting amongst her glamorous bridesmaids in her Dad’s scruffiest shirt.

Caz’s Dad had leant out his shirt at the last minute after realising Caz couldn't wear the specially named t-shirts since there was no way to pull them over her hair in its rollers.

I predict this will go down as one of those great memories between this father and daughter on this wedding day.

This micro-moment, and many others, were a great opportunity to capture different roles and personalities in the group.

It's all About YOU

I love having time with the bridal group and tuning into what makes people tick.

The bridesmaids were great fun, and we had lots of banter about getting the most camera-shy individuals on camera and meeting Caz’s sister, who was enlisted to keep us all on track.

Oh, and let's not forget my challenge to the maid of honour to do a cartwheel at midnight, which she duly did in the middle of Bourton Hall.

Caz’s bridesmaids shared her vision for a day of fun, and I loved seeing their personalities showcased in the photos we took that morning.

Groom Room - Does Groom prep really happen ?

Groom prep consists of different things for the girls, but again it's a vibe of relaxation and chilling with friends before the day begins to heat up for the leading players.

James and his friends enjoyed having a few beers and playing a few games, as well as a few messages Caz had planned to be delivered on a projector (yes, this girl really did think about everything).

It was terrific to capture the boys' side of their morning, albeit entirely different to the girls' beauty session, but equally valuable to document in telling the story of your day.

Winter Weddings at Bourton Hall

A big part of this wedding was maximising the winter and Christmas vibe, made even more possible at the beautiful venue of Bourton Hall, which was decorated with stunning Christmas trees (5 Christmas trees, to be exact, decorating the top of the ceremony room).

Caz followed this theme all the way through to the Wedding Breakfast room, showering tables and empty spaces with yet more festive trees. It really hit that wow factor.

This area really was something special to be part of, especially as the light disappeared outside and the room was lit by magical Christmas lights.

Beautiful Bourton Hall

Bourton Hall is a genuinely incredible location for a wedding.

Think opulence, history and period features, all as the perfect backdrop for your group wedding shots (even in winter, we managed that epic confetti-throwing pic!) and a great space for the Wedding Breakfast and evening entertainment.

Something I see a lot of now is for couples to plan a more personalised wedding ceremony in addition to a more formal and legal event.

Bourton Hall catered for this beautifully, with various options for flexible spaces.

Your Day Your Way

James’ friend led the personalised ceremony and created a very touching service full of personal stories about Caz and James, which had such a lovely feel.

Opting for this less formal arrangement meant guests were more interested and invested in the ceremony and listened intently to every aspect.

Caz & James followed this with their legal wedding service, with a smaller audience, whilst most of the guests enjoyed drinks and entertainment elsewhere.

Once the formalities were finished, it was back to the party as everyone ventured outside for the traditional confetti throwing and lovely drink reception.

The atmosphere was buzzing with the excitement of guests meeting up for the first time or family members seeing each other for the first time in years; there were lots of smiles and so much laughter.

Special Wedding Day Moments

One of my favourite moments of the day was hearing Caz’s Dad speak so fondly of his daughter, who has worked in football and motorsports for the bulk of her career.

It seems that every time Caz took a new job, that team seemed to succeed and win. Think of Chelsea - Champions League winner, Man City Premier League winner and

Red Bull Racing Constructors Championship winner.

However, I know the most important one to Caz will be when she reads this Blog, ‘BEST Bride of 2022’ winner, the top trophy to have in any photo cabinet.

After the speeches, it was back to more fun, and the games room was open for family and guests to get super competitive over table tennis.

I quickly learnt where Caz got her competitive nature from as I caught a picture of her Dad punching the air after scoring a goal on the football table.

Midnight Magic at Bourton Hall

Time seemed to fly by, probably due to how much fun everyone was having, and It was soon time for the final surprise of the evening, the midnight fireworks.

And WOW, they were totally incredible and easily the best fireworks I have seen in 10 years of shooting weddings. A great way to celebrate a wonderful day and welcome in the New year.

After the fireworks, it was time to celebrate midnight all over again with the traditional Auld Lang Syne sing-song, this got everyone on the dance floor partying, and the atmosphere was electric.

A truly perfect way to end the day.

Oh, and as I was leaving, I got the photo of the day, the maid of honour's cartwheel, as promised. It's amazing what you can do after drinking champagne for 13 hours.

Congratulations to Caz & James, and thank you for letting me be part of such a fantastic day.