Charlotte and Graham - Bourton on Dunsmore wedding photography

For those keeping cosy and safe indoors and out of the way of this week’s storms, grab a cuppa and settle down because I’ve got a lovely wedding to tell you all about – my final one of 2021! 

Charlotte and Graham’s wedding was my third December Wedding at Bourton Hall. There’s a reason it’s such a popular wedding venue in Warwickshire – the stately home feel and the gorgeous surroundings make it a perfect choice for lots of couples from Warwickshire and further afield.

In fact, Charlotte and Graham came all the way from Sweden for their wedding! They’re both British teachers currently based in Sweden and like all 2021 wedding couples, they had to do some careful planning to make sure that everyone could be safe and covid-free for their big day. Charlotte and Graham flew back to the UK 11 days before their wedding day so that even if they caught covid on their flight, they’d be out of isolation for the wedding. That’s some excellent advance planning, guys!

The morning of the wedding, with everyone thankfully covid-free and lateral-flowed to within an inch of their lives, I was really excited to finally meet the bride and groom. We’d met before over zoom, and talked about what they wanted for the day and what were important moments for them to capture, but as we all know, meeting in the digital realm can’t compete with real life.Charlotte had planned a fairly lowkey morning, with a friend helping her to get ready and doing her hair and make-up. She was relaxed, happy, and ready for the day to unfold, so after a few pictures she asked me to check if Graham had arrived at Bourton Hall.

I wandered downstairs and it didn’t take me long to find Graham. He was a whirlwind of activity! As a couple, they totally flipped the usual wedding script – a cool, calm, and collected bride, and a groom feeling stressed, anxious and nervous. When I let Charlotte know that Graham was downstairs the first thing she said was ‘is he flapping?’ – clearly she knows her husband-to-be inside out!  

Fortunately, Graham’s Dad was a real source of strength for him during these moments and managed to keep his son calm ahead of the ceremony. When he saw his beautiful bride, you could tell that Graham instantly felt much more settled and comfortable.

Charlotte and Graham had told me during our zoom meetings that they’d met through work – despite not hitting it off to begin with, they’d developed a connection over time and the strength of that relationship was really clear to see. Charlotte was a real rock and soothed Graham’s nerves – it was touching to see how reassured he was by her.

After a beautiful ceremony, it was time for some shots in the glorious grounds at Bourton Hall. I knew that with friends and family travelling in from around the globe, it was really important to Charlotte and Graham to have some shots of people gathered together, as it was such a rare occasion to get everybody in the same place at the same time! Despite the cold outside, everybody was in high spirits. By this time, Graham had overcome his nerves and was ready to get silly – he donned an enormous inflatable T-Rex costume to prank all of his guests! I’ve never seen a groom dress as a dinosaur on his wedding day before, but there’s a first time for everything!

It became all the more clear that Charlotte and Graham are a fun-loving and passionate pair when we headed inside for the wedding breakfast. The tables were all themed around teaching – a career they’re both passionate about – and guests were encouraged to participate in a Lego-building competition! It wasn’t long before the happy couple and their teacher friends were out of their seats playing primary school games and it quickly felt like I was back in the playground!

After dinner, it was time for some couples portraits – Charlotte and Graham especially wanted some beautiful pictures of the two of them – and we headed back outside to see Bourton Hall lit up in the dark. The attention to the lighting at Bourton Hall really makes it stand out and provides the perfect backdrop for some stunning portraits. Charlotte and Graham did a fantastic job smiling through the cold before it was time to head back indoors to the dancefloor...and for a reappearance from the T-Rex!

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A Bourton on Dunsmore wedding photography , THEN CONTACT ME TODAY TO DISCUSS.