Michelle and Miles – Warwick House wedding, Rugby Wedding Photography

Today I’ve got a beautiful wedding to share with you at one of my favourite local Rugbuy wedding venues, Warwick House.

Michelle and Miles were married at the idyllic Warwick House at the end of September – it was second date lucky for this pair. Warwick House is a gorgeous venue, and one I love to shoot at – the gothic arched windows mean the exterior looks really special, but that the inside is flooded with light.

Before the big day I caught up with Michelle and Miles on a zoom call to go through some details, as I usually do. We talked about who was going to be there, any special shots they wanted – all the usual things that I like to have nailed down before the day itself. For their reception, Michelle and Miles were hiring a photobooth from me, and, running through the details, Michelle asked if they should expect all the usual props – ‘hats, moustaches, glasses…an inflatable whale?’ Suffice to say, I’d never met a bride before who considered that an essential part of her wedding day, but ask and you shall receive…

A few days later I had another, secret, follow-up zoom with Michelle. Not (sadly) to nail down the details of the whale, but because she had a few surprises up her sleeve for Miles…

Turning tradition on its head, she’d arranged for a vintage Rolls Royce to bring Miles to Warwick House – it was supposed to be her dad’s car, but as vintage vehicles do, it developed a problem not long before the big day, so a suitably gorgeous substitute was found. I could tell from the smile on Miles’s face that he really felt the part.

The second high-end surprise took the form of a Rolex – not just presented straight out the box however, oh no! Michelle had arranged for the Rolex to be fitted to Miles’s wrist on the morning of the wedding. What a lucky guy – it can’t hurt to get showered in luxury gifts on the day you marry the love of your life!

To top it all off, the late September day was a seriously hot one, bathed in beautiful sunshine. After some shots of the Rolls at the front of Warwick House, I headed in to see Michelle and her bevy of bridesmaids. This was one organised bunch! Michelle had done some expert delegating and each bridesmaid was in charge of some of the finer details of the day – and they certainly took their roles seriously! It was fantastic to see how much they cared about the bride, and wanted everything to be perfect for her. I could tell they were a brilliant team.

The glorious weather meant that Michelle and Miles were able to hold their ceremony outside, and afterwards, the guests made the most of the sun, enjoying some drinks and nibbles while they caught up and swapped stories of the last 18 months.

With a lot of catching up to do, and so many people to hug and say hello to, Michelle and Miles did something that I think all wedding couples should make time for – they took themselves off for a quiet 5 minutes in the Rolls. Taking time like this to have a breather and to speak to one another is so important – weddings can be frantic! Ever the romantic, I bundled myself into the car too, and managed to capture a few shots of this special, intimate time.

Before long though, it was back to the party – and what a party it was! Some sparklers set the tone, and the atmosphere was buzzing, even before Michelle and Miles’s band came on stage. They were absolutely brilliant, serving up mash-ups I would never have believed possible, and getting everyone, from the very youngest to the very oldest, on to the dancefloor.

Before I left, I made sure to pop by the photobooth, only to find that next to the inflatable whale I’d made sure to bring, was another one, specially purchased by Miles for the occasion. Turns out a whale is the new wedding essential. You heard it here first!