Leamington Spa Wedding Photography

Submitted by Darren on Fri, 11/06/2021 - 01:38

Leamington Spa Wedding Photography - Some of my favourite photos from Hayley and Craig Warwick House Wedding.

Wedding Day number 1

Hayley and Craig got married on a gorgeous bank holiday Sunday – the birds were singing, the sky was blue, the spring flowers were in full bloom! It was almost like they’d planned it exactly – when in fact, like so many weddings, Hayley and Craig’s day had been postponed and changed several times due to pandemic restrictions. However, what a cracking day they ended up with!

The couple were married at lovely Warwick House in Leamingotn Spa, Warwickshire. This is a venue a lot of Warwickshire couples choose, and you can see why – it’s really picturesque and they do a brilliant job of catering to covid restrictions, with plenty of outdoor spaces. It’s a venue I shoot at regularly.

I first met Hayley and Craig at a Warwickshire wedding fair 3 years ago. I’d had a chat with them on the day of the fair, and got an excited call from Hayley the next day. She loved my documentary style photography as it was different to the stale, posed images she’d seen before, and it ticked all the boxes for everything she wanted from her wedding pictures. It was a done deal!

I’ve got to know Hayley fairly well in the build-up to the wedding, not least because it kept being postponed because of pandemic restrictions, so by the time the big day finally rolled around I was as excited as she was that everything was happening at last.

Hayley and Craig had opted to have two wedding days so that they could include all the special people from their lives. This weekend, restricted to 30 guests, was planned to be a fairly low-key affair, with part 2, a massive knees-up near Gloucester, to follow in August.

Morning Wedding day fun

As soon as I arrived to take pictures of Hayley and her bridesmaids getting ready, however, I knew that the chilled, family-oriented day I had envisaged was not going to materialise. The bridesmaids introduced me to the Tequila Rule – every time a person takes a trip to the toilet they have to drink a tequila on their return – and my thoughts of a quiet day ahead were promptly shattered! This rule had clearly been the cause of several misdemeanours in the past and it certainly made for some entertaining shots on my camera roll later on that evening…

Warwick House is a fabulous place for a wedding because the whole day happens in one space. The bridesmaids took full advantage of this with some pranks to begin the day – Hayley’s favourite childhood doll, well known amongst her friends because it had travelled to all of Hayley’s homes from university and beyond, had been lovingly kidnapped by them!

The bridesmaids had already moved the doll around various locations in their own homes, but my first task of the day was to get some shots of Hayley’s childhood toy all around Warwick House’s beautiful interiors and lush garden – probably the first time I’ve ever been given such a task at a wedding but I loved every minute!

The main event

Hayley and Craig’s wedding ceremony took place outside, in the lovely grounds of Warwick House, and a string quartet accompanied the service. It was a gorgeous part of the day. Hayley’s Grandad walked her down the aisle – he suffers with dementia, and due to pandemic restrictions had had really limited contact with his granddaughter over the last 14 months. So it was really emotional when Hayley saw her Grandad moments before she walked down the isle. I was certainly not the only person to shed a few tears at that really moving moment.

It was glorious to have the ceremony outside and to have the sun beaming down on the wedding party. The legal part of the day had to be completed indoors and so Hayley and her bridesmaids got to walk down the aisle twice. Afterwards, guests mingled and chatted in the gardens and it struck me how special it felt for everyone to be together in this worry-free and relaxed way.

No Wedding Day kissing or cheese

Later, Hayley and Craig shared a special moment with their two girls during their first dance as a married couple, and the joy and happiness shining off that little group on the dancefloor was obvious to everyone. In fact, they were so loved up, that I even managed to sneak a shot of Hayley and Craig having a quick smooch before cutting their cake – something she’d forbidden me to do as she hates a staged kiss, but which I was able to capture in its natural glory!

I had such a fun-filled, emotional day with Hayley and Craig and their guests, it was a real privilege to be a part of it. And I don’t just say that because of the fabulous cider hamper that Hayley bought me…although a little bribery never hurts!

See you on wedding day number 2 guys, I cant wait.