Katie and Tom –  Warwick Wedding Photography

Morning all! Just before thee New year  I’ve got one last wedding to tell you about, so grab a mince pie and read on.

Katie and Tom were married in October, at the church in Claverdon, Warwick. As well as being a very pretty village church, Katie’s parents, who live just round the corner, are regular members of the congregation there and so it was the perfect choice for their daughter’s wedding day.

Katie and Tom live in London, but between one of the lockdowns last year, were visiting Katie’s parents in warwick, when a change to the rules meant that wedding venues were allowed to start showing people around again, so they leapt at the chance and snuck in a visit to Swallow’s Nest Barn, just nearby. Everything came together perfectly and so Katie and Tom arranged to hold their special day at these beautiful local warwick venues.

On the morning of the wedding, Katie was getting ready at her parent’s house, in Claverdon. As I arrived, I found to my delight that the cottage is situated with the most gorgeous views over the surrounding countryside. The morning mist was rolling over the hills and everything was bathed in lovely autumn light – what a perfect start to the day,

Katie was getting ready with two of her closest friends, who were both due to give birth not long after the wedding. Her family were really warm and inviting, making sure everyone was comfortable and well fed and watered – even if Katie’s dad did seem a bit discombobulated by the scale of the bridal operation. I don’t think he was quite prepared for the hair stylists, make-up artist, florist, and me taking over his house! But he bore it all with good grace and you could tell the whole family were really excited for the day ahead.

Tom had arranged for a bottle of Dom Perignon to be delivered as a surprise in the morning, which was a lovely treat for everyone – what could be better on your wedding day than some delicious champagne? It really added to the warm atmosphere and I could feel the excitement ramping up.

It wasn’t all smiles and fizz though – the team made a fantastic co-ordinated effort to avert disaster when one of the suit jackets failed to arrive, making a million phone calls to track down an available one at a retailer in Dudley (a mere 30 miles away), and arranging for a taxi to collect it and bring it to Claverdon. Phew!

Meanwhile, Tom and his groomsmen were happily oblivious as they got ready together at the Ardencote Hotel! However, as the time to head to the church got closer, Tom’s emotions got closer to the surface and the nerves began to get to him – it was touching to see how much the whole day meant to him.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds headed off to Swallow’s Nest Barn in a gorgeous Rolls Royce. Their driver took a circuitous route, allowing the pair to have some time to themselves, while their guests enjoyed drinks and games in the lovely grounds at the barn. Katie and Tom had laid on some outdoor games, including some huge inflatable pigs… I have to admit, in all my years as a wedding photographer, I’d seen these pigs many times, but never really understood why people were so keen to involve inflatable porkies in their wedding day – it wasn’t until Katie and Tom’s wedding that I realized it was a giant game of Pass the Pigs! 

Swallow’s Nest Barn was looking absolutely beautiful in the autumn sun, and inside, the room had been dressed to perfection. Katie and Tom had opted to have long, trestle style tables laid out for the wedding breakfast. I love this style of seating people, which is becoming more popular, as it means that there’s a lovely, friendly, buzzy vibe when everyone sits down to dinner, as all the wedding guests are chatting away and making friends with their neighbours. As it was September, the evening started drawing in fairly early, and the place was lit with candlelight – it looked absolutely stunning.

Following a delicious dinner and some lovely heartfelt speeches, Katie and Tom’s guests headed out to the gin bar that the couple had arranged outside. It seems they were determined to lay on quite the party, including plenty of free booze, and Tom had prepared in way I’ve never seen before – with a ski! 

Katie and Tom are both skiers and had done multiple ski seasons, so Tom was keen to revive a traditional custom from his youth with a modified ski holding 5 shot glasses, enabling 5 people to take a drink simultaneously. This is a sight I’d never seen at a wedding before! But it made for a very entertaining (and slightly messy) dance floor as Katie and Tom’s guests got stuck in.

It was a lovely wedding day, full of smiles and tears and laughter and gin – just as weddings should be!

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A WARWICK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER , THEN CONTACT ME TODAY TO DISCUSS.