Kate and Luke’s Picture Perfect Pub Wedding - Napton Wedding Photography

 

Today I’m telling you about the wedding of an old friend of mine – someone who served beside me on the frontlines of the Leamington Megabowl – my mate Kate. I was delighted to be asked to photograph her wedding to Luke, and even more delighted when they told me it was in a charming Warwickshire pub.

Kate and Luke got married at The Folly in Napton on the Hill, Southam – a cracking pub with a brilliant canalside location in the Warwickshire countryside. It was somewhere that Kate and Luke had gone for drinks a lot throughout the pandemic, and it had turned into a special place for them. The Folly have opened a brilliant indoor-outdoor space in their garden, and it was here that Kate and Luke’s celebrations took place.

Kate and Luke were keen to have a relaxed and informal day, and The Folly was the perfect setting. It helps, of course, when the sun is shining, and the weather was truly in their favour that day. A canalside pub on a sunny day? It took every fibre of my being not to order a shandy.

Kate’s son Noah acted as Best Man, and certainly looked the part in his suit. The fourth member of the family, a tiny dog aptly named Wolf, was also suitably preened and pressed!

Before the ceremony, Luke and his Dad were organizing their buttonholes together. Often people have an expectation of the shots that their wedding photographer might want to capture, and this was definitely one of those times. There were certainly a few mock attempts for the benefit of the camera, but once they’d passed, Luke and his Dad shared a genuinely tender moment together which really reflected their connection – and this is why I love what I do – it was a perfect, sincere, moment for a documentary photographer to capture, unposed, unprompted, and real.

Luke and Kate’s wedding guests were all arriving at The Folly fairly early, and I could tell it was set to be a lively day as the bar was kept busy supplying the chatting guests with some cooling drinks.

Soon it was time for the wedding ceremony itself, and as Kate and Luke had opted to have a humanist service, it was all perfectly personalized. It was wonderful to hear directly from Kate and Luke, in their words, about what their relationship means to them – it felt so special and the whole place was full of smiles and hastily wiped eyes!

With the formalities over, the celebrations continued, with an array of street food to soak up the booze. The guests were spoiled for choice, and the pizzas, paellas, and other delicious treats all added to the relaxed, festival feel of the day.

Soon it was time for a few words from the bridal party. Kate’s son Noah spoke movingly and with such love about his mum and his stepdad; it was a wonderful moment to feel this family coming together. Then Luke took the mike, and every guest could tell that he spoke straight from the heart – there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

After a first dance surrounded by friends and family, Luke and Kate hit the dancefloor with their musical friends to accompany them, and got everyone moving out in the evening sun. When the band moved inside later, it was time to stretch the vocal cords and a spontaneous singalong burst out – a (mostly!) harmonious end to a gorgeous day. 

Congrats Kate and Luke

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