Sit down, grab a cuppa and let me tell you all about Charlotte & Tom's wedding at St Mary's and St Margaret's Church, followed by a beautiful day at Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel. If you've been to my studio, you'll know it is just a stones throw away from where I'm based.
Lets start off with saying I have the couple's with the best luck with the weather! The week leading up to this wedding I was wrapped up in a hoodie, yet here we were on the day, blessed with a scorcher! Typical weather you would expect for a June summer wedding, but not with the wash out we have had this year...
Charlotte and Tom got married June 22nd 2024 and opted for my Enchanted package, which is coverage from 30 minutes before the ceremony right up until the first dance.
So let's dive into the day, now although this venue is literally a 5-10 minute walk from my studio, this was the first time shooting in the church and boy was I pleasantly surprised with how gorgeous the inside was! The reason I like to arrive half hour before your ceremony is to grab some images of the exterior and interior of the venue with minimal to no guests around, these images are always lovely to look back on and be able to appreciate your ceremony space in all it's glory. I got my shots, introduced myself to the Vicar, who was absolutely amazing in letting me have so much freedom in where I could be during the ceremony, said a quick hello to some of the guests and bumped into Tom who was looking very excited! I had a quick catch up with him and his best man, introduced him to my husband (who was my assistant for the day) and ran off to find Charlotte to grab some shots of her and the girls before getting back to the church.
I later on found out there was a short cut between the church and hotel which I definitely could have done with finding out sooner, haha!
The excitement was rife in the bridal suite, exactly how you need the day to start, everyone was calm and ready to go! I grabbed some gorgeous shots of Charlotte getting her final touches added and then dashed off back to the church. Let me tell you, I definitely get my steps in on a wedding day!
The ceremony began and was led by an emotional but heartwarming moment of lighting a candle for Tom's mum, this was done by Charlotte's dad, which I felt was such a poignant moment to represent the two families coming together. Once the candle was lit the ceremony began, which was truly beautiful! There were emotions throughout, happy tears and belly laughs, I honestly couldn't ask for a more beautiful ceremony to have captured for this wonderful pair.
After the signing of the register and the walk back down the aisle as Mr & Mrs, it was time for confetti and then to kick off the rest of their wedding celebrations.
At this time I like to leave the newly wed couple for a few moments, to catch their breath, register what has just happened and have a few moments to greet and celebrate with guests, then group shots can begin. I like to do the group shots first as this then allows guests to get stuck into the drinks reception sooner and not have to wait around too much for their turn for photos. Once the group shots are finished this is when I take the couple away from all the hustle and bustle and capture family photos with their two young daughters, Grace and Georgia and couple portraits. I find this also helps them feel at ease as the guests aren't nearby watching over us, which can sometimes be unnerving.
We were spoilt for choice with so many areas for photos in the grounds of Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel.
Next up it was time for the wedding breakfast, this is where I also have time to grab some food, rest my feet and change over memory cards and batteries so my camera is ready to capture the next bit of fun! Once the wedding breakfast had been served and demolished, it was time for speeches. They were kicked off with an emotional and hilarious Father of the Bride speech, followed by an equally lovely speech from Tom, a hilarious look back at Tom's teenage years from his Best Man and last but definitely not least, a sweet and touching speech from Charlotte's Maid of Honour. After another round of giggles and tears it was time to head back out into the sunshine whilst the room was turned around, and for eveyone to enjoy the big surprise of an ice cream truck pulling up into the carpark! I don't know who was more excited, Charlotte or Georgia?!
As I said before, Charlotte and Tom really lucked out with the weather for their special day, it was so nice for all the guests to be able to enjoy everything the hotel had to offer. As the evening began to draw in we went back inside for the cake cut and first dance. I always like to stay for one more song after the first dance to grab some shots of family on the dance floor too and then my night had come to an end.
I left Charlotte and Tom dancing the night away with their family and friends and headed straight home to get eveything backed up and safely stored away before I hit the hay in record timing! Their wedding day was such an honour to be apart of, thank you both once again for choosing me! x
Other Suppliers:
Ceremony Venue - St Mary's & St Margaret's Church
Reception Venue - Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel
Videographer - 2308 Studio
Hair - Louise Delany Bridal Hair Stylist
MUA - Look By Danielle Guiden
Dress - Manor Park Brides
Suits - Moss Bros
Venue Styling - Ambience
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