We were in three counties for this recent stunning wedding of Sarah and Simon. The bridal prep took place in the West Midlands, the groom prep and the ceremony in Warwickshire and the reception in Worcestershire, so this involved not a small amount of driving about but it all went rather smoothly and it ended up being a completely fabulous day, we even managed to avoid the rain! The locations for this wedding were absolutely stunning, a gorgeous hill top church in the village of Haselor followed by the reception at the very picturesque venue Birtsmorton Court in Malvern. This venue is a spectacular moated court built in the 15th century and has connections with the Royal House of Tudor. It is also noted for having a double moat of which there are very few left in Britain, and it is filled by the streams from the nearby Malvern Hills. It certainly is a perfect setting for a wedding!
We started off with the Bridal Prep at Sarah’s family home in Solihull where I was greeted with a cup of tea and lots of activity and family mulling about. One of the first things I noticed was the shoes, ahhhh the fabulous shoes, no less than Christian Louboutin’s with the famous red soles. Not that I could wear them myself being a bit rubbish with heels but Sarah is an expert high heel wearer so they were perfect for her day! Along with that amazing dress by Susanne Neville I knew this would be one elegant bride! After makeup and hair we took a range of bridal portraits and family shots around the family home including making use of the gorgeous garden which is the pride and joy of Sarah’s Dad. Sarah looked absolutely stunning.
Simon was getting ready in Alcester and being photographed by my second shooter Esme Fletcher who I would like to thank for doing a fabulous job assisting and second shooting. Then it was off to the church in Haselor. A lovely traditional church positioned on top of a hill with sweeping views. Now the ceremony did not only involve the participation of many friends and family but there was also some significant pets involved. Sarah and Simon’s beloved boxer Darcey delivered the rings to the couple and after the ceremony Pepe, Sarah’s horse, came to meet the guests. A stunning horse and an elegant bride made a fantastic opportunity for some unique bridal shots.
The ceremony went without a hitch apart from the slight issue of the recessional music CD, and who was supposed to have it. Sarah said “When I arrived at church, a murmur had gone through the wedding party that Si was supposed to have it, so the vicar asked Si for it, and he said, “Nope, Sarah’s brother Euan has got it”, so when my brother arrived he said he hadn’t got it, and wasn’t Fi , the bridesmaid supposed to have it, so when she arrived and said she hadn’t got it all hell broke loose, and they had to speak to me, who of course had it, in my handbag in the wedding car and had forgotten to bring it with me !! ”
Then it was on to Birtsmorten court in their royal blue Bentley for the reception. They started off in the courtyard for the drinks and canapés and then gathered for the big group photo next to the moat whilst I hung out of a window above to capture the shot! Later everyone moved up to the top lawn and the beautiful white garden and gazebo with stunning sculptured hedges and flower gardens, perfect for some couple shots. I also took the couple down to the lake for the classic view of Birtsmorten and although the sun was not out we still had enough light to see the reflection of the house in the moat.
During dinner the speeches went down extremely well, very amusing but also very hearftfelt. You can tell that Sarah and Simon have many close friends and family who thoroughly enjoyed sharing their day with them. Following dinner was the cutting of the cake with a very large sword! followed by some brilliant moves on the dance floor by not only the couple but many of the guests. For the big finale we were all back out to the view of the lake again for the fireworks which were spectacular!
It was a pleasure to capture such a lovely wedding for a lovely couple. I really enjoyed the whole day and you can’t get better than a wedding at Birtsmorton Court. All the best Sarah and Simon for a wonderful future together.
Other suppliers involved in this wedding are listed at the bottom of this post.
Suppliers involved in this wedding are listed below
Dress: Scarlett by Susanne Neville
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Car – Bentley GTC
Flowers – Angela Veronica, The Little Pink Wedding Shop
Hair – Jay at James Bushell
Cake – Angela Veronica, The Little Pink Cake Shop
Band – The Chip Shop Boys
If you are planning a wedding at Birtsmorten Court check out some of my favourite images from Sarah and Simon’s day below. For more information about my photography style please see the Approach page and the Portfolios page or feel free to get in touch below. I’d love to talk to you about your plans for your upcoming wedding day and see if I could be the photographer for you.
