I can’t get enough of the beauty of Birtsmorton Court in Worcestershire

It was lovely to be able to be given the opportunity to photograph at the BEAUTIFUL Birtsmorton Court in Worcestershire recently. I am like a kid in a sweetie shop when I visit Birtsmorton Court. Wedding photography comes easy when it does not matter which direction you point your camera for an amazing background. So I would just like to slip in a quick thank you to Elizabeth and Robert for having the faith in me to do a great job for them on their most special of days. And a massive thank you for letting me witness what was THE largest amount of confetti thrown…EVER! I am surprised they could breathe… My camera struggled to focus on them some of the time as it was literally a wall of flower petals raining down. It was very impressive, to say the least! 
I have to say, there was an incredible atmosphere from start to finish and I had the pleasure of meeting and working with a number of fantastic suppliers. Laura from Cotswold Blooms did a wonderful job with the flowers throughout. Absolutely stunning! Also, it was an utter pleasure to work with Make-up by Rachel Claire. She was extremely friendly and I think everyone would agree, she did a lovely job with Elizabeth!  

 

Their Love Story

1) Please tell me how you first met?
We met at Reading University, Rob was quite literally the first boy that I laid eyes on.  I was knocking on everyone’s doors to see who wanted to go and explore after our parents had dropped us off on day one.  Rob’s dad opened the door and there was Rob tucking into some sandwiches with his family.  The university had put on lots of events for freshers week and we spent all of the evenings hanging out together.  After 12 days, with Rob in a sarong and flip flops after a Law society night out, I decided to make my move and we have been together ever since. 2) When was it you knew they were the one?
I knew Rob was the one when we were on holiday in Paris (cheesy I know).  We were out for a walk on the evening of my birthday, it was covered in snow.  Rob put his hands over my eyes and guided me for the next few moments.  When he took them off we were at the top of a tree-lined boulevard and the Eiffel tower was sparkling in front of us.  I knew in that second he was the man I wanted to spend forever with. For me, it was less of a moment and more a gradual realisation that I could not bear not to have Elizabeth in my life. She is the kindest, most generous, excitable and loving person I have ever known. In all of the happiest moments of my life, she has been by my side (or running in front of me) and that is how I always want it to be. She is the only person who can make me completely calm and relaxed.   3) Could you give us the story of the proposal?
Our proposal story is a little unorthodox.  It was very important for Rob to get the ring ‘right’ and we both found the whole ring shopping experience a little insincere and intimidating. With this in mind, we went to see the incredible Benjamin Hawkins in Hatton Garden, we wrote him an email with some ideas in and arranged to meet.  Ben had sourced stones for the ring for us to look at and done some hand drawings of arrangements he thought met the brief.  We were immediately put at ease and agreed on a design with him on that day.  Once Ben had made the band for the ring, I tried it on for size, it was relatively incomplete at this stage and it was the last time that I saw it.   This was in late November, then it all went very quiet. Every year our University friends meet up at Christmas to have a Christmas day together, just as we did all those years ago.  It’s a tradition that’s important to all of us.  December 2015 was our turn, on the Saturday before Christmas.  After dinner and pud we were relaxing in our living room listening to some music, all the 80’s Christmas classics you’d expect.  Then ‘our’ song came on, which I have to admit was a little strange but I carried on talking away.  The next thing I knew the room had gone silent and Rob was kneeling on the floor, he asked me the question and apparently I calmly accepted.  Then I promptly burst into tears, along with the other girls.  Rob had wanted to make sure I had a surprise and I was most certainly surprised.  Needless to say, we cracked open another bottle of champagne and carried on celebrating.  4) If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell me something quirky, funny or silly about your partner?
When Rob is thinking of doing something mischievous, usually that will get him in a little trouble, he has a very specific laugh that I hear at no other time.

 Elizabeth cannot control her right eyebrow, it reveals exactly what she is thinking, so she has no poker face.5) What is your perfect day together?
A long walk on a cold fresh day in the Lake District followed by lunch at either The Samling or L’enclume, then a brewery/distillery tour with samples and a fantastic gig in the evening, then back to The Samling for a nightcap and bed!6) Apart from the obvious, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
Spending the day with everyone that we love and seeing them enjoying everything that we have spent the last year planning and the food, the drink and the music! 7) What was it that inspired you to go for the theme or the decor you chose for your wedding?
Rob really wanted a purple suit and Elizabeth loves pink so that was the colour scheme sorted. Food and music are the other very important aspects and gave the themes to the invitations and table decorations. 8) Please tell me one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your wedding planning process, that you could pass on to future bride’s reading this blog? Everything is extra, no matter what your budget, you will overspend!
Making your own wedding invitations seems like a great idea but to produce something of a professional standard takes a long time.
Less is more when it comes to dress shopping, take fewer people.
Give people jobs based on their skill set not because you think you ought to or because they want it. 9) When searching, what were you were looking for in a wedding venue? 
Location was not a particularly important factor for us it was really all about the wow-factor of the venue, we also looked at a Napoleonic fort on the cornish coast and the Eden Project before deciding on Birtsmorton Court. It was important for us to have exclusive use of the venue and for it to be self-contained, we did not want to have to ferry people between the service and the reception. We also wanted on-site accommodation for the bridal party. 10) Could you tell me the process you went through when you were looking for a wedding photographer?
We looked through lots of blogs to see what kind of style we wanted. We were looking for a photographer with a very natural style who could capture moments in time but whose photos had real depth. We saw a lot of photos that either felt forced or looked ‘flat’. Duncan Cox was recommended to us and we had an in-depth meeting to see if there was a good and natural rapport between us as well as to look at lots of samples of his work. Because we were so impressed we booked him at that initial meeting. 

Vendor List

Photography |  Duncan Cox Photography
Ceremony Location | Birtsmorton Court, Worcestershire
Reception Location | Birtsmorton Court, Worcestershire
Video | David Grange of Wedding Video Solutions
Florist | Laura of Cotswold Blooms
Wedding Planner | Elizabeth Brennan
Wedding DJ | No, Band! Rollercoaster
Dress Designer | Essense of Australia
Wedding Dress Retailer | Bride to Be (Reading)
Other Details/Vendors | Belle House (catering), King & Allen (Groom’s suit), Moss Bros (Groomsmen’s’ Suits), Coast (Bridesmaids’ dresses), Rev. Anthea Elston (Reverend for blessing), Ben Lewis-Smith (Organist), Brightwell Vineyard (Wine & Brandy), Benjamin Hawkins (Engagement ring, wedding rings and earrings)

 

---

Previous Post

Elegance, sophistication, style, class...just a few words to describe this Stanbrook Abbey wedding

Next Post

This was a glorious, sunny, outdoor wedding at Wethele Manor in Warwickshire