Sam & ZoË’s WEDDING, Stratford-upon-avon

We were so delighted to be shooting this wedding- Sam was one of our wedding photographers way back when and we finally got to return the favour. The date was set for April 2020 and well, we all know how that went. So it was with incredible levels of excitement that we finally rocked up to Billesley Manor for Sam & Zoë’s wedding a year ago today.

wedding morning preparations

Several of Sam & Zoë’s guests stayed overnight at the Billesley Manor, so we started the wedding morning eating breakfast together which was fun. It was a spectacularly sunny day already as Sam and Malc headed off to check on the set-up for the outdoor ceremony.

Upstairs Zoë and the girls were having their hair done in a room overlooking the ceremony space. It was fun to watch people arriving out on the lawn.

Their outdoor ceremony

Sam was super nervous, it was sweet to see how he calmed down as the ceremony got started. The vows took place outside, then Sam & Zoë popped inside to the Shakespeare room with their witnesses and registrars to complete the legal bits.

Outside, guests waited armed with confetti to celebrate and the hotel served glasses of bubbly. We gathered group photos - in the blazing sun- then snuck off for some photos with S&Z around the grounds.

The wedding reception

It was a pleasingly cool inside out of the sun as we all took our seats for the reception. Dinner was served, followed by the speeches, complete with a wedding quiz by the best man Jack.

It was a lovely evening for mingling and games outside. A group of us took a wander over to the small church on site where Shakespeare reportedly married Anne Hathaway.

Sam and Zoë cut their tower of cheese and we tucked into a feast of crackers and treats. Check out wooden mice Sam made to decorate the cake and the mini versions for each of the guests as favours.

What a gorgeous day, congratulations you two!