An incredible wedding day for Lyndsay and Alex at The Slaughters Manor House on the first weekend of November this year. You remember the one… the weekend when it absolutely threw it down!
However this would not dampen the day one bit (and we had created a wet weather plan just incase – something we always do here at NKP). This fabulous couple trusted me completely to do my job and through some wonderful team work with Lyndsay, Alex and the lovely NKP Charlotte, we created a stunning collection of images to create their Wedding Story.
We knew we wanted a navy suit for the Alex and his Best Man, but didn’t really have many other requirements!
When we saw this suit, we loved the different colours above the right pocket and the contrast with the lighter blue waistcoat.
The tie and pocket square were a surprise purchase, that looked considerably better on than on the hanger.
These aren’t Alex’s normal style, but we thought they looked great as part of the overall outfit.
My earrings were borrowed from my Sister-in-law (and also blue!), my perfume was new, my garter was old (borrowed again!) and my shoes were blue.
Nikki’s Notes… I love the chaos in the room behind Lyndsay and her flower girl! Never worry about this on your wedding day; its all part of what’s going on!
The wedding dress was the opposite to what I thought I wanted.
I went for a look at David’s Bridal with my mum one night after work, just to have an initial look and get an idea of what I wanted, with no intention of buying anything. But then, the staff in the shop suggested I tried on the dress and when I did, I knew it was the one!
Once I finished off the look with the large veil, mum and I were both in tears and knew we had to buy the dress and the veil right then!
I bought the dress about 10 months before the wedding and never second-guessed my choice. I was so excited to wear it on the wedding and now I only wish I could wear it again!
As The Manor is so beautifully decorated, we didn’t feel like we needed a lot of additional decorations or accessories.
So our theme was just simple and elegant, with the classic greens and whites in the flowers and a beautiful navy for the bridesmaids.
Beyoncé’s Halo, which was played beautifully on the cello and violin by the amazingly talented Sorelli Ensemble.
Nikki’s Notes… As your wedding photographer I understand that details are important. The above image was created using the perfume box and a sentimental padlock. It tells the story of their journey so far…
Our favourite part was when our Flower Girl and Page Boy decided to join us during our first dance and it then turned into the Hokey Cokey!
We love the character of The Manor, offering an intimate setting for us and our guests (it felt like a big house party!), but importantly it offers a contemporary and luxurious feel inside.
Having a winter wedding there was great, as it feels cosy when the fire is on!
Yes, we couldn’t have wished for a better day!
Nikki’s Notes… Like all good Girl Guides I am always prepared! We carry white hand towels for moments like the image below. You can see the rain in the water! The ground was soaked through so we packed Lyndsay’s dress underneath to protect it from the puddles!
When we met Nikki at a wedding fair (The Slaughters Manor House), she made us feel instantly at ease and her enthusiasm for photographing our wedding was obvious.
Her love for her work and her knowledge of her trade is clear to see.
We planned our wedding in 11 months – we were so excited for our big day, so we planned it as quickly as possible!
We had a lovely 5 course meal of the following,
Pre Starter: Cauliflower soup
Starter: Basil gnocchi
Main: Loin of beef
Pre dessert: Mango and coconut egg
Dessert: Salted white chocolate mousse with dark chocolate sorbet
It’s got to be the Father of the Bride speech, which really stole the show.
We don’t think there was a dry eye in the house when he presented the chocolate monkey (you really had to be there to get it!)
Make the most of the planning process- you get offered lots of glasses of bubbles, you get to taste your wedding menu and most importantly you get to try lots of wedding cake!
We decided to have a bit of a statement cake, so we went for 5 tiers.
The bottom tier was false, but the other 4 tiers were each a different flavour: white chocolate & raspberry, lemon, salted caramel and blueberry.
Nikki’s Notes: I always take time to plan the day with my couples and if its winter time we always encourage some outside shots in the evening. There’s nothing quite so magical as rain at night especially when you know how to capture it!
Photographer: Nikki Kirk
Venue: The Slaughters Manor House
Flowers: Broadway Florist
Dress: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Groom’s outfit: Marc Darcy
Cake: Vintage Couture Cakes
Entertainment: Sorelli Ensemble, Deckstar Deluxe
Hair and beauty: Natalie Wood MUA, Tina Bodsworth (hair)
Rings including engagement ring: Mitchel & Co