“Wow Nikki what can we say, the photos are absolutely fantastic, we LOVE them, thank you so much you captured the feel of the day perfectly.
So, so glad you took us off for 10 mins, the photos by the lamp post are stunning ! Thank you so much again. With best wishes from a very, very happy couple 😊
Paula & Richard xx”
January is usually a pretty bleak month. But not so for Paula and Richard who had chosen to start 2020 on a high note and get married at the wonderful Lords of the Manor Hotel in Upper Slaughter.
Lords of the Manor is one of my all time favourite venues and whatever the season it just makes for the perfect day. Yes its a spectacular venue but for me its always the team headed up by Hanna that makes Lords of the Manor outstanding.
Production Director Richard and Admin Manager Paula hail from Northamptonshire and met at work. But they had fallen in love with Lords of the Manor and chose this special venue to celebrate their wedding day. This lovely couple wanted a small intimate wedding with just their nearest and dearest there with them.
It was not going to be a ‘traditional’ wedding day with friends and family greeting and spending time with them before their wedding ceremony. My brief was predominantly one of pure documentary photography although we did add five minutes for photographs of just the two of them right at the end of the day!
Without further ado, here in their own words is the Wedding Story…
We’d previously stayed at Lords of the Manor on a few occasions and thought the intimacy and homely feel would be perfect for us.
I didn’t want a traditional wedding dress and I was recommended to Ballroom Emporium in Oxford by a friend. I also grew up in Oxford so having a personal connection there it seemed the perfect place to get it from.
From waking up on the beautiful frosty sunny morning and going for an early walk over the fields to Lower Slaughter for coffee with friends who stayed over the night before at the hotel up until the very end of the day, we can’t single out a particular part, it was all wonderful.
Remember it’s your day, do whatever you feel is right and the most important thing is never lose sight about what the day is truly about, it’s about marrying the person you love.
We placed framed photos throughout the hotel of family and friends to add a homely touch.
Richard proposed at the Ritz in London on my birthday in 2019 during an afternoon champagne tea, totally unexpected.
It Must Be Love by Madness played on the harp by Jemima
Hanna coordinated everything at the venue and she was amazing !
She also suggested Jemima the harpist, other than that we arranged everything else ourselves.
We wanted an intimate wedding with only our nearest and dearest around us, we didn’t want to go to much down the traditional route
Yes everything
11 months
Richard and Paula had originally not wanted any photographs of just the two of them, preferring a pure documentary style to the day. However with a little persuasion they popped outside with me as it was getting dark for a short series of images.
“Wow Nikki what can we say, the photos are absolutely fantastic, we LOVE them, thank you so much you captured the feel of the day perfectly.
So, so glad you took us off for 10 mins, the photos by the lamp post are stunning !
Thank you so much again. With best wishes from a very, very happy couple 😊
Paula & Richard xx”
We met you at the wedding fare at Lords of the Manor in April 2019 and felt immediately at ease with you and were really impressed with your portfolio.
New York!
Photographer: Nikki Kirk
Venue & Catering: Lords of the Manor Hotel
Flowers: Eden Flowers
Dress: Ballroom Emporium, Oxford
Groom’s outfit: Ted Baker
Stationery: Norma Dorothy
Entertainment: Jemima Phillips (Harpist) and Wurlitzers (Evening Band)
Favours: Our friend Sara Wilford
Hair and beauty: Madeline at Wedding Paint
Rings including engagement ring: Ernest Jones