A Perfect Summer Wedding for James & Fiona

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Introducing the new Mr & Mrs Pick!

Goodness where do I start with this incredible couple and their fabulous wedding day? I have loved every single moment of our journey together. The lead up to and their wedding day was a sparkle in the middle of a year hit hard by Covid. Thank you James and Fi for being fabulous!

I first met James several years ago whilst working on a commercial filming project with Carlé & Moss. And I was then recommended to them both to be their wedding photographer by the lovely Andrea.

Fi is a Business Administrator for an IT company based near Gloucester and James is a Marketing and Communication Director for a global engineering group, so they are both busy people. However time stood still on this magical day in July this year for their families and friends to come together to celebrate this wonderful couple.

Their day was elegant and filled with love and laughter.

“We absolutely love them!  They are really beautiful and everyone is saying that they are really thrilled with the photos.  The little people look so cute and the action shots with the bubbles are fabulous.

There was so much in the photos we saw which we’d both missed on the day, or only caught a glimpse of, so a massive thank you for capturing our very special day so brilliantly.”

Here in their own words is the most beautiful and laughter filled Wedding Story of James and Fiona…

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Tell me about the Groomswear?  

“James’ kit was traditional morning dress.  Tailcoat, blue waistcoat, pinstripe trousers, a white shirt and a pink tie.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Tell us about your wedding dress…? 

“I nearly ended up with 2! 

James and I had both seen it on the web and realising that it might sell out we both ordered it – a slight failure to communicate.  Fortunately returning the surplus dress was very easy.

The colour was called Storm, I called it my brown dress, but you and Maddy decided it was Vintage Champagne and I quite liked that.

It was a simple slip dress with a cowl neckline and studded with silver crystals.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Who popped the big question and how did they propose? 

“James proposed on the last day of our holiday in 2020.  We went for dinner at our favourite restaurant and at the end of the meal James slid a ring box across the table saying “Please say yes, please say yes” closely followed by “Please don’t cry, please don’t cry”.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Was there an inspiration or theme for your wedding?

“I hadn’t even started to think about that.  All I had said was that I wouldn’t need a pantomime of bridesmaids and pages.  Then a handmade congratulations card arrived from one of James’ nieces… 

She had drawn James and me with a trail of bridesmaids and pages and just to hammer the point home she’d named them all – James’ nieces and nephews! 

So we asked the little people on both sides of the family if they would actually like to take part and I ended up with 1 bridesmaid, 2 flower girls and 5 pages. 

I still didn’t have a theme or even an idea of colours, but that got sorted for me when Ellie, my 12 year old bridesmaid turned up with a dress she’d bought for the job.

So we just went with blue and silver.  It was a very good choice.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What advice would you give anyone planning their big day?

“Get suppliers you can trust 100%.  Ask for recommendations.  We were so blessed with ours, it makes all the difference.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Did everything go to plan? 

“Of course not! 

11 guests couldn’t make it from Europe. 

The place cards arrived double sided and had to be redone. 

We lost 2 guests due to Covid pinging shortly before, so had to redo the seating plan, then lost another 2 the night before, which meant moving people around, so the seating plan was still wrong!”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Is there anything you know now that you wished you’d known before the big day?

“It would have been impossible, but I wish that I’d know for certain that restrictions were being relaxed 5 days before the wedding.  That would have been good to know.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What piece of music did you walk down the aisle to?

“Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Why did you choose the Stratton House Hotel?  

“We had been to a wedding there 4 years before and had been really impressed with the set-up and the quality of the food.  The hotel had had a huge refurb since then and looked fantastic.”

The wedding Fi and James mention was the wedding of Fi’s daughter who can be seen on the third image down on this banner (below)!

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Did you make, design or create anything yourself? 

“Hah!  I decided to take care of the confetti so I ordered what I thought would be confetti cones, from Amazon. 

What got delivered was 100 squares of craft paper and some sticky strips. So I made the cones and even decorated each one with a bow. 

Some were wide cones and some were skinny ones, but it really didn’t matter.  I ordered dried petals in blues, silver and yellow from the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?

“That’s a tough one.  There were too many!

I liked the moment that I arrived at the Stratton Suite to find everyone exactly where they should be followed by the very short moment of calm before walking down the aisle. 

The actual ceremony went past in a blur, so it was great to have the film from the livestream to look at.  Walking out newly married felt amazing, until James ran back to sort out the livestream laptop. 

Prosecco and entertainment in the garden was fun and the weather was perfect. 

I can’t miss out the speeches which we really done well. 

Finally, the dancing.  It had been so long since we’d been allowed to have a dance.  I think you could say that we really went for it!”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What made you choose me as your Wedding Photographer?

“I’d been surfing for local photographers and had been really impressed with your photos. 

Then Andrea recommended you, and of course James had worked with you before and had been really impressed with the results. 

Also, Andrea said she was sure you could keep James in order so that sold it!”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What did you have for your wedding breakfast? 

“We started with asparagus and salmon tart followed by lamb rump and finished with a trio of desserts.  A vegetarian version was also served.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

How long did it take you to plan your wedding? 

“We booked the hotel in September 2020 naively assuming things would be back to normal the following July. Because the Registrar’s Office weren’t taking bookings until January 2021, everything went on hold.  Once we were able to book an Official on the day we wanted we went full steam ahead, booking suppliers from the end of February 2021. 

So 10 months of planning, but because of Covid we just weren’t sure if we would even be allowed to have a wedding.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

And finally, where did you spend your honeymoon together? 

“We were headed straight to the airport the following morning and went off to La Asomada in Lanzarote.  We had a villa with a pool.  The perfect retreat.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

What kind of cake did you go for?   

“All of themWe had a semi naked three tier cake, vanilla at the top, chocolate in the middle and lemon on the bottom.  It was decorated with fresh berries.”

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

Stratton House Hotel Wedding Photographer

James & Fiona’s Wedding Dream Team:

Ceremony & Reception venue & catering:  Stratton House Hotel & Spa

Photographer: Nikki & Charlotte for Nikki Kirk Photography

Flowers: Oops a Daisy

Dress: Diane von Furstenburg

Bridesmaid dresses: Monsoon

Groom’s outfit: Charles Tyrwitt

Cake: Sugar Rose Kitchen

Stationery: Tullulah Pig Ltd

Entertainment: Gloucestershire Magician, Bubbly Heaven, and Nitelife Entertainments

Favours: Arranged by Andrea Mason – a negroni kit featuring Siblings gin

Hair and beauty: Hair by Jeanette Faulkener of The Hair Lounge Bourton on the Water, makeup by Maddy Adler of Weddingpaint

Rings including engagement ring: All bridal jewellery from Monica Vinader.  The engagement ring is a double band which crosses at the front in rose gold with microscopic diamonds and the wedding ring is a skinny rose gold band set with tiny diamonds

 

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