Stratford-upon-Avon Wedding

When James and Cheryl came to us earlier in the year to tell us about their small wedding in Stratford-upon-Avon, we were really excited.  It’s not *that* often we get to work in a real urban environment – indeed one with so much historical value.  Most ‘wedding venues’ are out of the way a little and self-contained, but this wedding would be taking place right in the town centre, with everybody walking between the ceremony and the reception.  Something a little different to what we normally see and we relished the opportunity.  James and Cheryl got married at The Henley Room (located next to Shakespeare’s birthplace), with the reception at The Townhouse bar & restaurant.

By the first week in July, the summer heatwave was already in full-swing and as expected, the day was hot.  It was already in the high 20’s when we parked up a short distance from The Townhouse and the temperature hovered around 30c for most of the day.   We had popped into Stratford a few days prior to the wedding, to see the venues, plan some of the couple pictures and also to follow the route the bridal party would be walking on the day.  This ‘recce’ meant we had a really good grasp on what the surroundings offered in terms of photo opportunities.  This was particularly important given the conditions we’d be working in – busy public streets and exceptionally bright sunlight.

Although the heat persisted into the evening, the glare from earlier in the day gave way to a softer, warmer evening light.  James finally ditched his jacket (he swears he wasn’t hot!) and Cheryl changed into a traditional Chinese wedding dress.  This was the time we took the couple for photos –  a little walk down to the banks of the Avon around the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre and The Other Place, using many of the gorgeous old buildings along the way.

This was a lovely, small and intimate wedding – about 30 guests – and with a relaxed, intimate feel throughout the day.  We loved The Townhouse – it just worked so well as a venue for Cheryl and James’ wedding, with great staff and the food was exceptional.  A wonderful (if hot) day all-round.  Enjoy the pictures.