Olivia + Chris | Kirtlington Park
Back in early 2020, I can’t deny that when I put the phone down to Olivia and Chris after our initial telephone consultation, I squealed excitedly to my husband “Oh my word, I reallllly hope they book me!”.
Thank goodness they did, because I didn’t want to miss out on what sounded like the wedding of the year, all held at the very grand country abode Kirtlington Park, in the Cotswolds, rural Oxfordshire. Like many couples, their wedding day plans had been interrupted by a certain pandemic, and so their May 2021 wedding day turned into December 2021, just before Christmas.
The whole shebang was held at Kirtlington Park, so I joined Olivia and her girls upstairs for prep. There were so many stairs… so many stairs in fact, that I got in a lift up to where they were getting ready! Chris and the gents adjusted ties and cufflinks back downstairs in one of the sitting rooms near the ceremony room, which gave Chris a chance to gift his groomsmen Marvel-themed socks for the occasion. More on Marvel later.
The weather wasn’t quite on our side for most of the day, and so we made use of Kirtlington Park’s grand and historic interior, culminating in…. jumping in the bath tub. 2021 seems to be the year of the bath tub photo, and I couldn’t be happier to get a bit creative with O+C as their guests enjoyed some fizz and canapés downstairs. We managed to sneak a few (very chilly!) group shots outside as everyone braved the weather, before heading into dinner. Before dinner though, there was a surprise! A Christmas carol flashmob! Lyric sheets were passed around and the festive season was kicked off by some rousing carolling. That’s one for the books, I’ve never shot a Christmas carol flashmob before.
I always love seeing a bride delivering a speech, and so Olivia started the proceedings before her dad, Chris, and ending with Alex, Chris’ brother. If you’ve been to the West End in the past 12 months to watch The Phantom of the Opera, you may well have seen Olivia on stage, and she was given a rousing standing ovation, as directed during Chris’ speech. Also during his speech, the groom showed us all his well-kept secret: his double-breasted waistcoat turned inside out to showcase a Marvel pattern! Was Chris his alter-ego this whole time, and he is in fact a superhero? We’ll have to see in time.
These guys said they like to party and they weren’t lying! After a fab choreographed first dance routine, everyone piled onto the dancefloor at the earliest opportunity, and as the drinks flowed, the dance moves cranked up a notch. As Olivia and Chris were lifted onto guests’ shoulders I had to hold onto my cameras for dear life because the dancefloor was essentially a mosh pit! I did manage to make it out alive, and the party was still in full swing as I made my way home from Kirtlington Park back to Essex. Shoutout to Oxfordshire Pig Roast for the big fat pulled pork bun for the journey home. Olivia and Chris: what a couple of legends.
What they said:
“Thank you so so much for our stunning wedding photos, we are so so happy with them. You really captured the essence of the day so beautifully - and even managed to make the chaotic bridal suite look calm and picturesque! The lighting is stunning and we love the candid special moments you caught on camera.”
Suppliers:
Venue - Kirtlington Park
Dress - Rosa Clara Bridal
Suits - Buckleigh of London
Groom’s bespoke waistcoat - Peregrine & Jude
Flowers - Caroline Clements Flowers
Hair - Charlotte Holder
Makeup - Victoria Abbosh
