Real Wedding Stories with Weddings by Nicola and Glen

November 11, 2020

Welcome back to the Bodleian Weddings Blog.

There’s no hanging around when it comes round to planning a small wedding ceremony. One moment you’re thinking about possible venues. The next, you’ve given notice. You’re counting down the days until you can get married.

Today we would like to share a story about one of our smaller wedding ceremonies. It took place in late September and it is one that we will always hold close to our hearts.

We are mindful that, while writing this, we still find ourselves at the beginning of Lockdown 2.0. Smaller weddings, like the one we’re about to mention, cannot resume until 2 December 2020 (at the earliest.) Being the optimists that we are, the Bodleian is ever hopeful that weddings will be able resume as soon as the UK Government allows. So to keep inspired about your wedding, by all means, read on!

We’d like to invite Wedding photographers, Nicola and Glen, from Weddings by Nicola and Glen to tell us about P&H’s special day. Nicola and Glen are a fabulous duo. They have the incredible ability to capture all the right moments.* This is why, we are so excited to share some exclusive photos of their work with you.

*Please be aware that the photographs in this post were taken before the UK Government reduced the wedding numbers from 30 to 15.

Walking down the aisle

Every photographer has at least one photograph that resonates with them. We asked Nicola and Glen to share their favourite moment with us…

‘We loved capturing P&H’s wedding! The entire celebration had such a sense of excitement to it, especially as the couple and their families had been through a lot to make the ‘I Do’s’ happen. P&H had originally planned a big Indian wedding in Mauritius over the summer. With the restrictions on international travel and gatherings following lockdown in March, it soon became clear that if these two wanted to tie the knot in 2020, they would have to rethink all their plans. Only a couple of months later than the original wedding date P&H finally got to marry with their immediate families in attendance, including the groom’s 90-year-old grandmother! For that reason, our favourite moment of the day was when P walked down the aisle in Convocation House and H saw his bride-to-be walk towards him. It really was a beautiful moment to witness for everyone present.’

Micro weddings: What to expect

We asked Nicola and Glen, how would they describe the feeling of a micro-wedding? How does a micro-wedding compare to a wedding in non-COVID-19 times?

‘We’ve been photographing intimate weddings for over a decade, since we started our photography careers! We’ve even had the honour of being the witnesses for our clients when we’ve been the only ‘guests’ present.

We love capturing micro weddings. They always feel so personal; it really is about the two people getting married. When only those closest to the couple are present, there is usually a more relaxed atmosphere and a real sense of shared fun as every person present becomes a big part of the occasion. The day tends to feel less rushed as there are less people to manage. As such there is plenty of time to really soak in each moment.

Our couples that opt for more intimate celebrations love that they have the space to focus on each other and can also spend quality time with everyone present. With smaller weddings there is usually an emphasis on quality over quantity, which allows couples to create more of an experience for them and their guests. We love that micro weddings can still include all the major elements of a wedding too. From getting ready, to the ceremony, group photos and portraits before sharing a meal, to speeches and the cutting of the cake! Ultimately, we’ve found the essence of a wedding, whether large or small, with or without masks, really stays the same: to celebrate your love with those you love.‘

Style

We asked Nicola and Glen to tell us more about the style of their photography. Did the couple have any specific requests?

‘We would describe our style of photography as romantic, editorial, and timeless. Our imagery had a very classic feel so the photographs can stand the test of time. They also seem very natural, and of the moment. Our couples love that they can see themselves and how they felt on their wedding day in their photos, full of love and full of joy! We pride ourselves in being unobtrusive during the key moments of the day, such as during the ceremony, and really capturing the atmosphere of the day. We like to think we add value when we do get involved with light direction during the portraits and group photos to make our clients feel comfortable and look their best. We want all our couples to experience the joy of having their love photographed.

P&H wanted their wedding ceremony captured beautifully, especially the bride’s entrance and the groom seeing her for the first time, which is why having two photographers was extremely important to them. This ended up being a key factor on the day as due to the current restrictions there was no option for us to move around during the ceremony at all. However, as there were two of us, we could liaise with the events team to position ourselves in two different spots that would result in the most variety in terms of what we could capture of the ceremony. Even though we had to remain stationary the entire time we could shoot from two different angles and this made all the difference!

Formal family photos and beautiful couple’s portraits around Oxford were also a must for P&H. We had an online consultation with them beforehand to determine exactly who would be required in each group photo so we could co-ordinate the photos according to their household ‘bubbles’ and get through them as quickly as possible too. And of course, having photographed numerous weddings at the Bodleian Library we knew all the best spots for some beautiful portraits of the couple that really made the most of the incredible setting!‘

Keeping it personal

Finally, we asked Nicola and Glen is there anything else about this wedding that you would like to share with us?

‘We loved how P&H embraced the required government restrictions and turned them into something beautiful. For instance, as everyone had to wear masks during the ceremony, they gifted these to each guest in lovely personalised bags. No one had to worry about remembering their mask and it made such a lovely touch!’

Until next time!

P&H certainly had an amazing day. Granted, they weren’t sunning it up in Mauritius, but they kept it a classic and intimate affair in the heart of Oxford. We’re incredibly thankful to Nicola and Glen, for not only capturing such raw and beautiful moments, but also for spending time to tell us about the day from their point of view.

If you would like to see more of Nicola and Glen’s work, please visit their website:
www.weddingsbynicolaandglen.com
E: studio@weddingsbynicolaandglen.com
T: +44 (0)1242 690909

All photographs taken by Weddings by Nicola and Glen