Cowley Manor is a luxury spa hotel situated on the edge of Cheltenham in the Cotswold countryside. It boasts a stunning Italianate exterior and bold contemporary interior decor and was the perfect choice for Remy and Travis’s wedding celebration.
Cowley Manor Wedding Photographer
I had met Travis and Remy couple of years ago whilst I was photographing a wedding in Florence where they were guests, so it was such a great pleasure to be asked to photograph their wedding at Cowley Manor, a stunning hotel set in the beautiful Cotswolds. This is the story of an incredible day in their own words.
EACH PHOTO TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY. THEY CARRY BEAUTY AND EMOTION, AND THEY EVOKE INCREDIBLE MEMORIES. AS A PORTFOLIO THEY DESCRIBE OUR DAY FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
With family on opposite sides of the world (UK and Australia) and the opportunity to have them all together a likely rare occurrence, we knew that the most important aspect of our day was for everyone to have fun, get to know each other and leave feeling like one big family. Love and laughter was the absolute priority so our focus remained on informality and entertainment whilst retaining an element of elegance.
We met on Twitter – Travis posted a picture of himself with a moustache and a call out to ‘keep or get rid’. Remy, being the smooth talker that he is, replied ‘get rid’; we tweeted back and forth for about a year before finally agreeing to meet for a drink. We never met hoping for romance as we’d established a ‘virtual’ friendship; but fast realised there was more to be had than just friendship.
Fast forward some three years later, outside of our favourite tavern in Hampstead, London, enjoying a bottle of red on a crisp winter’s night and Travis (literally) threw a ring at Remy. I (Remy) had no idea what it was (it was in a small pouch so Travis could easily conceal it) and then Trav said ‘do you know what would make this day even better’, I replied, ‘have we won the lottery…’, and Trav giggled, said errrr no … and then asked me to marry him. Right at this point a small group sat on the table behind us so Remy buried his head on the table to hide his emotions and save drawing attention to himself … but eventually pulled his head up to say ‘I do!’ After our first date I (Travis) went into work and told my best friend I was going to marry Remy. It felt so good to finally ‘put a ring on it’.
WE FIRST MET NICK AT A WEDDING IN FLORENCE. WE WERE SO IMPRESSED THAT WE KNEW INSTANTLY WE HAD TO HAVE HIM FOR OUR WEDDING. WE DON’T KNOW THE TECHNICAL TERMS, BUT NICK’S PHOTOS JUST BOAST A QUALITY ON ANOTHER LEVEL TO ANYTHING WE HAD SEEN BEFORE
There are too many to memories to count but more than anything just the sense of love, support and acceptance. It wasn’t long ago gay marriage wasn’t legal – Travis is Australian and it was only legalised in Australia a couple of years ago – so there were definite moments of being thankful for the people we have around us, how far society has come, and a nod to those less fortunate than us. Seeing everyone have a good time was naturally very important to see, too, and the speeches pretty much moved everyone in the room – so we were so thankful for the beautiful words and sentiments people put together for us.We love British countryside, especially the Cotswolds.
We chose Cowley Manor because we loved unexpected interior that contrasted with the very traditional, historical exterior. The combination of modern and traditional features teamed with a level of personality in every detail throughout the venue. It just felt ‘us’. And as soon as we saw it, we knew it was our first choice. Certain practical elements also just worked: we wanted somewhere where all our guests could stay on site, we had complete private use, served great food and had a spa (that was an unnecessary requirement to be honest but many guests took full advantage to nurse those hangovers!).
Our main advice would be to plan early to ensure you get your first choice options; work with a florist that can modify designs and displays throughout your day so that the experience keeps ‘breathing’ for your guests; don’t cut back on capturing the event – the memories will last a lifetime; Pinterest and a detailed timeline are your best friends!
After the wedding I received these words from Travis and Remy. It was such a great pleasure to be part of this wonderful day and meet their lovely family and friends. Travis and Remy have a very popular Instagram account, say hi and give them a follow here: instagram.com/chapteroftwo/
We first met Nick at a wedding in Florence. We were so impressed with the photos he captured that we knew instantly that we had to have him for our wedding – so we booked him the moment we had a date confirmed. We don’t know the technical terms, but Nick’s photos just boast a quality on another level to anything we’d seen before. His documentary style was exactly what we wanted and that’s exactly what we got. Now that we have our own photos, we’re absolutely thrilled. Each photo tells a different story. They carry beauty, emotion, evoke incredible memories and as a portfolio describe our day from beginning to end (and everything in between). And yet, for a photographer who captures so much, Nick is anything but an intrusion on the day. He is personable, professional, committed to capturing everything that’s important to you and an absolute gent. Nick, thank you. Because of your photos we can re-live the best day of our lives over and over again and share the moments with everyone we love.
There are oh so many favourite photos! There are images that are so discreetly taken of the most minute details (like our niece, Hannah, dancing 10 metres away down a corridor) that tell such a beautiful story about the feelings of everyone throughout the day that we simply wouldn’t have seen without a great photographer. Then there are the family shots, because both our families will rarely, if ever, all be together again. And then there are the shots, of us that literally transport you back into that moment. Highlights would include the confetti shots – because there is so much happiness, the venue looks incredible and there is the inexplicable joy of being officially wed written all over our faces – and the sun set shots because they are so intimate and personal, they remind us of the brief moments we snuck away to take it all in, and whenever life gets on top of us, we use them to remind us of what matters most!
The biggest thanks, Travis and Remy
If you are planning your wedding and looking for a Cowley Manor wedding photographer please do get in touch now for a chat and my availability.
Travis and Remy’s great team of suppliers
Wedding Venue: Cowley Manor
Suits: Tom Ford
Flowers: Flowers by Passion
Videography: HD Moments
