Eckington Manor Wedding Photography

I do love a local wedding! Victoria & Toby live just down the road from Pershore, so I could almost roll out of bed (figuratively speaking of course) and start work when their wedding day came around. Croome Court, a National Trust owned property, does not generally allow weddings to take place on their land unless your granted special dispensation. Victoria & Toby are lucky enough to live in the walled garden area of the main house, where Victoria and her parents have lovingly restored it over the years, bringing it back to its former glory. Due to this, they were allowed the use of the Rotunda for their wedding ceremony which provided them with a stunning, intimate wedding ceremony.
From here, the guests went on to Eckington Manor. Wedding photography at Eckington Manor is always fun as there are plenty of interesting features to play with. On top of this, the fact the food at Eckington Manor is incredible makes me like it even more!! Is that bad? I don’t care, it’s delicious! haha! Actually, it was, for this reason, Victoria & Toby chose to have their wedding breakfast held there in the first place. Victoria is a food blogger and fine dining plays a serious role in her life, so the food had to be right. So Eckington Manor was a great fit. For me, I was just enjoying one of the perks of my job.  However, if you are interested in good food in the Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire area, you will definitely find Pershore Patty an interesting read…plus it will save you money too. Check it out!! 
Thank you to Victoria & Toby for including me on their wonderful wedding adventure. I loved every minute! All the best for your future together… 

About Victoria & Toby…

1) Please tell me how you first met? 
Victoria: I received a message through Facebook from a local lady who used to be one of my clients at a previous job, saying “this may be a little random and possibly inappropriate…however, on the basis of romance and positive thinking, my friend has seen your profile as a friend suggestion and has asked if I can pass on your details”. I asked who it was so I could look at his profile, but there was very little for me to find out as quite ironically Toby very rarely looks at or uses social media. I accepted his friend request and he got in contact to say that it wasn’t his usual approach but thought I looked amazing. I actually thought it was quite sweet that he’d asked for an introduction and I was intrigued.
We chatted a lot over messenger for a while, but I was a little put off at first as there were pictures of another woman on his Facebook, and although he said it was a friend I felt a little cautious. Weeks went by and every now and again I’d hear from Toby and we’d chat about food, music and green tea! Eventually, we met for a drink and got along really well, but didn’t see each other again and just went back to the messages as couldn’t seem to tie each other down to a date. At the time I still had feelings from a past relationship and so I messaged Toby to tell him that I was no longer available, and he replied to say that he was seeing someone else anyway.
6 months passed by and on Valentine’s Day, I received my first ever secret valentine card, which I later discovered had come from Toby. We’d still been in contact and continued to chat through messenger for another 6 months more, and we agreed to meet up. The meet up didn’t happen as Toby admitted that he was still seeing someone else so it would have to be on a friend’s only basis, and I just said it would be best to leave it. Finally, and after another 2 months of messages we arranged to meet for a coffee, and we got engaged 10 months later!

Toby: I rarely go on social media but one day in 2015 I was looking on Facebook and V’s picture came up as ‘someone I might know’. I didn’t know her, but she looked gorgeous in the photo and I knew I wanted to know her! On impulse, I then sent her a friend request and then messaged the friend we have in common to put a word in for me and to explain I’m not a weirdo. I hasten to add I have never done this before or since!
Our friend in common replied and said she’d put a word in for me and soon after V and I started messaging each other. It turned out we had a lot in common and we arranged to meet for a drink one Saturday afternoon. We basically laughed for the couple of hours we were together. I later found out that we were both hungover on that day, but I knew having met her that she was the one.
We didn’t see each other again for a while which was mainly because we were both busy and also I was seeing other people. Fast forward to Feb 2016 and I sent a Valentine’s card to V and we started messaging again and once I was single we arranged to meet again and I moved in pretty much straight away!

2) When was it you knew they were the one? 
Victoria: It was a gradual process for me, mostly due to a past heartache and I’d also begun to get quite used to being single and not having to worry about someone else. Toby and I naturally fitted into each other’s lives and it became quickly apparent to both of us that we had something very special. He would text me at work and say he’d booked surprises for me, which usually involved going to restaurants that I’d wanted to visit, or he’d plan to cook dinner for us. He organised several romantic weekend breaks, and I think it was when we were in Dartmouth in our favourite restaurant ‘The Seahorse’ (which has now become a nickname between us), I realised that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

Toby: I pretty much knew as soon as a saw the photo hence my impulsive friend request, but that feeling was cemented once we met and it seemed as though we’d known each other for a long time as it was very natural and she looked even better in person!

3) Could you give us the story of the proposal? 
Victoria: We’d had a few drinks over lunch in Worcester one afternoon and drunkenly decided to pop into a jeweller and try on watches. Toby bought me a beautiful watch and asked me what sort of engagement ring I would have if I were ever to get married. Of course, the shop assistant spotted us and persuaded me to try a few on, including the most expensive one in the shop. It was great fun, but we hadn’t been together very long so I tried not to read too much into things. A couple of months later Toby had booked a few days holiday for us in Florence, Italy. On the first day, we walked the entire city in the sunshine and had a lovely lunch, eating Italian pizza and drinking Aperol Spritz’s. It was the perfect day that just got better and better. We passed a handbag shop and I instantly fell in love with one in the window display, and although I couldn’t afford to buy it I also couldn’t stop thinking about it. Later on, we passed the shop again and went inside to look at the bag. Toby offered to buy it for me with the matching purse as a holiday present. I was ecstatic and felt like the luckiest woman alive.
We stopped for a drink in Café Gilli overlooking Piazza Della Republica and I sat grinning uncontrollably, resisting the urge to take the bag out of its beautiful packaging and take another look. Toby ordered a bottle of Prosecco and I nipped off to the loo. When I returned I noticed he’d taken off the ridiculous hat he’d been wearing all day and it was on the table with the prosecco. Slightly irritated by this, I tried to ignore it and kept the thoughts to myself that it seemed a bit rude to plonk the hat on the tiny table with the drinks. Prosecco poured and with the glass almost to my mouth, Toby asks me to pick up the hat and underneath was the sparkly dream ring I had tried on in the shop. Thankfully he didn’t get down on one knee but asked if I would marry him. The answer was YES!
We both called our parents to tell them the news, although it turns out mine already knew as they had been storing the ring safely for weeks. We agreed on a date to get married immediately, which would be almost 12 months to the day of our engagement. All of the plans we had for the rest of the holiday went out of the window and we spent most of our time enjoying being together by the pool and leisurely walking to find restaurants. Back home we were greeted by some very excited friends and family and everyone was very happy for us.

Toby: I knew I was going to propose on a holiday I’d booked for us in Florence and a few weeks before this I asked V’s Dad for permission to propose to her. He said yes so it was all systems go! Shortly after we visited a jeweller in Worcester and I think I’d had a couple of drinks with lunch because I ended up buying us his and hers watches. Whilst there I very subtly asked her if she had an engagement ring which style would she like? This resulted in the shop assistant showing a selection of rings and obviously, V’s favourite was the most expensive. I noted the details and we went home. The next day I phoned the jewellers and order the correct size in the ring V wanted and picked it up and gave it to V’s Dad to keep it safe.
On the first day of our holiday in Florence we set off for a walk around and I had the ring in its box in my shorts pocket. My plan was for us to go to the top of the Duomo in Florence and for me to pop the question there, but on that first day of the holiday, I discovered the Duomo was booked for about 3 days. I needed a Plan B. Later that day we went to a pizzeria for lunch and I considered popping the question there but it wasn’t quite right so I waited until I had a better idea.
Later, in the nice shopping area, we walked past a particular shop and there was a handbag in the window which V fell in love with. I thought I could buy her the handbag and put the ring in it so she’d have an engagement ring inside an engagement present. It seemed a good idea so I told V I’d buy her the bag and we went inside. What I didn’t realise was that at this particular shop they package the bags in a dust bag and a box, so it was impossible for me to hide the ring in the bag without V seeing. I’d have to completely unpack it. I needed a Plan C.
Having mooched we found a nice bar on the Piazza Della Repubblica so we got 2 seats facing the square and ordered drinks. V then went to the loo and I had my opportunity. I ordered a bottle of prosecco and 2 glasses. I then placed the ring in its box under the rather snazzy hat I’d been wearing. So the table had 2 glasses with my hat in-between them. V came back and sat down and before she could say much about me having my hat on the table I asked her to look under it. She did and found the ring and said “Yes”! I didn’t get down on one knee as a, it’s too clichéd and b, there wasn’t much space for me to kneel down by the table, and c, I didn’t want to draw attention in case she said no! 
Then we got really drunk on more prosecco and gin whilst telling our families and friends the news.

4) If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell me something quirky, funny or silly about your partner? 
Victoria: If we order pizza in a restaurant he won’t eat the crusts and leaves them in a pile on the plate. I find it hugely embarrassing, so end up eating them as well as my own!

Toby: She’s pretty perfect and I can’t think of anything.

5) What is your perfect day together? (apart from the wedding day) 
Victoria: At the moment we don’t have many whole days together due to work commitments, so when we do we make the most of it. The perfect day would usually involve a little trip somewhere, it doesn’t even have to be far from home, but the sunnier the better  The day would start with exploring the city or hotel grounds if in the country before finding a good spot for a relaxed and boozy lunch. Another walk, browsing shops or just sitting outside somewhere chatting in the afternoon, followed by kore good food and drinks. We enjoy each other’s company whatever we’re doing. If we were in a mortuary we’d have fun as long as we were together!

Toby: It would be a trip to somewhere new to discover together and it would almost certainly involve good food and drink. Maybe buying some new clobber or diamonds! Plus sunshine.

6) Apart from the obvious, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day? 
Victoria: The food! Neither of us are public dancers, so instead of the first dance, we’re having the first burger. We’ve managed to get our favourite burger people ‘The Beefy Boys’ to cater for the evening reception and we’re both really excited about this. The wedding breakfast is more intimate with just a few friends at family at Eckington Manor, and we are huge fans of chef’s Mark and Sue’s cooking. I just can’t wait for the moment when we are officially married and I can call Toby my husband, it’s going to feel very surreal.

Toby: I’m looking forward to a great get together with friends and family. Food, drink, music laughs. Also excited about wearing our wedding rings so it’s all official!

7) What was it that inspired you to go for the theme or the decor you chose for your wedding? 
Victoria: There is no real set theme, most of what we have done has been decided by what we have available to us. We didn’t want the wedding to be too formal, so it will be more of a summer garden party and hopefully a lot of fun.

Toby: We haven’t got a theme, the arrangements were based on our own preferences and it’s non-religious and non-traditional thankfully!

8) Please tell me one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your wedding planning process, that you could pass on to future brides reading this blog?   
Victoria: People will tell you that it’s your wedding and to do what you want, but they don’t mean it! 
Toby: Be prepared to chase invited guests and suppliers up. That is all.

9) When searching, what were you were looking for in a wedding venue?
Victoria: We were extremely lucky as we already had the perfect wedding venue. My family owns a beautiful 5 acre walled garden and we couldn’t have found a more magical place for us to get married. The ceremony will take place in a Rotunda folly just yards away from the gardens, and has an incredible backdrop of the Malvern Hills. The flowers for my bouquet have been grown in the gardens, we are making our own bar and will be playing music with songs selected by us and our guests. Everything has been kept very simple, but we know it will be a wonderful day.
Toby: Our wedding venue chose us. Both the ceremony building and reception garden are on our doorstep and we’re very lucky that they were obvious choices and available to us.

10) Could you tell me the process you went through when you were looking for a wedding photographer? 
Victoria: Initially I took some advice and was horrified by the prices quoted and we were very conscious that we didn’t want to spend more money than we really needed to on anything. We also wanted to have a videographer on the day but feared it would all be too costly. I logged onto Facebook and entirely coincidentally someone had posted in a group asking for wedding photographers in Pershore.
Several people recommended Duncan. I went straight onto his website where all of his packages were priced and I could see examples of his work. I loved the fact that he was local, I loved his work, and his prices seemed much more reasonable than the previous quotes I had seen. We met with Duncan shortly afterwards, talked through everything and booked him that same day without hesitation.

Toby: Cost is obviously a factor but in addition for me it was important for the photographer to be local and use a decent camera(s). I also wanted to see a track record in terms of portfolio and I really like the journalistic natural non-posed shots. With obviously the essential portraits for a wedding album.

Vendor List

Photography |  Duncan Cox Photography 
Ceremony Location | The Rotunda, Croome Court
Reception Location | The Walled Gardens at Croome Court
Florist | National Trust volunteer ‘flower ladies’ – Jane Hulse and Linda Vernon
Wedding Dress Retailer | The Pretty Dress Company
Other Details/Vendors | Eckington Manor, The Beefy Boys, Pershore Deli, Ahh Toots, Dudley’s Coaches

 

 

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