A Day Worth Holding Onto: Claire & Paul’s Coventry Vow Renewal
- David Adams
- Aug 10
- 8 min read
Claire and Paul’s vow renewal was never simply about saying their vows again. It was about bringing their people together, celebrating the life they had already built and making the most of the moment while it was there. Everyone understood how much the day meant, even when nobody needed to say it aloud.
I’ll admit, this is a blog post I’ve put off writing, not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I wanted to do their day justice.
I first came across Claire and Paul’s story through an article on Coventry Live. It was a story filled with both happiness and sadness: a couple wanting to bring their family together and spend a day celebrating everything they had built. Cancer had recently touched my own family, so their reasons for doing it hit particularly close to home.
I saw that a videographer, florist and several other suppliers had already stepped forward to help make the day happen, but I couldn’t see a photographer among them. So I sent a message and asked if Claire and Paul would let me photograph it.
Some days feel bigger than business, and this was one of them.
Claire’s Morning
Wedding mornings are rarely calm, no matter how organised everyone swears they are going to be.
Claire’s morning at the Village Hotel had that familiar, brilliant kind of chaos that I love to photograph, with family and friends moving around the room as everything gradually came together. Between the dress, the finishing touches and everything else happening at once, there was plenty for me to capture before anyone had even left for the church.
The sky-blue theme had also won me over immediately. As a Coventry City fan myself, I adored it from the moment I walked through the hotel door.
It was a happy morning, if an incredibly warm one. The window would only open a fraction, there wasn’t a breath of breeze and the poor fan was working overtime.
I love photographing the dress and all the carefully chosen details, but the real story for me is in the people helping, the expressions exchanged across the room and the little moments that unfold once everybody forgets there is a camera there.
Paul’s Morning
Paul’s preparations felt very different.
Where Claire’s morning had been filled with movement, my time with Paul at their family home was much quieter and more reflective. With family, friends and their utterly adorable cats around him, Paul got ready without any great rush, taking care of the final details of his suit and having a little time to take in the day ahead.
It wasn’t any less emotional; it simply wore that emotion differently. There was a calmness around Paul, along with plenty of fun when his groom’s party surrounded him and liberally doused him in aftershave from every direction.
Underneath those lighter moments, though, was a clear understanding of exactly what the day meant and how close he was to standing beside Claire again, in front of everyone they loved.
The quieter pace even gave my second photographer a rare opportunity to turn the camera on me for a couple of behind-the-scenes photographs, although I do have questions about his choice of angle on the second picture.
Two very different mornings, both leading towards the same doors at St Luke’s.
Groom being doused in aftershave Groom and best man getting dressed and smiling detail shot of the rings, aftershave, flowers and tie Groom putting on his button hole flower Tie over a jacket on a chair BTS shot of David Adams Photography capturing details with the wedding party in the background Best man laughing as he puts a tie over his head. BTS shot of David Adams Photography, taking a picture
Gathering at St Luke’s
At St Luke’s, the two separate mornings gradually began to come together.
Guests arrived, greeted one another and filled the church with relaxed conversation. There were hugs everywhere I looked and plenty of smiles, although the emotion of the day was already beginning to show. Everyone understood why being together mattered.
Before the ceremony, I had the chance to speak with Father Simon, who was an utterly lovely man. We chatted about his time studying in Yorkshire, the journey I had made down to Coventry and the incredible history held within St Luke’s. It was one of those unexpected little conversations that stayed with me.
Inside, Paul waited with his best man beside him. The calmness from earlier was still there, but so were the nerves now that the moment was getting closer.
Then Claire’s car arrived.
With her family beside her, she made her way towards the church as the pace of the day suddenly seemed to change. Conversations softened as the fantastic up-and-coming singer Orla Davis brought her performance to a close and the music for the ceremony began.
After two very different mornings, Claire and Paul were finally in the same place. There was nothing left to do but begin.
St. Lukes, Coventry, pre ceremony of the guests Bridal party laughing Bridal party candid Bride hugging her son Bride and her son walking into the church Bridal party walking down the isle Candid moment of the groom and best man with the bridal party in the background Groom looking back at the isle
As Claire walked down the aisle, I captured what remains one of my favourite photographs to date: Paul and his best man exchanging a knowing smile. It lasted only a moment, but it said so much about the anticipation, friendship and emotion in the room.
Choosing Each Other, Again
Claire and Paul’s High Anglican ceremony carried a wonderful sense of tradition, with hymns and readings filling St Luke’s.
At the start of the ceremony, I caught a lovely reaction from the priest as he smiled across at Claire & Paul's son. It lasted only a moment and could easily have gone unnoticed, but those little interactions are often what help tell the full story of a ceremony.
At the centre of it all, Claire and Paul spoke their vows to one another again. They held hands, exchanged quiet looks and shed more than a few tears as they repeated those promises. A single ring was exchanged as part of the service, a small but deeply meaningful moment between them.
Bride reading her vows Groom reading his vows Bride reading her vows
Bride and Groom smiling Bride and groom holding hands Groom picking up the ring after a blessing
The emotion wasn’t confined to the two people standing at the front.
Looking across the church, I could see it reflected in the people around them,
in the tears, the laughter, the expressions exchanged and
even a small dance from the Maid of Honour during one of the hymns.
The readings felt especially personal because of the people delivering them. One was given by Claire’s Maid of Honour and another by Claire and Paul’s son, who finished with a resounding “Play Up Sky Blues!”
I enjoyed that rather more than I’m willing to admit.
Bride and Grooms son giving a reading Maid of honour giving a reading Groom and son hugging
As the ceremony drew to a close, the priest reminded Paul that, although they were already married, he could kiss his wife again. With that invitation happily accepted, Claire and Paul turned and walked back down the aisle together.
Close up shot of a ring being placed on a finger Bride and groom kissing Bride and groom walking out of the ceremony
By then, the nerves had given way to pure happiness.
St Luke’s was filled with smiles, laughter and the unmistakable feeling that everybody was ready to celebrate.
Before heading to the reception, we gathered everyone together for the group photographs, which were an absolute blast to take.
I did make one small mistake, my carefully prepared printed list was still sitting in the car. Thankfully, with their amazing photo wrangler, a backup copy of the notes on my phone and flanked by the amazing videographer Richard James we didn’t miss a beat.
Behind the scenes shot of David Adams Photography, laughing with the Bride and Groom Bride with her daughter Bride with her son Behind the scenes shot of David Adams Photography Bride and Groom portrait Groom climbing out from under the bride Bride, Groom and Best man portrait
Paul wasn’t about to let the formal photographs remain entirely sensible, either. He insisted on recreating a photograph from their original wedding in 2006, disappearing beneath Claire’s dress before reappearing from underneath her skirt.
Some photographs are simply too important not to recreate.
A Sky-Blue Celebration at the Dunlop Centre
After the ceremony and group photographs, everyone made their way to the Dunlop Sports and Social Club for cocktail hour. It gave guests a chance to relax, catch up and enjoy being together, which in the heat that was easily 35c+ it was a welcome calm time.
There was plenty happening around the room for me to photograph. A face painter kept the younger guests entertained, with children gradually reappearing among the celebrations with freshly painted faces and a inflatable slide, which at first the kids were using, but it wouldn't be long before slightly older people decided it was worth a go.
Bridal party taking a selfie Maid of honour and son of the couple dancing selfie close up of the phone Bride making a guest laugh Flower detail shot Bridal party pulling faces during a picture
The sky-blue theme continued throughout the room, but one of my favourite details was sitting on top of the wedding cake.
Claire and Paul had kept the topper from their original wedding in 2006 and brought it back for their vow renewal. A small piece of the day they first made those promises had returned for the day they made them again.
That tiny detail summed up the whole celebration better than almost anything else could.
Meanwhile, Paul kept nipping outside to see whether some particularly important guests had arrived.
Eventually, the “Mad Hatters”, a group of Coventry City superfans,made their entrance. They had brought something rather special with them too. A match-worn Bobby Thomas shirt, the brown one, which they presented to Claire.
Bride being given a gift, a football shirt Bride and guests singing to a song with their hands up in the air
They then led everyone in a resounding rendition of The Enemy’s “We’ll Live and Die in These Towns”, Coventry City’s unofficial official anthem. It was belted out loud and clear by almost everyone in the room, including the videographer and me, much to the bemusement of my second photographer.
Once everyone had arrived, it was time for the speeches.
They carried the same mixture of laughter and emotion that had followed Claire and Paul throughout the day, while giving me plenty of reactions to capture from around the room.
Paul even found a few words of praise for Coventry City despite not being a supporter himself. He thanked the club for giving him every other Saturday to himself while Claire and the kids headed off to every home game.
Orla Davis then returned for another fantastic set, bringing live music back into the celebrations.
Claire & Paul' daughter, Kacey , used this time after Orlas set to deliever an emotional and personal speech, bringing a tear to everyone in the room.
After such an emotional and powerful speech, the Coventry shirts came out for Claire’s wedding party, even the one who supports Liverpool, who was 'forced' into one and attention eventually turned towards the inflatable slide.
Once everyone was dressed appropriately, at least by Coventry standards, it proved far too tempting to leave entirely to the children.
As the sun began to set, Orla delivered another fantastic set before everyone gathered for the cake cutting and Claire and Paul’s first dance.
After the first dance, the party properly began. There was plenty of laughter and dancing, some of it more coordinated than the rest and, somewhere along the way, at least one of the grooms party had managed to lose both his shirt and tie.
One of the evening’s games quickly descended into utter chaos, adding even more laughter to an already lively dance floor.
As the light softened outside, I borrowed Claire and Paul for a short golden-hour shoot. It gave them a brief change of pace and a few moments together before we headed back inside and rejoined the party.
Claire and Paul, thank you for trusting me to photograph such an important day. It takes a lot to invite somebody you have never met into moments that mean so much, and I’ll always be grateful that you allowed me to be part of them.
Thank you, too, to all your family and friends for being so incredibly warm and welcoming to a stranger who had travelled more than 150 miles in 35°C mid May heat and arrived looking like a sweaty mess.
Afterwards, I did something I had never done for a couple before: I sent them a short talking-head video. Being in front of the camera certainly doesn’t come naturally to me, but I wanted to thank them properly and tell them how much I hoped we would all keep in touch.
As a fellow Coventry City fan, I’ll be sure to pop over and say hello to Claire whenever I get the chance at the CBS.
Their vow renewal was joyful, loud, mildly chaotic and utterly theirs. That was exactly what made it perfect.
-David
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