Yorkshire Wedding Photographer | Real Weddings

Considering that it was Autumn, it was unseasonably warm although the morning was really foggy when I met up with Andrea and her bridesmaids. They were getting ready at the old Police House in Burnsall, just around the corner from the Red Lion (I like weddings where everything is within walking distance!)

Saltmarshe Hall is a gorgeous, family-owned stately home near Howden in East Yorkshire, with 10 acres of grounds to explore including a walled garden, fruit orchards and a massive lawn, it’s a wedding photographer’s paradise!

Over the weekend I was in Beverley in the East riding of Yorkshire to photograph Mal & Mike’s beautiful, intimate wedding day.

I joined everyone at The Old Library in Beverley for the civil ceremony. The weather had been a bit touch and go in the morning but brightened up nicely for us to get some of the formal photographs in the gardens at the registry office.

Gemma & Ben got married at the Kings Head in Richmond, Yorkshire at Christmas time. Richmond is a beautiful part of the world, especially at Christmas, although it can be a bit chilly - especially if you’ve chosen quite a short wedding dress.

The strange thing about Wood Lane Countryside Centre in Sheffield is that it’s about 5 minutes drive from the centre of the city & yet you feel like you’re miles away from anywhere. You’re surrounded by trees, orchards & the sound of birds singing. It’s like being in a Disney movie. I could see why Sarah & Alex chose it for their beautiful Sheffield wedding day.

I think the thing that I like most about shooting at Hornington, apart from the endless stream of coffee, is how it's all in one place.  Everyone gets ready there. The bride, the groom and all the guests.  On a morning, I can just wander through the house and grab natural, relaxed documentary shots of people going about their morning. You get a load of lovely natural family stuff.

Caroline & Joe's wedding day was one that I'd been looking forward to for quite a while.  They're a lovely couple and very relaxed - my ideal clients.  I knew that the Arms would be a great venue and, providing the weather played ball, which it did, it was going to be a fab day.

It’s fair to say that last summer was absolutely brilliant for me. I’ve been ‘off my feet busy’ (which is why I’m only just getting round to blogging this wedding now!) and I’ve loved every minute of it & met some fantastic people. I think I’ve also met some of the most chilled out Brides and Grooms in the country. That’s where Kate & Timay come into the equation. Their wedding back at the start of June has definitely been one of my highlights

Sutton on the Forest, near York, is another one of the beautiful villages in Yorkshire that I cycle through regularly.  I’ve often passed Sutton Park without stopping as you can’t see that much of it from the road.  Since Caroline & Nick’s wedding, I’ve learned that there’s an excellent tea room there, so it’ll be a regular stop from now on!

I’ve done quite a few weddings at Newbrough Priory now and it’s fast becoming a favourite venue. The building itself is beautiful – have a look at their website.  Perhaps the greatest feature is that it has a ruin in the grounds that provide a stunning, walled off suntrap of an area. Absolutely perfect for wedding afternoons.  Also, they have a beautiful woodland that hides a slightly overgrown ornamental garden which is like something out of a Victorian novel.

Ellie & Tom picked the beautiful location of Hazlewood Castle near York, for their big day.  It’s definitely a favourite of mine.  Hazlewood Castle is set on the edge of thick woodland, on a hill and has fantastic views to the horizon.  It’s also absolutely gorgeous inside.

We started off at Hazlewood in the morning, with Ellie getting ready.  Meanwhile, Tom was already in York, getting suited and booted with his guard of honour - there were swords!!

Millie & her Bridesmaids got ready in one of the outbuildings at Denton Hall, Ilkley.  Outbuildings probably isn’t the best description, as they’ve all been converted into fantastic accommodation. I kind of made it sound like she’d got ready in a stable there…

Jamie, got ready locally and came up to the hall to meet the guests as they arrived.

Nicole and Chris were the perfect couple for a winter wedding.  If I had to sum them up in a phrase, it'd be 'happy-go-lucky'.    It didn't matter what the sky was doing.  It didn't matter that the sheep all had a 1" deep coating of snow, or that the wind was blowing. They took it all in their stride and had a fantastic day.

I first met Kristina & Mathew at Mathew’s parents home in Wetherby, way back in January. They both live and work in London and I got the impression that the weekend that I met them was the first time they’d both been able to relax in one place for quite some time. Kristina had just returned from a trip home to Russia to see her parents and they’d both travelled up to Yorkshire to finalise some of their wedding arrangements.

Briony & Liam actually got married a couple of years ago now, but I wanted to include the wedding on my new website, because The Woodlands Hotel in Leeds is one of my favourite venues. It’s definitely one of the best & I’d love to work there again (I will be next year as I have a booking there!).

Sometimes it feels like we're really spoiled for wedding venues in Yorkshire. There are so many really good venues that I love to photograph. There is a few, however, that really stand out. One of the ones that really stands out for me is The Normans. Situated about halfway between Leeds and York, just near Tadcaster, it's also in a perfect location for me. It takes about 10 minutes to get there.

I love to photograph weddings in stately homes, country houses, barns, teepees and marquees.  There is always something special about a city centre wedding though.  I can’t quite put my finger on it.  It could be that the scenery is completely different and as a photographer, it gives a different set of challenges to a tranquil countryside wedding.

Alice & Marshall, got married in a field in Northamptonshire, on a beautiful, hot & sunny day in June.  Technically, they got married in a church and the reception and everything afterwards was in the field, at Home Farm near Daventry, but you know what I mean.  You may be wondering what I was doing, straying from my usual patch in Leeds, or out in the wilds of Yorkshire. Well,  this story starts many, many years ago…

I’m a bit of a regular at Sandburn Hall.  I love working there (You can see why on their site).  Every wedding there is different, but the one thing that’s the same, is that it’s such a great location for a wedding.  Indoor weddings have the massive window.  Outdoor weddings are in the beautiful rose garden, which is also perfect for photographing family groups and then there’s the woods…

Although I’m based in Yorkshire, I’m certainly not adverse to a bit of travel and I always welcome a trip down to London.  Especially when it’s to shoot a wedding for people like Clare & Tom, in what is probably one of the most amazing venues that I’ve ever worked in.

I pride myself on having shot at some of the best venues that Yorkshire has to offer.  Skipbridge Country Weddings just outside York though, that was a new one.   I checked the venue out previously, I like to know what I’m walking into. What an outstanding venue!  The cottages for the bridal party and guests to get ready and stay over in were beautiful.

The ceremony was in the lovely St Michael’s church in Kirby, near Malham.  What really made the day though, was the reception in Malham show field .  Everything was pretty much put together by the bride and groom and the whole feel of the day was home-made and very much about family.

The first wedding that I photographed in the UK was at Sandburn Hall near York.  It was quite a bit smaller back then and didn’t have the beautiful hotel and preparation rooms that it does now.   It’s always nice to return there for a wedding, especially one like Alissa & James’ big day.

As the morning went on and the mood inside got more and more excited, the weather outside, got worse.   By the time that I made it to the registry office, the heavens were starting to open.  In years to come, I think people will look back on wedding photographs from this year, with interest.  The guests all wearing masks and spaced out.  Large rooms with just a few people in etc.  I’m still not used to it to be honest, although things are starting to revert back to how they were, slowly.

Elise got ready at her parents house just outside Harrogate.  It was a beautiful farmhouse in a rural Yorkshire village and it had one of my favourite features…Dogs!!  I always love it when people get ready at the family home.  You can tell a lot about a family by the photo’s on the wall, the certificates on the fridge, muddy boots in the doorway etc.

Caroline & Chris got married at Sheriff Hutton Castle, just outside York, last summer.  It’s a beautiful ruin dating back to the 14th century in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside. It does, however, have a room that has survived the ravages of time & it’s here that the wedding took place.  Caroline & Chris along with their family had decorated the room to perfection

Rushpool Hall is somewhere that I really enjoy going to.  I grew up not far away from it in Great Ayton.  Weekend trips to the coast invariably involved a trip to Saltburn to have a walk along the beach or the cliff tops.  It’s somewhere that holds a lot of memories for me.  If you want to have a look, you can see their website here. 

Toni & David had their fantastic ‘Big Day 2.0’ there, celebrating their anniversary with a renewal of vows.