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.

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.

Meg & Harry (Not that Meg & Harry) got married in Leeds at Left Bank.  If you're not familiar with Left Bank, it's a gorgeous old church that's now been converted to a inclusive community space for creativity & culture. And also weddings.  It still has the character of a church inside, but it's now all open space which is great because it can be used for almost anything from exhibitions to theatre.

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.

Meg & Harry (Not that Meg & Harry) got married in Leeds at Left Bank.  If you're not familiar with Left Bank, it's a gorgeous old church that's now been converted to a inclusive community space for creativity & culture. And also weddings.  It still has the character of a church inside, but it's now all open space which is great because it can be used for almost anything from exhibitions to theatre.

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.

Miranda & Austin had their fantastic intimate day in not one, but two of the best venues in Yorkshire.  They had their ceremony at Temple Newsam in Leeds. Then, it was off to the Yorkshire countryside, for the reception meal at Harewood House.

There’s always something really special about a homemade wedding.  I love to see all the work that the bride, groom and their families put in to the special day.   This one was really something.

Being based in Yorkshire spoils me a bit.   We have some of the best wedding venues and scenery in the country.  Perhaps one of the grandest of those venues is the amazing Allerton Castle. It’s a nineteenth century, Victorian Gothic house, set in beautiful grounds near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire.