Rogerthorpe Manor Wedding Photographer | Julie and Adrian

Julie and Adrian, or Jules and Ady, as everyone knows them, booked a Sunday in November for their wedding.  When we first met them we hit if off straight away and we were delighted when they booked us to be their Rogerthorpe Manor wedding photographers.  This fabulous venue is a huge favourite of ours and it's always a pleasure to work there.

As professional West Yorkshire wedding photographers, we know that it's important to build a great relationship with our clients before the big day and we're more than happy to extend this to their close families.  It was so nice to meet Jules's lovely mum, Anne, a few days before the wedding so that we could get to know each other.  

We arrived to start capturing Jules's preps in Room 13 and she was incredibly chilled out and relaxed.  Her mum and bridesmaids were more nervous than the bride which is often the case.  We really enjoyed the hour or so spent with the girls as we photographed make-up being applied and all the important bits and pieces including a new bottle of Jules's favourite perfume which was a gift from Ady to his bride.  We left the girls to their preparations and went to play with the boys outside on this crisp autumn day before Ady and his brothers were called in to see the registrar prior to the civil ceremony in the Lawrence Suite.  

Anyone who knows us knows that we try to avoid picking up on the weather forecast for wedding days because a) it can make you concerned and disappointed b) you have no control over it anyway and c) it's often wrong.  However, it can be hard to avoid hearing it sometimes and for Jules' and Ady's wedding day the forecast wasn't great.  Added to this, we knew we had to work fast as daylight would be limited to what we had before the wedding breakfast.  Luckily the weather, although cold which you would expect in November, held for us and we got everything outside that we had hoped for, including a much wanted sequence of fun photographs with the bridal party on the main lawn.  

Everyone worked with us to get the group photos finished really quickly so we still had some time for couple photographs before the wedding breakfast.  Although it was really cold, Jules and Ady did a good job of not showing it, they were great fun to work with and very enthusiastic about trying anything.  We loved photographing them and we got the feeling that they enjoyed their couple photo session a lot too.

We took a break during the wedding breakfast and returned to capture the speeches before Jules and Ady joined us for a second couple session including some beautiful evening shots outside.  These have to be timed to perfection and depend on us setting up in good time and on the couple coming out as soon as we ask them to.  If goes without saying that our bride and groom were outside straight away and we got some amazing images for them.

We knew that Ady's brother Gareth and his band were performing later in the evening so we stayed on after Jules and Ady's first dance and Jules and her dad Jim's father and daughter dance to capture some images as Relentless rocked.

A fabulous day in the company of two lovely families at a beautiful venue.  Thank you Mr and Mrs Yearsley for inviting us to share it.

We are recommended wedding photographers for Rogerthorpe Manor.  If you are getting married there, we would love to hear from you and why not follow us on Facebook?

Hazlewood Castle Wedding Photographer | Herezel and Simon

Zel and Simon's wedding took place on the last weekend in October, just before the clocks went back and Zel especially had been hoping that the autumn leaves would still be attached to the trees so that the couple would have the spectacular backdrop of beautiful colours in some of their photographs.  As Hazlewood Castle wedding photographers, we've covered autumn weddings at this venue before, we know how fabulous it looks and we were delighted that Zel got her wish. 

The girls were having make-up done when we arrived to begin our coverage of the bridal preparations in the Jasmine Suite.  Zel's fabulous dress was perfectly arranged on a mannequin and we had some laughs as we photographed her accessories and the girls enjoyed the champagne.  We were invited to join in but declined as champagne and professional wedding photography don't really go together! 

We knew that Simon was arriving by helicopter and this was something which had to be captured so we left the girls a little earlier than usual so that we could be in place beside the main lawn well in advance of his arrival with his brothers.  

The couple married in a civil ceremony in the Victoria Room with a small number of family members in attendance, after which there was a short break whilst Zel changed her veil to a longer one and everyone took their places in the chapel for the blessing, conducted by the wonderful Reverend Ian Walton who is such an accommodating, friendly and good humoured vicar.  He is the only one we have ever worked with who invites the photographer at the front of the chapel to step forward for the ring exchange in order to get the best photographs.  What a diamond he is!

Our plan after the ceremony was to take the group photographs in the courtyard as this area offers some shelter from the cold and the wind.  We had our fingers crossed that we wouldn't have to move inside just yet and although the rain was well and truly threatening and a spot of two was felt immediately after the big group and confetti, it did hold off - just.

The bridal party joined us for some fun photographs and even though the ground was pretty soggy, they were all fantastic and worked with us to get the photographs Zel and Simon wanted.  Once they had left, it was couple time and our favourite time at a wedding when we can work with the bride and groom alone.  At this time of year, daylight is limited to what you have before the wedding breakfast and it means that working fast is essential to make the most of it.  This includes any action shots and Zel doing a twirl to show off her fabulous dress was one of those.  

Simon and Zel were fantastic company, lovely to work with and very understanding when it came to us having to work quickly to maximise their choice of photographs around the grounds, including, just for Zel, some featuring those spectacular autumn colours.  

After the wedding breakfast, the couple requested some photographs in the Elderflower Suit before they headed back downstairs to their evening party, buffet and first dance.

Thank you for booking us to capture your lovely autumn wedding and congratulations to you both!

To book us as your wedding photographers at Hazlewood Castle, please give us a call on 01977 730159 and please follow us on Facebook.

Baby Twins Photographer West Yorkshire | Betsy and Emily

As baby photographers in Castleford, we often have the pleasure of welcoming our youngest clients to the studio for their first professional portrait session and we were very much looking forward to meeting Leonie, proud mum of twin baby girls, Betsy and Emily.  The twins were seven weeks' old but as they had been born seven weeks prematurely, they were actually the size of newborn babies.  

We know that newborn photography takes time and patience and we also know that a photo session for a set of twins is likely to take even longer than it does for one baby. When one twin sleeps, the other wants feeding, then they swap over and when both finally do fall sleep it's very easy to wake them up whilst you're trying to pose them together.  

There is no clock watching when you are a new baby photographer and Leonie, her mum and the babies were in the studio for a long time but it was so worth it and we were well rewarded with lots of beautiful images.  Leonie and Lucy have now chosen their favourites to be included in a gorgeous baby book which will be a treasured keepsake for the twins when they grow up.  

For photographs like these, time really is crucial and the earlier the session takes place, the better.  If you would like us to photograph your new baby, please call us on 01977 730159.  You don't even have to wait until your baby is born as you are welcome to express your interest whilst you are pregnant.  You can also follow us on Facebook.

Wedding Photographer Tankersley Manor | Laura and Robert

It's been a while since we were wedding photographers at Tankersley Manor, but it was great to work there again and especially as we were sharing Laura and Rob's lovely autumn wedding.  We were so lucky as the weather turned from a beautiful autumn day on the Saturday to a freezing cold winter one on the Sunday.  

Our coverage began with Laura at home and when we arrived her hair was done and she was in the make-up chair.  This is perfect when it comes to capturing the bride getting ready and means that Janet can begin taking make-up pictures whilst Alex sets to work photographing the most important dress in the world, perfume, jewellery and shoes, which, in Laura's case were pretty spectacular!  It also means that very often we can capture some nice shots as the bride has her dress fastened before we have to leave to meet the boys.

Arriving at Tankersley Manor to glorious sunshine, we met up with Rob, who, just like Laura, was brilliant to work with.  Both families made us feel really welcome and very much a part of this special day.

Laura arrived with her proud dad and we got some lovely images as Laura and Rob made their marriage vows, thanks to the registrars who, although space in the room was tight, didn't mind us standing close to them during the proceedings.  

With the big group shot and confetti done within a few minutes and everyone who was needed for the smaller groups working so well with us that we flew through them, we were left with plenty of time for couple photographs before the wedding breakfast.  Laura and Rob's photographs were so important to them that they shelved the receiving line to free up more time for their pictures together as, with shorter daylight hours, we had a lot to fit in before everyone sat for dinner.  

We knew that as well as the traditional photographs, they wanted some fun photos and some arty ones too.  As professional and creative West Yorkshire wedding photographers, we loved working with them as they were very enthusiastic about giving our ideas a try, including a couple of images to show off those shoes and Laura was a natural when it came to striking a pose!

Once dinner and speeches were over, we set up our video light and off camera flash for some night pictures before the evening party started.  Our sincere thanks to Mr and Mrs Spicer for allowing to capture your big day.  It was perfect from start to finish and we hope you love your images.

To talk to us about your wedding photography at Tankersley Manor, please call 01977 730159 or find us on Facebook.