Rogerthorpe Manor Wedding Photographer | Lianne and Barrie

Our third wedding of an extremely busy weekend saw us as wedding photographers at St John the Baptist Church, Wentbridge to capture Lianne and Barrie's marriage, followed by their celebrations with their family and friends at Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel.

We covered Lianne's preparations at home first and as everything ran perfectly to time, we were able to get a few photographs as her elegant dress was fastened by her mum and as Lianne applied her finishing touches, including wearing a bracelet with a shamrock charm which was in honour of her granddad, who is Irish, and who sadly couldn't be there to see his granddaughter get married.  

Barrie, his best women, Becky, and the boys, arrived at the church not long after we did and we soon had the groom's portraits done, leaving Barrie to welcome his guests whilst we photographed the bridesmaids ahead of Lianne's arrival.  Although it's the first time we've worked at this pretty church, we already knew the vicar's policy on photography, as he ministers at several churches in the area.  It's strictly from the back only, which is most definitely better than no photographs at all.

It was probably asking too much for the weather to behave itself for three consecutive full days and it kept changing from bright sunshine one minute to threatening rain the next. Luckily, it did manage to hold off until we got to Rogerthorpe Manor, at which point it tipped it down and out come our brollies.  Pleas for it to stop must have worked and by the time the newly married couple arrived, we were back to warm and dry, at least for a while.  As the threat of the wet stuff was never far away, we worked very quickly through the group photos in an attempt to beat it and avoid having to work indoors.

As Rogerthorpe Manor wedding photographers, we always enjoy working at this lovely venue which is beautiful, has immaculately maintained gardens and where the staff are warm, friendly and helpful.  The food's great too!    

Whilst everyone was enjoying the wedding breakfast, we went to check out a nearby field full of ripening wheat and although it was muddy underfoot, we did think it was worth mentioning to Lianne and Barrie the possibility of some photographs in there.  Not only were they more than willing to give our ideas a try with the promise of some great images, Lianne had a pair of flat shoes with her which did make walking through a wheat field a bit easier and limited the damage to her wedding shoes.  The threat of a soaking was never far away and as we carry several umbrellas in our car for whenever our couples need them, it seemed a good time to bring our purple one out, as it was a close match to the colour scheme Lianne and Barrie had chosen.  We let Lianne loose with it and captured a few arty pictures.

A tall groom and a petite bride are the ideal combination for him to pick her up and this was where a quick change back to Lianne's wedding shoes was needed.  We'd been keeping a close eye on the rain clouds all day but for these images, the thundery and menacing sky really helped to make the images in the field something really special for the couple.

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Farr and thank you for booking us to capture your wedding day.  If you are looking for a West Yorkshire wedding photographer, with us you get two and we would love to hear from you.  You can follow us on Facebook here.

Enjoy the images which are copyright Alex & Janet Durasow.

Bagden Hall Wedding Photographer | Natalie and Ryan

One of our busiest weekends of this year's wedding season saw us as wedding photographers at St Paul's Church, Birkenshaw.  We've worked at this church once before when we were Chloe and Sam's wedding photographers and they very kindly recommended us to Natalie and Ryan.  The scene couldn't have been more different though, as on Chloe and Sam's December wedding day there was deep snow but on Natalie and Ryan's, this lovely church was bathed in glorious summer sunshine and the vicar, although a different one this time, was just as accommodating and helpful to us, allowing us to capture the proceedings from the front of the church and from the back.

First stop was at Natalie's mum and dad's house, not too far from the church, for what we think is a very important part of the day.  It's nice to capture all those little details which would otherwise be quickly forgotten, such as the perfume the bride wore and those beautiful shoes.  Natalie was in her dress before we left for church, which is a welcome bonus and of course, means more precious moments captured.

Ryan and his best man and ushers met us at exactly the time arranged and this meant we could spend some time on their portraits before the bridesmaids and Natalie's mum arrived.  Again, it's always great when the bridesmaids get to the wedding venue a few minutes ahead of the bride rather than at the same time and we had some images of them before our attention was firmly on Natalie and her dad's arrival.

Natalie is a teacher and something very special was arranged as part of the ceremony. Her whole class sang during the service and we suspect that there wasn't a dry eye in the house!  Afterwards, they all sat with Miss Morgan, or rather the new Mrs Lomas, on the steps inside the church for a photograph before we all set off on the journey to Bagden Hall.

As Bagden Hall wedding photographers, we love this beautiful venue and the staff are brilliant.  Tom, the wedding co-ordinator, is such a helpful guy and he was at the door to confirm timings with us and welcome the newly married couple with a celebration drink.

Instead of confetti, Natalie and Ryan had opted for bottles of bubbles, so once everyone had arrived, we set up the big group photo and a sequence of bubble blowing shots.  We were really impressed with everyone's efforts but we did spot one little boy who thought it was more fun to pour the contents of his bottle onto the grass!

Family groups followed and a sequence of images with a great fun bridal party who were such a good laugh and a real pleasure to spend time with.  There was limited time remaining before the receiving line but we did manage to work with the couple for a few minutes before it was time to photograph the room, table details and cake.  There was so much attention to detail and some beautiful things to capture on the tables.  There was also Keith Tomlinson, known as the Singing Major, a very talented man who entertained everyone during the drinks reception and wedding breakfast and who we highly recommend.  

The weather held out for us for just long enough, after the speeches, for a romantic couple photo session around the grounds of Bagden Hall.  A walk down to the folly was a must and we'd just got back for our last planned shots at the entrance when the heavens opened and it bucketed down!  There was no way the rain was stopping us getting a couple of gorgeous arty photos and it was fairly easy to keep Natalie and Ryan dry in the doorway whilst we got soaked!

A huge thank you Mr and Mrs Lomas for booking us for your Bagden Hall wedding and to Chloe and Sam for recommending us.  

If you were a guest, please feel free to leave a comment, follow us on Facebook or call us if you are looking for a Bagden Hall wedding photographer on 01977 730159.

We hope you enjoy the images which are copyright Alex & Janet Durasow. 

Harewood House Wedding Photographer | Liane and Andy

Our first of a three wedding weekend saw us as Harewood House wedding photographers, for Liane and Andy, a lovely couple who booked us on recommendation. They were told that we would make the most of the backdrops this beautiful stately home has to offer and we were delighted to have the opportunity to photograph a wedding there. 

Wedding photography at Yorkshire stately homes has one thing in common it seems. Weddings are held late in the day, when members of the public have left and when the estate is closed.  If there is one disadvantage to this it is that wedding photographers at Harewood House have very limited time to fit everything in but the advantages are that the locations available are breathtaking and the wedding party have use of the grounds just for themselves for a few hours.  As the inside of the house was out of bounds and the wedding very much based around the gardens, terrace and courtyard, it goes without saying that we were hoping for the weather to be kind to us and we weren't disappointed. It was a warm and sunny day and being July, we had the benefit of longer daylight hours, pretty important when a wedding takes place at 4 pm.   

We arrived at Liane's parents' home where hair dressing and make-up were in full swing. Liane had chosen a beautiful and very elegant dress and her bouquet was something really special.  She and her mum had spent many hours on this gorgeous creation, made not with flowers but with buttons and beads from Liane's grandma's button box.  A true labour of love.

Our next stop was at Harewood House where the boys arrived to meet us and if anything, it was a bit too sunny, although we feel guilty for saying this as it's much better than the wet stuff we see so much of!  We found some shade for photographs of Andy and his attendants in a field just off the courtyard and kept a nervous groom occupied for a while before we turned our attention to waiting for Liane's arrival with her dad and bridesmaids and the start of the civil ceremony.

Everyone walked the short distance to the terrace for the drinks reception.  This is a spectacular location with steps up to the house and beautiful borders full of flowers.  It was a great place to photograph the groups before we left everyone to enjoy the sunshine whilst we were treated to a ride in a golf buggy which took us, Liane and Andy and all our gear down to the lakeside for some quiet time and couple photographs.  This area has several lovely spots for photographs and the time we had flew by all too quickly. With time almost up we piled back onto the golf buggy for the ride up to the front of Harewood House for a few must have images featuring this wonderful stately home.  

We delivered the new Mr and Mrs Cowell back to a champagne toast and a warm welcome from their guests before a hog roast was served.  This was a lovely relaxed and informal summer wedding.  The couple had decided against formalities such as speeches and first dance, preferring to relax in the late evening sunshine with their guests.  We really appreciate being recommended to them and we had a very enjoyable day.  Looking through the images, we're delighted with the results and hope that Liane and Andy love them as much as we do.

If you are looking for a Harewood House wedding photographer, we'd love to hear from you and if you'd like to follow us on Facebook, we'd really appreciate it.  Thank you.