Wedding Photographer The Parsonage, Escrick | Kim and Stephen's Wedding

As Yorkshire wedding photographers, we often have to contend with adverse weather, including strong wind, but we weren't expecting the absolute howler of a gale which was blowing for our first time as wedding photographers at The Parsonage, Escrick. Standing at the front of this lovely wedding venue was like being at the centre of a sandstorm with the wind whipping up soil and grit from surrounding fields and throwing it everywhere.  It was hard to stand upright let alone take photographs!

It was calmer, albeit it very crowded, in the bridal suite where Kim was getting ready, along with her bridesmaids and pageboys.  However, Kim definitely ruled the roost and her instructions to the children, including daughters Megan and Abbie and son Alfie, made it easy for us to work efficiently and made us laugh in the process.  We were soon joined by Dean and Denise from Day To Remember Videos who were a pleasure to work with.  

We'd been let into a secret that Kim had booked a classic Rolls Royce from Sheergold Wedding Cars, Yorkshire, to transport Steve from home to his wedding at The Parsonage.  There had been a cloak and dagger operation going on between Kim, us and Jean and Andy from Sheergold for months and at our pre-wedding meeting, we had to remember not to mention the car.  Apparently Steve thought that he was arriving by taxi so traveling in this gorgeous Rolls Royce must have been amazing.  Naturally, we wanted to capture him arriving and this is where we were caught up in the biggest gale we've ever known on a wedding day.  The boys put on brave faces for a few minutes to have some photographs with the car before we sent them inside to recover.  It was bad enough having sandblasted, windswept photographers but we certainly didn't want this for the groom!  However, the rear garden is sheltered by buildings and trees and the boys were happy to go outside for long enough to have a few more shots.

When we went back upstairs, Kim was ready and in her dress, waiting to be escorted into the ceremony by her proud dad and step-dad, both of them sharing the privilege of giving her away.  The registrars made our job really easy, imposing no restrictions on us, meaning we could capture all the important moments as the couple exchanged vows and rings.

We had thought that we might have had to to take the majority of the photographs indoors but there are some which you have no choice but to tackle outside, the obvious ones being those with the car.  Andy was so good to work with, not only acting as chauffeur but repeatedly cleaning the Rolls Royce, re-attaching ribbons when the wind literally tore them off and repositioning the car for us in our attempt to give Kim and Steve at least a little shelter and keep them reasonably comfortable during the photographs.

The couple really wanted a big group photograph with all their guests, followed by confetti, and we were very happy when everyone obliged a request to come outside for a few minutes and to ignore the weather.  The back garden gave so much shelter that previous plans to work indoors were abandoned and we covered all the group shots outside with Kim and Steve smiling and remaining upbeat throughout.

The couple session before the wedding breakfast was short but we knew we'd have some time to work with them after the speeches.  The wind had dropped quite a bit by the evening which meant we could capture some beautiful twilight shots outside The Parsonage without being blown over!

A big thank you to Kim and Steve for inviting us to be your wedding photographers and for being such good fun.  We are very flattered to have been recommended to you and we hope you love your pictures!

If you are getting married at The Parsonage, Escrick, please give us a call on 01977 730159.  If you like our photographs, please Like us on Facebook and if you were a guest at Kim and Steve's lovely wedding, please leave a comment.  Thank you.

Rogerthorpe Manor Wedding Photographer | Rachel and Joe's Wedding Photography

We had been looking forward very much to being Rachel and Joe's Rogerthorpe Manor wedding photographers ever since we first met this lovely couple.  Not only did we get along like a house on fire with them, we also hit it off with Rachel's mum and dad, Sarah and Paul, and her sister Charlotte.  It's always a pleasure to photograph weddings at Rogerthorpe Manor.  We love the venue and the staff and we are proud to be their nominated photographers.   

Rachel and Joe had chosen a very special day, making it a double celebration.  Not only did they become Mr and Mrs Hoole, it was also Rachel's 21st birthday.  We wonder if this was so that Joe never has any excuse for forgetting their wedding anniversary!

The weather looked decidedly dull and gloomy when we arrived at Rogerthorpe Manor to capture Rachel getting ready and we had fingers crossed that the wet stuff would hold off until later, preferably much later! Starting in Room 14, the bridal suite, we arrived just minutes after the girls did.  Rachel's dress, decorated with vintage style lace, was just stunning and after spending some time capturing the detail on this, her accessories including a pair of gorgeous pearl earrings and shots of make-up being applied, we went downstairs to photograph the Cawthorne Suite in its finery, expertly dressed by Stacey from Chantilly Weddings.

Rogerthorpe Manor weddings can be at mid-day or 3.30 pm and as this wedding was the later one, we knew we'd have to work fast to capture as much as possible before the wedding breakfast.   This is so much easier when you have a couple like Rachel and Joe who were absolute stars and who willingly went along with everything we suggested.

The weather held for long enough for us to get everyone together on the main lawn for a big group shot, a sequence of confetti throwing, the family group photos and fun shots with the boys and girls before we left everyone to chat and enjoy Buck's Fizz whilst we took some romantic images of Rachel and Joe together.

The rain finally arrived during the wedding breakfast but this slowed to a drizzle as dusk fell.  As it was really important to Rachel and Joe to have some evening photographs, they decided to ignore the drizzle and come outside anyway.  A brolly came in useful as we set up the shots and we hope that they think it was well worth braving the rain and cold to get them.

A first dance and an exploding balloon were the finale to a fabulous day spent with a wonderful couple.

Congratulations Rachel and Joe and thank you for choosing us for your wedding photography at Rogerthorpe Manor.

If you were a guest at Rachel and Joe's wedding, please leave a comment and if you are getting married at Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel, we'd love to hear from you.  Call us on 01977 730159 and please Like us on Facebook.

Dog Portrait Photographer West Yorkshire | Max, Belle and Rosie

As family portrait photographers in West Yorkshire, we often find that family extends to the four legged and wet nosed variety and as dog portrait photographers in Castleford and animal lovers ourselves, we're always very enthusiastic about welcoming furry subjects to our studio.   

Spaniels Max, Belle and Rosie brought along their mum, Denise, and her daughter in law to be, Tor, to the session, as they came in handy for a supply of treats (bribes), cuddles and general coaxing and encouragement during the shoot.  

As well as individual dog portraits, Denise wanted some photographs of the three of them together and this did prove something of a challenge with none of them sitting still for much more than a split second, and all darting off in different directions as soon as three pairs of hands were loosened, but patience paid off and we did manage some really nice images.

Max, being a bit more of a poser, was the easiest to get individual portraits of so he went in front of the camera first to show the girls how it's done.  We won't share the technique we used to get each of them to sit and stay in exactly the right position but we are really happy with the results and we hope that Denise will be over the moon with the portraits of her much loved and gorgeous pets.

A pet portrait photo session in our Castleford studio usually costs £50 to include our time photographing your dog or cat, expert editing of your images and a viewing appointment a week or two later so that you can see the best ones and choose your favourites to be printed.  Call us now on 01977 730159 and get your session for just £35 for a limited time.