Ye Olde Bell Retford Wedding Photography - Sharon and Arron

We first heard about Sharon and Arron from a mutual friend who very kindly recommended us to be the couple's Ye Olde Bell, Retford wedding photographers.  

This was our first time providing the Ye Olde Bell wedding photography but as with all new venues, we did our homework a few weeks before the big day and visited the venue with the couple to check out the best locations for their photographs and discuss timings and ideas.

Sharon, Arron and their three children live in a beautiful house and this was where we started the day's photography, capturing images of our bride's spectacular princess style dress, as well as some very high heeled shoes and other pretty bits and pieces.  Sharon was having make-up applied downstairs and as there are two of us, Alex could concentrate on getting the detail shots and some informal photos of the children, whilst Janet kept an eye on Sharon and her make-up artist's progress.  

With a late afternoon wedding in autumn and the knowledge that daylight after the ceremony will be limited and that you will be working against the clock, you hope that at least the weather will be kind.  It was raining heavily for the whole morning and into the afternoon but it stopped just as we arrived at the venue to meet the boys.  We all breathed a huge sign of relief and looked forward to working outside and to taking advantage of the lovely backdrops at the venue and the rich, vibrant autumn colours.   

Ye Olde Bell has facilities for outdoor ceremonies and Sharon and Arron had been hopeful of tying the knot outside, but due to the poor weather forecast they abandoned the idea and got married in a beautiful room with crystal chandeliers and great lighting, so we weren't at all disappointed at the change of plan.  This was such a moving ceremony and we captured some emotional moments as the couple exchanged vows and rings, watched by their three beautiful and impeccably behaved children who are an absolute credit to their mum and dad.      

Everyone came out into the garden for drinks, congratulations, confetti and group photos and although the ceremony had started later than scheduled, we were very happy with the images we managed to capture for this fabulous family.  The rain held off (wonderful) and the low sun came out (not so wonderful) but we know which we'd rather have!

After a buffet wedding breakfast and a just one speech, Arron's, to his stunning bride, the room was cleared for the evening party.  A technical hitch with the DJ's equipment wasn't the disaster it could have been because some of the couple's friends stepped in to make sure that there was music to entertain the guests and for the new Mr and Mrs Kendall's first dance as husband and wife.

Our grateful thanks Sharon and Arron for choosing us to be your wedding photographers. We had a wonderful day with you and your family and you looked after us so well.  Thank you also to Terry for your recommendation and for being such a star in so many ways throughout the day!  If you like our images, please Like us on Facebook and please contact us if you are looking for a wedding photographer (or in our case, two!)

King's Croft Hotel Wedding Photography - Kay and Gary

I've known Kay for many years and it was lovely to receive a call from her telling us that she and Gary were getting married.  They had chosen a local wedding venue for their civil ceremony and reception, and one that is very familiar to us as King's Croft wedding photographers.  We were delighted that they booked us to capture their special day.

We started off at the couple's home just a few minutes away from ours in Castleford. Amongst other pretty accessories, Kay had a pair of gorgeous lace shoes and a beautiful bottle of perfume.  She was fastened into her dress by Heidi from the bridal gown shop and we had plenty of time to capture this and a few portraits before we set off to meet Gary and start the wedding photography at the King's Croft Hotel.  

Thankfully it stayed dry but it was very windy and we chose areas of shelter near the trees for the boys' photographs.  However, this was a bit risky and we had a good laugh with Gary and his best man, Neil, as we tried hard to avoid being hit by the numerous falling conkers!  Kay's daughter, Maddie, and best friend, Cheryl, arrived a few minutes ahead of Kay and her son, Ellis, who proudly gave his mum away, enabling us to capture some images of the girls before the ceremony got underway.

As always, the Pontefract registrars were brilliant, incredibly friendly and accommodating towards us, allowing us to capture some beautiful moments as Kay and Gary tied the knot, after which the newly married couple and their guests came outside to a Bucks Fizz and Becks drinks reception.  It was lovely to see quite a few familiar faces amongst the guests.

We left everyone for a short time so that the couple could have some photographs with the fabulous Rolls Royce they'd hired, expertly chauffeured by Robert Hepworth from Rolls Hire Vintage Limousines, who, as always, was very helpful to us in positioning the car exactly where we wanted it, before we returned to the main gardens for the group and couple photos.  

Due to time constraints and the fact that it's getting dark much earlier now, Kay and Gary decided to use the time available and the remaining daylight for more photographs outside rather than having photographs of the King's Suite set up for the wedding breakfast.  We came back to capture their speeches and afterwards, as the light faded, we set up near the lake for some twilight photos, finishing our coverage after the new Mr and Mrs Carr had impressed everyone with their first dance waltz.

Thank you Kay and Gary for choosing us to capture your lovely autumn wedding day, and thank you Neil, Gary's best man, for the invaluable and much appreciated help you gave us.

Please follow us on Facebook and contact us on 01977 730159 to enquire about your King's Croft wedding photography.

Waterton Park Hotel Wedding Photographer - Charlotte and Mark

Charlotte and Mark booked us for their Waterton Park wedding photography with only a few weeks to go before their big day.  The couple have recently moved up to Yorkshire, they fell in love with Waterton Park as soon as they saw it, and their wedding date was set for a Sunday in September, with Charlotte managing to plan everything, down to the very last detail, in an incredibly short space of time.

We were very privileged to be chosen as the couple's wedding photographers and to be given an insight into the moving story of how they met, fell for each other, and completely turned their lives around, all in the space of a year.  Charlotte was beside herself with joy and excitement each time we chatted, telling us about her plans and showing us pictures of all the little details she had chosen.  We very much wanted to reflect her excitement in the couple's photos.

We love being Waterton Park wedding photographers as this beautiful venue offers so much variety for photographs, having architecture, greenery and a stunning lakeside setting to use as backdrops. Charlotte got ready at the venue and she had lots of details for us to photograph, as well as a gorgeous princess style dress, before we headed over the bridge and onto the island to take Mark's pictures. 

During our planning meeting before the wedding, Charlotte expressed a dislike of traditional group photos, preferring a more fun and informal approach.  The couple decided on a big group shot of everyone, incorporating a spectacular balloon release, and then just a few smaller groups to be taken after the ceremony, with the emphasis on showing the personalities of the people in the groups, with, well, some interesting and hilarious results!

With the weather on our side, we planned the main couple photo session for after the wedding breakfast, but there was a little time beforehand for some bride and groom photos before we went in to photograph the County Suite which looked beautiful dressed in orange and Tiffany blue.  This will make a lovely image for Charlotte and Mark's storybook album, along with the pretty details which were on the tables.  The speeches were both funny and emotional, with Charlotte's dad making his daughter crack up with laughter one minute and shed tears the next.

Mr and Mrs Taylor enjoyed their romantic portrait session in the softer early evening light and we made the most of the backdrops that Walton Hall wedding photography has to offer, before they rejoined their guests for the evening party.  Charlotte's brother Ben grabbed his sister for some impressive moves around the dance floor before the bride and groom danced their first dance as husband and wife.  Our sincere thanks to Charlotte and Mark for choosing us to capture their very special day.

If you like our work, please give us a Like on Facebook, and call us on 01977 730159 if you are looking for a Waterton Park Hotel wedding photographer.