LilyNorth

Pure happiness. That’s the only way I can describe this wedding.

It was clear from the start that this wedding was going to be fun. In all honesty, I probably have never laughed so much at a wedding!

Kris & Deb’s wedding was also my first time shooting a wedding with my awesome gal pal Amy. Amy and I took it in turns to photograph both Kris and Deb getting ready. This was SO lovely because as a photographer, I usually only get to see one bride getting ready!

Emotions were running high on the lead up to the ceremony, and there was so much happiness when Kris and Deb got to see each other in their wedding dresses for the first time. Gray’s Court in York was the most gorgeous venue on such a beautifully sunny day.

These two are so crazily in love with each other – it’s so beautiful to see. I think my favourite part of the entire wedding was the evening reception. Kris and Deb even did their first dance outside because the weather was so gorgeous. It was hilarious to see their reactions when their best friends had written them a rap song especially for the wedding!

When I came round to meeting Kirsty and Dom, it was one of those moments when you look back at yourself and just think ‘I love my job’.

Kirsty and Dom first came to my attention in the most unlikely of scenarios. One day in April, I was having a meeting with another client near Harrogate. When I got home, I was met with the loveliest of emails…

“Hi Lily. We were sitting next to you in the cafe today and I couldn’t help but be blown away by some of the photos I saw on your laptop. We just wanted to ask if you’re free to be our wedding photographer.”

It’s safe to say this put the biggest smile on my face!

I met Kirsty and Dom at Bolton Abbey for their engagement shoot. It really was the most beautiful, sunny morning. As soon as we’d met (properly!), it really felt like I’d known them for years. All 3 of us got on SO well from the second they walked in, and I must say I just absolutely adore these two. They make a photographer’s job very easy indeed.

We had a wander around the Abbey, down to the beach and to the stepping stones. These two legends even brought their wellies with them and jumped in the river. What more could a photographer want!? Dom came to the rescue when a poor child dropped their ice cream in the river whilst on the stepping stones. Ice cream and stepping stones? Probably not the best combination.

A ginger beer and a raspberry lemonade later, we headed our separate ways. As soon as I started driving back to Harrogate, I honestly just sat there with the biggest smile on my face. Granted, I must have looked like a total gimp, but who cares. I absolutely cannot wait to photograph their wedding this weekend!

The wedding season got off to the loveliest start when I was lucky enough to photograph Fran & Lewis’ big day.

Bridal prep was one of the most chilled out wedding mornings I have had the pleasure of photographing! Everyone was so relaxed, and it was lovely to be able to capture such a happy lead up to the wedding. Fran got ready at her parents’ house in Ilkley, and everything had a very personal touch. Fran’s sister did her make up, her mother had made her wedding bouquet, whilst her Dad… poured everyone some Prosecco!

We had a bit of time to spare before heading off to Harrogate. This was the perfect opportunity to get some portraits of the beautiful bride. Fran had been so nervous about having her photograph taken before her engagement shoot, but on her wedding day she was like a different person! She absolutely rocked her portraits. This, ladies and gents, is why engagement shoots are an absolute MUST!

Once the carriages had arrived, it was off to Harrogate we went. Lewis and all the guests were waiting patiently, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the building when Fran walked down the aisle.

Once everyone had congratulated the happy couple, we headed across The Stray for some portraits. The wedding reception was in Scotton, so we set off from Harrogate to meet the rest of the wedding party. Despite only having 20 guests, everybody was in such high spirits. The atmosphere was buzzing from start to finish!

What a lovely wedding to start off the season.

Harewood House certainly was the perfect backdrop for this lovely family shoot!

When a fellow photographer asks you to do a family photo shoot, it’s a lovely feeling indeed!

We met near Harrogate early in the morning before it got too busy. This meant we pretty much had Harewood House to ourselves! It was the first time I had met gorgeous little Noah. I think the pictures speak for themselves for how cute he is! You can’t go too wrong when you dress your baby up as a teddy bear. So sweet!

We had a wander around the grounds, and it’s not very often on a family shoot that you get to see penguins. AND flamingos!

These guys were such brilliant models, and we even had some time at the end of the shoot to get some photos of Rebecca and Balazs together. And what a beautiful couple they are!

I have actually known Sian since I was about 8 years old, since being at primary school with her sister. Almost 15 years later, I didn’t expect us both to be working together in the wedding industry!

Sian has been running her wedding planning business for just over a year, and I would absolutely recommend her services to anyone. She really is one of the loveliest AND most organised people I’ve ever met! PLUS she colour coordinates her jumpers with her mugs. What more could you want from your wedding planner?

The other week Sian and I met at her gorgeous house in Leeds for a photo shoot. I was a very happy photographer indeed when I saw her insanely gorgeous office space. I think if my office looked like that I’d never leave the house again!

Here’s just a little bit more about the lovely Sian Chaplin Events:

What do you like most/ least about working for yourself?

I love the flexibility you get when working for yourself. Being able to create a working day that works perfectly for me is great. One day I’ll have a full day in the office, and the next I’ll be working on a photo shoot or meeting with a potential client. Every day is so different which I love! If I had to give a negative I guess it would be that often you can feel a little lonely. You have to make the effort to see people or even just have a chat on the phone.

What is your main way of marketing?

For me, I work a lot on Instagram and also SEO for my website. I find that the majority of my clients either find me through Google or Instagram so having a strong presence on both is something I spend a lot of time on. I love how Instagram is so visual with so much great content out there and lots of inspiration for couples!

How can photography help you to grow/ improve your business? 

I think having a collection of professional images is great for your business. They can be used in brochures, your website and across social media to create a really professional and approachable look.

I would definitely recommend a small business photo shoot. It’s such a great way to showcase your brand and to allow people to find out about you and your services. It’s also great to get one done if you are a little camera shy! Having my own branding shoot has made me feel so much more confident in front of the camera.

What a day this was – a beautiful farm located just outside of Thirsk, right in the heart of the countryside. Oh, and it’s a cheese farm. Yes please!

 

The ‘Barn on the Farm’ styled shoot was organised by the incredibly talented wonder that is Nicola Dixon – also a fellow Harrogate lass! Claire and Antony did an amazing job being our models for the afternoon. They had never done any modelling before but they did such a brilliant job. It was really lovely to practise different poses that you don’t often get time to try on wedding days!

 

I really loved seeing everybody’s different ideas when it comes to styling and posing. All of the other photographers on the shoot came from all different backgrounds in photography, and it was nice to learn from other creatives!

 

We started the shoot inside the barn, where our various wedding creatives had well and truly worked their magic. Down to the finest detail, the room looked absolutely beautiful.

 

Afterwards we headed outside, and had free rein of the farm! It was nice to make use of all the different backdrops, doorways, walls and fields. After a long day of shooting (and some fun with the smoke bombs!) we all were treated to a delicious BBQ and cheese feast!

 

Thank you Nicola for such a fantastic day on the farm!

 

 

Organisation – Nicola Dixon

Stylist – @L27weddings

Florist – @leafycouture

Props – @addvintagedotcom

Cake – @theflamingobakery

Stationery – @bureaudesign

Hair – Zara Anne Rigg

MUA – Cat Johnson

Dress – The Harrogate Wedding Lounge Designer: Enzoani, Dress Collection: Blue

My first family shoot of the year and the sunshine very kindly came to keep us company!

It hasn’t been very often that we’ve seen the sun in 2018. Our shoot with the Young family in Harrogate was a really colourful one. Baby Rowan’s rainbow coloured shirt certainly brightened up the photographs! The flowers in the gardens along with the different coloured walls we found made this shoot one of the most vibrant that I’ve done in a long time.

Rowan took a little convincing at the start of the shoot to actually look at the camera, but by the end of the hour he was an absolute pro! I think he’s certainly a little model in the making with some of his close up shots!

The Young family were a real treat to photograph. Now let’s just hope for some more sunshine in the weeks to come!

Keep an eye out on my Facebook and Instagram for some cheeky shots of these guys!

“Hi Lily, we’re getting married this summer on a train and we were wondering if y….”

 

Yes. I’ll be there.

 

How often do you get the chance to photograph a wedding on a train?! That’s just incredible! Martin & Amy’s wedding took place at the East Lancashire Railway, which was not only the most amazing location, but also the most beautiful drive from Harrogate!

 

Martin and Amy are such children at heart and it was so special to see such a personal touch throughout every part of their wedding day. Not only did they get married on a train platform, but they wrote each other poems instead of vows, Amy had a wonder woman garter, they made each other a picture book to open on the morning of the wedding, AND even had a Lego inspired wedding cake!

 

You can’t get much more retro than that.

 

The whole day was full of laughs from start to finish. It was also such a surprise to be treated to dinner on the train whilst we travelled through the countryside!

 

The day was concluded by the first dance to ‘Love Train’… what could be more fitting?!

Fran & Lewis’ engagement shoot was a very last minute booking, but I’m so pleased we could all squeeze in the time to do it! These guys were hard as nails to brave the weather on such a freezing cold evening. The snow and rain was no match for us!

I tend to do most of my engagement shoots in the countryside in the morning light. To do a shoot in town AND at night time was certainly a little different to what I’m used to! It was really fun to make use of the city lights and to do some work with flash rather than making use of natural light. I’m loving using flash more and more nowadays and it’s great to experiment with new ideas.

It’s safe to say that these guys were super nervous about the shoot having never had photos taken together before! They did such an awesome job, and I absolutely can’t wait to photograph their wedding in Harrogate this weekend.

These guys are such a lovely couple who will soon be welcoming a little bundle of joy into the world! Keep your eyes peeled for Fran and Lewis’ wedding photos… and perhaps some newborn ones too!

I can’t believe it’s the anniversary of this beautiful day! Today’s also one year since I first worked with the dream that is Charlotte White Weddings. Second shooting for Charlotte has been an absolute pleasure and she has taught me so many amazing things over the past 12 months!

 

From start to finish, Kelly and Matt’s wedding in Harrogate was beautiful. It was one of those days where everything just fall into place. This day was pretty special for me because it was one of the early weddings that convinced me I wanted to be a wedding photographer!

 

Kelly has been one of the most naturally photogenic brides I’ve had the pleasure of working with. After Kelly got into her dress, we had a little time to do portraits. I think it’s fair to say the photos speak from themselves. What a beauty!

 

The reception was at the General Tarleton in Knaresborough. I’d never been before but it was such a quaint and unspoilt little place for a wedding! And I must highlight that their roast dinner may be one of the best I’ve ever had…

 

Anyway! Enough about the food! Kelly and Matt were the most fantastic couple from start to finish – so welcoming, not afraid to let their hair down, and of course very beautiful people indeed!

 

Happy anniversary to you both, and here’s to many more happy years to come!