LilyNorth

After waking up to heavy snow across the UK, luckily all the guests made it safely to the wedding!

Chris and Catherine got married in a beautiful little church at the top of a very steep… slippy… snowy hill. I must admit it was rather entertaining to watch 70 guests attempt to climb up to the top in time for the wedding ceremony. It was entertaining until I almost fell over myself which was not so much fun.

The vicar, Silvia, was the most laid back, lovely vicar I have had the pleasure to work with. Despite forgetting to announce the first kiss, she kept us all entertained throughout the service!

After a snowy drive to the reception, we all arrived at Wentbridge House in one piece. Chris & Catherine had put such a personal touch into all the little details of the wedding. It was also such a pleasure as always to second shoot for the incredible Charlotte White Weddings – we always have such a laugh and she’s an absolute dream to work with.

Just before sunset, Chris and Catherine braved the snow for some portraits. I was so pleased they did because the light, the snow and the gardens were all just perfect!

After their engagement shoot before Christmas, I was so excited to photograph Emma & Allan’s wedding in Durham!

Once I arrived at Seaham Hall, Emma was still finishing off her wedding playlist! We all spent most of the morning suggesting some top tunes for the night ahead. This kept us all entertained, and also kept the nerves at bay!

Emma really was the most stunning bride and was an absolute dream to photograph. We had a little time to spare before heading down to the ceremony, which meant we got chance to get some gorgeous portraits.

The ceremony itself took place in the atrium of the hotel. The room was beautifully lit and looked especially festive with the Christmas tree taking centre stage. During the service, the page boy took a bauble off the tree that had the wedding rings inside! Emma & Allan had also decided to write their own wedding vows, and afterwards there was not a dry eye in the building.

Even though it was freezing cold, Emma & Allan were so kind and willing to go outside for their portraits. I’m so thrilled that they did as they are some of my favourite portraits of 2017. Good work guys!

The evening reception was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of laughs surrounding the snooker table when the kids won against the adults!

The whole drive back to Harrogate I couldn’t help thinking what a magical day it had been from start to finish. Also a massive shout out to my amazing second shooter Fern who did an incredible job!

Emma & Allan it was an absolute pleasure to be part of such a special day – thank you!

Whenever I see a new message from Carrie or Amanda, I light up. I absolutely love these two to bits!

This winter, Amanda contacted me on Facebook asking if I would consider coming up from Harrogate to do a family shoot. At first I was a little confused as to who she meant by ‘family’. When she informed me that it would her, Carrie and Tilly… the dog… I was both amused and excited.

Since photographing their crazy festival wedding in September, we’ve got on like a house on fire. Perhaps a ‘barn on fire’ would be more appropriate, following a certain smoke bomb incident.

It was so lovely to catch up with the two of them after the wedding. Carrie and Amanda live on the most beautiful farm just north of Durham, so we took Tilly for an evening walk across the fields for the shoot. We even set off smoke bombs that we had left over from the wedding!

Carrie and Amanda are two of the most colourful people I’ve had the pleasure to photograph (especially Carrie with her pink hair!). It’s always a guaranteed fun time whenever I see them them.

I was recently contacted by the lovely Chaplin Events to ask if would photograph a wedding consultation morning. I was told there would be lots of free cake.

It’s safe to say I didn’t take much convincing.

The taster morning was hosted by Liz, owner of The Bun Bunny, in her rather swanky new kitchen. The event was an opportunity for engaged couples to come along and chat to different wedding suppliers. They could ask any questions regarding planning for their big day, AND sample a whole load of incredible cake. And trust me, it was incredible.

As well as Liz (who I will now refer to as the queen of cakes), and me running the photography side of things, we were also joined by the wonderful Sian from Chaplin Events, and lovely Michelle from Michelle Hunter Flowers. Liz is all about keeping it local, so it was lovely to get to know other Harrogate wedding businesses.

Overall I was so impressed with the whole premise of the taster morning. It was essentially like being a part of your own mini wedding fair! It was also such a pleasure to photograph the event itself. Liz’s brand new kitchen was absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect venue for an intimate little event such as this one.

If you’re currently in the process of planning your big day and would love the opportunity to come and speak to different wedding suppliers, why not pop along to Liz’s next event on Saturday 10th Feb 2018. To book yourself a place, just visit Liz’s website.

We’ll see you there!

The North of England Wedding Awards are hosted every year at York Racecourse by Liz at The Wedding Guide UK. When I found out that I had been announced as a finalist in the Best New Business category, it’s safe to say I was pretty excited!

I had totally underestimated the scale of the event! With almost 500 guests all dressed in black tie, it really was quite amazing. From wedding cars to venue decorators, it was great to see so many new and familiar faces.

Our table was crazy. We all got on like a house on fire, and we were certainly the noisiest in the room! Each time someone on our table was nominated for an award, you knew about it!

When it came to my category, I was in total disbelief when they announced that Lily North Photography had won! What an honour it was to collect my award on stage in a room of so many amazing people. It was certainly a moment I’ll never forget.

I want to say a massive thank you to Liz and all the event organisers for such an amazing evening, but most importantly to the brides and grooms who voted for me to win this award. I’ve loved being a part of every single wedding I have done this year, and to hear such positive feedback has been incredible. Thank you.

Here’s to another great year!

Despite a widespread frost and nearly skidding off the road, I made it to the village in one piece. Just about.

Even thought it’s a little drive from Harrogate, the village was just beautiful and was so worth the treacherous conditions! It felt very personal to do their engagement shoot here. It was the first time I had met Emma & Allan, and the three of us got on so well from the word ‘go’.

We took a wander through the village and then onto the fields. My fab models did an amazing job! As a couple, they’ve never had photos taken together before, and it really is so lovely to see people really start to relax in front of the camera by the end of the shoot.

I absolutely can’t wait to photograph their wedding up in Durham this weekend. Keep your eye out for wedding pictures, it’s going to be a good one!

Well, where do I start?!

Carrie and Amanda’s festival wedding was probably one of my favourites from this year.

When I first met the girls earlier this year, I knew the wedding was going to be a lot of fun. The thing I loved immediately about these two was how UNCONVENTIONAL they were. The whole wedding was going to be about what they wanted it to be: no tradition, no messing about. I loved everything about it.

I travelled up from Harrogate to Durham the day before the wedding for the pre shoot. Unlike any wedding I’ve done before, the girls were getting married at home. The transformation was just unbelievable! The wedding was festival themed, and everything was covered in hay bales, fairy lights, wheelbarrows, flowers and vegetables! There was a giant tipi in the garden looking out on the incredible views across the fields, and more lawn games and bunting than you could shake a stick at!

The wedding day.

Once Carrie & Amanda were both ready, we all went into the conservatory for the first look. This was the first time I had ever done a first look! There were a lot of tears and a lot of laughs, but overall a lovely moment to be a part of.

The ceremony was absolutely hilarious. Everyone had a drink in their hand, and Kate, the celebrant, did a fantastic job of keeping everyone entertained. Donna & her incredible team from NEWP had done a fantastic job of planning the entire day. I’d also like to thank the catering geniuses at Pimp my Pig for one of the best wedding meals I’ve had to date!

The whole day from start to finish was just a laugh a minute. Particularly when a certain smoke bomb nearly set the whole house on fire, but let’s not mention any more about that!

As a fellow photographer, I was honoured when Beth asked me to photograph her and her family!

Beth decided on Bolton Abbey for the shoot. Not only is it halfway between our houses in Harrogate and Clitheroe, but just so happens to be one of my favourite places to photograph! I’ve been going to Bolton Abbey ever since I was about 3 years old. I like to think I know just about every nook and cranny, and the best places for photos too!

Sorry to be dramatic, but the morning of the shoot was just breathtaking. It was the first time we’ve had a heavy frost this winter. The leaves were bright red, and it was just absolutely stunning against the frost. Luckily the sun was shining and it wasn’t too blustery!

We had a bit of a wander around the Abbey, and it was rather amusing to watch Beth attempt the stepping stones in suede knee-high boots! It really was such a lovely morning, and a such a pleasure to meet Beth’s family.

You can imagine my excitement when these two booked a couples shoot!

When I asked if they would mind lying down in some damp leaves, I was rather surprised when they agreed without hesitation. I don’t think there are many models out there who would be so willing! I think this merits the phrase “sorry not sorry”.

We did Fern & Ell’s shoot in Ilkley. When I set off from Harrogate the weather was quite moody and bleak. I thought this would work really nicely with Fern & Ell’s style. However, when it came to editing the shoot, I was SO happy that it had been so sunny. The colours were just incredible.

Fern and Ell I think are clearly beautiful humans, but for me what makes a shoot extra special is how comfortable a couple are with one another. I love a couple that can just stare at their partner for ages without feeling shy.

The style of my couples’ sessions tends to be super happy and smiley. Fern and Ell’s shoot was such a fun opportunity to shake up my usual style and try something a bit different.

Shout out to Fern and Ell for basically just being awesome!