LilyNorth

Freedom day wedding at the Tithe Barn!

 

After five postponements (yes, five!), Hannah & Phil decided on a Monday in July to finally have their wedding. Little did they realise at the time that the Monday they had chosen just happened to be freedom day! The first of MANY weddings with no restrictions, no masks, a dancefloor full of people, lots of hugging and kissing. All the things I’ve missed seeing and photographing for what feels like an eternity!

Hannah and Phil’s wedding was possibly my fifth or sixth time that I’ve photographed at the Tithe Barn. It’s probably my most popular venue, and yet this was the FIRST wedding I’ve photographed there where it hasn’t rained! In fact, it was glorious sunshine from start to finish! This venue is absolutely beautiful whatever the weather, but my goodness it’s stunning when the sun shines.

I met Hannah and Phil for their engagement shoot up on Ilkley Moor at the start of last year. Back then the wedding was only a few weeks away, and then Covid went and bloody happened! Hannah & Phil’s wedding was the first of mine to be postponed, so when the date finally came, I for one was READY!

This day really felt like a long time coming, and having waited for almost a year and a half, everyone was definitely ready for a big old party…

Hannah was getting ready at her family’s farm in Silsden on the morning of the wedding. We had a lovely chilled out morning, with Alix & Ness working their magic on hair and make up! Once the bridesmaids were in their dresses, and after a cheeky glass of fizz, Hannah headed up to get into her wedding dress. And what a dress! It was a Justin Alexander from the Harrogate Wedding Lounge, and it suited Hannah down to the ground. So elegant and simple with just a little sparkle. Stunning.

Hannah headed downstairs for the big reveal, and after an emotional reunion with her dad, it was time to head to the venue! Although not before a few photos of course..

Phil was waiting at the Tithe Barn along with all their family and friends. Everyone was in such high spirits – not just because of the wedding, but because of the FREEDOM! It was so lovely to see smiling faces again instead of a room full of masks!

Hannah arrived in style in a rather swanky red Porsche, and walked down the aisle with her dad by her side. Choosing photos to share from the ceremony was a tricky one because these two were just so smiley the whole way through! Absolutely beaming to see each other and it was a dream to photograph.

You might think that after a ceremony is the perfect time to throw some confetti. But not for these guys! Hannah & Phil took a slightly different approach and instead had… BUBBLES! It looked so pretty, and it was nice to see a little twist on a classic wedding tradition…

Everyone was enjoying some fizz in the sunshine, overlooking that famous view of Bolton Abbey. Once it was time for the speeches, everyone headed inside and the room EXPLODED with applause when the newlyweds walked in! Phil’s best man took a slightly different approach to your classic wedding speech, and treated the guests to a game of ‘Who wants to be a Philionnaire’! Everyone was loving it, and of course he made the most of the massive projector to share lots of embarrassing photos of the groom!

After some delicious food, we headed out across the fields to get some portraits of the bride and groom. We were treated to a rather glorious golden hour which is always a wedding photographer’s dream!

It was finally time for the party, and once Hannah & Phil had cut the wedding cake, everyone hopped on the dancefloor. It was AWESOME to see a dancefloor full of people again! Everyone was so ready for a party, and it was so much fun to photograph.

What a wedding. One of my favourite venues, glorious weather, an amazing couple, and of course the freedom we’ve all been missing.

Shoutout to all the wonderful suppliers for Hannah & Phil’s wedding day!

 

Venue – The Tithe Barn, Bolton Abbey

Photography – Me!

Florist – Beamsley Blooms

Hair – Alix, The Curve, Silsden

Make-up – Ness, KH Make Up Artistry

Dress – Justin Alexander, Harrogate Wedding Lounge

Three words.. golden retriever puppy…

 

So here’s the thing. I really like engagement shoots. I like having the time to really get to know my couples, as well as getting to visit lots of new places. But what makes an engagement shoot better than any other? A golden retriever puppy. That’s all. Job done. The end. Finito.

As you can probably tell, I am absolutely obsessed with golden retrievers. I have been BEGGING Harry to let me get one for a very long time. Let’s just say it’s still very much a work in progress…

You can imagine my excitement when Catherine and Matthew told me they were getting a golden retriever puppy! Not only that, but they only picked him up the day before the shoot! He was so tiny!

It was soooo lovely meeting Catherine and Matthew. These guys are getting married at the Sun Pavillion in Harrogate next year – one of my very favourite wedding venues! Unfortunately Freddie the retriever won’t be making an appearance on the wedding day, so I took the opportunity to get as many photos as I could whilst I had the chance!

We did the shoot in the beautiful little village of Harome, not far from Helmsley. It was such a gorgeous place, with so many lovely backdrops for photos. We started the shoot with some photos in the garden, with Freddie happily jumping all over myself, Catherine and Matthew! I’m not sure how I actually managed to get any work done – all I wanted to do was play with the dog!

Since Freddie can’t go outside yet, after some photos in the garden we headed off down the lane, just us humans. Catherine and Matthew are very natural with each other and were just so lovely to photograph! We got some snaps down by the pond, in front of the telephone box (my favourite!), and down the lane by a very pretty thatched cottage. We chatted about all the plans for the wedding day, and I for one can’t wait to see them tie the knot!

After some cuddles with Freddie, it was time for me to head back to Harrogate. But not before I treated myself to a quick coffee in Helmsley!

I will keep you guys posted on my mission to get my own golden retriever, but for now you can enjoy these photos!

A glorious wedding at the Chilli Barn…

 

What a beautiful wedding day this was! Not only are these guys just amazing, not only was it one of my absolute favourite wedding venues, but we were so blessed with the weather too. Sunshine from start to finish, and the most gorgeous golden hour to finish off the day.

I arrived on the morning of the wedding to a rather gorgeous house near Otley where Sophie and her bridesmaids were getting ready. Everyone was so excited for the wedding day ahead! We all had a super chilled out morning which was fab. We were joined by the lovely hair and make up artists Laura, Jess and Rhiann who did an amazing job.

It was pretty emotional when Sophie’s parents arrived at the house! She was a little tearful bless her! I just love little moments like this on a wedding day.

Before we knew it, it was time for Sophie to get into her dress! Maid of honour Maria was in charge of dress duties. After trying numerous different tools to do the buttons up, it wasn’t long before the beautiful Sophie was ready! After an awesome reveal to her parents and bridesmaids, we hopped in the car and headed for the Chilli Barn.

I JUST LOVE THIS WEDDING VENUE! It’s so great for an intimate wedding. As this was one of my last weddings with a 30 person limit it was absolutely perfect.

Chris was ready and waiting for his lovely bride. Chris really made me laugh by always looking straight at my camera when I was trying to take candid photos of him! But the photos are cute so I can’t complain haha! Bless him.

Sophie walked down the aisle with the biggest smile on her face which was so lovely to see! She was just absolutely buzzing and it was such a nice moment to photograph!

After the ceremony we all headed outside the Chilli Barn for some confetti, some fizz and lots of canapes. The weather was just beautiful, and it’s safe to say a few of the guests caught the sun throughout the day (including me!!).

Sophie & Chris decided to do their speeches outside which was just FAB! I absolutely love speeches outside, it looks absolutely amazing on the photos! We did a few photos of Sophie & Chris, but decided to wait until the light was a little less harsh to do the rest.

All the guests headed inside for a jolly good feed, and once the sun was a little lower we headed across the road to the Chevin for some portraits. That’s another thing that’s amazing about the Chilli Barn – not only are there so many nice spots for photos, but you’re just 30 seconds away from the woods and fab views over Otley!

The evening reception was such a lot of fun. Some of the guests started playing some drinking games, and the photos are some of my absolute favourites! I particularly enjoyed Sophie’s competitive side, and when it was a face-off between her and her brother, her face when she won was absolutely priceless.

Sophie & Chris rounded off the wedding with their first dance outside which, again, I absolutely LOVED! More outdoor first dances please!!! And of course, we couldn’t ignore that stunning sunset, so we did a few more cheeky portraits in the field next door. It would have been rude not to!

This was absolutely my kind of wedding, and I already can’t wait for the next time I’m back the Chilli Barn! Thank you to Chris, Sophie and all your friends and family for being awesome.

Venue – The Chilli Barn, Otley

Photography – Me!

Florist – Cocoa & Bloom 

Hair & Make up – FACES (Laura & Jess), & Rhiann

Cake – Heidi’s Cakery

Venue dressing – Oakleaf Weddings

Engagement shoot on the farm..

 

These beautiful humans get married this weekend and I am SO. BLOODY. EXCITED!

I think every wedding photographer gets a booking once in a while and that they just can’t stop thinking about. That was 10000% the case for Mia & William’s wedding.

I knew when Mia first emailed me back in 2019 that this would be the wedding for me. They’re getting married on the family farm. They’re having a PINK CAMPER VAN. They’re travelling from the church on the back of a TRACTOR. And more pizza (or so I’m told) than you can shake a stick at.

I met these guys for the first time a few weeks back for their engagement shoot on the farm. It was a laugh a minute from beginning to end! I have no doubt that the wedding day will be no different.

The farm is absolutely beautiful. What a dream to have your wedding at your family home where you can have everything exactly as you want it! The drive is absolutely stunning, and you’re surrounded by beautiful countryside in every direction.

We started the shoot with some photos of Mia & William up the main driveway, and we were also joined by the craziest doggo in the world – Ava. She’s an absolute legend! She had us all in stitches because she just would NOT play ball (pun definitely intended). 99% of the photos I took she has her mouth wide open, mid bark, because she was just like ‘what the hell is going on here? Who is this strange woman taking photos of me and my humans?!’

The best moment of my entire career came when I was taking photos of Mia & William sat on the grass, and Ava the dog stood right in front of my lens, and presented a lovely view of her bottom to my camera! It really is the funniest photo, not just of the dog bum of course, but Mia & William’s reactions are just hilarious.

After some photos with Ava, we got some cute photos with the donkey! He’s an absolute sweetheart. I’m sure he’ll be melting some hearts on the wedding day flirting with the guests!

The farm was such a lovely place to do the engagement shoot, and I know we won’t be short of lovely backdrops on the wedding day either.

I am so excited for the wedding this Saturday! I keep checking the weather like a crazy person, but even if it’s raining I know it will still be an amazing day!

Watch this space for lots of wedding photos 🙂

Crazy little thing called Vogue…

 

I’ve been keeping this shoot a little bit of a secret since way back in April! And as you can probably guess, it ended up being pretty bloody special!

Earlier this year, the wonderful Helen from Willow and Bear decided to put together this dream of a shoot. And to say we had the best team of suppliers would be a massive, massive understatement!

Helen and Emma had created the most beautiful florals – not one but FOUR bouquets, with dried and fresh flowers everywhere. Jasmine and Ed were our incredible models for the day. They were totally up for all of mine and Kieran’s suggestions! Jasmine’s dress had been made ESPECIALLY for the occasion by Nicole at Elise Designs which totally blew me away! And the lovely Sonia did the most incredible job on Jasmine’s hair and make-up. What an absolute vision she was.

The shoot was at Norton Conyers, just outside of Ripon. It’s a wedding venue I’d not been to before but what a hidden gem it is! Even though we were only half an hour from Harrogate, it felt like we were somewhere in France! We were mainly in the orangery (bloody love that word.. so fancy!), and had free roam of the gardens too. The weather was super sunny, so we decided to start the shoot inside until the sun was a little less harsh. That’s what I love about shoots like this – you get the luxury of ‘time to play with’ which isn’t always the case on a wedding day!

Everything was just beautiful. The setting, the dappled light, our gorgeous models. We were totally spoilt for choice for places to take photos too! We started with some portraits of the lovely Jasmine, who, I have to say, is just an absolute dream to work with. She is such a natural model in front of the camera, that Kieran and I could just snap away quite happily without having to give much direction whatsoever! She’s one of those people who is just as beautiful inside as she is on the outside.

We tried to make sure we had lots of lovely photos to show off each and every supplier who had put their all into this shoot. Lots of photos with the incredible flowers, some without to really show off the dress, and a few close ups of Sonia’s amazing job on hair and make-up. We were also lucky enough to have some beautiful jewellery from Kitty Joyas, hair crowns from Rachel Chaprunne, as well as shoes from the one and only Diane Hassall. What a team!

After some portraits of Jasmine, we certainly couldn’t forget about our lovely groom for the day – Ed! These guys are SO easy to photograph it’s insane! They have so much chemistry. I’m fairly sure they could look at each other and smile for hours and hours. Just an absolute dream.

After a spot of lunch we headed out into the gardens for some more portraits, where Helen had put together a little sweetheart table for Ed & Jasmine to enjoy a spot of afternoon tea! They tucked into some heavenly chocolates from York Cocoa Works, and macrons from Florian Poirot.

What better way to round off the day than for Jasmine to chuck the bouquet! Sure, there wasn’t the traditional crowd of single ladies there to catch it, but she did have me and Kieran taking some pretty epic photos. What more could I bride want at her wedding!?

Fast forward a few months, and I’m sat doing a bit of editing whilst watching the telly (classic multitasking I’d say!). I get a message from Helen telling me that the shoot is going to be featured in, yep, you guessed it, Vogue. Like actual British Vogue!! I could NOT believe it!

There was definitely a part of me that thought it was all just a bit too good to be true. I mean how many photographers actually get to say they’ve been published in Vogue?! So until I had the printed copy in my hand, I didn’t really tell anyone the big news. Not even my family! But now I guess we can say that the cat’s finally out of the bag. And I’m SO PROUD! It feels pretty bloody cool. I will be forever finishing my sentences with ‘oh by the way I have a photo published in Vogue’. (Don’t worry, I absolutely will not be doing that!!!)

I couldn’t be more grateful to every single person involved in this shoot! I have to say the biggest and most special thank you to Helen. She organised this whole thing, and the shoot wouldn’t have even happened in the first place if it wasn’t for her. Never mind being published!

I already can’t wait for the next time we can all work together. If it’s even half as good as last time I know we’re in for something special. Love you guys – you’re the BEST!

A boho dream at The Priests House..

 

Bella and Rowan got in touch only a couple of months ago about their wedding photography, and I was absolutely BUZZING when I saw they were getting married at the Priests House! Genuinely one of my favourite wedding venues ever. It’s hard to call but dare I say.. my absolute favourite?!

I arrived in Barden on the morning of the wedding, and it really is the most beautiful setting. Only 30 minutes from Harrogate, tucked away in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales surrounded by beautiful countryside.

I met Rowan and his lovely family who were awaiting the arrival of the beautiful bride. It was such a chilled out wedding with only 16 guests in total. Everyone had travelled all the way from Hull to be there! Just goes to show what an amazing place this is. Totally worth the two and a half hour drive!

Once Bella arrived she was greeted by her lovely bridesmaids, all dressed in beautiful pastel pink and blue dresses. Bella looked absolutely incredible. She had on a simple, elegant white gown, with a really delicate flower crown to add to her boho look. Bella walked down the aisle with her brother by her side, followed by all 4 bridesmaids, 3 flower girls and page boy!

After a beautiful ceremony, we all headed outside to get some photos. Thankfully the rain just about held off, which meant we were able to get some cracking confetti and group photos! Rowan, Bella and I then headed down to the river to get some portraits of just the two of them.

It felt strange leaving a wedding after just a couple of hours, but these guys finished off the day with a chilled out, intimate family dinner. I absolutely love weddings like this. It was so lovely having the time to really get to know everybody there and we all had a really good laugh. Bella, Rowan and their families were all so welcoming and I’m so glad I got to be part of such a special wedding.

Already can’t wait to back at the Priests House soon!

Coins, cake and one chilled out couple!

 

This was my first wedding of 2021!

It’s crazy to think these guys got married back in APRIL. Useless old me has only just got round to blogging about it!

On what was their 10 year anniversary, Leonie & Matt celebrated with a simple but beautiful wedding in Harrogate. Restrictions at the time meant they could only have 6 people in the ceremony, but they still managed to make it such a fun wedding!

I can safely say that these guys are the most chilled out couple I’ve ever photographed. They arrived at the ceremony together.. Leonie changed into her trainers after the wedding.. They cut their cake on the grass outside on the Stray! Just absolute legends. It made the wedding infinitely more enjoyable for everyone because they were so chilled out!

Usually at a wedding I love the reception, the dancing, the mingling because there’s so much going on. But for Leonie & Matt’s wedding, the ceremony was just so fun! Leonie practically ran down the aisle with the biggest smile on her face. That was shortly followed by her bursting into tears during the vows.. not because she was emotional, but because she found it so funny! I was giggling away behind my camera at the back of the room. It was just hilarious.

Once they were announced as husband and wife, what better way to start your marriage than by saying “It’s nice to get married.. even just so you have a spare ring!”. (Genuine quote. Loved it).

Some of their closest friends met them outside the ceremony which was so lovely. I know it meant a lot to Matt & Leonie. They cut their wedding cake in amongst the daffodils which was ace. We got some lovely photos on the Harrogate stray afterwards as well despite it being really chilly!

One of my absolute favourite parts of the wedding was when Leonie’s brothers surprised her with a very special gift..

Leonie is an avid coin collector, and has collected coins for years from all over the world. Her brothers had MADE her a coin press especially for the wedding! It not only pressed the pennies, but also stamped in their names and wedding date! It was absolutely incredible the effort they had gone to. It’s safe to say Leonie was a little emotional when she saw what they’d done! A little emotional might be an understatement.. but it was still really lovely to capture.

It’s just amazing that despite all the changes that had to be made to their original wedding, Leonie & Matt still managed to make it an incrddible day. I cannot tell you how much we laughed! It was so much fun and I’m so grateful to have been part of it 🙂

Lily North Photography | Harrogate wedding photographer

This week feels pretty special for me because my business is five years old! To think this time five years ago I was gearing up for my first ever wedding. This week I will be photographing number 127! (Yes, I keep count..)

A lot has changed in the last few years..

I have met some truly awesome people along the way. I’ve won an award! Survived a global pandemic (just about). Quit my job in a photography studio to shoot weddings full time. Photographed weddings across the UK, as well as France and Italy! It’s been a tough old ride at times, but the good stuff has made it SO worth it.

I just have a few thank yous I’d like to say!

First of all thank you to every photographer I’ve had the pleasure of second shooting for. Every person I’ve worked with has taught me something different and I am hugely grateful. Jamie, Jess, Anna, Joe, Chris, Sarah, Hamish, Amanda, Adam, Terri – thank you. The biggest thank you though goes to my very dear friend Charlotte. I don’t know if you even know how much you’ve done to help me with my business. It is just a total blessing that we even met because I would not have accomplished half as much if it wasn’t for you.

Thank you to my friends and family for all your support, always. Thank you for putting up with me never being available at weekends! And thank you to the absolute legend of a boyfriend/ fellow homeowner/ all-round bloody good chap – Harry. Whenever I feel rubbish and think I’m a shit photographer, you are always there to tell me I’m actually not that shit and I’m going to smash it.

And the biggest, most important thank you is to my clients. I basically would not be able to do the job I love was it not for you guys. Whether I’ve photographed your wedding, family shoot, branding shoot, couples shoot – you guys have no idea how humbling it is to have somebody put that faith in you to capture important moments like that.

Genuinely a little emotional writing this (currently listening to an absolute banger by Atomic Kitten..), but I am so, unbelievably grateful every single day that this is my job. There was a time about 6 years ago when I was basically just a bit stuck, and I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. I was working in retail at the time, all my friends had gone to uni and somehow I just knew that that wasn’t where I wanted to be. Photography was always a hobby of mine, but there was a little part of me that was afraid to turn that love into a job in case I ended up resenting it. But genuinely – one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m not proud of myself that often, but I do feel really proud of the business I’ve made. It’s pretty cool really.

So here’s to the next 5 years 🙂

Lily North Photography | Harrogate wedding and family photographer

Amy, Ollie and baby George..

 

Weddings are obviously such a massive part of my work and I absolutely LOVE doing them! But it’s often the last time I get to see a lot of my couples which seems like such a shame. So, as you can imagine, it’s such a delight when my couples get in touch to tell me they have welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world!

When Amy & Ollie messaged me a few weeks ago to book a family shoot with their brand new baby I was SO excited!

I first met these guys back in 2018 which honestly seems like a lifetime ago! We did their engagement shoot in the autumn, then around came the wedding the following spring. They decided to get married at home which was just such a beautiful and personal touch. It really was an amazing wedding.

Fast forward two years and they now have little baby George! He’s an absolute little gem and it was such a pleasure to meet the littlest Thompson!

We managed to get a couple of little smiles out of him, but towards the end of the shoot he was fast asleep. Modelling is tiring work you know! Amy & Ollie’s dog Maisie also got involved. She made appearances at both the engagement shoot AND the wedding – so how could we not include our favourite pooch?!

It was so lovely to catch up with Ollie & Amy again, and a family shoot is always the perfect excuse 🙂

Lily North Photography | Harrogate wedding and family photographer

In the Navy!

…

Imagine the stress of organising a wedding in a global pandemic. Then imagine your husband-to-be works overseas in the navy, and you have to reorganise the entire thing all by yourself. And that is how much of a LEGEND Laura is ladies and gentlemen!

When I arrived on the morning of the wedding, everyone was just so lovely and welcoming. It’s something I’ve noticed from these smaller weddings, is that everyone is just so chilled out. Laura and her bridesmaids were getting ready at a little cottage just on the outskirts of Bedale in North Yorkshire. WHAT a hidden gem it was! It was the most beautiful fairytale cottage. The sun was shining and it was just glorious.

The girls were all in super high spirits, and I remember saying to Laura at one point how much my cheeks were hurting from laughing! This was the first wedding I had photographed after the November lockdown, and oh my god had I missed human interaction! And I couldn’t have wished for a lovelier group of ladies to keep a smile on my face for the entire wedding day.

The bridesmaids headed off to get their dresses on whilst Laura got into her beautiful wedding gown. What an absolute vision she was!

Laura got a little emotional with the realisation that it was all finally happening. Honestly that was one of my absolute favourite moments of the whole wedding. I just wanted to give her the biggest cuddle and I couldn’t! But I loved having the one on one time with the beautiful Laura. She is one of those people you meet in life who is just SO lovely. And you just think how can someone be SO wonderful!?

Everyone was ready to go, and Yorkshire Vehicle Hire were on hand to drive everyone to the church in style. Two epic land rovers at the ready! When we arrived at the church, Oscar was waiting for his beautiful bride along with his groomsmen and close family. For those who couldn’t make it to the wedding, the ceremony was livestreamed on Facebook! Thank god for technology eh?!

Laura and Oscar’s brothers both did lovely readings during the service, and they walked out of the church to a guard of honour. Sure, there was only one groomsman, but hey it’s the thought that counts!

After some confetti and some group photos, we headed to the nearby park for some portraits of the lovely couple. It was so nice to work alongside the very talented Chris & Annie from Bloom weddings, who were on hand to video the wedding. The sun was just setting, so we were treated to some beautiful golden light.

Laura and Oscar headed off in style once again in the Land Rovers to their wedding reception, which was at the Black Bull in Moulton. I don’t know how they didn’t freeze to death in an open top car in the middle of December! But hey, that’s just how legendary they are.

When we arrived at the reception, the sky was bursting with colour so we squeezed in a few more portraits with the beautiful sunset. These guys won’t mind me saying, but after enjoying a couple of proseccos in the back of the Land Rover, they were a little tipsy by this point! So I can safely say these were some of the funniest portraits I’ve ever captured! We had SUCH a laugh. At one point I even convinced them to stand next to the bull sculpture and pretend to be a bull! That’s certainly a photo I’ve not done before!

All the wedding guests sat down to some beautiful food, followed by some truly outstanding speeches. The wedding day was rounded off by an INCREDIBLE video put together to surprise Laura and Oscar. It was messages from all their friends and family who weren’t able to make it to the wedding. And trust me when I say it was emotional. Laura and Oscar were crying, I was crying, all the guests were crying. It was unbelievable. What an amazing memory.

This was a REALLY special wedding for me. I just think these guys are amazing, and I am thrilled to bits that they were able to have such an amazing wedding despite everything that’s happened this past year. Laura & Oscar, it was a complete and utter pleasure to photograph your wedding.

Photography – Lily North Photography 

Videography – Bloom weddings

Flowers – Hutton Flowers

Wedding dress – Victoria Robson Bridal

Suits – Gieves & Hawkes

Bridesmaids dresses – Reiss

Venue – The Black Bull, Moulton

Cake – Fairy Cakes & Co

Transport – Yorkshire Vehicle Hire

 

Lily North Photography | Harrogate wedding photographer