LilyNorth

The most ‘Majestic’ of weddings..

It’s crazy to think this beautiful wedding was less than a month ago, yet it feels like another lifetime!

Olivia & Ed are genuinely just the COOLEST people. They are just so lovely, their entire families are too. They are the best parents to their gorgeous baby boy Jack. Just totally laid back, awesome people.

We headed up to Malham for their engagement shoot back in February, and you can check out some of the photos here 🙂

I headed over to Harrogate on the eve of the wedding, and was able to have a sneaky peek at the wedding rehearsal! Never been to one before! It was so lovely to be able to meet some of the close family ahead of the big day. Abbie, the vicar, is just so lovely and conducted the ceremony beautifully. We’d worked together before at Victoria and Daniel’s wedding at Denton Hall last summer! Always great to see a familiar face in the wedding industry!

Before we knew it, it was finally the wedding day.

I headed to their family home in Harrogate, where Olivia was getting ready with her parents, bridesmaids, and little baby Jack. I absolutely love that boy – he’s just the most chilled out child! He says the word ‘bear’ all day long and he’s an absolute ray on sunshine. Just like his parents!

The morning was really chilled out, and everyone was just super excited for the rest of the wedding day.

When Olivia got into her dress, she looked absolutely incredible! She was wearing a stunning gown from Bridal Rogue Gallery in Harrogate. The lovely Gill had done a wonderful job on her hair, as she had with all the bridesmaids. And to finish off, the most perfect bridal bouquet from Wild Flowers of Harrogate.

The wedding car arrived, and it was off to the church! Ed was patiently waiting for his beautiful bride, along with his NINE groomsmen! Nine!!!

Everyone was speechless when the beautiful Olivia walked down the aisle. She just looked amazing.

After the ceremony, all the guests headed outside into the (albeit very brief!) sunshine. We squeezed in a few couple portraits in the churchyard, before the newlyweds headed over to their guests to have confetti chucked in their faces!

The reception was held at the newly refurbished Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. Everyone was in such high spirits, and it was the perfect venue to host all 150 wedding guests!

It began to rain a little (typical English weather eh?), but luckily these guys are hardcore enough to not care. We still managed to get outside for some more portraits, and I’m so glad we did as these are some of my favourites from the wedding!

After the reception, everyone settled down at their tables for 3 brilliant speeches. Ed’s speech had me howling with laughter, particularly when he opened with the ‘Matthew Mcconaughey’ chant from Wolf of Wall Street! What a legend! His speech was the perfect balance of funny and very touching. Ed took a moment to remember his mother who had sadly passed away when he was younger, which certainly brought a tear to everyone in the room.

Before we knew it, it was time for the first dance. As I knew they would, Ed & Olivia absolutely TORE up that dancefloor! Their moves were just awesome, and all of the guests soon joined them for the party. The dancefloor photos are easily some of my favourites from the whole wedding!

A special thank you to my awesome second shooter Fern, as well as videographer Tom who was a great person to have around on the day. Hopefully we’ll all be able to work together again soon!

It really was such a brilliant day, and I’m truly blessed to have been able to photograph some very happy memories. Ed & Olivia, I wish you both so much happiness. Thank you for letting me be a part of such an awesome wedding. You are the BEST 🙂

Bringing the joy to Denton Hall…

With all this madness that’s going on right now, I thought it was about bloody time we had some joy back on our screens! Don’t know about you guys but I’m sick of scrolling through Instagram and it being so glum.

I was looking back through some old weddings the other day, and I came across this absolute beauty from last summer.

I was second shooting for my dearest friend Charlotte, and I’m so glad she asked me along to this one. It was SUCH a fun wedding.

On the morning of the wedding, Daniel and the boys were getting ready at home near Otley. They were all dressed in tweet suits, and it was so nice to see something a bit different! Flat caps and everything! I certainly didn’t envy the boys in all those layers on one of the hottest days of the year though!

Once they were all suited and booted, we headed outside and got some cracking photos of the lads. The view from the house was an absolute corker. You could see right across Yorkshire!!

We all headed across to the beautiful Denton Hall once everyone was ready. One of the things I love most about my job is all the new places I get to discover. Denton Hall is absolutely one of those gems. It’s about a 20 minute drive from my house near Ilkley, and I just can’t believe I had never been before! Right in the heart of the countryside, surrounded by the most breathtaking views.

I popped in to see the beautiful bride Victoria who was getting ready with her bridesmaids at one of the nearby cottages. From the second we said hello, it was like I’d known her forever! I’m sure Charlotte would agree with me when I say that we were made to feel SO welcome for the entire wedding.

Victoria looked SO beautiful, and before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony. Luckily it was the most glorious weather, and it was just a short walk to the church from where the girls were getting ready.

Daniel was ready and waiting for his beautiful bride when we arrived at the church. The ceremony was conducted by the wonderful vicar Abbie, who is absolutely one of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

After the ‘I do’s’, all the wedding guests headed outside for a whole load of confetti. And my goodness, there was SO much confetti. Top tip to all my future brides… you can never have too much of the stuff! The more the better, and it really does make for the most beautiful photographs.

The wedding guests all made their way back to Denton, and in the meantime we drove out with the newlyweds to get some killer portraits. They were absolute naturals in front of the camera, and anyone could see how in love they are.

The whole of the rest of the day was just an absolute blast. Everyone was enjoying their drinks and canapes out in the sunshine. The speeches were such a laugh, and Charlotte and I even received a bottle of prosecco from the bride and groom! We were completely overwhelmed. These guys were honestly an absolute dream.

After the glorious food, it was time to cut the cake. And I was SO excited for this bit. All of the wedding guests made their way up the spiral staircase, and as Victoria and Daniel cut their cake, everyone threw even MORE confetti over the happy couple! It really was incredible!

Everyone got on the dancefloor after that, and really made the most of what was left of the wedding day.

To Charlotte, Victoria & Daniel.. THANK YOU so much for having me along to this one. It was an absolute delight from start to finish, and I can’t wait to be back at Denton Hall again very soon!

A few weeks back, I met these lovely humans for their engagement shoot in the beautiful Yorkshire village of Malham. It really is one of my absolutely favourite places to take photos. It’s such a picturesque little village, not to mention the incredible views across the Yorkshire Dales.

I met Olivia & Ed (and their gorgeous baby boy Jack) outside my FAVOURITE pub in the whole world, The Lister Arms. They hopped out of their car, wellies at the ready, and we headed off to get some photos.

There is a really beautiful little stream that runs through Malham village. I asked if Olivia & Ed would cross the bridge and stand on the other side so I could get some photos of the gorgeous view. They replied with.. “Well, why don’t we just go in the river?”. An EXCELLENT response! So of course they waded through the stream like the absolute legends they are. Ed gave his fiancé a piggy back, and these are for sure some of my favourite photos from the day.

We decided to head up towards Malham cove for some more photos. Jack was sitting comfortably in his pram, which we realised might prove a bit of a problem if we wanted to walk up to the top! So – the plan of action. Ed put baby Jack on his shoulders, we ditched the pram along with any unnecessary layers, then headed for the top of the cove!

I’m so glad we did because the views from the top are without a doubt some of the best in the whole of North Yorkshire.

Olivia & Ed are having their wedding this weekend at the Majestic in Harrogate. I absolutely can’t wait to be part of their big day!

These guys are just the ultimate Pinterest dream!

I first met these beautiful humans at a wedding I photographed at The Principal in York back in 2018. Milly’s brother Alex was marrying his gorgeous bride Natalie, and I’m so looking forward to reliving the day all over again when these two tie the knot!

Milly and Tom are getting married at the beautiful Rudding Park in Harrogate next month. I’ve been so looking forward to this wedding for what feels like an eternity, and I can’t believe it’s almost upon us!

Milly got in touch with me on Instagram recently to chat about the engagement shoot. I knew wherever we decided to go that it would be beautiful because of my awesome models! We talked about going to Harlow Carr in Harrogate for a few photos, but with this crazy British weather we decided to stay inside instead.

We ended up doing the engagement shoot at Milly & Tom’s beautiful home in Harrogate. And what a home they have! I had no doubt in my mind that they would have decorated it beautifully, and boy was I right. It was a Pinterest dream! Everything was so delicate, white, SUPER clean and with beautiful fresh flowers everywhere.

We all had a cup of tea together, and must have been chatting for about 20 minutes before we even started the shoot! Talking to these guys was like talking to old friends. They are just the loveliest people and it’s just the biggest pleasure that I can say I’m their wedding photographer.

We started off with a few photos in the kitchen. Milly & Tom had some very cute Emma Bridgewater ‘Mr & Mrs’ mugs that made excellent props. I remembered taking some photos of them back at Natalie & Alex’s wedding at The Principal in York. They are just SO sweet together. It totally shines through in the photos. Their smiles just totally light up the room.

You can probably tell by how much I’m gushing over these two that I’m beyond excited for the wedding! I knew I was looking forward to it but catching up with these guys today has absolutely confirmed it.

Rudding Park.. here we come!

Back in January, Harriet & Josh had their wedding at the beautiful Wood Hall near Harrogate. Looking back through the photos, I’m not sure I can even believe this wedding was in January! These guys were so lucky to have such sunny and warm weather. Everyone was in such high spirits, having drinks and canapés outside in the sunshine. Not to mention it meant we were able to create some killer portraits with the happy couple!

I arrived on the morning of the wedding to my most organised bride EVER! Harriet already had her hair and make-up done and was looking absolutely stunning. This was about 3 hours before the start of the ceremony, so I knew for sure there wasn’t going to be a mad rush before we had to leave!

I always knew this was going to be a really personal wedding for me. I’ve known Harriet’s brother Jonny since primary school, so have known her and her family for a good few years. I even went to school with Josh’s younger brother, but didn’t realise he was the best man until a few days before the wedding! Harrogate is definitely a small town!!

Harriet got ready into her dress with the help of one of her bridesmaids and her lovely mum. She was as cool as a cucumber all day, but I remember this was the moment that Harriet got a little emotional. It’s one of those times on your wedding day when you think ‘this is really happening’. All the months of planning have come down to this moment. It was really beautiful to be able to capture such genuine emotion.

The emotion definitely continued throughout the wedding day. When Harriet’s dad saw her for the first time, it was just so incredibly moving. He burst into tears, as did everyone else in the room. This moment is without a doubt one of my favourites from the wedding and one I’ll remember for a really long time.

Once we headed downstairs to the ceremony room at Wood Hall, Josh was waiting with his groomsmen for his beautiful bride. And when Harriet walked down the aisle.. more tears! I DO LOVE AN EMOTIONAL GROOM!

Once Harriet & Josh were pronounced as husband and wife, their faces just said it all. They were both just absolutely buzzing, and grinning from ear to ear.

After the ceremony, we all headed outside into the beautiful sunshine to lob some flower petals at the newlyweds. What an odd tradition eh?

As it was January, we didn’t have long left before sunset, so we cracked on with some family photos. We took Harriet & Josh down across the fields and were treated to a stunning sunset.

All the guests gathered in the reception room for some food and some cracking speeches. It wasn’t long before the eveneing guests had arrived, and it was time to PARTAAAYYYY.

Harriet & Josh’s first dance was to the song ‘Forever’. When they first told me I was like.. as in, the Chris Brown song!? It was a cover done by Boyce Avenue and I LOVED it! It was so nice to hear something different for a first dance!

To finish the day, we headed outside for some final portraits on the Wood Hall terrace. Then before I knew it, it was home time.

What a wedding! I knew this was going to be a special one and I’m so glad I got to be part of the day. Thank you Harriet & Josh for being such an ace couple!

My first engagement shoot of the year, and where better to have it than the beautiful Ilkley Moor.

I first met this GORGEOUS couple in Saltaire last year, and I’ve been absolutely buzzing for their wedding ever since. Hannah & Phil will be tying the knot at the beautiful Tithe Barn in April later this year.

We met up up at the Cow & Calf and the weather was looking a bit drizzly. I was SO HAPPY when they got out of the car with COLOUR COORDINATED OUTFITS! You guys have made this photographer very happy!! Both in yellow and adding a little bit of colour and happiness to my day 🙂

We headed up to the top of Ilkley moor, stopping along the way to get photos of these two gorgeous faces with that beautiful view in the background.

These guys were a little nervous about having their photos taken but they were SO wonderful to photograph! It’s just made me even more excited for the wedding day! Hannah truly has the most beautiful smile. And Phil you’re not bad either!! We chatted about all their plans for the big day, and it’s only a couple of months to go until they say “I do”.

Watch this space for some glorious wedding photos coming soon!

How to BOSS social media for your wedding..

Well hello gorgeous people!

So. I was photographing a wedding recently, and one of the bridesmaids said to me ‘you’ve done so many weddings now, you must really know what you’re doing!’. Well, I’ll leave that to you guys to decide if I know what I’m doing (hehe). But to be fair, I have seen an awful lot of weddings. 116 to be exact!

As it’s a new year, going forward I wanted to create a few handy guides for you guys – my awesome couples!

First up, I thought I’d do a little ‘how to’ when it comes to sharing your wedding photos on social media. Sure, you might want to just keep all your wedding photos to yourself. But chances are you’re going to want to share a few pics on ‘the gram‘!

I follow a lot of my couples on social media. I get to see what works well when it comes to sharing wedding photos. Here’s a roundup of the lot!

Give your guests some social media ground rules before the wedding..

Everyone has a smartphone at their fingertips these days. It’s inevitable that your guests will take their own photos at your wedding. Whether or not you mind them taking photos in the ceremony, it’s best to let your guests know your preferences ahead of the big day.

There is however one thing you ABSOLUTELY MUST do, and that is to ask your guests to refrain from posting anything until you guys have done so first.

Let’s face it, you’ve put blood, sweat and tears into making your wedding day perfect. You don’t want the first thing that people see of your big day to be an out of focus, unflattering photo uploaded by your auntie Barbara!

I always aim to send out preview pictures within a couple of days of the wedding, and trust me, this is what people want to see first!

One really good way of doing this is to post a photo the day before the wedding from your engagement shoot. The photo should get people attention – just outline your preferences in the caption.

Space out your posts..

Not to be too dramatic, but you should leave your followers wanting more when it comes to social media. It’s SO exciting when you get your wedding photos through, but no one has time to scroll through 30 Instagram posts at once!

Sure, post a few of your favourite photos to start with, then leave it a few days. Hold some back for a post on your other half’s birthday, or your anniversary perhaps.

It’s also good to vary what you’re posting. One week you could post some beautiful portraits of the two of you. But the next time why not post some cute little details? Some hilariously embarrassing photos of your groomsmen? Your favourite dancefloor snaps? Spice things up a bit!

Remember to download your photos, not screenshot them..

Whenever I send out a gallery, there is always a code to be used for downloading your photos. PLEASE USE IT! I’ve seen couples in the past uploading screenshots to their social media and guys.. it looks scruffy!

I don’t want you guys having blurry photos clogging up your Instagram feed. I’d also hate to think your friends and family thought I’d been sending you rubbish pictures!!

So please please please just take a few minutes to download your photos. It might just take a little while longer, but trust me it is SO worth it!

Timing is everything..

We all want to get a good reaction when we post something on social media. If people say they don’t, they’re definitely telling you porkies.

Try to wait for a good time to post your photos i.e. when most people will be on their phones. You want to catch people when they’re mindlessly scrolling through their Instagram feed and then BOOM. There’s one of your wedding photos. *Double tap*

1. Evenings tend to work best; after dinner when people are slobbing on the sofa and looking at their phones in the Love Island ad breaks.
2. Try to avoid Friday and Saturday nights as a lot of people will be out and about.
3. Sundays are prime time. Sunday mornings and evenings when people are chilling means that lots of people will see your post.

Be careful when adding filters..

Some photographers probably won’t bat an eyelid at this, but with others it can be a big slap in the chops.

I’ll explain what I mean…

Your wedding photographer will have spent hours upon hours making sure your photos are perfect before sending them to you. On every single photo, they will have adjusted the lighting, the temperature, got rid of anything that shouldn’t be there, cropped it if needed, applied their own preset, and anything else they think it might need in order for it to be ready to send. You might not think much of it, but if you decide to stick a garish instagram filter on it, it can feel a little bit sad for us wedding photographers.

This can also be a little bit confusing for anyone looking at your photo. If you’ve tagged your photographer (and please do!), then applied a filter of your own, it might seem to other couples that this is the style of your photographer, when in fact it might be the total opposite.

And finally.. show me your favourites!

After I’ve photographed a wedding, I absolutely love to see which photos you guys choose to share. I am ALWAYS surprised at which ones people pick! I usually have favourite photos for one reason or another, but for you guys a photo can have such a personal meaning and you might choose a totally different one!

Either way, it makes me really happy to see my couples sharing and loving their photos.

I hope you’ve found this guide useful, and if you have any suggestions for anything you’d like to know about weddings then please let me know!

INFO@LILYNORTH.COM

Andy & Amy had their wedding at the Sun Pavilion in Harrogate at the end of last year, and my goodness.. what a wedding it was.

I first met Amy at the start of last year and, to be honest, totally fell in love with her! Amy is one of those people you meet and feel like you’ve known your whole life. We met for a coffee in Harrogate, and I got to meet her and Andy’s GORGEOUS little boy Tom! He is the most beautiful, well behaved, happy child I have ever met!!

Before we knew it, it was autumn, and only a few weeks to go before the wedding day. I met Amy, Andy and little Tom at the Valley Gardens in Harrogate for their pre wedding photoshoot. It was the most gorgeous sunny morning, and we got so many lovely photos of the happy couple (and Tom!). We had such a laugh, they cringed at everything I asked them to do, and I’m so glad they did because the silly ones are absolutely my favourite photos. No question.

A few weeks later, and it was the wedding day at last. I met Amy and her beautiful bridesmaids at her parents’ flat in Harrogate. Everyone was so excited for the wedding, and it was such a fun, chilled out morning.

Bit by bit, it became clear that this was going to be one of my favourite weddings of 2019. The flowers were delivered by the incredible Helen James in Harrogate. The bridesmaids dresses were such beautiful colours. Amy’s wedding dress was a STUNNING 1920’s style and suited her perfectly. And of course, Amy was just the most beautiful bride. I mean SO beautiful. When she got into her dress, put her veil on, she looked like a Hollywood movie star. I felt like one very lucky photographer.

Once the girls were all ready, it was time to rock and roll. We all headed to the Sun Pavillions where Andy and his best man were waiting patiently. All the guests were seated, and when Amy walked down the aisle she looked a million dollars. I also had my amazing sister second shooting for me for the first time, and oh my goodness she absolutely smashed it!!!

After the ceremony, everyone headed out onto the terrace to begin the celebrations. There was a lot of fizz, and despite the rain, it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.

Some of my favourite photos from the wedding were during the speeches, as the guest reactions were just hilarious. Three awesome speeches in total from Amy’s dad, Andy and his best man.

To round off the day, Andy & Amy cut their cake. Well, they cut their pork pie tower. And then the party really began once the dancing started.

This really was one of my favourite weddings of last year. I know I was working but my goodness it was just SO much fun! Thank you Andy & Amy for just being the most welcoming, fun, kind and laid back couples I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. You guys are such a wonderful couple and I’m so thrilled to have met you both.

With all this cold weather lately, it’s hard to remember those long summer days only a few months ago!

These two lovely people are having their wedding this weekend at Wood Hall near Harrogate. I’m so excited to photograph them tying the knot!

I was looking back through the photos from back in August, and I had totally forgotten what a gorgeous shoot it was! I met up with Harriet & Josh in Linton (not far from Wood Hall), and we spent some time having a wander round the village and finding some nice spots for the photographs. Harriet looked so lovely in her bright yellow dress. You know me… I love a splash of colour!!

On our way to explore the wedding venue Wood Hall, we stopped off to get some photos in a wheat field. (Theresa May would be proud..). These were without question some of my favourite shots of the day.

Once we arrived at Wood Hall, we had a wander round to find some good spots for photographs on the wedding day. It’s safe to say we were absolutely spoilt for choice! This gorgeous wedding venue near Harrogate has everything you could want. Beautiful ivy walls. Stunning gardens. Breathtaking views. There’s even a swing!!

I can’t wait for Harriet & Josh’s wedding this Saturday. It’ll be my first wedding of 2020, and I’m excited to get back into the swing of things before the summer madness begins!

“How was your trip to Italy?” “It was Venice thank you..”

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

At the end of last year, my good friend Jamie asked if I would photograph a wedding with him in Venice. Safe to say it was a bit of a no brainer!

When we arrived in Italy, we met the happy couple John and Theresa at the beautiful wedding venue. We had drinks on the terrace, went to the beach, had dinner with all the wedding guests. How is this my job?!

Once the big day finally arrived, everything was so relaxed. Jamie and I headed to meet the girls in the morning who were having their make-up done at the Mac store nearby. Once we were back at the hotel, it was time for hairstyling, as well as the chance to get some photos of the dress.

I then headed off to meet the boys (once they’d finished on their gondola ride!). John and the boys were super chilled as I knew they would be, and we all just had a really fun morning. I must say I didn’t envy them having to wear 3 piece suits in almost 30 degree temperatures!

Once the boys were ready, we walked through the beautiful streets of Venice to the town hall. The rest of the wedding guests were starting to gather, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride and groom!

It was SO interesting to see how a wedding is conducted in Italy. It’s so different to weddings in the UK! For starters the bride and groom go into a separate room to sign all the documents first. As the photographers, we were also allowed to move around freely which doesn’t happen very often!

After the “I do’s”, we all headed to the sweetest little prosecco bar on a tiny little street near the town hall. After some confetti, some fizz and a few selfies, all the wedding guests wandered through the streets of Venice to the hotel. This was the PERFECT opportunity for some photos. We made a stop in St Mark’s Square when the sun was going down, and it was just absolutely breathtaking.

The reception was so beautiful, and looked like a scene in Cinderella! It was magical. After an incredible meal and some emotional speeches, it was time to get the party started. Everyone was in such high spirits, and it was the perfect way to end such an incredible wedding.