LilyNorth

It’s that time of year when I look back on all the best bits of 2019.

This year has been super special for me. Since starting my business almost 4 years ago, 2019 is actually the first time I’ve been fully booked up with weddings which is such a big achievement for me. It’s crazy to think that in my first year I only photographed TWO weddings! This year I’ve photographed more than ten times as many!

January and February are usually pretty quiet months for weddings. It’s also my birthday in January so it’s really nice to have a bit of time to properly recuperate after the madness of Christmas!

Wedding season began in April for me this year, so March was the perfect time to do some engagement shoots with my bride and grooms to be! I was actually super nervous about starting my weddings again after such a long break! Chris & Raphael’s wedding at Wharfedale Grange was my first of the season. Honestly within 2 minutes of arriving at the venue it was like no time had passed!

April and May turned out to be my busiest months of the year, so it was straight in at the deep end for me! I was lucky enough to have weddings at some of the most beautiful venues across North Yorkshire, including The Tithe Barn, Rudding Park and The Normans.

August was a huge highlight for me this year as it saw me photograph my 100th wedding! This was such a big milestone for my business and Pete & Bekki’s wedding in the Lake District is certainly one I’ll never forget!

In September my sister’s best friend Charlotte got married, which was such a personal highlight for both me and my family. It really was one of my favourite weddings ever. It was such an honour to even be asked to photograph it, but to be part of Charlotte & Richard’s special day was the biggest pleasure.

At the end of September, I was lucky enough to be jetting off to Venice with my good pal Jamie! He was so kind to give me such an amazing opportunity to help him photograph a wedding in one my favourite cities in the world. It also gave me a chance to practise my A Level Italian which is just the cherry on the cake!

And so it was time for the autumn and winter weddings! It just so happened that just about all of my autumn weddings were venues I’ve never been to before. It was SO nice to discover some new places.

I just wanted to say the biggest thank you to all my couples from this year! Thank you for allowing me to capture your special days – it really does mean the world to me. I’m so excited to see what 2020 has to offer!

Lynsday & Darren’s big day was my last wedding of this year.

It’s to be expected that if you book a winter wedding, it’s likely that it’ll be chucking it down. Or snowing. Or some other nonsense that the great British weather has to offer. But how lucky were these guys! We had the most glorious sunshine and a beautiful frost on the ground. After weeks and weeks of rain this was just such a treat!

Lyndsay & Darren tied the knot at Harrogate Registry Office with their closest family members. With plans to organise a big party for all their friends and family in 2020, this was a lovely intimate ceremony.

I met Darren & his family on the morning of the wedding and we all waited patiently for the arrival of the bride. When at last Lyndsay pulled up outside the venue, she absolutely took my breath away! Wearing a stunning Vera Wang wedding dress and with the most beautiful flowers from Four Seasons, she was a vision.

After the ‘I do’s’ and a whole load of confetti, we wandered out onto Harrogate’s beautiful Stray to get some photos of the happy couple. All the guests then headed onto the wedding reception which was at the West Park hotel in Harrogate. It’s one of those venues that I’ve heard so many wonderful things about but have never actually been before! At last I could appreciate it in all its glory!

The room was set up beautifully, and after a few drinks the guests were seated for dinner. Darren made a short speech about what an amazing day it had been, and spoke so beautifully about his now wife!

Such a pleasure to photograph such a lovely wedding, and now I get to look forward to the big party in 2020!

I must say that the Asylum Chapel has to be the COOLEST place I’ve ever been in my life. Not to mention one of the most incredible wedding venues. London is a city full of hidden gems but I think it’s safe to say that this is one of its best. Tucked away in the streets of Peckham, it was so amazing to be finally introduced to this wedding venue.

Since starting my business 3 years ago, every year I get involved in a styled shoot or workshop to keep the old creative juices flowing! It’s a chance to photograph something different and try new things. I absolutely love London, so when I heard about this workshop it was too good an opportunity to miss!

The shoot was organised by Agnes Black, and the suppliers on board were just amazing. As if the venue itself wasn’t striking enough, every single detail inside had been done so beautifully and with such care. From the quirkiest wedding cake to some pretty awesome neon signs, everything was magical.

Colour was a big theme of the shoot and I LOVED it. The bright red and pink flowers against the distressed blue walls of the chapel looked absolutely incredible. Colour has always been and will continue to be a huge part of my editing style. My photos have always been quite vibrant and it’s something I’ve stuck with since the start. So this really was the perfect setup for me!

As well as all the amazing suppliers, we had the most amazing couple – Rhiannon and Tom. They were so patient with all us crazy photographers! We all have our own styles and ideas but they were so good in letting us try different poses.

A HUGE thank you to Agnes and all the amazing suppliers for putting together such an amazing shoot. It was a task just narrowing down my favourite photos, but I got there in the end!

Photography & Workshop Leader: Agnes Black
Styling: The Stars Inside
Venue: Asylum Chapel
Bridalwear: Kindling Bridal
Veil: Sash & Veil
Floral Design: Bloaum
Stationery: EYI Love
Hair & Make-up: Knot Your Average Bride
Cake: Avantgarde Cake Studio
Lighting Rentals: Doris Loves
Furniture & Props: Rose and Dandy
Jewellery: Dose of Rose
Favours: Tinkture Rose Gin
Napkins: Extra Special Touch
Rings: Katie Lees Jewellery
Drink Labels: Team Hen
Silk Ribbon: CFleurs Design and Little Acorn Silks
Couple: Rhiannon & Tom

I just love autumn weddings! The colours are incredible, and the wedding itself was just as beautiful.

Sarah & Matt got married at the beautiful Byland Abbey in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. I had never been before, but what a place to tie the knot! It was stunning!

I met Sarah at a beautiful little cottage in Crayke where her and the girls were getting ready. On the way there I had a cheeky look in the Durham Ox where the reception was going to be. Everything looked amazing! The wedding cake was particularly special as it’d been made by Matt’s mum! Everything had such a personal touch and the overall effect was wonderful.

Once Sarah was ready to go, she and her dad hopped into a rather impressive soft top land rover, courtesy of Land Rover Wedding Hires! Otherwise known as Babs!

Matt was ready and waiting for his beautiful bride at Byland. Once all the guests were seated, it was time for Sarah to make her way down the aisle with her dad by her side.

After some beautiful readings from some of the wedding guests, it was official that these two were husband and wife! I have never seen a couple skip back down the aisle before, but I’d expect nothing less from these guys!

We headed across the road to the Abbey grounds for a confetti. I think Sarah & Matt got more than they bargained for when the best man tipped the entire bucket of petals over their heads!

This wedding really was full of surprises, and one of the main events of the day was an incredible bird show that the bride and groom had organised for their guests. Once we’d been shown a few tricks, and the guests had been suitably chased by some birds of prey, everyone got the chance to get up close and personal with the owls which made for some great photos!

As one by one the guests headed off to the reception, we were able to get some really beautiful photos of Sarah & Matt at various points along the journey. I followed behind them in their Land Rover (Babs!), and we stopped off at some really gorgeous viewpoints looking across Yorkshire. I’m so happy that we did because they really are some of my favourite photos from the wedding!

After some delicious food, it was time for the dancing.. and I was SO excited! Sarah & Matt decided to have a ceilidh to get everyone on the dancefloor and it was just BRILLIANT! I have never seen one at a wedding before and I wish every wedding had one! Everyone really got involved and it was the perfect end to the night.

Such a brilliant wedding, and I feel very blessed to have been a part of it. Thank you to Sarah & Matt for allowing me to capture your special day!

A very special Yorkshire wedding..

 

Photographing a wedding for a close family friend is so scary, but my goodness it’s also the most rewarding feeling in the world!

When Charlotte & Richard first asked me to photograph their wedding it was truly the biggest honour. Charlotte’s been my sister’s best friend for so many years and has been part of our family for about as long as I can remember. Her and Richard are made for each other, and I still keep pinching myself that I got to photograph this amazing wedding!

I arrived on the morning of the wedding at Tupgill Park. The most beautiful wedding venue right in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. I had a little explore of the grounds, and the views were just out of this world. It felt quite surreal arriving at bridal prep to my sister answering the door!

Charlotte was busy getting ready with all her beautiful bridesmaids when I arrived. Everyone was so excited for the day ahead. Dougal (the labradoodle!) was keeping everyone entertained and keeping the nerves at bay. He stole the show with his white bow tie, and was ready to go once Louise had cleaned those pearly white teeth of his!

Once Charlotte was in her dress, it was time for the big reveal and just about everyone was in tears. When Iain, Charlotte’s dad, saw her for the first time, it was so emotional. Such a special moment to capture and one I’ll certainly remember for a very long time.

Richard was ready with all his groomsmen in the ceremony room, eagerly waiting to see his beautiful bride. When Charlotte walked down the aisle with her dad, she lit up the room. She looked absolutely breathtaking.

The ceremony was beautiful. The room looked absolutely gorgeous, completely decked out with the most amazing flowers. My awesome sister read out a poem she had written especially for the wedding. Charlotte & Richard exchanged vows and rings, and before we knew it, the new Mr & Mrs Stevenson were walking back down the aisle!

All the guests headed out onto the front lawn, with the most amazing views over the Yorkshire Dales. The confetti photos were some of my favourites from the whole wedding. We were so lucky to have the most incredible backdrop and blessed with glorious weather too.

Everyone was in such high spirits, enjoying the sunshine and the champagne! After some canapés and drinks, we all headed inside to enjoy the speeches. Iain kicked things off, followed by Richard and his best man, Matt.

The meal was absolutely divine. Charlotte hadn’t spilled any food on her dress, so after dinner we headed up to the moors for some portraits! And I am so happy that we did!

Once the evening guests had arrived, the bride and groom cut their very lovely wedding cake, and headed onto the dancefloor. Charlotte & Richard had organised for Frankie’s Guys to perform their first dance as a surprise to everyone! They were absolutely amazing. They got everyone on their feet dancing, plus they even invited Richard onto the stage as a fifth member of the band!

I totally and utterly did not want this wedding to end. I kept thinking to myself throughout the wedding just what an amazing day it had been. It has been the biggest pleasure from start to finish to be Charlotte & Richard’s wedding photographer. From first meeting up with them in Harrogate to chat about the plans, to the engagement shoot in Hampsthwaite, to the wedding days itself, it’s all just been awesome. I now get to look forward to designing the wedding album so at least it’s not over yet!

I am absolutely over the moon that this amazing wedding was such a personal milestone. Pete & Bekki’s wedding over in the Lake District was my 100th wedding, and I couldn’t have hoped for a better day! Well, perhaps with slightly less crazy weather..

Arriving at Londlands in Cartmel on the morning of the wedding, it was typical Lake District rain. Everyone was still in such high spirits which was amazing, and there was such a buzz about the day ahead. The lovely Bekki was getting ready with her bridesmaids, and there was fizz popping left, right and centre!

I took a bit of time to have a look round the grounds on the morning of the wedding. I was totally blown away with what they’d done with the place! Having visited the venue a few months before with Pete & Bekki, it was a bit of a blank canvas. But the effort they had gone to to transform the place was just incredible. There were fairy lights everywhere, the most gorgeous flowers, and so many little personal details scattered around the room.

Once Bekki & the girls were all ready, we headed across to the ceremony where Pete was patiently waiting for his beautiful bride. Luckily the clouds parted just in time for Bekki to walk in with her bridesmaids.

Once the “I do’s” were done and dusted, it was time to pop open the prosecco! All the guests headed outside to welcome the newlyweds with a whole load of confetti. It had been forecast to rain for the entire day, but it held off long enough for everyone to enjoy the beautiful surroundings in the heart of the Lakes.

After some amazing speeches, Pete, Bekki & their guests all settled down for some food. As the room was being transformed for the evening, everyone had a little surprise when the power suddenly went down! We had the most almighty thunder storm, but even without any electricity, it was the most amazing atmosphere. Everybody lit some candles, used torches on their phones, it really was so cosy.

An hour or so later and the lights were back on, and we were treated to the most incredible rainbow over the hills.

Pete & Bekki started the evening celebrations with their lovely first dance, and everyone else soon followed suit and hopped onto the dancefloor.

This really was such a brilliant wedding. Pete, Bekki & all their family and friendly are just the loveliest set of people. What an honour to be part of such a fab day.

When I first met these guys just a couple of months ago, I totally fell in love with them. It totally blew me away that they were able to organise their wedding in just over 6 weeks. SIX WEEKS! We met up for their pre wedding shoot in beautiful Haworth in West Yorkshire. It was such a lovely morning because not only did I get to know Alethea & Milan, but also got to meet their two beautiful children!

We got on so well from the second we met. I just loved their whole attitude towards the wedding. They just weren’t fussed about all the frilly bits. With everything we talked about, it all came back to just how much they wanted to marry each other. Nothing else was important and I just thought that was so special.

Before we knew it, the wedding day was upon us. It’s always such a pleasure to be back at Wharfedale Grange in Harrogate. It’s always been a venue that I’ve loved ever since my first wedding there last year. Alethea was SO nervous on the lead up to the ceremony. One of my favourite photos of the whole wedding is Alethea looking out of the window to see Milan arriving.

The ceremony was absolutely hilarious. I think once Alethea had walked down the aisle, there was so much going on that she just forgot she was nervous!! During the vows, Alethea & Milan’s little girl kept putting her hands in Alethea’s mouth which just had everyone in stitches. The music didn’t come on. The kids started playing with the fairy lights. It was wedding madness but it was honestly hilarious.

A whole load of confetti later, and it was of course time for.. burgers and hot dogs! The guests were all treated to some epic canapés, so we took the bride and groom off for some portraits. Before the wedding Alethea & Milan kept telling me how much they didn’t like having their picture taken. Well OH MY GOD! YOU WOULD HAVE NO IDEA! They are both just SO beautiful. Alethea’s smile just lights up the room. And the way Milan looks at her is totally heart-warming.

After some lovely speeches, it was time to PARRTTTAAAYYYYYY. Alethea & Milan kicked things off with a beautiful first dance (featuring the amazing confetti canons!). The guests all got their dancing shoes on, there were lots of sambuca shots, and I ended up staying way later than I was meant to because I was having such a fab time!

I’d also like to say a HUGE thank you to my amazing second shooter Fern. It’s been a PLEASURE to have her by my side at so many weddings recently. Wouldn’t have been the same without you darling so THANK YOU!

I knew that a shoot in Notting Hill would be just heavenly. I didn’t expect JUST how much I’d love it!

SO. Bit of a back story. First met this gorgeous couple at a styled shoot last summer organised by the super talented Burtons Photography. It rained the entire time but somehow Sarah & Liam still managed to look amazing. Almost a year later, now husband and wife, I met up with them in the most picturesque, instagrammable street in the whole wide world, and we smashed out some epic snaps.

Earlier that afternoon, I’d been having a bit of a wander around Notting Hill. I’d found some really nice places, but so much of it was heaving with crowds of tourists. I just wasn’t really feeling it. I decided to Google something ridiculous like ‘the most instagrammable place in Notting Hill’. Low and behold, on just about every website, the number one suggestion was St Luke’s Mews. I thought that because it had been such a popular outcome that it would also be full of crowds. How wrong I was! There was not a soul to be seen!

I met Sarah at the tube station and we wandered up together. I was so excited to show her this little gem I’d found. A girl after my own heart, I know she loves those Instagrammable backdrops just as much as me..

Liam was coming straight from work bless him, so in the meantime Sarah & I had a big catch up, explored a little and got some cute snaps of her in front of all these beautiful houses.

Poor Liam has had enough photoshoots this year to last I lifetime, but bless him he was on top form and got out that killer smile for the camera! These guys are just the most incredible couple to photograph ever ever ever. I don’t even need to tell them what to do! They just are how they are with each other!

After a brief appearance from the one and only George Osbourne (who it turns out actually lives on the same street), it was time for us to part ways. I am SO grateful to these guys for taking the time to do this shoot with me. Honestly the photos I had imagined in my head just don’t even match up to the ones we got.

Just to top it all off, the sun shone for the entire evening, and not even a hint of rain (unlike last year!)

Ohhhh what can I say about Zoe & Harry except thanks for being so amazing. I knew as soon as I met these two in Skipton last year that their wedding would be incredible to photograph. After their engagement shoot on Ilkley Moor earlier this year, the wedding day was finally upon! I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited for a wedding!

I met Zoe & her beautiful bridesmaids at home on the wedding morning. After a bra-related-emergency that I reaallly won’t go into (you’re welcome Aleks 😉 ), the girls were ready and raring to go! Once we arrived at the church in Addingham, Harry was waiting patiently at the end of the aisle for his bride.

It was hard not to get a little emotional when Zoe walked down the aisle. She looked absolutely breathtaking. What a truly stunning bride.

Once the “I do’s” were complete, everyone made their way to the beautiful Tithe Barn. Let’s face it, if you’ve just got married, you’ve got to travel in style. That’s just what Zoe & Harry did. Arriving at the barn in a bright blue McLaren 570s was the perfect way to make an entrance!

Everyone was in such high spirits for the entire day, and even the group photos (which can sometimes be a chore!!) were an absolute dream. Zoe & her bridesmaids were just so wonderful to photograph. Harry and his groomsmen were equally as handsome! And of course, the photos of Zoe & Harry were just the cherry on top of the very enormous wedding cake. These two are just INCREDIBLE to photograph. I mean, just look at them! They are truly the most beautiful couple inside and out, and two of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

One of my favourite moments from the day was during Harry’s groom’s speech. He was just about to say thanks to all his family and friends for coming to the wedding, but accidentally thanked his ‘fans’! Everyone in the room was in stitches and Harry just rolled with it 🙂

After the first dance, everyone hopped onto the dancefloor and it was completely buzzing for the whole evening (which is what I like to see!!). Some of the groomsmen brought ice lollies onto the dancefloor which was certainly very random but very well received! Everyone was just having the best time and I was honestly sad to leave.

Zoe & Harry – yours will be a wedding that I’ll never forget. You are the most special couple and it’s just been the biggest pleasure getting to know you both over the past 12 months. I am one very lucky photographer indeed.

It was such a lovely day when I met Pete & Bekki at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park towards the end of last year. It’s always a nice treat to get out of Harrogate and go somewhere I’ve never been before!

It seems like forever ago that the trees were all orange and beautiful so it’s really lovely to look back through shoots like this.

Pete and Bekki were so natural in front of the camera. We had a wander around the park stopping every now and then to get some shots of the two of them. We were absolutely spoilt for choice with the most incredible views and a stunning sculpture everywhere we looked!

This week is the week of the big wedding which means I’ll be heading up to my favourite place in the world.. the Lake District. Pete and Bekki’s wedding will be absolutely amazing, but it’s going to be an extra special day for me as it’s my 100th wedding! I’m so excited to be celebrating such a milestone! Here’s to the next hundred!!!