LilyNorth

Yesterday I met up with these two beautiful humans for their engagement shoot on Ilkley Moor. It was one of those shoots that when I left, I just felt SO giddy and excited. I couldn’t wait to take a look through all the photos!

We decided to reschedule the shoot to the evening as the weather forecast was a bit crap in the morning. I am sooooo pleased that we did! Once we’d hiked to the top of Ilkley Moor the sun was still peeking over the tops. It just looked beautiful.

We had a big chat about all the plans for the wedding day. Zoe & Harry also told me a lot about their history together and why Ilkley was so special to them. Not only had they both gone to school there, but it was up on the moor one day that they’d decided to make things work long distance whilst Zoe went travelling in Australia. With Harry now living and working in Germany, I have so much respect for these two. How they are able to have such a wonderful relationship whilst living so many hundreds of miles apart is just awesome.

Towards the end of the shoot, I made a point of asking Zoe & Harry if they’d found it strange having their photos taken. Much to my amusement, Zoe replied saying that the scariest part was having to think of what to talk about when I told them to look at each other! That just totally tickled me!

These two were such a lovely couple to photograph as well as wonderful company. We had such a laugh doing the shoot, discussing our favourite dinners and how spicy curries are actually hugely overrated. To top it all off we were treated to the most glorious sunset. The Great British weather doesn’t always behave, but when it does it’s a real treat.

Zoe & Harry are getting married at the Tithe Barn this July, and I can’t wait to capture what I know will be an amazing wedding!

When you turn up to photograph a wedding with 600 guests, it can certainly feel a little overwhelming!

Recently I had the pleasure of second shooting for the incredible Hamish Irvine. Hamish is such a lovely guy, and was kind enough to invite me along to this amazing wedding. Having never photographed an Islamic wedding before, every moment of the day was pretty much a surprise!

The big day was so different to anything I had ever seen. It was such a pleasure to see a wedding conducted in such a different way to what I’m used to. I’ve always loved vibrant colours in my photography too, so you can imagine what a treat this was! I was in heaven!

The wedding was at the Regency Hall; a venue grand enough to hold all 600 guests!

After a day full of lots of dancing and a LOT of photos, one of the traditions of an Islamic is for the bride’s family to say goodbye to her before she leaves home. It’s safe to say I was an emotional wreck! A lot of the guests had been telling me throughout the wedding that it would be a sad moment, but I had certainly underestimated it.

It really was such an honour to be part of such an incredible day. Thank you to Hamish for having me along!

You wouldn’t believe these photos were taken in the middle of January! When the lovely Lydia first got in touch to book a family shoot for her mum’s birthday, she was a little worried about what the weather might do on the day. I don’t think either of us expected the most glorious sunshine for the shoot! It was amazing.

Lydia’s family travelled to Harrogate from all ends of the country, so it was really important to get some special family photos of everyone together. There were 11 people in total, which is for sure the biggest family shoot I’ve done to date! We even had chance to recreate some old baby photos which was just hilarious. It wasn’t as easy as we initially thought to get everyone in the right places!

Despite the sunny weather, the wind was a little bit wild. You can PROBABLY tell from the windswept look in most of the photos! Everyone was so brilliant though, and battled through with smiles on their faces.

We even got Dolly the dog involved for some super cute shots! Lydia really made me laugh when she said that her siblings were all with their partners for the shoot, but Dolly was her date instead!

I absolutely loved this shoot. Lydia and her family made me feel so welcome, and even the January weather surprised us all! I’ve been posting a lot of wedding stuff recently but family shoots are still such a special part of my job!

It wasn’t long ago that these two decided to book their wedding. Less than a month until the big day in fact!

After being engaged for 3 years, Georgia & Charlie decided to invite all their friends and family to celebrate their wedding with them at the end of December.

These two really felt like a breath of fresh air to me towards the end of last year. It’s so unexpected to have somebody book when the wedding is just a few weeks away. It meant that we squeezed in the engagement shoot straight away, and before we knew it was the wedding day!

Georgia got ready at her house in York with her 3 lovely bridesmaids by her side. The morning was super chilled, and when we arrived at Sandburn Hall all the guests were seated and ready to go.

Charlie was eagerly waiting to see his bride. When Georgia walked down the aisle, poor Charlie burst into tears! It honestly melted my heart to see such a beautiful reaction. Romance is still very much alive, people!!

After some chilly group photos and some lovely photos of Georgia & Charlie, we headed back inside to get warm. Sandburn Hall really was beautiful. It’s the first time I’ve visited the venue and on such a cold day it was the perfect venue for keeping the guests cosy. The fairy lights covered every beam and the effect was stunning.

The evening was one of my favourite parts of Georgia & Charlie’s big day. Not long after the first dance, everyone was properly going for it on the dancefloor! Some of my favourite photos at weddings are guests going crazy for the tuuuuuneeessss!

A hugggeeee thank you to Georgia & Charlie for letting me be a part of such an amazing day. You guys are the best.

What do you do when it’s too rainy on the day of your photoshoot?

A) Brave the rain and do the photos outside
B) Go inside and take photos in your apartment
C) All of the above

Well, the correct answer is C of course!

Last year I took part in this gorgeous styled shoot organised by the amazing Burtons Photography. We started off the shoot in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate, and poor Liam & Sarah were soaked through after the first few photos!

Despite the rain, they still managed to look all kinds of beautiful! We got lots of gorgeous photos all around the park, and even found some shelter under some giant leaves which made Sarah & Liam look like the borrowers! (Forgive my lack of plant knowledge, I’m sure the giant leaves have an official Latin name. Sorry Mum.)

Once the rain had officially become ridiculous, we headed for dry land! The second half of the shoot was in the most beautiful apartment in Harrogate. After everyone had dried off, it was time for a cuppa and chance for some more photos.

This was the first time I had done a couples shoot inside, and I LOVED it. A really great chance to try out some new ideas.

It was only a matter of time before we started throwing food around the place, and for sure throwing popcorn at Liam & Sarah made some of my favourite images from the whole shoot! It honestly was hilarious. Their expressions are just priceless.

Something a little different from my usual shoots, but if any couples are thinking they might like to try something similar then I would LOVE to hear from you!

I knew France was going to be incredible. It did not disappoint!

When Charlotte asked if I would shoot a wedding with her in France, it was kind of a no brainer.

Despite a lot of travelling and the earliest of starts, we finally arrived at Le Moulin de Chazotte the day before the wedding. We met Fi and Sam for the first time. They were SO welcoming and the loveliest of couples. We did a bit of a pre wedding shoot with them and it was gorgeous. We not only got to know them both better, but it was also a chance to explore the beautiful surroundings.

After a sneak peek at the wedding rehearsal, we headed back to our hotel in the beautiful French countryside, until finally it was the big day!

When we arrived on the wedding day, Fi and all her bridesmaids were making a start on preparations. One thing I didn’t expect is for the bridesmaids to be making their own bouquets! After gathering wild flowers from the surrounding fields, the girls sat outside in the sun and made the most beautiful, rustic bouquets I’ve ever seen! Such a lovely and personal touch to add to the wedding.

Once Fi and her bride tribe were ready, we all headed to the ceremony. Now, this was NOT your standard ceremony room. Oh no. I can’t even begin to describe how stunning it was! I think I’ll leave that for the photos to show.

After a little prank from the page boy who presented the couple with Haribo rings, the vows were exchanged and Fi and Sam were husband and wife!

The rest of the wedding was quite simply a dream come true.

I’d always wanted to photograph a wedding abroad, and to spend it with such lovely people was just amazing.

The day was concluded with sparklers and dancing, before everyone headed their separate ways.

Sometimes you can just tell when a couple are meant for each other. And with Helen & Matt, it couldn’t be more true.

These two are SO natural with each other which makes them just a total pleasure to photograph. From our first meeting, to the engagement shoot and finally to the wedding, they have been a photographer’s dream!

The wedding day itself was super emotional, and some of my favourite photos were the moments that Helen shared with her sister. Even after the first dance, Helen’s whole family gathered onto the dancefloor in a huge embrace and all had a little cry together.

The Old Swan in Harrogate was the perfect venue for this colourful autumn wedding. Every detail was meticulously planned. Even down to the personalised packets of Love Hearts scattered on the tables! There was the most incredible wedding cake made my Betty’s,  and gorgeous flowers from Regal Florists in Harrogate.  What more could you want?!

Mr & Mrs Turner – you guys really are the most wonderful couple. I’m so thrilled that I got to be part of such a special wedding.

And what a year it’s been! 2018 has been an absolute corker, and choosing 50 of my favourite photos from the last 365 days hasn’t been the easiest task!

2018 has been full of the loveliest weddings, engagement shoots and family sessions. I want to say an ENORMOUS thank you to all my amazing brides and grooms, as well as all the gorgeous families I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this year. You guys are the reason I can continue to do what I love.

Being a photographer really is the most rewarding job. I cannot wait to see what next year has in store!

I couldn’t have imagined how this festive shoot could have been any more perfect!

It’s such a total and utter delight when a couple as special as these two come into my life. Katie-Marie & Matt are truly the most gorgeous human beings both inside and out.

We met for the engagement shoot in York on the most beautiful Sunday morning, thinking it would be nice and quiet before the shops opened. Oh how wrong we were! I couldn’t believe how busy it was.. damn Christmas shoppers!

I must just say how INRCREDIBLE these two were with having their photos taken. Katie-Marie was super nervous beforehand bless her. Despite how many hundreds of people there were walking past doing their Christmas shopping, it really did feel like it was just us three in the whole of York.

For me what makes these two even more special is that they are both profoundly deaf, and the way we were able to communicate in such a busy environment just totally blew me away. These two really are just amazing people, and the kindest souls I’ve met in a really long time.

I know I will bore my friends and family by going on and on about how crazy I am for these two!

This shoot was everything I could have hoped it would be, and the perfect way to get us all feeling festive! Now I just can’t wait for the wedding at Middleton Lodge next year..

When this beautiful couple popped into my life I just knew their ‘Yorkshire themed’ shoot was going to be amazing.

Even from our first email when Rachel told me she wanted to bring along a picnic and champagne. How could I not be excited?!

It’s SO rare when so many things come together in one shoot. Incredible couple with such beautiful chemistry. Gorgeous weather. Funniest dog I’ve ever met in my life. Best location ever (YORKSHIRE!).

Rachel & Brandon are originally from the States and got in touch to book a shoot before they move back there in the new year. They wanted some photos that represented them as a couple in the place they’ve called home for the past few years.

As well as trotting around the Yorkshire Dales for an hour, our shoot featured macaroons, rope swings, telephone boxes and the most beautiful views around.

Rachel & Brandon’s couples shoot was EASILY one of my favourite shoots from the whole of 2018. It’s so special to have met such an extraordinary couple. The only downside from meeting these two is that they’re already married.. so I don’t get to photograph their wedding!