Wynyard Hall - Rachel and Kenny

As a recommended photographer, Wynyard Hall is a regular haunt of ours - but even after so many years, it still doesn't fail to wow us.  The stunning stately north east wedding venue stops you in your tracks from the moment that you arrive. The Regency architecture with it's towering pillars invite you into the enormous octagonal statue gallery.  A huge domed stained glass skylight and crystal chandelier above your head.  The feeling is something like walking into a palace.  Amongst its many other delights, Wynyard Hall also boasts the most stunningly beautiful private chapel, which last year, became the setting for Rachel and Kenny's wedding, and what a day it was!

In her own words, Rachel talks about their day.

THE PROPOSAL

'Kenny had travelled out to the United States where I had been working at the time. We had taken a short holiday on the Californian coast and one afternoon he had planned a trip to Newport Beach where we took a gondola ride around the canals to watch the sunset. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever that a proposal was coming my way!'

THE VENUE

'We were initially wowed by the statue gallery and it’s incredibly stunning stained-glass ceiling and imposing chandelier. As soon as we stepped in to the chapel, the deal was sealed: I couldn’t imagine being married anywhere else. The chapel is sensational in every sense of the word.'

'The wedding co-ordinator Ashleigh and master of ceremonies Ryan were there for us every single step of the way and on the day they were like my right-hand men (& woman)! There was no decision made alone and the help and guidance provided by the wedding team at Wynyard Hall was a godsend in areas where we felt we needed further advice.'

HER MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

'I wish I could rewind back to that moment where the Wynyard Hall chapel doors swung open, I could hear Canon in D playing and saw my husband-to-be waiting at the altar. I’ve never seen or experienced such emotion from so many people in one moment in my life, and that is something I’ll forever cherish.'

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

'We spent a lot of time browsing bridal magazines that were specifically focused on the North for initial inspiration, and used social media to find the photographer who we believed would suit the overall tone of our day.  We kept hoping that we would find a team that could work naturally around us and capture those beautiful shots without us even realising! We wanted the laughs, our smiles and even our tears. That’s when Nigel and Chrissie at 2Tone Photography came along…'

'Nigel and Chrissie are two of the nicest people we have ever met and so passionate about what they do. The whole experience felt incredibly personalised.'

'We received our beautiful wedding images when we were in the middle of the Eastern Cape on Safari in South Africa with the most hopeless Internet connection. We spent hours of our honeymoon “ooh’ing and aah’ing” with laughter, tears and the biggest grins on our faces reliving the day over again.'

THE DETAILS

'We envisaged a classic elegance at Wynyard Hall, combining ivory and sage green. We had enormous vases of fresh Roses on each table that filled the room with the most beautiful scent, and a carried a gorgeous bouquet of ivory Roses.'

THE DRESS

'I fell in love with a half satin, half lace Allure Bridals gown that I found at First Glance Bridal in Sunderland.  The long train fluted out and accentuated my waist allowing me to feel demure, elegant and beautiful at the same time. I could never imagine getting married wearing anything else.'

THE SPECIAL TOUCHES

'I created and designed all of the stationery that we used on our wedding day with the help of my Dad. We spent hours together fussing over fonts, alignment and paper choices, eventually seeking help from the team at Prontoprint who ordered paper samples and printed our designs. The hard part was when we got to work tying over 200 ribbons and bows!

We had a range of spirits as favours – as you can never go wrong with a good old G&T – but tied a personalised tag for each guest around the bottle neck advising its exact use depending on the recipient: a truth serum, courage builder, love potion, or of course, the pain killer!'

RACHEL AND KENNY'S BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION WAS FEATURED IN ISSUE 08 OF UNVEILED.

The Suppliers

The Venue - Wynyard Hall

The dress - Allure Bridals at First Glance Bridal

Hair - Show Off Salon

Make up - Katie Robson Make Up

The suits - Baker's Tailoring

The bridesmaids - Dessy

The flowers - Ashbrooke Florists

The cake - Joanne's Cake Creations

The cheese wedding cake - Blacks Corner

The band - The Andy Usher Trio

The photobooth - Party Pics

The Videographers - One digital Image

Wynyard Hall - Sonia and Craig

I still remember very clearly meeting Sonia at the Qwest Wynyard Hall wedding fayre at the end of 2013.  The wedding fayre was more of a supplier showcase really with a select few of us invited to show our work in a more intimate environment than you would usually expect.  Less couples coming through the door, seated areas to chat and a real opportunity to meet one another properly.  Sonia and I really hit it off straight away, she seem to completely understand our artistic direction and our passion for our craft; she even came back at the end of the show to help me pack down the stand!  I was so happy when she came over with Craig a few days later and booked us for the big day.  

Sonia and Craig were married at the very end of July at the stunning Wynyard Hall in the Tees Valley and they were blessed with the most perfect weather.

So, I asked Sonia - How did you two meet?

"We met like many others, whilst under the disco lights.  A night where I had not planned to be out past 12 o’clock but after being politely asked to dance by a sun kissed RAF Airman, my Cinderella curfew was forgotten.

Like a lovesick puppy, Craig told his Mum the very next day he had met the girl he was going to marry. Six years on he was right.  After returning from a four-month detachment in the Falklands Islands, Craig decided to pop the question on the banks of Lake Windermere in the ‘Temple of Heroes.’ " 

They chose an elegant fairytale theme for their wedding.  I loved their inventive touches like the mirror table plan and the books post box.

Sonia told me:

"I tend to favor the posed shots over natural ones so I wanted photographers that were equally good at both.  We also wanted two photographers as we felt one alone may not capture all the moments of our day." 

"We had seen photographers at wedding fayres and had been given some recommendations from friends and family.  Most of our research was done online, looking through portfolios of peoples work.  I must have looked through thousands of images so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted by the end of it.  We first met Chrissie at one of Wynyard Hall’s wedding showcases.  After sitting with her and seeing 2tones work we knew they were the photographers for us. Not only were their natural shots amazing their posed shots were out of this world. Chrissie was so lovely that it felt like we had known her years."

Nigel met the lads in the Wellington bar as they got ready for the day ahead.

Sonia's stunning wedding gown by Pronovias hanging in Wynyard Hall's Frances Anne suite.  

"Due to nature of Craig’s work in the military, we had to set a date that only gave us eight months to plan our big day. With precious time ticking away and the deadline to purchase a dress fast approaching, I received advice from sisters, friends, magazines and endless internet searching. To my amazement, I found my dream dress on the first day of shopping!  The Pronovias ‘Alcanar’ gown was the dress, with it’s beautiful lace details and a sweetheart neckline, as soon as I looked in the mirror I knew it was the one! When I turned around to find my sisters opening up a box a Kleenex, I could see they echoed my decision."

Sonia chose lace adorned shoes and veil to complete her look.

Sonia's sister was appointed as her makeup artist and did a perfect job.

A creative shot of Sonia's engagement ring, sitting inside the laser cut wedding card that she had been given from Craig.

The suites in Wynyard Hall are all absolutely stunning however I really love working in the Frances Anne suite.  The three large feature windows fill the room with wonderful light and the pale turquoise and camel shades help to bounce the great light all around the room which always makes for great pictures.

It was great to work with Sonia who as a teacher is naturally organised.  She gave me plenty of time to work with her to get some gorgeous bridal portraits before her ceremony.

A simple but creative portrait of our stunning bride Sonia.

The ceremony took place in Wynyard Hall's own chapel.  

Craig and his best man make their way to the chapel

The stunning chapel originally build as a place of personal worship for the Marquesses of Londonderry is decorated in blue, blue marble and gold.  Wonderfully romantic, it makes the perfect setting for a wedding.

Sonia and her dad make their way together through the Hall and outside around to the chapel.

In Sonia's words:

"Obviously we wanted photographers who were capable of great shots in a number of styles and who had experience of the business.  It was also important that they could work alongside our videographers, One Digital Image.  To our delight they had not only worked together but were close friends, this made future meetings easier.  I think above all we wanted someone who is passionate about their work; Chrissie and Nigel are definitely passionate about photography.  It is amazing to watch them bounce ideas of each other whilst working together.  They are consummate professionals co-coordinating the photography over the day, whilst maintaining a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. 

Sonia as well as being and teacher and also the head of the school choir is a very talented singer.  A few days prior to the wedding day she visited a recording studio and sang, creating the music that she would walk down the aisle to lead by the children from her choir.  It was beautifully romantic and a wonderful suprise for Craig.

The school choir who joined us for the ceremony sang beautifully during the signing of the register and did the both of them very proud.

Their wedding portraits were styled classically with very good light, timeless and elegant to suit their wedding and their tastes.

In Sonia's words:

Wow! 2tones images completely surpassed our expectations. I managed to sneak a peek at a couple of shots on the day, but to see them on a large screen and all together I really appreciated the level of attention to detail that they managed to capture.

A romantic moment with a fresh colourful look showing the beautiful weather our couple were able to enjoy on their wedding day.

Wynyard Hall's stunning statue gallery with it's marble, gold and warm toned pallet, grand piano, huge chandelier and wonderful directional light from the open doors all combine together and become a wonderful portrait opportunity. 

Classic styling while still keeping with the elegant fairytale theme for the wedding breakfast and table details.  The roses suspended in water filled glass vases become a subtle reference to the classic story of Beauty and the Beast.

The top table even had it's own Cinderella castle, created by the talented girls at Celebration wedding cakes in Peterlee.

Still loving the gorgeous light, back lit champagne glasses and shooting speeches through those rose filled glass table centres.

Sonia said:

We have received the images and the proof of the wedding album. After viewing hundreds of images, 2tone have managed to do the impossible.  They have created a timeless album encapsulating our wedding memories and telling our story of our day seamlessly.  Chrissie and Nigel offer honest feedback and there experience is highly valued by us.

Sonia's RAF Airman changes outfit to become her man in uniform once again, and Craig takes to the dance floor with his very own Cinderella on his arm to dance the night away.

"I have always had an interest in photography and I understand the time and effort that goes into each shot. My perception has changed since working with the professionals. 2tone’s passion and expertise have made me see things in another light. I now view photography as an art and I hope there will be another opportunity to work with Chrissie and Nigel again."

To our new friends, Sonia and Craig, thank you to you both from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us into your lives, for allowing us to witness your beautiful wedding day, and for your friendship.  It has been truly wonderful working with you both, right from our first meeting at the Qwest Wynyard Hall wedding fayre right up to delivering your wedding albums.  We both wish you the very very best for the future - be insanely happy together! x

See Sonia and Craig's gorgeous Wynyard Hall wedding day in the current issue of the luxury wedding magazine Unveiled

Photography: 2Tone Photography
Venue: Wynyard Hall, Tees Valley
Bride’s Dress: 'Alcanar' gown by Pronovia purchased at Laura Day (Middlesbrough)
Bridesmaids: Custom made by Tina Allenby
Hair : Sarah and Leanne at Deep Hair Salon, Marton 
Flowers : Ivory Roses by Silk Wedding designs 
Cake: No longer trading due to retirement Celebration wedding cakes 
Stationery: Homemade
Entertainment: The Ultimate Wedding DJ
Wedding Videographers: One Digital Image