Lartington Hall - Beth and Luke

Beth and Luke chose elegant Lartington Hall in Co. Durham for their wedding.  Dashed with champagne and gold, their day had a regal feel while still being relaxed and fun.  Here is Beth to tell us about it...  

How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?

'Luke and I had the most amazing engagement. We had booked to go away to Disney World Florida in 2015. The last day of our holiday was my birthday and Luke had organised for us to watch the firework display at Cinderellas castle from a private garden viewing area! I had already had my birthday presents early that morning and wasn’t expecting anything else! As the fire works began, they played a song which started with the lyrics - ‘wishes do come true’ to which Luke then got down on one knee and the fireworks were going crazy in the background! It was just magical.'

What was the inspiration behind your wedding?

'When we started planning the wedding we knew we both wanted quite a big wedding with the wow-factor to go with it, and we definitely got that with Lartington Hall. We wanted everything to be that little bit extra, but still classy. We wanted a neutral and champagne colour theme, which happened to match perfectly with the venue – it was fate! I’d almost say we wanted a regal-feel to it, from the tall, rounded centrepieces and the large cake to the gold painted pillar-cases in the ballroom. Everything was just how we imagined – perfect!” We couldn’t recommend Lartington Hall enough to future bride and grooms.'

What was the most memorable or your favorite part of your wedding day? 

'Without a doubt our favourite part of our wedding day was the Singing waiters! When planning the wedding we knew they were definitely going to have to be part of our day! We felt that sometimes at the wedding breakfast there is a bit of a lull and everyone becomes a bit tired after a big meal so it was just the perfect thing to get everyone lively again and up on their feet. The atmosphere they created was amazing, everyone was up dancing, singing and having a fab time! So many of our guests commented on how unique and brilliant it was to have at a wedding breakfast!'

Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ? 

'Our photos of the day were one of our main focuses when wedding planning. We found 2tone photography at a wedding fayre and instantly knew nigel and chrissie were for us! We knew from looking at their past albums that they had captured some amazing pictures of other bride and grooms special days and that’s exactly what we wanted! Their pictures seemed so crisp, clear and deep in colour, and that was exactly what we were looking for, something that said bold. Nigel and Chrissie are so lovely too. They work with such a relaxed attitude and it’s almost like having friends photograph your wedding. I would definitely recommend having a pair of photographers, that way, so many more images from different angles are able to be captured and I would not hesitate to recommend 2tone to any bride and groom.'

Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?

'Our advice for future Bride and Grooms would be to go ahead with any plan or factor that you really want on your day. You only get to do it once, so bite the bullet and book it! Even if it means saving those few extras pennies, you wont regret it!

What is your favorite part of being married now? 

'Our favourite part of being married now is planning our future together! We cant wait to see what the next couple of years bring for us! Our least favourite part is not having a wedding to plan haha! Enjoy every single minute of it.'

Venue: Lartington Hall

Venue styling: The Whole Schbang

The wedding dress: Bespoke Victoria Kay - Happily ever after Darlington

The jewellery - Ivory & CO

The hair: Hair by Jordan Simone Darlington

Makeup - Heather Francesca Pro artist and studio

The bridesmaid's dresses - Tracy Wilson Bridal specialist

The men's suits: Slaters - Newcastle

The wedding cake: Creations by Paula Jane

The flowers: The whole schbang

The  stationary - Linda Whyte @ The Wedding Stationery Company

The magician - Stephen Knight

The singing waiters - Main course singing waiters

The day time musicians - Amici Musicali

The evening band - Hip Hop Hooray

The photobooth - Party Pics photobooth hire

The videographer - One Digital Image

THE BEST OF 2017

Well, it’s that time of year again!  The time when we collate our work and choose our top picks from the past year.  We have shared some amazing moments with some amazing people, visited some incredible places and made so many new friends.  Simply all I can say is what an absolute pleasure it has been working with each and every one of our couples throughout the year.  It is the people that we meet that make our job so special.  Thank you to you all for inviting us to your wonderful weddings.  

We both need to also say a huge thank you to all of those who have already booked us for 2018, 2019 and 2020.  Exciting times ahead folks!

So we give you...2017!  A year filled with laughs and tears of joy, moments and memories, spectacular sunsets and most importantly - incredible people.  Cheers guys, and here's to an amazing 2018!  

Crathorne Hall - Lesley and Matthew

Lesely and Matthew's wedding took place at the beautiful Crathorne Hall near Yarm.  I asked Lesley to tell us more about their day...

"Matt & I met on a friends 21st in Durham, in 2011.  From our first date I knew he was the one, I have had butterflies ever since."

"Christmas 2014, Matthew proposed to me in the most amazing way! We’d finished opening our presents on Christmas morning sat by the tree, he said to me “Do you think that’s everything?” He passed me a large, flat box. I thought “what on earth could this be...” it was a Millie’s cookie with pink writing asking me to marry him! First thing I did was question “REALLY?”, I couldn’t believe it, so excited! I Immediately said YES after that!  I was pregnant when Matt proposed to me.  Millie was born in 2015, she will always have the story that she was named after a cookie!"

"We wanted our wedding to be a happy and unforgettable day.  It truly was one of the best days of our lives, we had everyone around us who cared, friends and family, each other and our little girl, Millie.  Unfortunately we have lost some loved ones over the years we have been together and beforehand. We wanted to try and include as much as we could so they were with us that day also."

"There was so many memorable parts to the wedding!  Walking down the aisle and seeing Matthew standing there, and our first dance.  At the end of the night feeling accomplished, we had the most amazing day and I’d like to think everyone had a great time!"

"Photography was massively important to us.  We wanted to treasure our memories and what better way can we do it?
We chose 2tone photography as both Chrissie's and Nigel's photography skills are brilliant. What a lovely couple to work with, they listened to everything we wanted and they followed through with it on the day. The quality and thought that goes into their work is unbelievable. I recommend them to friends who are getting married all of the time."

"My piece of advice to couples getting amrried is don't get stressed. Your day will be amazing.  Everyone says it but it’s completely true.  Your day goes so quick, so make sure you take five minutes just both of you to take it all in."

Here is a look at their amazing day...

Venue: Crathorne Hall Hotel

Venue styling: The First Class Wedding Company

The wedding dress: Northallerton Bridal Outlet

The men's suits: Bakers Tailoring

Wedding cake: Mother in Law

Flowers: Claire Metcalfes

Hair and Make up: Hair: Ashleigh Bennett. Makeup: Emma Christie

Entertainment: The Ultimate wedding DJ

Wynyard Hall - Joanne and Lee

Joanne and Lee were married just a few weeks before christmas at the parish church of St Mary and St Cuthbert in Chester le Street, heading over afterwards to the stunning Wynyard Hall.  Here is a glimpse of their day...

The best of 2016

Well we've done it!  We have searched through every one of the 53 weddings that we attended last year to find our best images of 2016.  The images themselves, all 250 were chosen because they represent something meaningful and profound to us.  Each and every one speaks to us both in a personal way, they represent us, the way that we think and the way that we see the world.  The experience of collecting the images together and drawing upon our own memories of capturing each moment is clarifying and will help us move forward, to learn from our experiences and to develop and grow as photographers and creatives.

To our couples of 2016, it was a year of new friends and new opportunities.  We have met some inspiring people and been to some incredible places.  It was our extreme honour to photograph every one of the 53 weddings that we attended last year, each amazing and unique in every way.  Thank you to each and every one of you for inviting us to join you on your wedding days and for trusting us with your memories.

We hope that you enjoy the images as much as we enjoyed creating the collection.