The Ramside Hall - Sarah and Stuart

Sarah looked picture perfect as she walked down the aisle of St Josephs church in Stanley to be married to Stuart in July this year.  The ceremony was beautifully traditional and was attended by all of their family and friends.  After having spent some time with their guests after the ceremony, we all headed over to the Ramside Hall near Durham for their wedding reception.  The Bishops suite was dressed to impress for their wedding breakfast back lit by the stunning giant light up letters reading their names supplied by the fab Coco Luminaire. As a surprise to the groom, Sarah splashed out on the brand new bridal suite, the Celebration suite for the pair of them to enjoy for a few days following the weddings so after the meal the four of us headed upstairs for a few photographs.  To say I was impressed with the room would be understatement, it's stunning decor and mood lighting created a wonderful atmosphere and was ideal for a short portrait shoot.  The evening began with the traditional first dance, however Sarah and Stuart surprised and enthralled their guests with a fabulous choreographed first dance which was followed by a special moment for the bride and her dad on the dance floor.

Here are a few of my favourite images from their day.

Durham Castle - Jez and Mark

Durham Castle has always been one of my favourite wedding venues to work in - for is history, it's abundance of creative photographic opportunities and for the wonderful light so it was a delight to return to photograph Jez and Marks spectacular wedding.  

Jez and Mark travelled all the way from London to be married in the city that they first met.  I met Jez while he got ready with his groomsmen in the Royal County Hotel in Durham while Nige met Mark getting ready in his old halls of residence at Hatfield Collage.  They said their vows in an intimate ceremony at Ackley Heads registry office surrounded by only their closest family and friends.  After a quick walk around some of their favourite spots in Durham, revisiting some of the places that they used to go to together as students they were met at the castle by over 100 of their friends, all cheering on their arrival, throwing confetti over their fabulous two seater E type Jaguar.  A lavish Champagne drinks reception lead into a feast and speeches in Durham Castle's great Hall.

It was such fun photographing this wedding and a joy to attend.   

The Parlour at Blagdon - Victoria and Andy

The Parlour at Blagdon has always held a special place in Victoria and Andy's hearts.  For many months they would visit as a treat for their two children to enjoy some of the best homemade ice cream in the North East, for the children to play in the courtyard and Wendy house, and for some good old fashioned county side fresh air.  When the time came to begin planning for their wedding they as all couples do chatted about what they wanted their wedding to be.  They wanted their wedding to be relaxed and informal for their guests and wanted it to be somewhere quirky and fun and a little bit different.  At the time the Parlour was not open as a wedding venue but they decided to have a chat with Nigel the manager of the about the possibility of using it for their wedding reception, an idea that he took up whole heartedly.  Two years later the big day arrived. 

Victoria and her bridesmaids got ready at Haselor House, one of the gorgeous cottages at Burradon Farm before heading over to St Nicholas Church in Cramlington.  The sound of the church bells accompanied by a steel band set up on the lawns of the church created a wonderful atmosphere as Victoria arrived and equally as she and Andy, and their guests exited the ceremony.  I could never have imagined how wonderful it would be to hear 'Under the Sea' from the disney film 'The Little Mermaid' played on steel drums, the last piece of music played as they left for their wedding reception.

The Parlour at Blagdon certainly didn't disappoint, it delivered every hope that Victoria and Andy had for their wedding day.  The staff did a wonderful job, working together ensure that everything went perfectly and looked stunning. The Willow room was dressed to perfection for their wedding breakfast, the courtyard was filled with fresh flowers and of course ice cream was provided to all of the guests.  A small but perfectly formed wedding venue and we loved every moment working there.

Having seen some of Victoria and Andy's wedding photographs, Nigel got in touch.  We are now very proud to now call ourselves a recommended partner of the Parlour at Blagdon and look forward to lots more weddings at this quaint and quirky venue.

The Alnwick Garden - Mags and Nick

Mags and Nick were married in the huge glass roofed pavilion of the Alnwick Garden overlooked by the stunning grand cascade fountains.  This fairytale garden filled with stunning flora and featuring dozens of water features, a walled garden, and it's own maze is a jewel in the crown of the North East - truly a magical place to be married.  

To match the venue, Mags chose a garden theme for their day.  Pretty florals arranged carefully in jars and vases were placed all around the pavilion, parasols were hanging from the ceiling and DIY place settings were carefully crafted by Mag's parents to help guests find their places.  The whole day had such a relaxed and happy vibe it was such a pleasure to photograph.