A Sunny May Wedding at East Riddlesden Hall.
East Riddlesden Hall Wedding Photography. My first ever Jurassic Park themed wedding! And though I was sad to see none of the bridal party dressed in one of those inflatable t rex suits we had a good day anyway! 😀
Astrid & her bridesmaids got ready at Ashmount Lodge in Haworth and I joined them there for a couple of hours before the ceremony, capturing their hair and make up being done by the lovely Charlotte from Beauty in Bloom. I also managed to commandeer a spare room to get some detail shots of Astrid’s Modeca gown and other details including her fab Irregular Choice shoes.
Meanwhile my lovely second shooter Lissa was with Mark & the guys at Astrid & Mark’s home, capturing them getting ready (usually a much quicker process than with the girls!) before heading off to East Riddlesden Hall.
The girls were ready nice and early with loads of time to spare so once Astrid was dressed we headed outside for a few team shots in the gardens before going back in to wait for her dad to arrive. I left them all to enjoy a last glass of fizz and made my way to East Riddlesden for the ceremony.
It was a beautiful day and everyone was outside enjoying the sun when I arrived, so I nipped in to grab a quick shot of the barn before people took their seats. Astrid even arrived early which really goes against tradition! The ceremony started with their little flower girl doing a perfect job of walking down the aisle (it can often go the other way with flower girls!), followed by the bridesmaids and then Astrid & her dad. Once the vows were spoken and the rings exchanged Astrid & Mark were pronounced husband and wife to great applause. They signed the register and then made their way back up the aisle whilst everyone else filed outside for confetti. They were absolutely bombed with petals as they exited, with the basket of left over petals being thrown fully in Astrid’s face at the end. The drinks reception was held in the gardens behind the hall which are gorgeous all year but especially in late spring/early Summer when the flowers are all in bloom.
I found a shady spot for the group photos (much more flattering than full sun!) and we got those done nice and early on so that people could relax and enjoy their drinks and canapés. The drinks reception lasted a couple of hours which meant that we could take our time and everything felt really relaxed. I whisked Astrid and Mark around the gardens for some shots of the two of them and they totally nailed it! Then I left them with their friends and family whilst Lissa and I wandered back to the barn to get some shots of the wedding breakfast set up. This is where the Jurassic Park theme really shone! 😀 Their table plan in particular was fab!
Soon it was time to be seated for dinner and Astrid & Mark were announced as the new Mr & Mrs. Speeches were between courses so we nipped back and forth between those and our own food (which was incredible, Nomad catering are fantastic. Plus we got all 3 courses!).
There was a nice break then before the party started and I managed to get Astrid & Mark back outside for a few photos in front of the hall before it was time to cut the cake. The party kicked off with Astrid & Mark’s first dance, and I was happy to see they fully embraced the awkward spinning on the spot despite admitting to dreading that part of the day!
Huge thank you to Astrid & Mark for having me along, and to Lissa for being an amazing second shooter as always! Please do get in touch if you’re looking for a photographer for your wedding at East Riddlesden – it’s one of my faves!
Venue: @eastriddlesdenhallweddings
Second photographer: @lissaalexandraphoto
Florist: @walterandblossom
Hair and make up: @beautyinbloom
Cake: @the_dragonfly_bakery
Lights: @typicaltypeuk
Dress: @modeca from @purity_bridal
