A VW Camper, Sparklers and an Egyptian ceremony for a November Wedding at Thirsk Lodge Barns.
Thirsk Lodge Barns Wedding Photography. Beth and Tom got married on a slightly grey Thursday in early November at one of my favourite venues, Thirsk Lodge Barns. They had a church ceremony in the village of Sharow about 20 minutes from the barn and that started at noon so I was there bright and early in the morning!
Getting ready.
Beth got ready in the farmhouse at Thirsk Lodge which is just so convenient and is such a lovely building with lots of big windows for that gorgeous natural light us photographers like so much. Especially important when you’re getting married in November when light is limited!
Hair and makeup prep were well underway when I got there and I was really happy to see one of my favorite hair stylists, Colette from Hair by Tosetti, was in charge of hair for Beth and her mum. She always does the most stunning hairstyles and is incredibly talented at everything from sleek updos to Hollywood waves. Once I said my hellos to everybody, I nipped over to the little house next to the main farmhouse (which I guess you’d call the honeymoon suite!) where Beth’s dress and shoes and other bits and bobs we’re waiting. I got loads of shots of all of those nice and quickly and then headed back to the main house where the real action was. The rest of the morning passed by so quickly as it always does, and I had a great time getting to know all of Beth’s best friends and her mum and sister (who actually works at Thirsk Lodge so it was nice to see her again).
Before we knew it was time for Beth to get ready or we going to be late for the ceremony! We got her into her gown and brought her lovely dad in to see her, and then brought her out to where her bridesmaids were waiting patiently, desperate to get their first glimpse her fully ready to go. They were totally blown away of course and very excited, and swarmed in for a massive group hug. Then it was on to the church!
Meanwhile my second photographer Matt had been with the boys capturing them getting ready at Tom’s parents’ house. All the groomsmen were there as well as Tom’s parents so it was nice and busy and he got loads of great shots of them all donning ties and cuff links and try to put buttonholes on. Tom’s mum was clearly very excited and very VERY proud to see him tie the knot!
Ceremony.
We got to the church just in time and I nipped inside to see Tom and the vicar whilst Matt waited outside for Beth and the girls to arrive. The rain had started but they all had massive brollies and managed to get up the church path and inside no problem. The service was lovely and I really liked their vicar as she made the ceremony really fun and personal to Beth and Tom. They also had the Ripon Brass Band there playing music which was a lovely touch. After the rings and the vows and the kiss and all those other lovely bits of the traditional Church of England ceremony, Beth and Tom excited the church and then came back down the aisle together for an Egyptian blessing. This was really important to Tom and his family and it was lovely to be able to experience a ceremony from a different culture that I had not seen before. I especially enjoyed the robes and crowns that Beth and Tom put on – they really suited them!
Once both ceremonies were finished it was time to head back up the aisle at which point Beth and Tom were bombed with confetti since it was still raining outside. Once we got outside they grabbed their brollies and headed down to the VW camper that had brought Beth and her bridesmaids to the church, and we all headed off to Thirsk Lodge.
Reception.
Beth, Tom and I got there first so we started on some couple photos of the two of them around the venue. It was great to be able to use the courtyard before people arrived as there were autumn leaves and berries left to add a bit of seasonal colour. It was drizzling on and off, so massive thanks to Beth and Tom for not letting that bother them so that we could get loads of pics outside. They were absolute naturals; totally happy to just hang out together, follow my instructions (which were minimal!) and just chat, laugh, hug, kiss and be themselves. The rain kicked up a little bit but luckily there’s a nice undercover bit at the courtyard at Thirsk Lodge which is really handy for photos on a wet day.
Once everybody else had arrived we cracked on with some group photos with Beth and Tom’s immediate families and grandparents, and of course bridesmaids and groomsmen. The rain really kicked in just as we were finishing our group photo list so we had to do the shots of the boys inside, but that’s not a problem at Thirsk Lodge – they have the amazing ceremony barn which has fantastic windows at the end for natural light, and also a fairly light wall at the back which makes a lovely backdrop.
Whilst I was been busy with all that the lovely Matt had got some great candid shots of everybody else enjoying canapés and drinks, chatting and laughing signing the guestbook. I nipped in to see the wedding breakfast room ready for dinner – Beth and tom adopted for trestle tables which always look amazing, with simple arrangements of green foliage running the length of each table.
Speeches.
We got everybody seated then and it was time for speeches. Beth and Tom’s dad’s both made a speech, which was really nice as I often don’t hear the father of the groom get the chance to talk about his son. They were both great speeches – that perfect combination of funny and emotive. It was Tom’s turn next and he also nailed his speech, managing to draw quite a few tears, and then finally his best man did an ace job too.
Food was served so it was time for Matt and I to leave them in peace. Matt headed home at that point and I stayed on to capture the evening reception.
Party.
After people finished eating they made their way back out to the bar and the photo booth which Beth and Tom had set up. We grabbed the bridal party and their immediate family and took them outside for some sparkler photos as the rain had dried up again. There are some fantastic floodlights in the courtyard at Thirsk Lodge which made for a very handy spotlight for these photos, and it was the 2nd of November after all so it was a perfect time of year for it!
It was time to cut their cake then and for everyone to make their way through to the ceremony barn which was ready for the party. Beth and Tom took to the dance floor and executed the perfect first dance with the a spin and dip or two, and then they called everybody else to join them. It was another heaving dance floor (2023 seems to have been the year of the busy dance floor and I am here for that!). I could barely move for all the mad dancing and it was so nice to see everybody just let their hair down and flinging themselves across the dance floor. I love getting shots of the party at the end of the night when all the formalities are done and everybody’s just focused on having a really good time.
Keep scrolling to see some of my favourite photos from Beth & Tom’s big day. I adore weddings at Thirsk Lodge Barns so please do get in touch and tell me more!
Venue: @thirsk_lodge_barns
Second photographer: @mattsimphoto
Videographer: @waterfall_weddings
Florist: @flowerdesignripon
Hair (bride & her mum): @hairbytosetti
Make up: @juliajeckellmakeupartist
Dress: @victoriarobsonbridal
Cake: Fenella Davies
Stationery: @katelonsdale.events
