Yesterday I joined Ellen & Jonathan to photograph their wedding at recently renovated Mansion in Roundhay Park, Leeds.

As I grew up over the park from The Mansion, I knew it well.  As a 16 year old, I spent many a night trying to get served in the tired old-man pub inside.  After failing, we’d generally stroll over to Mr Milligan’s for our super strength cider and watch the sun set over hill 60 from the arena down the hill from The Mansion.  But after being closed for a good stretch in recent years, the mansion has reopened it’s doors under the hands of Dine Catering (who I did some Leeds Guide photography for a while back in this post here) and the inside has been transformed!

Soon after this shot was taken, mum & the girls told Ellen to stop running around stressing…

…so she took a moment out the balcony, with a glass of fizz!  A great way to find peace in all the pressure.

I loved their choice of flora.  An ace mix of seasonal wild flowers.

For interested snappers reading this, I’ve taken to shooting less with off camera flash in the morning preps and now use my new prime lenses instead. It can mean windows over expose & flood out, but I quite like the look.  This one was shot through the doorway with my 50mm f1.2 at f2.

One of the bridesmaids made these funky bags for all the bridesmaids!  That strap material lined the bags too.  

I like this relaxed moment of Ellen & her sis having a hug

Awesome ‘kicks’, as they say on the other side of the pond.

Meanwhile, Clare was over with Jonathan & the chaps…

…stoking up on a full English before the days fun.

I like how these days guys figure out how to do their cravatts by going on youTube & watching instructional videos.

I liked this catch of the best men (plural!) sorting each other out

Back with the girls, Ellen was aided into her beautiful gown by her maids, in their ace 50’s-style flaring skirts

A quick shot of the lovely bride, good to go.

Ellen’s father sadly passed away, so her lovely Uncle Michael gave her away.  I like this shot of him proudly looking on.

Looking good!

After the girls left, Ellen had a moment on the balcony waiting for the car to come back round, and I rather like this shot.

Over at the church, the weather was glorious

We had a nervous groom in waiting

And down the aisle came our blushing bride

They had two vicars do the ceremony, the current and the retired, as Jonathan had grown up in the church and knew the retired vicar well.

I don’t think Ellen & Jonathan were aware of this happening, as just before they walked down the aisle, their guests made a tunnel of roses

Outside we did a quick snap of everyone…

…before a confetti runway…

…to the car, and off to the Mansion

where we did a quick portrait shoot as guests were bussed over.

The stairwell inside the mansion looks wicked.

We did a few fun wedding party pics

I like this one

“Gentlemen, catalogue poses if you please!”

Then they enjoyed the afternoon reception, to a string quartet

The wedding breakfast room looked fab, with fun table decorations from the Yorkshire Soap company, where Ellen works.

Their cake looked lovely (with separate layers of carrot, chocolate & lemon sponge).

I ask you, apart from grannies, who actually likes fruit cake?

Walking into the wedding breakfast

Wonderful speeches, in places teary but mainly very funny

A quick cut the cake, leading straight into…

It was great fun joining Ellen & Jonathan for their fab wedding day.  I hope they had an amazing honeymoon in French Polynesia!

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