Yesterday I joined Chantelle & Chris to photograph their wedding at the beautiful boutiquey Yorebridge House Hotel, deep in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.
We’d done their prewedding practice shoot there not long back (check out their blog post here) and it looked like such a funky place to photograph a wedding.
Not only that but most of the rooms had hot tubs! Party! Tales of granny & grandad skinny dipping were spreading round all morning!
Anyhoos – it was a cracking wedding all round and not only were Chantelle & Chris (avid followers of my blog) super into all things photography, but literally everyone made me to feel so welcome and involved.
Unusually for my weddings, I shot this one solo.
I generally have a 2nd shooter in tow to document the chaps preps and another angle on the ceremony etc, but as Chantelle & Chris were getting ready in the same place as the ceremony & reception, I braved this pup on my own. Though I won’t lie, as they’re such photo connoisseurs, I brought a few nerves with me, which always help keep the pressure on to deliver the goods.
Anyhoos – I felt I managed to weave in & out of the stories of the chaps hanging out and the girls party preparations throughout the morning.
It’s so good when couples help me get great images like this. When I turned up, Chantelle had already hung her dress in one of the coolest rooms for me!
The hotel is so cool. I’m a sucker for boutique places. It was once a school, built in the 1890s, but refurbed into a fabulous quirky 5* hotel.
Here’s Chantelle having hair done in the morning.
Gran & Chantelle’s pal being far more girly that they’re used to!
Gran found fake nails hilarious and her pal said she’s gonna have to go for a good burn in the car and a sesh on the Xbox to get over how girly they’d been…
Chantelle’s shoes looked pretty sweet eh? Though she said in spite of being in stretchers for two weeks, she said they hated her feet and wanted to kill her.
For the evening reception she switched into these guys…
That’s my kinda bride!
Their flora was quality too! They were both giddy about these fun little yellow floral balls they’d found, and had the bouquets wrapped in a material they’d found.
Meanwhile the chaps chilled out and read the paper.
[For the shutterbug geeks out there, I hid a slave flash round the corner to the left, exposed for the window and popped it off the roof with an ST-E2]
Nicky, Chris’ bro took best man duties, with cufflinks to remind him in case he forgot.
Good job they didn’t mix up the cufflinks
In the morning, Chris & Chantelle had bought loads of thoughtful presents for each other
Chris got some cheeky gruds, pantone yellow socks (yellow is their fave colour & ran through the wedding & a tasty Hugo Boss watch!
Chris filled a Campbell’s soup presentation box (his surname!) with all sorts of goodies, including the right version of a perfume he’d bought wrong once upon a time (we’ve all done that), a very stylishly graphic designed lyric sheet to some of their fave music… 
…and a CD mixtape! 
Check the yellow balls, snappy material and funky tie combo! 
As they were loitering outside, I had the ushers stroll down the picturesque Dalesy road together
and last minute, called for a big jump!
Good times.
Chantelle was being given away by Barry, a very sweet, very nervous grandad!
And here she is, 100% the beautiful blushing bride!
While the super helpful Kate (the Yorebridge House co-ordinator) checked everyone was inside, I had a few quiet moments to snap a few pics of Chantelle.
I love the light on the image above, and the fact that those circles in the background make her look a bit like an angel!
I love that this images catches that first glance between our happy couple.
Even though it’s a dry & staged shot, I do like to try and get a cool image of the fake register being signed.
Again, it’s been brought to life by hiding my flash atop a wall mounted lightshade to the left to bounce off the roof for a semi directional soft wash of light.
When i went to collect the flash I’d nearly burnt a hole in it!
Down the aisle as Mr & Mrs Campbell!
And a cheeky scatter of confetti
before some congratulatory cuddles!
It was a lovely intimate wedding, with about 30 guests in the arvo & a bunch more joining them for a knees up in the evening.
This image on the groupshot list was called “The Bride & her ladies”
and the “Groom & the dudes”
I love that I called out something along the lines of “Best ‘I’m well sexy’ faces gents” and only the best man Nicky changed up expressions!
This shot of one of the ushers snapping his button hole amused me greatly. 
Once guests were happily mingling and supping bubbles, C&C&I ducked off for a quick round of portraits.
We’d used a few of these spots on the practice shoot, and found a few new ones as we went.
I loved that Chantelle pulled these shades out of somewhere (I can’t see any pockets in that dress!)
Outside the old schoolhouse.
And again on the lovely Dalesy road.
I like this detail filled shot, showing loads of things, not least Chantelle’s yellow nail varnish!
Just before I left I realised I’d not done a ringshot. Just after packing up isn’t the best time to ask a couple if they’ll let you wander of with their diamonds and valuable metals, but they knew how I roll and left me pinch them for 2 minutes to snap them on a nicely reflective, polished table. I don’t often get to shoot the rings as Clare usually does it, but I love the look you get from the 100mm macro lens at f2.8.
Their wedding breakfast room fit with the clean, bright and fun vibes running throughout, with the top table flora in a Campbell’s Tea tin!
These cupcakes tasted AMAZING!
Chantelle pretty much forced me to take one for me and one for Clare (though only one made it home!) and they were YUM!
Not only was the icing dang tasty, but there was a little citrus well of goo buried inside!
I believe they were from the amazing Sugar Therapy in Harrogate and Chantelle said we should make a trip there specially.
Speeches were before dinner, which I like cos everyone can enjoy the meal afterwards without nerves, and we can get on with making the slideshow!
Kate was also a little star, as she let me order off the menu & sample their delicious fish & chips!
I’d heard Chris & Chantelle’s bridal suite was even cooler than the dress room, so Chris & Chantelle invited me in to take a snap of them chilling out between receptions.
Chris claims to have no dancing ability what-so-ever, so they took a few lessons so he could “at least sway in time” to the Anbelin track the slideshow at the top was set to.
Their function band, the amazing Cherie Gears Band, learnt their first dance to especially and laid out a great set of funky classics all night.
Coincidentally, I’d seen these kids play rock Jenni & Simon’s wedding at the Mansion a few weeks earlier, and thought they were great there too.
it’s always fun trying to capture the spirit of the party once revellers hit the floor.
And as I was taking my leave for a 1hr 40 drive home, I saw that magical dusky sky and thought it’d be rude not to get a shot of the Hotel.
I had an amazing time with Chantelle, Chris & all their wonderful friends and family. Thank you all for being ace.
I hope you all enjoy the images & hope the new Campbells have a great honeymoon break in Cornwall!
B