Well hello there! Let me wish you a very Happy New Year indeed!
I hope 2017 was kind to you. It certainly was a fun one for my eleventh year in wedding photography! As well as being lucky enough to be flown out for a wedding at the Elixir resort on the East Coast of Ibiza this summer, I’ve journeyed the length and breadth of England photographing all kinds of lovely weddings. I’ve shot village marquee weddings in Norfolk, barn weddings in the Cotswolds, stately home weddings as all over North Yorkshire. I’ve ventured into deepest East Yorkshire to shoot at new venues and even braved a country pub wedding on the wrong side of the Pennines in Lancashire ;). My couples have bared their hearts and souls and it’s been an absolute pleasure wrapping up each wedding story with my signature blend of laid-back portraits, stunning details and timeless moments.
So before I bed down and hibernate through January, it’s been great fun to dig through the years weddings and post a retrospective of my favourite images. As always, there’s been laughter, tears, high 5s, smooches and a tonne of confetti! And as with last years highlights post (which you can view here) I’ve structured this post as I do the highlights blogs I post for every wedding – in the order that the day unfolds.
This isn’t an ego post to show off my most ‘artistic’ work to my peers, it’s an insight into the actual (and hopefully ‘timeless’) story I try to create at every wedding. It also therefore serves as a great way for me to show my photographic approach and what I look for and strive to capture at weddings. So if you like what you see here and are looking for a photographer for your own wedding, don’t hesitate to make contact here to discuss your big day!
It was a right mission to trim down the highlights from this years 40 weddings into a manageable post, so without further adieu – let me present the Barnaby Aldrick Wedding Photography 2017 highlights…
Nice to start with one of my trademark confetti bombs from Rach & Rich’s wedding in the beautifully named Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds…
I’m so lucky to travel around to such wonderful places in my work, and it’s an important part of my photography to ‘set the scene’ with dramatic establishing shots like these. I really feel it adds a sense of context to flow of the story.
I also love to try and layer up a photograph, even a detail shot of the dress like this with story, such as seeing both the bride and groom’s mothers admiring it from across the room at Middleton Lodge, near Richmond.
It was fun hanging with these ladies! I’ve now shot three of the girls weddings in this pic and it was great reuniting with this group.
The morning preparations are a great time to try and capture beautiful little moments like these…
I’m always happy to see a dog involved in a wedding story too! Having one myself, I know they’re like a family member!
I love the image of a veiled, made-up bride feeding her little lad before things get real!
I so often shoot alongside a second shooter to document the guys side of the story while I’m with the girls.
I’ve been lucky enough to join forces with loads of pro shooter pals through the year, but props go to my ‘go-to’ wingman Hamish Irvine, who’s done a cracking job delivering ace images this year like these…
I love documentary frames like this, of relaxed chaps walking from the Boar’s Head to Ripley Castle
I love the image above of Katie getting into her dress at the Pheasant in Harome. It was my first wedding of 2017 and was a great way to ease into the year!
This hair spray lit by shafts of sun looks kinda special, in the hotel overlooking the Baltic Gallery where Jen + Dan got married.
The traditional Indian details in Preet’s dress and outfit at their wedding at Priory Cottages near Wetherby looked unbelievable!
I’m always looking to capture natural moments like this cheeky little face at Sarah’s wedding at Rudding Park.
I don’t half shoot some beautiful brides, hey?
Those minutes after all the panic of getting into the dress in time, lead to all kinds of lovely moments – like these frames above at Middleton Lodge, Crow Hill in Marsden and The Priory near Wetherby.
This was a fun way of getting dad into the room at Kaz + Phil’s wedding at Yorebridge House.
Look at that adorable face!
It’s so lovely when you capture a beautiful, respectful moment like this, honouring all the hard work mum put into getting Aimee to this place.
It’s great to get a few quick, relaxed ‘team bride’ shots before diving off for the ceremony, like this one of Emma and her girls at Rudding Park.
Just look at all the magic detail and colours in this pic! Amazing.
Nicola + her dad head down the grand staircase at Headlam Hall in Darlington
I adore grandad’s comic expression in this pic!
Here’s a perfect example of when two pairs of eyes are better than one!
It was great to be in position at the front to capture Connor taking a deep breath before Jen walked in…
…then Hamish caught the perfect reverse angle of him looking up the aisle at his blushing bride.
Sometimes I’m witness to wonderful emotional moments up there at the front, like this teary double-take from Anne + Steve’s wedding at Shustoke Farm Barns
Go on Jen + Dan!
Alice + Adam were played down the aisle by their musical pals
Confetti moments are my favourite! Sometimes I like the runway type throw, like these ones…
And other times I like the all-at-once confetti bomb – like with Jess and Jon above at Chevin Country Park Hotel – or even taking a view from above like at Nat + Andy’s wedding below at Priory Cottages…
While I rock the groups & portraits, my second shooters skulk around looking for fun documentary moments like these…
Being a fan of the ol’ Ping Pong, it was fab to see table tennis at Kath + Tom’s wedding at Saltmarshe Hall this summer!
This little frame from Becki McPhilips, is one of my favourite second shooter shots of the year!
It’s too perfect!
And so onto my fave portraits!
I could hardly miss, shooting in the glorious sunshine with the beautiful Selina + Gareth at the Elixir resort on the East Coast of Ibiza this summer
I love a bit of relaxed laughter in my portraits, which is why it helps to have done a round of practice pics at a pre-shoot before the wedding.
I think it’s one of the keys to getting such fun relaxed photos of my lovely couples.
Fab to use the magic autumn colours in the background of Kerry + Jonny’s wedding at The Woodman Inn in the excellently named Thunderbridge!
Loving the boat scene in this timeless portrait of Steph + Joe wedding at Alderford Lake in Shropshire
I’ve shot many a smooch in front of this old Priory Cottages doorway!
It doesn’t have to be sunny to capture lovely portraits, but as with these Kirsty + Anthony’s wedding at Waterton Park near Wakefield and Sarah + Graham’s wedding at Rudding Park in Harrogate, it helps!
I love how these wall braces look like big kisses at Ben + Angela’s wedding around The Midnight Bell in Holbeck in Leeds city centre
It’s all about mum photobombs and regal blazing fireside portraits at Newburgh Priory!
Most photographers hate groupshots, but I love doing them proud! In the 11 years I’ve done wedding photography, I’d like to think I’ve got them down to an art form like this one at Denton Hall…
Especially when it comes to doing something a bit interesting with the wedding party!
Why go for boring lines of people when you can mix it up?
…and pull silly faces?
Or even make them a bit different?
I secretly always want to see one of those rugby line-out player lifts during the confetti toss!
Speeches are a great time to catch natural moments of fun and emotion…
Fist pumps well deserved at Kath & Paul’s Wedding at Hazlewood Castle!
Nothing like a conga line at a wedding, like this one at Jen + Connors wedding at the Inn at Whitewell!
It was fun to see a proper wedding piñata this year too!
It took a right battering!
At my very last wedding of 2017 – just a few days from the end of December wedding at Aspire in Leeds City Centre – it was hilarious to hear the groom lead his choir of buddies in a reworked version of Dolly’s ‘Jolene’ to his wife ‘Jo Lee’!
Evening portraits can be a bit of fun with some flash action, like this almost artificial looking bridge portrait of Nicola + Liam at Headlam Hall!
And even rain can be our friend with a bit of flash!
First dance is a lovely time to capture some epic moments too, even once the floor’s invaded by the friends and family…
A moment to treasure for Emma, dancing with her dear grandad.
And finally, after fireworks have finished, the dancing’s well and truly underway and at least one groomsman has a tie round his head, it’s great to get a final evening portrait before hitting the road, like this one off Jo + James at Goldsborough Hall!
So here’s a big thank you to my second shooters – and in particular my homie Hamish for his assistance tag teaming this year – and to all the wonderful couples who’ve trusted me to document their weddings across 2017!
It’s truly an honour to do what I’ve now been doing for 11 years… and if you’ve booked me for your wedding in 2018, bring it on!
If you’re interested in getting in touch to discuss me shooting your big day, check my availability by contacting me here.
I hope you have a fantastic 2018 guys, and thanks for reading!
x
Barnaby