Last Sunday, I shoehorned in three fun pre-wedding meetings with upcoming wedding clients. As well as catching up with these cool couples, it was really rather pleasant to take Sonic out for a spin to Harrogate, York and back Leeds via Hazlewood castle. I do enjoy driving driving and love my mid-life-crisis sports car. Equal parts introvert & extrovert, I really enjoy the solitude of a burn across Yorkshire’s rolling countryside with the tunes cranked up.
So – bright ‘n early, our first port of call was Vicki & Simon in Harrogate. They’re friends of friends and are in fact getting married in New York later this year. Sadly I couldn’t convince them to take me along for the ride, but they’ve asked me along to document their UK celebration at the grand Old Swan Hotel.
Vicki took a shine to an the Old Swan’s ancient garage, round back. It had that lovely patina of years of use.
V&S are creative types and are making all sorts of fun crafty stuff to put around their venue.
Not everyone wants to be photographed piggybacking at 0930 on a Sunday morning, but these two were great sports in front of the camera!
Awww.
I’m fully looking forward to joining them on their big day, and hope the NYC leg of their wedding is a blast.
Next stop was the excellent Hospitium, a picturesque 14th century listed-building overlooking the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens. I shot Jemma & Chris’ fantastic wedding there this year (see post here) and it was lovely to drop by to catch Texan Bri & Biker Henry!
Check out Henry’s ride!
Brrrrrrum! [regretting typing that now…]
Bri’s mum & Henry’s Dad came along for the ride (though not on the bike) and did a great job of lugging the helmets & leathers about York!
I think this is my fave shot of Bri. Doesn’t she looks fantastic? The red coat was a very good call.
I like this one not just for the happy moment caught, but also the ‘bokeh’ (posh tog speak for out of focus blobby bits) and back lighting.
At the edge of the museum grounds you can look down the road to the Minster. A fine spectacle of a building.
Though it wants to be considering it took 250 years to build…
Messin about!
More messin about!
I like these kids!
Quality hatwear too!
Bri told me the hats a bit big and kept slipping down her noggin, so she hides a sock in there!
In the Museum grounds are the ruins of the Abbey of St Mary, once the largest and richest Benedictine establishment in the north of England…
…till 1539, when Henry VIII set about knacking them in for the dissolution of the Monasteries, so as self appointed Supreme Head of the Church in England he could divorce & chop his wives swede and find another wot might bear him a boy. I still get a bit mad at the man when I mosey about nearby Kirkstall, Roch & Fountains Abbey, and think what amazing building’s these were, destroyed cos he couldn’t get his own way.
Anyhoos – diatribe over! I think I already had a moan about this in a recent pre-wed at Kirkstall! So Back to lovely our lovely couple…
I like this natural shot strolling back to the bike
Brrrrrm brum! [I did it again didn’t I?]
Next stop – Hazlewood castle, to meet awesome London Lawyers Georgie…
and Jonny!
Down in Hazlewood’s infamous Tunnel of Love…
I love this one of this fun couple! They look like catalogue models.
I don’t half chat some rubbish to make my clients relax. These two required little encouragement…
The BJA kneeler!
I really like this natural one of them walking up the path to the castle. It looks to me like a scene in a film. 
So that was my Sunday! Then I went home and caught Jimmy Carr play live in Leeds with Clare. Post to folow on that…