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Yesterday I joined Julia & Harvey for their big day at the beautiful Fountains Abbey near Ripon in North Yorkshire.

I hope you enjoy our the story of this special day!

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I joined team bride at How Hill Cottages, on the National Trust estate only a mile away from Fountains Abbey.  Wren Cottages on the hill was once a fodder store, and the new converted lodgings command fabulous views across the Vale of York and Hambleton Hills, with views of Fountains Abbey’s Huby Tower poking out of the trees!

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Here’s our relaxed bride to be, as well as a few of her things and Aloysius the bear!

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Julia had filled the day with all kinds of fun details, and her daughter Olivia particularly liked the jolly gingerbread biscuits by The Biscuiteers!

(We both received personalised biscuiteer gingerbread men and a bottle of Norfolk Cream liqueur as a little thank you gift!  Yum!)

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As my usual 2nd shooter Clare was busy partying at Leeds fest, my good pal and colleague Tim of Stott & Atkinson Photography joined the chaps in the beautiful market town of Ripon, at The Unicorn Hotel.

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Harvey and the guys were busy wrapping up the little details before heading over to the Abbey…

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(though there’s always time for biscuits)

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Fountains Abbey is genuinely one of my favourite places to photograph a wedding.  The ceremony is generally in Fountains Hall, and the reception up at the Visitors Centre, but the Abbey itself is one of the best preserved Abbey’s around England.

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A spot of tea was had at the Fountains Tea Rooms to soothe the nerves!

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Meanwhile, back with the girls the ace 1930’s style Ford Branwith was ready and waiting to shuttle over the team…

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One excited bride!

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Love this shot of beautiful bridesmaid Claire helping lace Julia in.

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After a quick toast we were on our way!

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Here comes the bride!

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CONFETTI BOMB!!

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After a few official family lineups, I had a bit of fun with the wedding party people

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Julia had brought along a few fun letters & props to spice up the portraits.

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Though these guys were lovely together either way!

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We’d done a practice photoshoot at Harlow Carr Gardens (also one of the wedding breakfast table names!), to get these guys used to being photographed.  You can see the highlights from the pre-wed here.

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My favourite part of Fountains Abbey is the brilliant Cellarium, which somehow managed to survive Henry VIII’s dissolution of the Monasteries.

It’s such a brilliant place for a portraits!

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Henry’s boys didn’t really do a particularly brilliant job knocking this place down, but that’s ok with me!

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While the forecast predicted rain from halfway through the ceremony onwards, we were fortunately able to get all the family shots, portraits and a good mingle in in the Fountains Hall walled gardens before it started spitting!

*breathed sigh of relief*

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Though it did end up raining, so everyone headed up to the Visitors Centre to continue the party undercover…

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Always nice to see a bride do a speech!

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Also nice to have a surprise round of Bingo after dinner!

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During the evening reception, Tim & I ran our fun photobooth for guests to mess about on!

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Then it was time for what Julia had written on my dayplan as the “very reluctant first dance”!

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Though as soon as the DJ started, the dancefloor was full for the rest of the evening!

Thank you Julia, Harvey and your near and dear for making us feel so at home and welcome at your wonderful wedding!  We had such a great time and it was so good to see you guys all doing so too.  I hope you have a relaxing honeymoon up around Yorkshire.  Now it’s time for me to dip my gingerbread in the Norfolk Baileys!

x B

ps. Big thanks to Simon at Fountains Abbey & Nikki & the gang at I Do Designer Weddings for being both co-ordinating legends and great company!

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