Yesterday I joined Becky & Dan for their big day at the very beautful Hodsock Priory in Blyth in South Yorkshire
I joined Becky & team bride over in Eckington, at the family home Becky grew up in.
It was fun to see Becky & Dan’s pooch, Lola, hanging out – we’d met at the pre-wedding shoot!
While a bit overwhelmed by all the activity and attention, including a bath and blow dry the night previous!
Top present from Becky’s sis!
The little flower girls were great sports, and spent a good while practicing their slow aisle walk…
The beautiful gown from New York Bride, just round the corner in Eckington
The flora throughout the day looked so wonderfully springy, packed with wildflowers, thistles and both big and small daffs…
I do like a bride who has a pair of Hunters in the wings for the portrait shoot!
Teapot earings (to fit the tea party theme) and Sheffield Wednesday cufflinks for the page boy!
I dropped my wingman Hamish at Becky & Dan’s home in Rotherham.
The travel for this wedding crossed several county boundaries, from my home in West Yorkshire, to South Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire!
I knew Dan as I’d hosted (& photographed) the band HandMadeHands he drums in with his brother & Chris (both groomsman), at my Sunday Service night in Leeds.
Their band really are brilliantly unique, catchy and fun – and are perhaps the only band I know that play the saw – check out the HandMadeHands bandcamp page here.
The groom, his bro & best man seemed to have a relaxed morning with Hamish
A few pics with a proud mum & dad, before heading for a pint over the road from the church.
Meanwhile, back with the girls, Becky was gowning up for the party
Stunning eh?
Turns out Dad has some incredible vintage Radio equipment, so I thought I’d shoot a quick pic of him in there while he was hiding from his daughter!
Time to hit the road!  Nothing like doing the 40minute drive in style, in a vintage VW Beetle & Campervan (by Bronte Camper Hire)
St Mary & St Martin’s Church in Blyth was a stunning, grand spot to marry, but the best feature was the brilliantly fun vicar!
When I arrived, she was in the middle of entertaining the crowds with a freestyle stand-up comedy set and the service was so entertaining from start to finish!
Here comes the bride!
…spot the photographer…
While the registers were signed, Becky’s sis played a few beautiful tunes on the flute
Then it was time to head back down the aisle as as man and wife!
Lola even popped by in a special bow to wish them well!
Becky’s the captain of a hockey team, so before heading on their way, her uniformed teammates made a hockey-sticked guard of honour to send them on their way!
Hodsock Priory is a fab venue! Â It’s the first time I’ve shot there, but I joined Becky and Dan for a snoop a month or two back (blog post here).
I read on Wikipedia that the Priory grounds have been occupied since at least the Bronze Age and evidence of occupation from the Bronze Age, the Romans and Saxons have been found in the gardens!  It was  mentioned in the Domesday Book and has passed through various powerful families, to Sir Andrew Buchanan, 5th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.  It’s now owned & lived in by George and Katherine Buchanan, and is famous for it’s open days around the times the grounds bloom into a sea of snowdrops!
Becky & Dan are the first couple to marry there this season as the snowdrops fade and turn into endless droves of Daffs!
The insides are just as impressive as the outsides, with famous art on the walls, including a painted optical illusion in the arches at the top of the stairs!
Which is the real arch? One is painted!
As guests arrived, we dived into the couple portraits
Love how Lola is actually photobombing this one!
So we invited her to join in!
How well do the bouquets and button holes match the grounds?!  It’s almost as though it was planned 😉
This spot was one of my fave spots on the pre-wed too.
Then we dived into the family shots
My faves lineups are when the wedding party get involved!
The it was back to the party
Couldn’t agree more about the dog thing!
And love how they’ve integrated Dan’s drums
The wedding breakfast looked fab, following a tea party theme, with tables named after tea and handmade biscotti!
See bride cry… Pounce!
This lady was impressed to win the sweepstake!
Groomsmen had their very own personalised tankards!
Before cutting the cake we had a minute to grab a few cheeky backlit evening portraits
Hack the cake!
Every little thing she does is magic was a top choice!
Then, after a few tunes on the dancefloor, and as a surprise to the guests, in strolled the New Orleans Brass Band to get the dance floor rocking!
I’ve seen these guys before and they rule!
Then we bid the happy couple farewell and left them to continue ripping up the dancefloor!
Ace day eh? Thanks again kids for asking us along & making us feel so at home!
Here’s hoping you have a fab honeymoon in California & St Lucia and a wonderfuly fun-filled life together
x
Barns & Hamish