Wedding Photography at Swinton Park in Marsham, North Yorkshire: Lucy + Stewart

Yesterday I joined Lucy & Stewart to photograph their bonfire night wedding!

It was at Swinton Park up in North Yorkshire and was a fab place to shoot a late Autumn wedding.  When we arrived it was drizzling, but it was great that the rain held off from the ceremony onwards!

As usual, while everyone enjoyed their wedding breakfast we backed up pictures and made a quick slideshow to show at the evening reception. Even though they’re only quickly ‘processed’ and aren’t up to the scratch of the final images, after the wedding I like to set the slideshow to their first dance track and turn it into a video to blog, so the couple and their pals can see the images literally a few days after the wedding.

The bride & groom were both getting ready at Swinton Park and I took a few scene setters before joining the couple.  Autumnal colours were in the trees and deer, ducks and swans were round the lake.  

One of the bridesmaids gave Lucy this cute little plaque!I like this one of Lucy being made up

And look at this badboy!  What a gorgeous dress! One of my faves this year, I reckon.Here’s ‘Team Bride’ before getting readyLucy’s beloved Choo’s!These kids love champagne!

The tables at the wedding breakfast were named after different champagne brands, which all associate with different periods of their relationship.A nice little catch of Lucy giving gifts to her bridesmaids.An exotic honeymoon is on the cards!

Their flora was also a thing of beauty.Cheers!Meanwhile, Stew spent most of the morning in the Spa!

Alright for someA little pap of the rings on a mirror.

I do like the bit vicars say about a ring being an unbroken circle, like the bond of love.  It’s a beautiful analogy.

Stew’s cufflinks were a little less subtle, with nudey chicks on em!
A few final tweaks Flora affixedTeam ‘Groom’…

…good to roll!Back with the bride, Lucy was buttoned into her gownAnd mum affixed the veil

One beautiful, blushing bride, good to go!
The finished team ‘Bride’, flower girls and all!
Once the girls had headed in the first run to the church, I had a moment to snap a few pics of Lucy on her own while she was stood at the window looking out over the lake. This might also be one of my favourites of the year.

It’s got a timeless, quiet & reflective quality to it.

I also shot this one from round the side of Lucy in the same position.  That light washing in through those huge windows is immense.We met Dad on the stairs……and headed down the grand corridors of Swinton Park.

It’s so wonderfully regal in there.

A little supportive peck from Dad!

It was drizzling a bit as they waited for the car to return, so they took shelter in the entrance under the turret.Then up pulled the Roller!

I love these kind of shots when it’s raining.a few final tweaks before joining an excited groom at the front!I do like it when I’m able to catch the eye contact between a bride and groom walking down the aisleTheir little flower girl Charlotte did a splendid job with her reading!

The kiss!All the immediate family came to witness the signing, and I rather like this impromptu groupshotBack down the aisle as man & wife!It was such good news that after the ceremony the drizzle had been replaced by a soft blast of low winter sunshine!So we did a quick bomb of confetti at the church gates before heading back to Swinton Park

We used that same entrance room for a few portrait pics

before braving the cold!

I do like this one.  They were quite receptive to my terrible sense of humour, so I managed to get quite a lot of really natural images A quick representation of the flora and colour schemeA quick smooch by the Rolls

I love the soft colours in their schemeWe also did a quick shot they’d asked for in one of the grand reception rooms.Their guests seemed to enjoy themselves
while we did a few quick groupshots (indoors as it was a bit cold to drag everyone outside)But the wedding party were game for a few snaps outside – so here’s one of the girls

and the chapsAs well as one of the full party in front of the ace autumnal ivy of Swinton Park’s cooking schoolA quick one of all the chaps catching some air.And a final one of the full gang heading back for the wedding breakfast

Set for the wedding breakfast, the hall looked mint.  All the tables were named after different champagnes, with an empty bottle of each as a centrepiece!  The top table was their fave, Don Perignon, and the Cristal table bottle had to be liberated by one of Lucy & Stew’s bartender pals!

I popped outside as dusk dropped and caught a few details of the building from the outside.

Speeches were great fun, with that great balance of honesty, anecdotes & shaming!The chocolate wrapped cake looked simply brilliant!  The first dance was to Florence & The Machine’s “You’ve got the love”There were even a few confetti bombs fired half way throughThen people got down for a wee shuffle as the drinks started flowing.As it was bonfire night, Lucy & Stew lined up an amazing firework display for their guestsI’d also set up a camera on a timer out across the field, and was super pleased when I returned to find this!

Before we left I got this little shot of our newlyweds in their very own sparkly heart!

Thank you Lucy & Stewart for asking us to join you for your ace wedding.  We had a cracking time and wish you all the very best in marriage and hope you have a wonderful honeymoon in Hongkong, Fiji  & Australia!

• 06 November 2011