Yesterday I joined Helen & Matt to photograph their wedding around Harrogate!
After a church ceremony in Burley-In-Wharfdale, Helen & Matt’s posse went to The Old Swan in Harrogate for their afternoon reception. I’ve shot there a few times before and I love how it rocks that fabulous Victorian grandeur.
I hope you enjoy my story of their lovely day!
I kicked off the day at Helen’s parents pad in Menston. I love how towns and villages in the Yorkshire West Riding all have signs like this.
I knew which house it was when I saw the amazing wreath on the door
While dad put together sausage sangas in the kitchen, Mum & the girls hung out and had their faces put on by the fabulous Jessica Goodall. I’ve worked with her a few times and it’s always great to see a supplier I love at the weddings I shoot.
Nosing around the house I found these guys! Not only was I loving the blue & white bride/bridesmaid combo…
…but the brides shoes were blue too! I love brides with fun shoes. It says a lot about the bride.
FYI: the reflection is from placing them on a mirror I found in the room.
Helen’s a doctor and I wonder if this explains why she was the coolest cucumber of the lot during the morning preps. She may have been the most relaxed bride I’ve shot this year. The weather was defo a changeable affair, but it never once shook Helen’s cool.
These ‘holdy’ bouquets (the official term, I’d like to think) are often a struggle to photograph in a position that’s not being held, but again I liked the reflecty glass table to rest the lovely flora on.
Matt Fishlock (AKA: “fishy”) sent Helen a lovely bracelet, a card and a random lump of engineered metal from his work featuring all the new nicknames Helen can expect now she’s a Fishlock. Personally I liked “Fish Stock”, “Fish Tank” & “Fishmonger”!
Here’s the Fisherman himself! 
Matt also gave his best man (also Matt!) a most excellent pocket watch.
(I was informed that if in doubt of anyone’s names at this wedding, try Helen or Matt)
Matt tried to slip Matt a sneaky kiss while he helped him don his cravat!
I like this catch Clare caught of Dad and groomsman Chris getting ready. For me, it’s all about framing shots with doorways!
Now in their beautiful dresses, I loved this one of the girls & Helens Auntie checking the final touches.
And here’s the finished result! Looking good!
Time to help that bride into her Sotero & Midgeley gown…
A quick shot of the flower & dress details…
…before diving in this badboy to the church! How cool is this car?! It looks like something out of a gangster movie!
I was informed by the helpful chap at Dovecoat cars that it’s a 1950 Bentley MkIV, and one of less than 10 of this design left in the world! 
I liked this catch of a quick team high 5 celebrating getting into the dress!
Meanwhile, Clare went with the boys to the church to check everything looked good before everyone arrived.
The girls had gone in the first run to the church, leaving Dad & Helen to have a moment together. 
The clouds started to gloom a bit before our run to the church…
…and en-route, the Heavens opened!
Lovin’ this one of Helen skipping through the rain!
If it was the 90’s those blue shoes’d be spot coloured back into this black & white!
Aww 
The service at St John Fisher and Thomas More Catholic Church was really lovely.
It’s always nice to have a friendly vicar who let us do our thing, and for some reason, Catholic Priests are the most liberal of the bunch!
I far prefer to do an actual shot of the signing, than a staged one.
And back down the aisle as man & wife!
Just round the corner they had this lovely celebratory cuddle…
before laying down high 5’s in a casual line up out of the church
In the spirit of good ol’ ‘four seasons in a day’ English weather, the sun popped out at the perfect time for a big shot of everyone outside the church…
…followed by a massive bomb of confetti!
We followed the wedding car to Harrogate and I wanted to show a bit of motion blur in the trees.
Bathed in beautiful low sunshine we rolled through Harrogate and past Betty’s infamous Victorian Tea Rooms.
As we arrived before the majority of the guests, we did a few quick snaps outside the Old Swan
(I personally really like this crop)
Then had a wander down to the Valley Gardens for a quick shoot while guests filtered in.
Again, Helen was great at wandering around in her gown without a care in the world.
She’d said her dress shop had told her to enjoy it, and not to be too precious about keeping it clean and perfect. Great advice indeed.
On their pre-wedding meeting we’d nosey’d round the valley gardens and had found some spots to use (check out the blog post of their practice shoot here). 
It seemed wrong not to champion their amazing footwear!
It’s not even September, but it all looked bizarrely Autumnal in this one!
After a quick casual pose on a cobbled backstreet, we headed back to join the revellers at the Old Swan.
We burned through a few family shots
and a bit of wedding party fun
The boys brought the fun in their teamshot!
The wedding breakfast was set out in the fab iron conservatory wing of the Old Swan and I loved their vintage post box for wedding cards. 
Speeches were great fun
Particularly the best mans shaming of Matt! I love everyones expressions in this image! Mum looks priceless
To kick off the evening proceedings we cut the cake.
Mamma Doreen’s Cupcake Company supplied the amazingly tasty muffins.
I know the lady who runs the company & the Sticky Toffee cupcakes are possibly the BEST cake I have EVER tasted.
If cake wasn’t enough, the sweet tooth was catered to further on a retro sweets table!
Giant strawberries – YES! Flying Saucers – No.
As I said, first dance was to the cute ‘Growing Old With You’ by Adam Sandler.
Check out the lyrics here.
Then Dad’s band kicked in with White Wedding and played a cracking set
while guests partied the night away!
It was a cracking day all round and we’d like to wish The Fisheys the very best indeed and a wonderful honeymoon driving their campervan around Spain!
Party on!
B&C.