Lyndsey & Chris – Alnwick Castle 27th April 2012

An Alnwick Castle wedding is a special event, as the couple have decided to use one of the iconic locations of Northumberland to celebrate their wedding day. Chris and Lyndsey’s day started at Blackmoors at Alnwick where Chris and his best man had been staying the night before. The guys were looking very smart in their new suits (from Slaters)and fully ready when we arrived. We took some formal shots of the two lads, and then made our way to Greycroft  where Lyndsey was staying over with the bridal party.
Lyndsey was glowing and full of excitement when we arrived. While the finishing touches were being made to her hair, we busied ourselves by getting detailed shots of the dress, accessories and flowers, (supplied by Simply Flowers). We also took the opportunity to get some posed shots of the bridal party before they left for the castle.
Lyndsey’s “Johanna Hehir” wedding dress was fabulous and suited her perfectly. She was fitted with her dress at The White Tulip Wedding company, based in Prodhoe She couldn’t wait to get it on and was certainly fully enjoying all the preparations of the morning. It made for some great images too.
We went ahead of the bridal party to be at the castle to photograph their arrival coming over the bridge. While waiting for the bride there was the opportunity to get the images of Chris mingling with the guests and then capturing his anticipation while waiting for Lyndsey.
The moment arrived and Lyndsey made her entrance, which we both captured from different angles, me from ground level and Susan from a great vantage point above.
The service was beautiful with an emotional reading from Lyndsey’s mum which had everyone reaching for their hankies.
Ceremony over, the party moved outside into the castle courtyard. We love this time as while the couple are mingling with their guests and being congratulated we watch the scene and get fabulous candid shots.
Lyndsey, Chris and I then went back with their Vintage Car to the bridge to take shots we’d planned into the timings of the day with the Castle in the background.
Alnwick Castle is a fairy tale castle, and in the areas allowed for taking photos makes a great back drop for brides and grooms.
We photograph during the speeches. Having two photographers we can concentrate both on the wedding party and the guests, to capture the emotions and special moments that occur. We’d been warned the best man’s speech was going to be long; in fact one of the guests took bets on it. He was and there was a winner!
En route to the Gardens for the evening reception is the time when formal photographs can be taken. We were lucky with the weather so were able to take all the group shots at the armoury. While I was doing the formals, Susan was picking out the candids. A good mix of both gives the couple lots of options for the album.
The fountains were on at the Gardens, so we took more photos, again a lovely mixture of formal and informal, not to mention men in kilts (yes one of them did) and Lyndsey’s grandma showing off her legs!! The party was well under way!
The day eased into the evening and before the first dance, Lyndsey threw her bouquet. One of the girls caught it and we caught the “flight and catch” sequence superbly. The couple are now engaged to be married.
Our final shots are of the new Mr and Mrs Warren enjoying their first dance. The other guests needed no enticement and were soon on the floor too to dance the night away.
Our lovely couple had invited us to stay to party with them, but another wedding beckoned the following day so we had to say a sad farewell and leave.
Throughout the day, when greeting friends and family with wide open arms, we often heard Lyndsey say “give me some love”. We certainly felt the love on Lyndsey and Chris’s wedding day and captured it our images for eternity.

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Tess and Andrew chose a wonderful venue in Horton Grange to hold a very intimate wedding.
Tess was getting ready in the room over looking the gardens when we arrived. She was radiant, full of smiles waiting to get married to the man she loves. Not a hint of nerves in sight. We took some detail shots of the dress, shoes, hair and flowers before leaving Tess and her bridesmaids to finalize their preparations.
Andrew, his attendants and family soon arrived. We took some pre wedding shots of the guys in suits and then stepped back while he mingled with his guests. This provided us a great opportunity to capture candids without disturbing the flow of the congratulations.
Everyone in place in the ceremony room, it was time for Tess to make her entrance. She did so in style, looking absolutely stunning. Andrew was overwhelmed. The ceremony was full of love and readings from special friends made it a memorable occasion.
Unbeknown to Tess and Andrew, there was a surprise for them during the signing of the register. Pre arranged with the key board player, and on his lead, the guests all sang a rendition of “Fly me to the Moon”. It was a magical moment.
We pride ourselves on getting wonderful sequence shots. During Tess and Andrew’s wedding there’s a beautiful set of shots following Tess’s mum. We caught the look of love from mother to daughter; the emotion welling up that then spills over and she wipes away a tear.
Tess and Andrew, followed by their guests spilled out into the gardens for drinks and canapés. We capture this time candidly then when appropriate start gathering the key members together for some formal group shots.
The wedding party was a fabulous crowd to work with. The ease at which we covered the formal photography was all down to them, and the images we captured perfectly reflect the day.
We always like to take our couple away from the main party for some individual shots and did so with Tess and Andrew using the back drop of the pavilion. We’d done their pre wedding photo shoot earlier in the year with them and knew they were not too keen on kissy shots. However, come the wedding day it was a different story and they were more than happy to be photographed having a smooch.
Tess and Andrew are a stylish, glamorous couple and their wedding day was a joy to behold, and a pleasure to be part of.

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Longhirst Hall is set within stunning, quintessentially English landscaped gardens and the magnificent Northumberland countryside.

Lorna and Rob’s wedding day was a lovely relaxed affair, so much that the groom decided to give himself an impromptu hair cut. Luckily it was Ok.
Rob was getting ready in one part of Longhirst Hall and Lorna in another part. Going between the two rooms we got some lovely preparation shots of both of them. Rob was ready early which gave him plenty of time to meet and mingle with his guests.
Lorna came down the stairs into the Grand Hall on her dad’s arm looking absolutely radiant, every inch the beautiful bride going to meet her handsome husband to be.
The ceremony was very intimate, with readings and personal vows from the heart. We captured the moment very discreetly, giving the couple lasting images of the emotion of their service.
Everyone spilled out into the gardens following the ceremony where we took a blend of candid and formal shots of the new Mr and Mrs Aspden being congratulated by friends and family.
Prior to the formal wedding breakfast, Lorna and Rob’s guests were served canapés and champagne and it was during this time that they had the speeches. The setting was informal, but the speeches were full of love, laughter and emotion, which we captured without disturbing the intimacy of the event.
After the formal wedding breakfast, just as dusk was approaching, we took Lorna and Rob outside to get some wow factor shots in front of the Grand Hall, showing off the couple and Hall to full effect.
Another lovely day with a lovely couple.
With every booking we offer a pre-wedding photo shoot, Click here to visit Rob and Lorna’s pre-wedding shoot at Longhirst Hall.

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We were at the newly refurbished Close House for the wedding of Claire & Dev. The redecoration of Close House was fabulous. The ceremony room was stunning with beautiful chandeliers and highly polished mirrors and floor to ceiling windows letting in lots of light.

Claire and Dev were both looking relaxed when they arrived at Close House. Claire arrived first looking absolutely radiant with her bridesmaids and shortly after Dev arrived looking very handsome with his three grooms’ men.

We took “before” shots, to capture the anticipation and any pre wedding nerves. Dev was very cool and calm. Claire was a touch nervous which added true emotion to the images taken of her before she left to join Dev at the ceremony, and captured beautiful images of Claire looking serene as she entered the ceremony room.

We pride ourselves with being able to get great images of the key moments during the service without causing any distraction, which family members and guests complimented us on throughout the day. Following the ceremony we arranged the group shots ably assisted by the “best men”.

Claire and Dev were more than generous with their time in between the ceremony and reception giving us the opportunity to get some couple shots of themselves. Speeches and reception over it was upwards and onwards to the evening reception. Our time with Claire and Dev came to an end after we captured their first dance, leaving them to dance the night away with their family and friends.

A beautiful couple and a beautiful day.

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The day started at Mark and Angela’s house where all the boys busy getting ready. Here we got great shots of them getting to grips with button holes and cravats, and some lovely shots of Mark and his son who have a very special bond.

We met Angela’s mum and dad at the pre wedding photo shoot, and were warmly welcomed into their home which was a hive of activity with all the girls putting the final touches to their hair makeup before stepping into their dresses. Angela and her mum Judy were so busy looking after everyone else that they were the last to get ready, but well worth the wait. Everyone looked so glamorous.

The church was just up the road so while I stayed with the bridal party, Susan nipped away to get shots of the guests arriving and get some candids of Mark, his son Kieron who was his bestman.

When Angela arrived the full enormity of the event caught up with her, but she quickly regained her composure and entered the church a picture of calm and serenity.

The service was warmly conducted, but one of the small bridesmaids took a liking to the candles but was discreetly ushered away from them before there were any mishaps.

Following the ceremony, and in the grounds of the church, Mark and Angela released two doves. We captured the moment and caught the reaction of their guests to the event.

Their reception was at Beamish Hall, and the quests arrived in a vintage bus.

We arrived before the happy couple, so were able to capture the images of them pulling up in style and emerging from the wedding car and being greeted and congratulated by their guests. This gave us ample opportunity to get some fabulous candid shots. Everyone was nice and relaxed and more than happy to be on the large formal photo.

Beamish’s Master of Ceremonies called the party in for their meal, and once seated the new Mr and Mrs Ruddick made their entrance, looking very happy indeed.

The speeches that followed the meal were full of love, humour and emotion. Up until this point Mark had been cool, but while doing his own speech, emotion overwhelmed him, which spilled over and onto his son Keiron. The words from all the speeches were so true and from the heart that it would have been difficult for anyone there that day (including us) not to have had a lump in their throat or a tear in their eye.

After the wedding breakfast, everyone it was back out into the gardens. Mark and Angela mingled with their guests, while we got more formal and candid shots. We also took time to get some creative shots of mark and Angela, without disturbing the flow of their day.

As night time came, it was time for the evening reception. Staying to the first dance gives us opportunity to capture more images. The choice of songs chosen for when Angela danced with her dad, and then with her husband was just perfect.

This was when we bowed out of the party. For us the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Beamish Hall is a stunning, 42 bedroom country house hotel and one of the North East of England’s most popular and luxurious venues

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Micheal & Alex’s wedding at The Little Church of the West, Las Vegas

We feel humbled that Micheal and Alex had narrowed down a huge list of very good photographers, and after two meetings with us, they could feel so comfortable and relaxed enough to trust us with their wedding photos in Las Vegas.  We take pride in the fact that we can get along with anyone, and we think this wedding adventure went so well because of this. They had placed a lot of trust in us, and now the job was to repay that trust with results.

With re-searching and booking accommodation for 19 of their family and friends and the organization of nine days of full on partying, Alex and Micheal had enough on their plate, so leaving to photos to us was a relief for them. It was something we reassured of during our pre-wedding chats.

The nine day trip started with everyone meeting at 6am for the bus trip (coffee and breakfast on route as well) down to Manchester for our Virgin flight’s to Las Vegas, and this is where we saw Alex’s organizational skills for the first time, 19 people through check-in, 20 mins, impressive. It was a good flight.

We were all staying in the MGM Grand, and Micheal & Alex had booked us a fab room, NO COMPLAINTS what so ever.

Micheal & Alex had planned to tour the strip for the best images on the day, we had to plan it out. We explored the strip on foot, and built a timeline for the wedding day, based on what we discovered during the two days recce. We had thought about various shots to take, and went about finding those spots that we had planned to use.

This was our first time in Las Vegas, and it did take our breath away. It was Labour Day weekend, and the place was packed.

A visit to the Little Church of the West gave me concerns about the power of the direct sunlight on the entrance (it’s a photographer thing), but even more so was the heat on the day, should I have bought a white suit to wear? hmm No!  Everything would work out fine on the day. This is a wonderful place to get married, as it is a really pretty church with a long history attached to it.

We needed to visit the Venetian Hotel. Part of the plan for the day, which was kept secret from all the family, was a gondola ride. We found the most amazing spot for a picture, I was getting excited now.

Then the reception was going to be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which was our next stop for a look see. Wow, what a relaxing place, stunning. The lobby had me excited, and the rest of the hotel was better again. We were going to have a lot of play time here.

The day before the wedding had me (yes, they payed for me to go with them by helicopter) at the floor of the Grand Canyon for a champagne lunch. We got some funky portraits and also took a set of pictures that I stitched together as a group panoramic.  A trip to remember, as we flew down the strip on our return.

The Wedding Day

The weather had changed, with a little bit of cloud. This suited us down to the ground, as it calmed the temperature down and the light was soft and bright.

Micheal had a wonderful suprise waiting for him when he opened a letter from his future wife. An AC Cobra (his all time favourite sports car) was waiting for him at the front of the hotel, and he would be driving it to the church. He was beside himself, and we were there to capture it. He did say that he enjoyed the spin around the block.

Meanwhile, Alex and her Mum Susan where at the Christoph Salon, having her hair prepared, and we were there to capture it.

Alex’s Ian Stuart Dress was waiting for her at the apartment and it looked fantastic. All the girls looked fantastic, but Alex’s mum Susan looked fab in the black dress and hat.

We moved between the rooms, to capture the whole party as they got themselves dressed.  Susan left with the wedding party in the limo for the trip to the church, capturing those candid’s that see’s so well, while I remained with the girls for their journey to the church.

It was a bit tight in the church, but we did manage to remain out of sight and got some delicate moments while staying silent. We had to make every shot count as the ceremony only lasts 15 mins, so no time to wait for second chances.

The sun stayed behind the thin cloud as we all came out for the celebrations, and candid’s were mixed in with the formal photo’s at the alter and at the front of the church. Wonderful.

Then our tour of the strip started after the first stop off at the original “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. It was busy there, as everyone wants the same picture. With Alex in her stunning dress, everyone almost stood back and thought wow.

The sun came out at the end of the day, to give me the chance to get my signature shot of the “sun in the photo” while we were outside The Bellagio.

The reception was waiting for us, and it was something special. While still working and taking picture throughout the day, we were touched to be included at the long table that waited for us. We were not treated like the hired help, we were friends of the family. But I still had a job to do, and while we enjoyed the fabulous food, I had shots that just had to be taken. There was no way on earth that I was going to pass up the opportunity to get some amazing images for Micheal and Alex. This is what we were there for after all.

The black marble corridor, the gold wall, the vista of the strip at night from reception, the balcony group shot ( I was glad to have my fisheye lens with me), the entrance lobby, phew. This was at 11pm and we were drawing on reserves by then. What a special day, now to bed.

The day after!

We had planned a half day with Micheal & Alex, to visit a ghost town, and The Valley of Fire, for some once in a lifetime photos with Alex back in her dress and Micheal suited up, with that Icon of a car, the AC Cobra. The plans did not work out as the Cobra did not make itself available (it broke down), which was a huge disappointment for us. This turned out to be OK with Micheal & Alex, as it meant that they could spend some time together by themselves, and who could deny them that. They had just got married, and wanted to be by themselves for a few precious hours in Las Vegas.

The last night of the trip was spent all together, starting with a meal at The Hard Rock Cafe then a trip  to The Fremont street Experience, which was a great chill out night for everyone.

Micheal and Alex know how to throw a party, the whole 9 days was one long party.

One more party at Wynyard Hall

For the family and friends who could not make it to Las Vegas, Micheal & Alex needed to have another party, and why not pick one of the most impressive venues in the north east.

We were to cover this event as well, so out came that stunning dress again so that the  formals and group shots could be taken before any of the guests arrived.

Then party party.

We had a slideshow ready for them, an early edit from all the shots taken on all the trips. It was projected in the corner of the room, and it had everyone’s attention. What I had not told Micheal & Alex was that I had shot a bit of video during the trip to the Grand Canyon, and then placed it into the middle of the slideshow, it blew them away (I think)

A memorable wedding, made even more memorable by the hospitality and friendliness of Micheal & Alex’s family and friends. It could not have worked so well without them.

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It was really nice to meet up with Lorna and Rob the other day, to have a catch up on how the wedding plans were progressing, and to do the all important Pre-Wedding photo shoot. Longhirst Hall is a very beautiful place to have a wedding, and we discussed how the ceremony would take place in the hall.

I think they were both very excited to have the shoot, and its easy to tell that they are so in love with each other. They both know how important it is to be totally comfortable in front of the camera, and we had a hoot during our shoot. I spotted a fun shot on the side of the cricket green, the massive Passionate about the North East sign. I thought it would be fun to change it to read Passionate about Lorna.

Looking forward to their fab wedding day in March.

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Wedding date 8th July 2011

Garry & Marilyn

It’s fair to say our groom today, Garry enjoys life and his wedding day was going to be no exception. Garry was getting ready at Horton Grange, while Marilyn was getting prepared at their home not too far away in Cramlington.

Garry was full of fun and mischief while putting the finishing touches to his suit and it was hard to keep a straight face ourselves while taking the informal pre-wedding photos. Garry is a great bloke to be around and full of surprises.

The beauty of having two photographers today helped as I nipped away to capture Marilyn getting prepared, Susan stayed with the guys to get some lovely candid’s when they thought they weren’t under the spotlight.

Guests started to arrive and again, Susan was on hand to capture some emotional reunions between Garry and Marilyn’s close friends and family. Their former neighbour’s had travelled from Australia to be there – now that’s what I call accepting an invitation!!!

Meanwhile back at Cramlington, I got great photos of Marilyn getting ready, shots of the finishing touches to hair and makeup, and picking up the details shots of the dress, shoes and flowers. Her daughter was bridesmaid and her dad was there to give her away. Marilyn is a naturally effervescent person with the most wonderful engaging smile and that came across in the images taken of herself with her daughter and dad before setting off for the ceremony.

Once at Horton Grange, the full emotion of the event caught up with Marilyn and for a moment she was overwhelmed. We pride ourselves on capturing such moments in a discreet manner and Susan was on hand to get a fabulous shot of the tears just pricking into Marilyn’s eyes. With the support of her dad and daughter she calmed and with that beautiful smile back, entered the ceremony.

Two of Garry and Marilyn’s friends did readings, which summed up the love between the bride and groom. Only when it came to reading the vows did they realise that they both forgot their glasses. Garry took full advantage of the situation and had Marilyn, the registrars and everyone watching in fits of laughter. It didn’t detract from the solemnity of the occasion; in fact it summed up .

The weather held (there had been the threat of rain all morning) so the wedding party were able to enjoy being outside in the gardens for a champagne reception and formal photos.

Horton Grange provides a great backdrop for formal photos and has some interesting areas to use when taking creative shots. We took full advantage and got some memorable images.

Garry and Marilyn were generous with their time, which we truly appreciate,. This resulted in some great photography capturing the emotion and celebration of their wedding day.

Thanks to Garry our chuckle muscles had a good work out that day too!!

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Lynn & Jon’s Wedding on 28th May 2011

Here is some images at the beautiful setting of Gibside Chapel, Tyne & Wear to cover the wedding of Lynn and Jon.

First stop was Lynn’s parents home, where Lynn and her bridesmaids were all getting ready. It was a breezy day so extra strength hair spray was being applied as we arrived, and the girls were enjoying champagne and croissants. This is a special time for the bride and we love to capture the moments so the bride has a lasting memory of how her closest friends and relatives are making sure the day will go without a hitch. In Lynn’s case she had her three closest friends as her adult bridesmaids, her niece and another friend’s daughter for her younger attendants.  A quick check of the lip gloss and the bridesmaids disappeared to get their dresses on. Once on, we took the opportunity to get some formal portraits of each of the girls and also as a group while Marilyn was helping Lynn into her wedding gown.

Lynn looked amazing, her gown was fabulous, she radiated with happiness, and a little bit of nervous anticipation befitting a beautiful bride. This was a proud moment for Marilyn and Paul, and a beautiful image we captured without disturbing the emotion between them.

Jon was waiting over at Gibside for his bride, being supported by his bestman, usher, nephew and dad.  They made a good looking group and we got some fun shots of the lads on the avenue in front of the chapel before making our way into the chapel to wait for Lynn. We captured the hint of nervousness surrounding Jon when Lynn was a touch later to arrive than expected.

Unfortunately the vicar officiating did not allow photography during the ceremony. This was a shame, as the venue is a photographers dream, and the   service was very moving, naturally creating displays of emotion in Lynn and Jon we would have liked to have caught. But, we respect the rules and (with permission) managed to get those candid moments of Lynn and Jon at natural pauses within the service.

Vows and rings exchanged the guests followed the new Mr and Mrs Dawson outside. We step back from the couple at this stage but keep our cameras fully trained on them and their guests to get those special moments while being congratulated by friends and family. Lynn and Jon were looking extremely relaxed, revelling in greeting their guests – and the images we captured bring those moments back to life.

I took the group shots on the avenue with Gibside chapel as a splendid back drop, while Susan mingled with the guests, while they enjoyed drinks on the lawn, to get some great candids. We’re technically the eyes in the back of our couple’s heads, observing the whole scene and getting the shots they don’t see.

We took Lynn and Jon back into the chapel for some romantic couples shots showing off not only Lynn and Jon but the inside architecture too. We also did some creative shots amongst other things involving the doorway and a sheer curtain which worked extremely well. Both bride and groom were impressed with the results.

Jon had an Aston Martin for a few days over the wedding weekend and this was how they were going to get to the Copthorne Hotel for their formal reception. We usually like to get to the reception venue before our couple, but in this case knew it couldn’t be done. Being a petrol head myself I not only had the pleasure of photographing a wonderful couple in a stunning piece of machinery but got the added thrill when Jon pushed the throttle and the car roared away. For non petrol heads, it’s all about that sound!!

Lynn and Jon had their first date on the Newcastle quayside and were keen to have that memory included in their wedding day photography. They were more than happy to give us their time and be creatively posed, which resulted in WOW factor images being produced. Lynn and Jon are a very generous couple indeed. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day with them and were able to capture the anticipation, celebration and relaxation of their day with images that will last forever.

Gibside Chapel offers a wedding day set within one of the great designed landscapes of the North. The Chapel, where the weddings are held, is an ecclesiastical masterpiece.

Contact Ali Wilkes, to discuss your Gibside wedding – http://www.gibsideweddings.co.uk/

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