Planning a U.K. Wedding during Covid-19

It is unclear at the moment when it will be possible to start relaxing the rules on the number of guests allowed at weddings. This is, of course, heartbreaking for so many couples who have already had a difficult and stressful year trying to have the wedding of their dreams. We cannot even begin to imagine how disappointing this has been for couples who thought that they would perhaps already be married by now, having postponed their wedding because of the current restrictions.

There are some positives though, guidance does state that small wedding ceremonies and receptions of up to 30 people can take place. We have worked a couple of these ‘micro weddings’ and have to say, our experience has been incredibly positive! A small wedding provides a really relaxed atmosphere, and financially, can enable you to go ‘all out’ on your details and design, without having to provide for large numbers. You day can be just as beautiful, even more so! The image below was taken at a beautiful Covid secure wedding this September organised by Helen Davies.

Whilst we wait for those larger numbers to return, you can think about what makes your day super special, and maybe consider scaling it down? We have to be responsive, and our photo and video service is available to anyone wanting a small wedding, lets discuss the details together to see how we can cover your special day!

If you want to speak to us about how COVID is changing your plans we would love to hear from you! We are all in this together, lets make some beautiful days happen!

Amazing Things We Have Seen at Weddings

During the current lockdown, and having plenty of time on our hands, we have found ourselves looking back at all the wonderful things we have been fortunate enough to witness at weddings over the past six years whilst we have been filming and photographing them.

Weddings are deeply personal occasions, and while a lot of them share many things, no two are ever the same. These personal details are some of the features that have made weddings really stand out to us. Here we have put together a blog post highlighting some of those amazing details! Kicking off we have the amazing fire eater at Thomas and Jodi’s wedding at New Craven Hall in Leeds…

Or the amazing bouncy floor at James and Christina’s wedding at York Maze.

Other things have happened naturally, all thanks to the wonderful environment that a wedding provides. Like this amazing sunset that appeared behind Andy and Katie while we were shooting their couples portraits at their wedding at The Barn East Yorkshire in Flaxfleet.

And the moving reaction Chris showed when first seeing his Bride to be Amanda when they got married at Wynyard Hall in Billingham.

Chai and Jenny’s wedding at Tithe Barn in Bolton Abbey was a wonderful mix of two cultures as they hosted a civil ceremony and a traditional Chinese Tea ceremony all on the same day.

Daniel and Lisa brought their sports car for transport at their wedding at Walton Hall Hotel and Spa in Warwickshire.

Sometimes the most memorable things are the emotions we see. At Nick and Carolines wedding at Hornington Manor in Bolton Percy, Nick’s son joined the couple for a beautiful family first dance.

The details at Phil and Charlotte’s wedding were beautiful and the attention to detail they put into selecting everything has stayed with us. Their wedding was also held at the wonderful Hornington Manor in York.

Another couple who wowed us with how they dressed the venue were Sean and Hannah who made the stunning Rise Hall in East Riding of Yorkshire more beautiful than we have ever seen it before.

We were all in stitches watching the groom try his hand at playing the bagpipes at Chris and Amanda’s wedding in Wynyard Hall, Billingham

Sometimes DIY home weddings have impressed us as much as weddings at the top venues. Chris and Lauryn turned their farm into in incredible camping festival for their wedding in Bury St. Edmunds.

We love working at Askham Hall, but making a wedding film for Harry and Hayley was made so easy because simply everything they had chosen for their day was perfectly designed to look fantastic on video.

These beautiful moments from the morning of Carl and Melanie’s wedding at The Old Vicarage Boutique Wedding Venue, in Southwell, were wonderful to be a part of.

Liam and Sophie had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Saltmarshe Hall in East Yorkshire. The weather was perfect and their design was gorgeous.

We spent New Year’s Eve 2018 working, but we were glad we did because Darren and Laura threw one of the best weddings we have ever been to at Wharfdale Grange in Harrogate. Every guest knew they were at the best party of the year.

Edd and Rachel who got married at St. Michael’s and All Angels in Cherry Burton church impressed us by using an owl as a ring bearer. It was brilliantly organised and the owl flew straight to the best man who passed the rings onto the happy couple.

Adam and Amber adorned Saltmarshe Hall with their collection of taxidermy which gave the event a vey quirky atmosphere.

Sometimes the choice of venue is enough to impress and Mark and Amanda’s choice of hosting their ceremony at Ashton Memorial meant that it is hard to forget. This incredible structure stands out for miles around and is a popular tourist attraction, but you can also get married there.

Another beautiful venue we have worked at is the lovely Winterfell in Cumbria. Matt and Lindsay held their wedding there, using the lodge for Bridal preparations and the Papa Kata tent for the wedding breakfast and evening celebrations.

Zachary and Vicky held a brilliant festival wedding at Vicky’s parents farm in Rossendale. They had multiple bands, a real stage and plenty of guests ready to party. They also had a little bit of rain which didn’t stop their fun, and thankfully quickly disappeared and turned into an amazing rainbow!

We see a rainy wedding as romantic and atmospheric! We have had a few weddings to date where we have really embraced relentless rain! We have been warned that when you work in Scotland you should expect adverse weather. Michael and Nichola’s Marr Hall wedding in Bishopton on Loch Lomand certainly delivered, the afternoon’s boat trip across the stormy loch was beautiful, misty and looked like a painting! Thankfully they didn’t let the weather spoil the day and everyone had a great time. The rain stopped in the evening ready for a spectacular fireworks display.

One of the most beautiful spots right near to where we live is Skidby Mill. Ashley and Abbie held their reception at the Skidby Mill restaurant which meant we were able to get some gorgeous shots of this stunning location, and once again the rainy weather made it all the more beautiful!

One of my all time most memorable weddings we that of Peter and Rebecca at Wynyard Hall in Billingham. We were filming the couples first dance in the wonderfully bright, spacious room at Wynyard and just as the bride and groom turned to the crowd a colourful butterfly flew down and landed on the back of her head. It was an incredible sight, like something out of a Disney movie and it is supposed to be very good luck.

James and Laura told us that why wanted to go for a short walk on their wedding day. Their wedding celebrations were at Newton Hall, Northumberland, which is not far from a picturesque and tranquil beach. So we all headed off to an amazingly peaceful place and found that were were they only people in this idyllic location. We captured some wonderfully romantic moments at this time that James and Laura will be able to treasure forever.

One of our favourite venues is the completely unique Little Wold Vinyard in South Cave. As it’s name implies it is a working Vineyard, but it also hosts fantastic wedding days. Situated onto of a hill, overlooking stunning scenery, Joe and Michelle decided to get married here. They created so much fun with games and delicious food. It was a memorable and important day as shortly after they were married they emigrated to Australia.

It is clear to me when looking back that Weddings are a glorious and completely unique celebration which brings people together in a way that no other event can compare with. For now we must follow the advice and stay apart to stay safe, but when we are clear to do so I look forward to weddings starting up again and people embracing the wonderful social space that they provide.

A September Wedding at Saltmarshe Hall for Megan and Lee

Saltmarshe Hall in Howden, East Yorkshire is the perfect wedding venue. Seriously! It’s a Videographer and Photographers dream, stunning rooms, light, bright and airy. The grounds are so nice, a quaint walled garden, beautifully planted, lots of lovely old brick walls, sweeping driveways, you name it Saltmarshe Hall has it. We loved shooting there alongside our friends Fossca Photography and are delighted with this lovely wedding trailer. We can’t wait to go back!

A Garden Marquee Wedding for Tom and Alice

We love a traditional English garden wedding and Tom and Alice, held a quintessential day, filled with sunshine and smiles. Tom and Alice also shared their wedding day with a very special event and a very special couple, namely Harry and Meghan. The Royal Wedding certainly set the tone for the day, and spirits were high and excitable. We loved the traditional church ceremony and marquee setting, hosted at Alice's family home in Sussex. It was great to work with our pal down South, Kelly at Lola Rose Photography . For garden wedding inspo watch this lovely taster of their day, here... 

Ashley and Abigail, Skidby Mill, East Yorkshire

We recently had the absolute pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding at Holy Trinity Church in Leven followed by a brilliant reception at The Millhouse Restaurant, next to Skidby Mill in East Yorkshire. Easter Bank Holiday Monday brought us rainy skies for most of the day, but our fabulous couple Ashley and Abigail, were amazing and didn't let the wet weather spoil their fun. In fact they had a fantastic day, looked beautiful (Abi) and dapper (Ash) and we braved the rain for some beautiful atmospheric portraits. Thanks for bringing us on board guys, we have loved every second putting your gallery together!  

Here is a sneak peak at their very special day:

A Winter Wedding at Hazelwood Castle for Richard and Emma

We love filming Winter weddings! Hazelwood Castle provided the perfect backdrop for Emma and Richard's December wedding film. Doesn't Emma just look beautiful! We love working at the lovely on site Chapel, with our favourite Father Ian, who always leads the most lovely and personal wedding blessings! It was a pleasure to shoot alongside Hazelwood Castle's recommended photographer Vivienne Edge , a fun day was had by all! Emma and Richard delighted guests with some amazing fireworks to finish off the evening! 

What a day! See a little taste in this festive winter wedding film...