Simon Hudspeth Photography

Carole & Nigel's Wedding

2012-01-31T11:58:00.001Z

Our final wedding of 2011 took place at the fantastic Middleton Lodge near Richmond which is an exclusive use luxury wedding venue. It was a cold November day and we could just see the outline of the trees in the grounds through the mist. Carole was getting ready with her mum Pauline, sister Marion and bridesmaids Morgan & Freya, and make up artist Kate Pymm was applying the final touches. Carole looked gorgeous in her dress, and very sensibly had a feather stole to keep the November chills away.

Carole & Nigel's wedding took place at 3pm in the Drawing Room, but we were still able to get some shots outside and the mist added to the atmospheric feel of the images. The wedding breakfast room looked so elegant, they had obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the favours and table decorations. Carole & Nigel both work as long haul cabin crew, so we loved it when best man Adrian got Nigel to point out the exits during his speech! He'd put so much effort in with various photos of Nigel through the years and the most inventive "toast" we'd ever seen!

The interior of Middleton Lodge is stunning, and we took a few more shots of Carole & Nigel after the meal. Owner James very kindly allowed us to use the Cellar Bar too, which with it's exposed brickwork made for some really contemporary photos.

We had a fantastic day and really enjoyed our final 2011 wedding. Thanks to Carole, Nigel and all their guests for being so welcoming, and to Middleton Lodge's James & Anna for keeping everything running smoothly on the day. Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, for the full wedding gallery please click here.

Katharine & John's Wedding

2012-01-29T16:36:00.000Z

Kat & John were married on a beautiful crisp and bright November day. We find that we don't have a typical "wedding season" any more, as you often get the nicest weather outside the summer months - although looking at the long term weather predictions for 2012 fingers crossed for a scorcher this year!

Kat looked gorgeous in her dress, and daughter Zoey was such a pretty and well behaved flowergirl. The ceremony took place at North Tyneside Registry Office, which has a fantastic large room with masses of natural light. After the ceremony the guests all congratulated Kat & John on the terrace, before we headed to Newcastle Quayside for the reception at The Pitcher & Piano.

We had a good choice of locations for the formal photos, with The Baltic directly over the river, and a gorgeous tree lined terrace, which looked amazing with the autumnal leaves. Kat & John had hired the first floor for their reception, and had used the autumn theme to great effect with their table decorations, a leaf covered wedding cake and garlands of leaves wound around the balcony bannisters.

Kat & John weren't keen on having a very formal reception, so they decided not to have speeches or a first dance. We always say that your wedding day should be exactly how you want it, whether that's a traditional wedding or a relaxed informal party - it's your day and you don't "have" to go with set traditions. After the meal we made the most of the cityscape with some creative evening shots of Kat & John with the Millennium Bridge and a sculpture next to the venue as backgrounds.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, we wish Kat, John & daughter Zoey all the best for the future. For the full gallery please click here.

Rachel & Dave's Wedding

2012-01-26T17:23:00.001Z

We first met Rachel & Dave at the Linden Hall Wedding Fayre, and were so pleased when they decided to book us after a meeting the following week. They chose our Diamond Package which includes a pre-wedding photoshoot, which we met for in the run up to the big day. We got to know Rachel & Dave really well, and broke the ice so all nerves regarding the photography on the wedding day could be put to one side.

The bedrooms at Linden Hall are a good size, and Rachel had a suite for her preparations with some fantastic sash windows which were perfect for some shots of her dress. Rachel looked amazing, and her dress was exquisite with beautiful embroidery down the back. Dave had bought Rachel a gift for their big day, and we were able to capture her reaction as she unwrapped her new earrings. The autumnal themed flowers were from Fern, a florists we often recommend as their bouquets are always stunning.

Linden Hall has several rooms which can be used for the ceremony, and we headed to The Adamson Suite to wait for Rachel to make her entrance. They had booked piper David Bailey (not the photographer!) to pipe Rachel into the room, we'd highly recommend him. The ceremony was lovely, with Rachel & Dave reading their own personal vows to each other.

After the drinks reception took place in the Inner Hall, we headed outside for the formal photos. The grounds at Linden Hall are fantastic, and we used a few different locations for shots of the happy couple. The wedding breakfast took place in the Bigge Suite, with traditional northumbrian Lindisfarne Mead and Black Bullet sweets for favours. Huge credit to Rachel's sister Sarah who made the wedding cakes, really impressive! Rachel & Dave had very kindly invited us to sit with their guests at the meal, and Rachel's amateur dramatics friends were really welcoming - we can also highly recommend the food!

The speeches were fantastic, and we captured one of our favourite ever speech photos when best man Les took his turn - the expressions say it all! As it was Bonfire Night there were indoor sparklers on each table for the guests which everyone enjoyed. More entertainment followed with a caricaturist, and a queue had soon formed as he was brilliant. We're not sure who laughed more, the guests who saw their portraits, or the others stood watching the drawings unfold! After the first dance we were pleased when plenty of the guests got up for a dance, it's always brilliant to tell the full story of the day and great to see people let their hair down.

Thanks to Rachel & Dave for including us so much in their special day, and we wish them both all the best for the future. They were lucky enough to travel to Barbados for their honeymoon, and after glowing reports it's now on our list of places to visit when we get time!

For the full wedding gallery please click here.

Ruth & Chris's Wedding

2012-01-24T15:07:00.000Z

Jersey Farm was the perfect choice for Ruth & Chris to tie the knot at back in October. Chris is a dairy farmer, and the venue and all of their personal touches really made the day unique to Ruth & Chris from the flower-filled wellies through to the cow print wedding cake made by one of Ruth's friends.

Ruth looked beautiful in her dress and we loved her quirky green shoes. Ruth's bridesmaids (both called Jayne!) looked fantastic in their emerald green dresses and pageboy Max completed the look with his green waistcoat. During the ceremony Ruth & Chris lit a unity candle, which is one of many ways to personalise a civil ceremony - for other ideas please click here. Ruth plays in Ripon City Brass Band and they had one of the girls playing during the signing of the register before Ruth & Chris walked back up the aisle together.

During the drinks reception close-up magician Paul Lytton kept the guests entertained. He's brilliant and we'd highly recommend him if you're looking for something a bit different. Jersey Farm has some great outdoor areas and luckily there was a break in the rain so we could all get outside for some photos. Ruth & Chris are a brilliant couple and we had such fun working with them. Like the majority of people, they usually feel uncomfortable in front of a camera, but sent us this message after the big day - "We both hate having pictures taken, but you really made us feel relaxed about it, and we actually enjoyed that part of our wedding! We will definitely recommend you to friends - you were so great to work with!!!".

The main function room at Jersey Farm is superb as we were able to photograph the speeches both from the balcony and downstairs amongst the guests. Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, for the full wedding gallery please see our Client Galleries section on the website.

Helen & Terry's Wedding

2012-01-23T15:17:00.000Z

Helen & Terry's wedding took place on a sunny October day at the fabulous Beamish Hall. Helen & Terry were both getting ready at the venue, so I covered the groom's preparations while Alison stayed with Helen and the girls. Helen looked fantastic in her dress which had a beautiful and unique jewelled back.

The ceremony took place in the Shafto Hall, which with it's dark wood panelling and candles in the fireplace is always so atmospheric. We were able to get outside for the group photos and shots of Helen & Terry together. They had booked the brilliant Howard Wing to provide entertainment throughout the days for their guests. He started by introducing the bridesmaids, ushers, best man, and then Helen & Terry into the Monboucher Room with their own personal song, and in the case of best man Rob dressing him up with a blue feather boa! During the wedding breakfast he sang to the guests, and there was also plenty of interaction as he got guests to join in and sing lines of swing classics. The piece de resistance was when That's Amore came on, everyone got up on their chairs and joined in with so much enthusiasm which was brilliant. Terry's a huge swing fan, and after seeing Howard at best man Rob's wedding knew they had to book him for their big day!

The evening reception was great entertainment for everyone too, after Helen & Terry's first dance it was Conga time followed by more singing and a dance off! Definitely a fun filled day, and we wish Helen & Terry all the best for the future.

Also if you ever visit Beamish Hall we'd highly recommend afternoon tea - all baked fresh on the premises & delicious!

Here are some of our favourites shots from Helen & Terry's big day, for the full wedding gallery please click here.

Nina & Brendan's Wedding

2012-01-21T15:49:00.000Z

Back In February 2009 we covered the wedding of Caroline & Rob at Belmount Hall in the lakes. Nina's sister Laurie is a close friend of Caroline and so recommended us to Nina when planning their wedding. We're happy to cover weddings all over the UK as we really enjoy working at new venues.

Stanley House is near Mellor in Lancashire, and is a fantastic venue with gorgeous grounds and a contemporary interior. It's actually split into two buildings, the Grade II listed original house with 12 bedrooms, and a modern building with various wedding suites and the restaurant.

The ceremony was lovely, and Nina commented afterwards that she wished she hadn't been as nervous beforehand as it was much less nerve-wracking than she'd imagined. Nina & Brendan's daughter Georgia was a fantastic flower girl, with her trusty friend Smudge the Cat accompanying her all day to help with her duties!

We headed next door for the drinks reception & canapes and thought the mini fish & chip cones were brilliant! There was also a surprise birthday cake for little Sophia as she was celebrating her first birthday - she loved the cake, although tried to grab the candles before Dad helped blow them out!

As Nina & Brendan's wedding was an intimate do, all the guests were able to be seated around one large table for the wedding breakfast, which was decorated beautifully with gifts of cupcakes for the children, pink roses for the ladies, and rosemary for the guys - we've looked into this one and rosemary was given as a symbol of remembrance in Victorian times.

We were so pleased to be able to cover Nina & Brendan's big day, they're a fantastic couple and we wish them all the best for the future. To see their full gallery please click here, in the meantime here are some of our favourite shots from the day.

Katie & Craig's Wedding

2012-01-18T16:13:00.000Z

Katie & Craig's wedding was a particularly special day for us, as Katie is Alison's cousin and we were thrilled to be able to capture their big day. As the wedding took place in Kent we travelled down the day before to make sure we were fresh and ready for the celebrations.

I covered Craig's preparations at his parents' house while Alison was at Katie's to capture all the goings on there. Katie looked amazing in her dress, and as a special touch mum Anne had made Katie's garter from her own wedding veil - very impressive!

The wedding took place at Port Lympne, which is best known for it's wild animal park - more of that to come later....... We were at the beautiful Mansion House which was built in the 1920's and the ceremony took place in a courtyard with fantastic views out to the channel. It was a little breezy but Katie's dad Geoff did a great job keeping the veil under control for Katie during the vows!

We were spoilt for choice with the grounds for the formal photos, our favourite shots were along a tree lined promenade. As usual the speeches were great, with so many poignant moments, and some laughs when Craig's dad Rob got everyone to wave their arms in the air..... and give each other a group hug - a very simple and effective way to break the ice between the guests!

We'd had glorious sunshine all day and were very much looking forward to the safari around the wild animal park, something you don't get to do at most weddings! We all jumped into the safari trucks, and two minutes later the heavens opened and it chucked it down for the whole safari! Everyone was in great spirits though, and despite most of the animals having dived for cover it was still good fun.

After the first dance Katie threw her bouquet - needless to say a fair few ladies were keen to catch it, and we were pleased to have captured it all on camera. Katie & Craig left just before midnight for their hotel, and we all gathered outside the venue to wave them off.

We wish Katie & Craig all the best for the future, and despite us living at opposite ends of the country we hope to be able to catch up with them at one of the family gatherings in Derbyshire. To see the full wedding gallery please click here.

Jaclyn & Patrick's Wedding

2012-01-16T15:44:00.000Z

Jaclyn & Patrick were married in September and their wedding required more planning than most. Why? Because they held their reception in the gardens of their beautiful home in Howden-le-Wear which they'd been renovating for the past few years, so had to source all the suppliers themselves. This has to be the ultimate way to bring a personal touch to your big day!

We started the day at The Old Vicarage with Jaclyn, her bridesmaids and her mum for the bridal preparations. All was going smoothly until Jaclyn's hair was almost finished, and she realised she wouldn't be able to take her t-shirt off as it would ruin all the hairdresser's hard work - luckily sister Lucy was on hand with a pair of scissors to save the day! Jaclyn looked absolutely stunning, and groom-to-be Patrick had bought her an amazing antique mirror as a wedding gift which was really useful when the time came for Jaclyn to get into her wedding dress.

We travelled through to nearby St. Philip & St. James' church in Witton-le-Wear for the ceremony where we met Patrick walking up the street with his groomsmen. Jaclyn soon arrived in their fantastic wedding car - an immaculate old series 111 Land-Rover! After the ceremony we headed up to Hamsterley Forest for a few photos of Jaclyn & Patrick. The land at Hamsterley was owned by the family, had incredible views over the valley, and also had great sentimental value as it's where Patrick proposed to Jaclyn - a great story involving a banner and an imaginary pig in the wood!

When we arrived back at the house the party was in full flow, with the guests enjoying arrival drinks in the marquee entrance. We had a fair bit of rain so we took some of the group photos indoors in Patrick & Jaclyn's lounge - again a first for us!

The marquee looked superb, a really family effort with Lucy co-ordinating all the decorations including photos of the guests around the marquee, and mum Lynn had grown all the wedding flowers for the big day. Jaclyn's from a farming family, and so they had Thompson's beef for the wedding breakfast, with a nominated carver on each table which made for some great photos. Best man Barry also had an appropriate change of clothes during his speech - which you can see in the shots below!

Jaclyn & Patrick had a special cake table in the evening, with several friends & family members bringing along cakes and biscuits they'd baked at home. It was soon time for the first dance, the black and white chequered dancefloor looked brilliant and made for some great photos.

Thanks to Jaclyn & Patrick for being great on the day, and also for allowing us to have our lunch in their kitchen and help ourselves to cups of tea to keep us going.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, please click here for the full gallery.

Louise & Damian's Wedding

2012-01-12T11:35:00.000Z

As we lived in Cumbria until 2007 we love getting back over to the lakes to cover a wedding day. Louise and Damian had chosen the Low Wood Bay Hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere for their wedding reception and it was there that we met up with Louise & her bridesmaids to cover the bridal preparations.

We travelled through to Rydal Church for the ceremony, which we've discovered was built in 1824 and Wordsworth helped to choose the church site. Both the grounds of the church and the interior are amazing, with exposed slate in the grounds and a balcony in the church which was great for Alison to get a view looking down the aisle towards the altar. Both Louise & Damian are very keen on photography, and had said to us beforehand that if it was a dark and moody Cumbrian day that they've love the photos to reflect this. Our aim is always to tell the story of the day and to capture the atmosphere, and we rarely use flash during a wedding ceremony to make sure we can capture the moment and not be intrusive. On the day though we had plenty of sunshine and this came flooding through the church windows.

When we arrived back at Low Wood we made the most of the nearby pier and surrounding grounds to get some shots with the happy couple before getting on with the group photos. Louise & Damian had chosen the hotel restaurant for their wedding breakfast, rather than one of the upstairs function rooms. The room looked fantastic, with dark wood panelling and violet uplighters to set it all off. They'd chosen a rustic country theme for their table decorations which looked superb. Louise & Damian had also added a personal touch to one of their wedding cakes with some personalised cake toppers of them with their springer spaniel! The speeches were lovely, with the standard father of the bride, groom and best man speeches followed by a speech by Louise too. We always say to our clients that wedding traditions are a good guide for your day, but they are also there to be broken!

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, for the full gallery please click here.

Linden Hall Wedding Fayre

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000Z

We'll be exhibiting at the fantastic Linden Hall Wedding Fayre near Morpeth this Sunday from 12 - 4pm (15th January). We've attended the fayre for the last few years and it's always a good turn out with plenty of exhibitors for you to chat to. Best of all, it's also FREE ENTRY which isn't the case with many fayres nowadays.

If you're recently engaged and looking for a wedding venue Linden Hall is definitely worth considering. They'll have some of the rooms set up for a wedding so you can get an idea of how your day might look.

We hope to see you on Sunday!

Simon & Alison x

Rebecca & Graham's Wedding

2012-01-09T16:11:00.001Z

We're often asked which of the weddings we've covered is our favourite, and we truly don't have one. The reason we give is that all weddings are special and different, and even weddings in the same venue can be worlds apart from each other. It's all about the people who are there on the day and all of the personal touches which the bride & groom bring to the day, and Becky & Graham's wedding was no exception....

We started the day at Becky's parents house in Whitley Bay. We arrived while the make up and hair was still being perfected, and Alison photographed mum Liz lacing Becky into her gorgeous dress. Becky's dad Peter was quite emotional when he saw how beautiful his daughter looked in her dress, which was a really special moment for both of them.

Graham and all the guests were at Dissington Hall when we arrived, and Becky, her bridesmaids and her parents were whisked to an upstairs bedroom while they waited for the wedding ceremony. It's a great venue for photographing the ceremony, as so much natural light comes into the room from the tall sash windows at the front, and from the grand arched window at the back of the room.

We made good use of the grounds for the photographs, despite it having been showery early on the weather stayed clear for us. Dissington is a very unique venue, as it has a marquee for the wedding breakfast, but it's actually in a central courtyard so feels as though you could be indoors. Becky & Graham had done a great job with all the decorations, although were quite amused that their personalised cake topper they'd ordered online had Graham with ginger hair! They also had corks with all the place name cards in, which Becky's dad Peter had helped to "gather" before the big day - great to have a good excuse to drink lots of wine we must remember that one!

After the wedding breakfast there was a surprise for the guests. Becky & her dad play in North Tyneside Steel Band, so they'd arranged for the rest of the band to come along and play steel drums to their guests. Graham had also been along to rehearsal a few times, so took Peter's place for a couple of the songs. There was also a lovely surprise for Becky & Graham - their band had been practising "Hey There Delilah" as a special surprise song to play just for the wedding day.

There was another surprise up Becky & Graham's sleeves later on, the slow and romantic first dance song cut half way through to MC Hammer U Can't Touch This - and Becky & Graham had a little choreographed routine that they'd learnt which was brilliant - well done guys!

We've had some fantastic feedback from Becky & Graham, and from Becky's dad Peter since the big day - you can view all our testimonials here. Also thanks to David & Nicola at Dissington for their great organisation on the day and for keeping up stocked up with cups of tea! Below are some of our favourite photos, to see the full gallery please click here.

Diane & Stewart's Wedding

2012-01-06T16:04:00.001Z

Our British summers are often a bit of a wash out (sure they weren't when we were small..... but there you go) and when we saw the weather forecast for Diane & Stewart's big day we expected a bit of rain. They'd booked the gorgeous Whitworth Hall as their wedding venue for August this year, and as they live down in Wakefield they had a few busy weekends getting everything organised when they visited before the big day.

Diane & Stewart first came to see us at our home in Durham, and decided to book our Platinum Package which includes a photobook album, a pre-wedding photoshoot and coverage on the day up until their first dance. We met at Whitworth Hall a few weeks before the big day, and made the most of the extensive grounds which include an old waterwheel and a deer park!

On the morning of the wedding we arrived at Diane's parents' house in Spennymoor which is just a short drive from Whitworth Hall. Bridemaids Lindsay and Lisa were already dressed and all set for helping with Diane's beautiful dress. Luckily Diane's mum Lavaine had a crochet hook to hand as the buttons on Diane's dress were quite tricky to do up, but everyone was ready in plenty of time.

By this time the rain had started, we always carry some ivory golf umbrellas so we made sure everyone had one before we set off to the venue. The ceremony was really lovely, and one of our favourite registrars took the service who always adds a short poem of congratulations of her own on to the end of the service, which is such a nice touch.

We were lucky enough to get a break in the rain, and had just enough time to get the formal photos done in the gardens before the heavens well and truly opened. We were so glad that Diane & Stewart got married at 10:30 in the morning, as from noon onwards the rain didn't stop, and we had thunder and lightning thrown in for good measure! It was a shame as this meant we didn't get to make the most of the grounds, and when we ventured into the deer park later in the day all the deer were hiding from the bad weather!

After the wedding breakfast there was a surprise for the guests, Diane & Stewart had booked a traditional guitarist & fiddler to entertain everyone! They'd originally seen them play at a pub in York, and thought it'd be perfect to fill the gap between the wedding breakfast and the evening reception.

We all headed off to Spennymoor Town Hall for the evening do, and were surprised by quite how grand the interior was - the room looked amazing with pink uplighters, glitterballs, the whole works. Definitely a venue worth a look at if you need a separate venue for your evening reception.

Here are some of our favourite photos from the day:

Lyndsey & Chris's Wedding

2012-01-04T11:26:00.000Z

Beamish Hall is one of our favourite north east venues for several reasons - both the grounds and inside the hall are fantastic, and the staff run a wedding day like clockwork which always makes our day easier! We were lucky enough to have 4 weddings at Beamish during 2011 of which this was the 3rd - another will follow in a few weeks time as we're getting caught up with our blog....

Lyndsey & Chris chose our Diamond Package which includes a pre-wedding shoot, so we met them at the hall a few weeks before the big day for that. When we arrived at Beamish on the morning of the wedding, we were shown to The Apartment - a "room" which we hadn't photographed bridal preparations in before. Well it was more like a small house, with a kitchen, living room, dining room and a couple of bedrooms. This was perfect for Lyndsey, her mum & her bridesmaids to get ready in as they had so much space. We were pleased to see that Lyndsey had booked Tracey from Beautiful Bride Makeovers, who we would highly recommend if you're looking for a make-up artist or hair stylist for your big day. She also stepped in to help lace up the gorgeous dress too, and Lyndsey looked amazing.

The ceremony was held in the wood panelled Shafto Hall which looked superb decked out in the red and orange flower colour scheme which Lyndsey & Chris had chosen for the day. The weather was on our side so after the ceremony everyone headed into the grounds for some celebratory drinks, and fantastic entertainment from magician Paul Lytton. We've seen Paul working at a few weddings previously, and have no idea how he does any of his tricks - he's very impressive and has also worked at a fair few celebrity parties before which you can see on his website.

After the formal photographs it was time for the wedding breakfast in the Monboucher Room. The speeches were very touching with plenty of laughter and a few tears as well. We had time for some more photos with Lyndsey & Chris after the meal, then it was time to head back indoors for the evening reception.

The night kicked off with Lyndsey throwing her bouquet - and there were some very keen ladies wanting to get their hands on it!! Lyndsey & Chris then had their first dance played by the band, and lots of the guests were keen to have a bit of a boogie which is always nice to see.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, and you can view the full gallery here.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001Z

We wish all of our clients & your families a fantastic Christmas - we hope you all have an amazing time & Santa brings you some nice goodies! We'll be spending Christmas with Alison's family this year and will be mostly eating, drinking mulled wine, eating a bit more, watching Christmas TV and playing board games. Alison's made the Christmas cakes again this year and as usual there's enough brandy in them to sink a small ship, so no doubt we'll be a little cross eyed come tea time!

Seems very different to Christmas last year when we had a couple of feet of snow, will make all the travelling easier this year but we do like a bit of the white stuff - we've got so used to it the past few years!

Have a good one,

Simon & Alison xx

Gabrielle & Jonathan's Wedding

2011-12-24T11:01:00.000Z

We had such a busy July this year, and on the last weekend of the month we travelled over to the Lakes to photograph Gabrielle & Jonathan's big day. We were really lucky with the weather, with glorious sunshine all day.

We arrived at Gabrielle's mum's house in Workington for the bridal preparation photos, before heading to Our Lady Star of the Sea & St. Michael's RC Church for the wedding ceremony. Gabrielle looked so beautiful, and was calm and collected as she & her bridesmaids prepared for the big day ahead of them.

Jonathan had two best men, David & Stephen (aka Quirky) who all looked really smart as they waited for the bridal party to arrive at church. Gabrielle's cousin was the priest who took the wedding service, which was great and made the wedding ceremony even more special and personal for both of them. The church was stunning, with amazing architecture and so much light streaming through the stained glass windows. Gabrielle & Jonathan had a full catholic mass and so we had plenty of opportunity to capture the wedding ceremony for them.

We then drove to the nearby Summergrove Hall for the wedding reception. The sun was beaming down and so the wedding party made the most of the outdoor space behind the function room. There were some beautiful wrought iron gates nearby which were perfect for some portraits of Gabrielle & Jonathan before they headed inside for the wedding breakfast.

The speeches were brilliant, with Gabrielle's mum Kim, brothers Bede & Dom, Jonathan, and then his best men all doing a great job. Gabrielle & Jonathan had chosen our Gold Package and so we were able to capture the first dance and plenty more informal shots of the guests, including Jonathan & the guys sinking some Jaegerbombs! Gabrielle then changed into a traditional Chinese dress for the rest of the evening reception which looked fantastic.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, to see the full gallery please click here.

Lucy & Colin's Wedding

2011-12-23T12:37:00.000Z

The Vermont Hotel is slap bang in the middle of Newcastle city centre, in a superb location with The Black Gate, The Castle & the fantastic Quayside all close to hand. We were so pleased when Lucy & Colin chose us to cover their wedding day, and even more pleased that they were keen to make the most of all the photo opportunities we had.

We started the day at Lucy's parents house in Whickham for the bridal preparation photos. Lucy had some fantastic Jimmy Choo wedding shoes & looked stunning in her dress. We did a few formal shots in the garden and then headed to the Immaculate Heart RC Church nearby for the ceremony. The church was lovely and light inside, the priest was great and allowed me to photograph from the front of the church & Alison was up on a balcony at the back.

After the service we headed to The Vermont for the majority of the group photographs and some shots of Lucy & Colin outside the Moot Hall and at The Black Gate. Lucy had put a lot of time and effort into the table decorations for the wedding breakfast and the Heritage Suite looked amazing.

After the meal we had some more time with Lucy & Colin, so headed up to the roof of the hotel (thank you to the Vermont for this!) to get some shots looking down over the city. We also nipped down to The Quayside for some photos by the Tyne Bridge - the most iconic landmark in Newcastle.

Lucy & Colin had booked Pete Brown to sing at the evening reception, he covered some great swing classics and also sang the first dance song which was lovely. Lucy was lucky enough to have a second dress to change into for the evening reception, definitely worth it to show off those Jimmy Choos!

We had a great day with Lucy & Colin and their guests and wish them all the best for an amazing future together.

Lucy's mum Gillian & sister Christina were in charge of lacing up the corset back of Lucy's gorgeous dress

Those fabulous Jimmy Choo's!

Lucy's 4 flowergirls looked gorgeous and were good as gold waiting to set off for church

Lucy's mum saying a quick hello to Colin before Lucy made her grand entrance!

The priest was fantastic and there were a few giggles during the service

The children each said a few words, all very quietly spoken until the last flowergirl had her go - cue laughter from the whole congregation!

The Moot Hall is directly opposite The Vermont, and the steps are ideal for the group photographs.

The fantastic Black Gate, which dates from 1250.

Lucy & Colin had time to chat to their guests over a glass of Pimms before the wedding breakfast.

Lucy's sister Christina had made all of the favours, which also doubled as place names - very impressive!

Colin's best man Stuart gave a great speech, and yet again we had a groom head-on-the-table moment - brilliant!

A view of the Tyne Bridge with The Sage in the background.

Pete Brown kicked the evening reception off in style.

Samanther & Brad's Wedding

2011-12-06T17:17:00.001Z

Crathorne Hall is one of our favourite wedding venues in the north east, it's such a grand building and the interior of the hall is fantastic as well - which comes in very useful on wet days like the one we had for Sam & Brad's big day!

We started the day with Sam's bridal preparations at Crathorne. The bedrooms are a good size, so even with Sam's 4 bridesmaids and her parents, and us, we had plenty of space. Alison stayed to photograph Sam getting in to her dress while I went to meet Brad and the boys for a few shots before the ceremony.

After the ceremony we quickly got a few shots outside, which was lucky as it started to chuck it down in true British style. The rain continued through the wedding breakfast, but luckily we had an hour's break in the weather later on to get outside for some more group shots and photos of Sam & Brad on their own.

Then we headed back inside for the evening reception. Sam & Brad had hired Sunshine Daze, with John playing saxophone throughout the day and the rest of the band joining him to provide the evening entertainment. We really enjoyed photographing Sam & Brad's big day, and are looking forward to our bookings at Crathorne Hall next year.

Samanther looked amazing in her dress, her sister did the honours with lacing up the corset back

The boys looked very smart too!

We were lucky to get this shot of the outside of the hall after the meal, the clouds were already looking ominous and opened up about 3 minutes after we took these shots!

The room looked fantastic with the candlelight really adding to the atmosphere.

Brad's best man Chris had a number of embarrassing photos of Brad which were shown to all the guests during his speech!

We got some more shots done after the wedding breakfast, the early evening light was perfect.

Kelly & Chris's Wedding

2011-11-28T16:37:00.000Z

Kelly & Chris were married in July & for once we had gorgeous sunny summer weather. It's always a shame for a couple when they've booked a summer wedding and get a British washout of a day!

We started the day at Kelly's mum & dad's house for the bridal preparation. Kelly had 8 bridesmaids so there was a lot going on when we arrived but everything was going smoothly and luckily Carol & Walter have a large house so there was plenty of space for everyone. Kelly & Chris's daughters were both bridesmaids and they all looked pretty in pink! Kelly looked fantastic in a show-stopping dress, and Carol had even made sure that all the flowers in her immaculate garden matched the colour scheme!

We then headed to St. Michael's Church in Easington Lane for the ceremony. Unfortunately the vicar would only allow us to photograph the ceremony from the rear of the church, but we got some great shots despite this.

Kelly & Chris had chosen Shotton Hall Banqueting Suites for their wedding reception, which had a number of function rooms that they could use throughout the day. We used both the grounds and the inside of the hall for the formal photographs, the formal staircase was a great backdrop for some of the images.

The DJ company Kelly & Chris had hired brought a lot of mood lighting with them, so we got a great first dance shot before we left for the day.

Kelly making the final touches before we left for the ceremony.

Kelly's bridemaids waiting nervously in the church doorway before they made their grand entrance!

Kelly & Chris making their wedding vows - the church looked stunning.

The happy couple with their wedding car outside Shotton Hall.

Daughters Olivia & Cydney with mum & dad.

We love this shot of Kelly - she looked absolutely stunning.

By the grand staircase in Shotton Hall's main entrance.

One of their guests was also a talented magician which kept the guests entertained between courses.

Chris made an emotional speech, with mum Denise shedding a tear or two.

Chris's best man Chris did a great job - the obligatory groom with head in hands shot....!

Kay & Chris's Wedding

2011-11-10T10:41:00.001Z

Our final wedding in June took place at The Marriott Hotel in Gateshead. We arrived at Kay's parents' house on the morning of the wedding to photograph the bridal preparations - and even the furnishings in the lounge matched the colour scheme of ivory and purple! Kay had 7 bridesmaids, and still everything was calm as they all got ready for the day. As there were so many people to get to the ceremony, 6 bridesmaids and Kay's mum left in the first car, which then came back to collect Kay, her dad and daughter Anya.

We arrived at the hotel and photographed the ceremony in the European Suite, which was to be our base for all the celebrations throughout the day. Chris and his best man Liam looked great in their suits, and Chris looked so proud when Kay walked up the aisle towards him.

We then headed out to the small garden area for the group photographs & shots of Kay & Chris. The Marriott is close to the Metrocentre, yet the garden had been cleverly designed so that there were no distractions in the background of the photos which was great for us. The beautiful honeysuckle archway was perfect for some shots of Kay & Chris on their own.

The wedding breakfast room looked great, again all decked out in the ivory and purple colour scheme. The speeches were lovely, Kay & Chris met while both serving in the navy so everyone enjoyed hearing the story of how they got together.

It was then time for everyone to grab a drink and relax for a while, before the evening reception. Kay had mentioned to us that during their first dance there would be more confetti, so we were both poised waiting for the moment when Kay's mum Claire popped the balloon suspended from the ceiling.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day:

Kay looked absolutely gorgeous, time for an important glass of bubbly while her mum & bridesmaid laced her dress up.

Kay with her daughter Anya.

Kay applying the final touches while proud dad Neil looks on.

So much confetti was thrown even the box was launched towards Kay & Chris.....

...and luckily it missed!

The fabulous honeysuckle archway in the gardens.

All the excitement had worn Anya out!

The room was transformed for the evening reception, even the lights matched the colour scheme!

The confetti balloon during their first dance.

Time for everyone to let their hair down, and for us to say goodnight!

Katherine & Paul's Wedding

2011-11-03T19:22:00.003Z

From the moment we met Katherine & Paul we knew that we'd get on well and enjoy covering their big day. We'd actually met Katherine's mum Jan last year, as she works as a registrar and had asked for our business card when we'd been covering at a wedding at The Baltic. Fastforward to June this year, and we arrived at the fabulous Beamish Hall to photograph Katherine & Paul's wedding, starting with Katherine's bridal preparations. Katherine looked absolutely beautiful in her dress, and was calm and collected while getting ready, as were her bridesmaids Alison & Emma.

The ceremony took place in the Shafto Hall, which is really atmospheric with the dark wood panelling and candles in the fireplace. We were lucky with the weather and got outside for the group photos and the shots of Katherine & Paul on their own. Katherine & Paul were really relaxed in front of the cameras, and we got some great shots of them chatting and walking around the grounds.

The wedding breakfast took place in the Monboucher Room, which is fantastic for the speeches as there's plenty of space for us to move around at the back of the room without being intrusive. We're always really impressed by the staff at Beamish, particularly while serving the wedding breakfast as they're so quick and efficient. We were lucky enough to eat on the day too (thank you to Katherine & Paul!) and the food is superb - particularly the trio of desserts we had!

We were back in the Monboucher Room for the evening reception. We'd been really looking forward to this part of the day, as they had a ceilidh which are always great fun. We'd also promised Katherine's dad Paul that we'd join in for a dance, and we really enjoyed having a bit of a leap around before getting back to photographing the guests.

Beamish Hall is definitely one of our favourite north east venues, and we're looking forward to covering more weddings there next year.

Katherine had a gorgeous bouquet of pink roses so we used these to add a bit of colour to the jewellery shots.

The girls had a great vantage point for watching the guests arriving - Katherine made sure she was just peeping around the curtain so nobody saw her!

The Shafto Room all set for the ceremony.

We'd had a pre-wedding shoot in the run up to the wedding, and Katherine commented how much she liked the old tree in the grounds so we made sure we got plenty of shots there - this was the shot they chose for their album cover too.

We love capturing the informal side of the day, everyone sat chatting and relaxing before the wedding breakfast.

We loved this favour for one of the kids - great idea!

Paul had two best men - this was how they started their speech, we bet Paul wondered what was coming next.....!

Enjoying the ceilidh - they're a great idea if you want to get all your guests up dancing and break the ice.

Dawn & Keith's Wedding

2011-09-17T16:40:00.001+01:00

Horton Grange is a fantastic exclusive use wedding venue close to Ponteland near Newcastle, and when Dawn & Keith decided to book us to cover their wedding day we were thrilled. We met up a few weeks before the big day for their Pre-Wedding Photoshoot which was good fun, and we had to be a little more creative than normal as Keith's hand was in plaster! Luckily he had the cast off for the big day, which was a relief as Dawn had said that if it wasn't she'd cut it off herself!

We started the day at Dawn's parents' house with a few bridal preparation photos. Dawn's father Dave was so overwhelmed when he saw how amazing Dawn looked in her beautiful dress, and neither of them could hold the tears back which was lovely. The bridesmaids were on hand with tissues to keep Dawn's makeup intact too!

The wedding ceremony at Horton Grange was really special, Keith & Dawn are a fantastic couple, and the love between them was so clear for everyone to see. They really do both wear their hearts on their sleeves so it was great for us to be able to capture all the emotion for them.

The gardens are superb with several areas for us to choose from for the group photos and the shots of Keith & Dawn on their own. After the drinks reception & formal photos we headed inside for the wedding breakfast (also thank you guys for feeding us - the food was superb!). The speeches were fantastic, and everyone was in stitches - our favourite parts had to be the arm cushion, the Keith doll (photo below!) and Keith giving his best man Steve a signed Jose Enrique shirt.

Later in the day everyone gathered for the first dance, which is one of our favourite parts of the day to photograph. We had a really great day with Dawn, Keith and all their friends and family, and we felt so welcome and part of the wedding day.

We've had some really lovely feedback since the big day too, on receiving their wedding album Dawn emailed to say:

We have just received our beautiful wedding album, it's amazing and you have a talent of making me cry!!!! Thank you both so much for everything you have both been brilliant and I can't wait to show it off!!!

Dawn and Keith x x x x x x x x x x x

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day, for the full album please click here.

Dawn looked stunning in her beautifully detailed dress

Everyone was on hand for the finishing touches, great how even the bedroom Dawn got ready in matched the colour scheme!

A very proud dad Dave

Keith with best man Steve looking very calm waiting for his bride to arrive

The registrar was also prepared with tissues!

Keith making some personal vows to Dawn during the ceremony

There was LOTS of confetti - ducking for cover!

Dawn's bridemaids having a giggle during the group photos

We headed back to the main house for a few more photos, and Keith & Dawn had a sneaky kiss on the way. We love this photo, as did Dawn & Keith as they chose it for their album cover.

We love this photo, how stunning and elegant does Dawn look!

The room looked great all set up for the wedding breakfast

The Keith doll - love it!

Dawn and Keith had a wish tree, which is a lovely alternative to a traditional guest book.

An impromptu first dance before the main event as the DJ was so good

One of our favourite first dance shots, there was so much laughter throughout the day it just sums the day up perfectly.

Gemma & Eddie's Wedding

2011-09-08T21:51:00.000+01:00

When Gemma & Eddie first got in touch about their wedding we were thrilled as not only were they having their ceremony at Crook Hall in Durham, their evening reception was taking place at the uber-contemporary Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. So we had the best of both worlds, a medieval hall & amazing gardens during the day, and a bit of sleek contemporary architecture for the night do.

We arrived at The Radisson in Durham for the first stage of Gemma's bridal preparations early on the wedding morning in June. All the girls had their hair & make up done by the fabulous Tracey from Beautiful Bride Makeovers (who we couldn't recommend more highly!). We then moved on to Crook Hall for Gemma and her flowergirls to change into their gorgeous dresses. The room they used was up in the top of the house, with beamed ceilings and natural light coming from a small window at one end.

Eddie & the guys had arrived in the meantime, and after a few photos went into the Medieval Hall to wait for Gemma's arrival. Gemma & Eddie lit a unity candle as part of the ceremony, which is a lovely idea and makes for some great photographs.

We then headed out into the gardens for celebration drinks and the formal photos. We were absolutely spoilt for choice for the photos of Gemma & Eddie, with so many different gardens and outside areas of the Hall to use. Everyone then headed inside for the speeches and wedding breakfast. At 6pm we all set off for The Baltic for the evening reception.

We'd been into Gateshead a few weeks before the wedding, and found some superb graffiti art close to The Sage. Gemma & Eddie were happy to have a quick walk up there for some photos which was brilliant, and of course we had a few photos on the Millennium Bridge as well.

Darren from Hi-Life in Leeds was the DJ for the night, and he was superb playing some great tracks and the dancefloor was packed, and we'd highly recommend him. After the wedding Gemma said "He was great, exactly what we were after instead of the stereotypical cheesy wedding DJ!"

Here are some of our favourite shots from their wedding. Thanks to Gemma & Eddie for being so much fun on the day - we really enjoyed ourselves (also thank you for feeding us too!).

Tracey from Beautiful Bride Makeovers applying the finishing touches to Gemma's make-up.

Could you ask for more gorgeous gardens?

Gemma's bouquet which she'd made herself - wow!

Gemma being laced into her dress at Crook Hall.

And the ceremony begins..... Simon shot from the front of the room with Alison on the balcony.

Gemma & Eddie's little girl Elise looked gorgeous, along with faithful companion Mousie!

The gardens were great for exploring!

Gemma looked stunning, we love this shot with the trees framing the image.

A shot from one of the front gardens looking towards Durham Cathedral.

Time for the speeches, Eddie has two best men David & Christopher who did a great job...

...and provided us with photo opportunities like these!

Elise letting her hair down a little!

Looking towards The Baltic from The Millennium Bridge.

Amazing graffiti - we were so pleased to have the opportunity to get these shots!

Throwing some shapes!

Alice & Roger's Wedding

2011-09-01T15:11:00.001+01:00

The last of our May weddings took place in the beautiful Lake District. Alice & Roger live down in Oxfordshire, but Alice's parents have a cottage in the picturesque hamlet of Troutbeck near Windermere, so Cumbria was the perfect location for their big day.

The wedding ceremony took place at Jesus Church in Troutbeck. The vicar had a strict no photography policy, but we were allowed to photograph Alice & the wedding party walking up the aisle, and also to take a few shots during the first hymn. When we left the church the skies were overcast but it was dry, so we took a few formal shots & plenty of informals before we left for the reception.

Belmount Hall is a venue we've worked at a few times now, and it's a great place where couples can really put their own stamp on their wedding. Alice & Roger both love the outdoors and are keen mountain bikers, so such a rural venue was perfect for them and really reflected their fun loving & relaxed personalities.

This was the first time we've had a marquee reception there, and it was lucky the marquee was well waterproofed! The heavens had well and truly opened by the time we arrived, and luckily the owners Chris & Gillie had plenty of brollies to hand. There are some great rooms inside the Hall which we were able to use for some smaller group shots which was really handy. As Alice & Roger had a large number of guests, we couldn't do a big group shot indoors, but we were very lucky to get a dry half hour to get a large group shot done, and a few of Alice & Roger in the gardens. Then the heavens opened again (and it really chucked it down!), and that was the weather set in for the day. Well the lakes are there for a reason......!!

We really enjoyed Alice & Roger's wedding, they'd put a lot of effort into the planning & had a quiz at each table to get everybody talking. They also assigned a Wine Master at each table to make sure everyone's glasses were filled up, which is a brilliant idea!

After the speeches we all headed back into the Hall, to the Indoor Marquee for the first dance. This was fantastic, with Alice & Roger performing a high energy routine for us all! Everybody was up for a dance, and the band they'd hired were brilliant.

A really great day, and we hope to return to Belmount Hall next year.

Jesus Church in Troutbeck

Alice having the few final touches - she looked absolutely stunning.

This photo really shows the feel of the day - masses of laughter and smiles!

Alice & Roger leaving for the reception at Belmount Hall in their classic car

The guests still spilled out onto the front lawn despite the downpour!

Alice & Roger hired a caricaturist for the day, it was incredible how quickly he drew, and everyone loved the final artworks!

We grabbed a few quick shots outside, the colours always seem more vibrant after it's been raining.

Could you ask for a nicer backdrop for a wedding photo? You can just make out the village of Hawkshead in the background.

The tables had a lake district theme, with each one named after a Beatrix Potter classic.

The designated Wine Master!

The speeches were brilliant, with a perfect mix of laughter (and plenty of it!) and a few tears as well.

The first dance - brilliant!!

Helen & Andrew's Wedding

2011-08-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

We seem to be getting a little behind with the blog again - apologies! We've been so busy with the weddings it's taken a bit of a back seat again as we're concentrating on editing & album designs. Will do our best to get at least one blog post a week done from this week :-)

Helen & Andrew's wedding took place in May at St. Mary's Church in Barnard Castle. It's a stunning church in the centre of town and has great architecture including a fantastic doorway around the back of the church which we used for a few formal shots after the service.

We then headed up to The Bowes Museum with Helen & Andrew - Helen has some useful contacts and pulled a few strings so we could take some photos there, great to have friends in high places! We'd been lucky with the weather so far despite a very stormy looking sky, so we didn't hang about too long and headed off to The George Hotel at Piercebridge where the reception was to be held.

The hotel is by a river & a beautiful bridge which we used as a backdrop for the family photos & some shots of Helen & Andrew before their meal. Helen & Andrew booked our Silver Package which included coverage up to the speeches, which are often our favourite part of the day to photograph as you get so many natural emotions. Helen & Andrew also ordered Thank You cards from us to send to their guests when they returned from their honeymoon in Canada (so jealous!), more details on these here.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the day:

The girls in Helen's parent's back garden before they left for the ceremony - starting to get a little breezy!

Andrew & his groomsmen heading into the church.

We love shots that tell a story - Andrew chats to his best men Sam & Pete, unaware that his bride to be is waiting in the church doorway and the vicar is on his way back up the aisle to start the service.

This doorway is around the back of the church, it's so grand we imagine it must have been used as the main church entrance in years gone by.

At The Bowes Museum - the clouds were gathering but luckily it stayed dry for us!

The bridge at The George Hotel made a stunning backdrop for the formal shots.

One of our favourite shots from the day, Sam & Pete did a great job making their speech as you can tell by Andrew's expression!

Sarah & Garth's Wedding

2011-08-01T17:15:00.000+01:00

Sarah & Garth were married in May in the fantastic Lake District. We'd met with Sarah & Garth a few weeks before the wedding to go through the final details over a coffee. They're a fantastic, fun loving couple, and were keen that their wedding photos should reflect their personalities. Sarah's from Kendal and Garth's from Northern Ireland, and they now live in Edinburgh so it was great to see so many guests travelling from far and wide to make sure they were there for the big day.

The service took place at St. Michael & All Angels Church in Hawkshead, a stunning church set atop a hill right in the centre of the village. They had a traditional piper (Alan Gagan) to pipe Sarah, her father and bridesmaids up to the church which was a lovely special touch. The ceremony was beautiful, our favourite photo being the first expressions from Sarah & Garth when they saw each other at the altar. After the ceremony we nipped up a hill behind the church for a few photos looking back over Hawkshead.

We then headed up to Tarn Hows, a favourite location of ours in the lakes as the scenery is incredible. But this being the lakes, we'd only been up there a few minutes when the heavens opened and we rushed back to our cars. Luckily we'd had just enough time to get the shots we wanted.

We then headed through to Belmount Hall, a National Trust property close to the hamlet of Outgate. We'd covered a wedding at Belmount back in 2009, and love the way Chris & Gillie run the venue in such a professional yet friendly way. It's an exclusive use venue, and they very much work with each couple to plan each day to perfection. The Hall has many different locations for the photos, from the tree lined driveways, the fantastic views from the front of the Hall, and an old slate outhouse around the back. Sarah & Garth were brilliant to work with, and we had so much fun with the photography, often with all of us in fits of laughter!

We then headed up to the "indoor marquee" for the wedding breakfast and the speeches. The "ante room" next door was then transformed for the evening reception and first dance.

Here are some of our favourites from the big day, to see the full gallery from Sarah & Garth's wedding please have a look on our website.

Garth and his two best men Rick & Nick looking very smart in their kilts.

Sarah, her father Fergus and bridesmaids Julia & Lizzie being piped to the church door

Garth & Sarah's first expressions were so expressive and natural - one of our favourite images this year

Sarah's Dad Fergus proudly gives his daughters hand in marriage to Garth

So many cheers and claps from the congregation, they've done it!

The first of the formal photos overlooking the church and the valley, you can also see Sarah & Garth's guests milling around outside the church.

A very cheeky chappy...........

......... and that's what was about to happen!

Up at the spectacular Tarn Hows - before the rain came!

Belmount Hall is a splendid and imposing building, and the family cats watched on from a distance (one cat followed Alison round all day, shame it couldn't carry the camera bag!)

Plenty of giggles throughout the day!

Around the back of the Hall we discovered some old outhouses built with traditional Lake District slate.

Sarah & Garth are fantastic fun, and were really relaxed in front of the camera - Garth somehow managed to retain his composure here - just!

Love the Beatrix Potter theme for the table plan.

Belmount Hall's "indoor marquee", all set up for the wedding breakfast.

After the meal we got outside for a few more posed shots - we didn't want Garth to feel left out!

Then Sarah had a go!

These guys were up for a laugh - impressed by the height the chap on the left achieved!

Looking back down the valley, framed by the trees.

Such a romantic shot, Sarah & Garth's first dance.

A fantastic shot to end this blog post with - captures the happy mood of the day perfectly.