We’ve been photographing Weddings at The Hallmark Hotel in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire ever since this modern, contemporary venue opened on the banks of the River Humber just a few years ago. The Hallmark is a place to get wed that fits my wedding style totally and always delivers when it comes to hospitality, scenery and general ambience.
This weekend past, I photographed Emma & Dan’s wedding at the Hallmark and although Mother Nature gave us some early ‘willies’ with her attempts to rain on the parade – Emma & Dan won!
I started the day’s coverage with Dan and his 2 best men getting ready along with Dan’s Dad – Neil. Groom’s preps is always a great laugh and gives a chance to really gel with the boys before the nerves really kick in before the ceremony. Dan was in fine form although I did sense he was a bit more nervous than what he was actually letting on (right Dan?)
The rain was pelting down during our morning with the boys so we weren’t able to get outside, but I love lit photography so the artificial sun came out in the Best Man’s front room and we made some really cool shots inside – no problem – Photographer 1 – Mother nature 0!
We left the boys to make their final preparations whilst we headed over to the Bride’s house to cover her final couple of hours before she would finally become Mrs Sellers! Emma’s mum and Dad and 3 Bridesmaids were enjoying champagne when we arrived and gave us a huge warm welcome – it’s so special to feel so close to our clients on their wedding day – families throw their arms wide open and let us in with bells on!
Emma’s wedding dress was by Maggie Soterro and supplied by our good friends over at Deborah Moore Bridal-wear – our neighbours on the Weir in Hessle and definitely one of Yorkshire’s most prestigious bridal boutiques. Once Emma appeared after putting her gown on, she looked absolutely stunning, her hair, make up jewellery and accessories all came together and we knew that Danny would be blown away when he saw her walking down the aisle with her Dad.
We created some lovely images with Emma by herself before she revealed her ‘look’ to her Dad as she floated down the stairs, Roy – Emma’s Dad – was blown away – surely a moment that every Dad looks forward to with the most excitement on a daughter’s wedding day and a moment we just absolutely love to capture.
So, we left Emma and her Dad behind and headed to The Hallmark Hotel as guests gathered and the groom’s nerves started to ramp up – we could hear his knees knocking as we parked up at the front of the hotel! The wedding ceremony was just lovely, Emma’s bridesmaids enhanced the proceedings with a reading and when the couple was announced as man and wife – the sun was shining!
Getting the wedding party outside was just awesome, I hadn’t expected it with the amount it had rained during the morning and I had already prepped an indoor area with studio lighting expecting us to be shooting inside but Lady Luck was on our side and the weather turned for the good. It’s so much easier for the couple and their guests to do the ‘formals’ outside, the shots go much quicker and it gets people back to the bar sooner (always a bonus). There were a few ‘tip-toeing stiletto wearers’ due to the wet grass but the fresh air was really welcome and the view of the Humber Bridge in the background which is a big draw for most of my clients when they book the Hallmark Hotel
After group shots, Emma and Dan enjoyed some time together during their ‘Penny Drop’ session and I was able to create some really nice images for them in the gardens of the hotel – I can’t wait to share these with the bride and groom when they get back from their honeymoon.
Speeches were delivered before the wedding breakfast – I think the boys wanted to get them out of the way so they could enjoy their meal and a few beers. The speeches were all touching and heartfelt…..and then the best men took the stand…. the rest is history. All I’ll say is that I will never be able to ‘unsee’ the images of Dan’s ‘very special’ outfit from his stag do and how he was able to walk after that I will never know – but a wedding photographer never spills the beans so if you want to know more – you’ll have to do your very own detective work!
We created another lovely set of portraits for Dan and Emma after dinner and when we finished this session, their evening guests were beginning to arrive so timings were perfect. The room look great as it had been transformed by the DJ (Tony Dunn of TD Entertainments did a great job as always) The cake was cut and the the Bride and groom lit up the dancefloor with their first dance before we joined in to get some cool party shots before heading out just after 9pm.
I hope the images throughout the blog show just how special of a day Emma and Dan had – we just loved capturing these images – they are such a sweet couple with a fantastic future ahead of them and we wish them all the VEERY BEST for their life together.
If you’d like to see more examples of Insight’s work, head over to our wedding photography website and check out our regular updates on our Insight Photography Facebook Page. Until next time, we bid you farewell!
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