This weekend saw us packing our gear and heading to a new venue: Bowcliffe Hall. We travelled out of county to photograph Emma and Michael’s splendid wedding at a new venue for us.
We first met Emma and Michael at one of our previous weddings at Allerton Castle. It was a lovely surprise when they got in touch to talk about us photographing their big day. As the couple live near to Brighton, we conducted a Skype consultation. We sealed the deal with a ‘virtual high five’ and became their their wedding photographers!
Bowcliffe Hall
Emma and Michael described their dream venue, Bowcliffe Hall, which we had never heard of let alone visited. We were we in for a real treat! When we met for our pre-wedding consultation back in April, I was absolutely blown away by the venue. In my previous life as a hotel/restaurant professional, I worked in some rather amazing places. Bowcliffe Hall was right up there with some of the best I ever worked in.
It’s quite hard to describe what Bowcliffe hall ‘is’. I suppose ‘A Driver’s Club cum Luxury Event Venue’ starts to paint the picture. A visit is absolutely essential to really get ones head around the setup. I was in awe of the perfection of this place’s decor, presentation and general atmosphere. With vintage motoring memorabilia and curated fine art adorning the walls and lush interiors, it was a feast for a photographer’s eyes.
Micheal and Emma fell in love with the Hall when they were tipped off about it by a friend. It’s somewhat of a hidden gem in the landscape of Yorkshire Wedding Venues.
The Boys
Our day started as usual with the groom’s preparations. We were greeted by Michael in a pretty chilled out state. He had his apartment to himself the night before – no stinky, noisy groomsmen to contend with! The boys arrived as we did and we had a great time getting to know each other. I got stuck in helping them with ties, button hole flowers and general grooming. A stroll around the adjoining farm gave us some great opportunities for hero shots too.
The girls
A short drive around the corner, we were at Bowcliffe Hall and there we stayed for the rest of the day. Emma and her girlies were on top form and greeted us with great excitement in the Morning Room. In fact, I don’t think I have encountered such a giddy, excited, awesomely humoured bride in a very long time. Emma was such a joy to photograph as her smile and energy filled up every corner of the room to the brim.
The ceremony
Once Emma was dressed and ready to go – it was ‘Game On’ as they say. We were transported back in time to the Art Deco indulgence of the Bowcliffe Room. A lovely civil ceremony took place where Emma and Michael ‘tied the knot’. If you look carefully at the images, you should see that Emma floated about 6 inches off the ground all the way down the aisle! Her beaming smile provided energy to half of Yorkshire’s households!
Aerial photography
The weather was stunning so after the ceremony, it was into the perfectly manicured gardens for canapés, fizz and family photos. We took care of the latter in our usual signature style – fast, fun and semi formal! ‘Insight 1’ our trusty drone took to the skies and provided some great aerial views for us. It’s always awesome when we get to put the ‘bird’ up. We are licensed and insured with the CAA we are ‘street legal’ to do so – something we are very proud of.
The evening
This day whizzed by like the speed of the racing cars that were such a big themes of the day’s venue. Before we knew it, we were ushered in to the Ballroom for dinner and speeches. The usual suspects delivered perfect vernaculars and then we were treated to a bride’s speech. We don’t see this very often but Emma certainly wanted to get a few words in!
After dinner, we spent some lovely time with Emma and Michael exploring the grounds and creating some lovely portraits. Then, evening guests began to arrive and it was time for the reception. This was held in the Blackburn Wing – a triumph of architectural design and the winner of multiple awards. It’s a tribute to aviation Hero Robert Blackburn who introduced the first scheduled air service in Great Britain. I love architecture and I was totally blown away by this incredible building. You should get a sense of what I’m talking about with this video below.
Emma and Michael cut their cake and shimmied around the dance floor. Then, the party got well under way – we even made a few shapes ourselves! I have to say, this was one hell of a wedding – talk about fun, beauty, class, style, grace and smiles – we had it all. We want to thank Emma and Michael, their families and friends for making us feel so welcome. You also gifted us the opportunity to shoot at such a fabulous Yorkshire venue.
If you’d like to find out more about our wedding photography services, head over to our wedding pages. We’d love to help you capture your special day.
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