A bride and groom cuddle up in the golden hour sunset light by the lake at Hardwick Hall.

We loved meeting Julia and Dan for their pre-wedding photoshoot and we were super excited for their wedding day. They got married in a church in Ingleby Barwick and then went back to Hardwick Hall for their reception in the relatively new Floral Chapel room. We like Hardwick Hall because of the grounds mainly, the lake is right outside the door and if you give us the opportunity we’ll be right down to it!

HARDWICK HALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Separate cars for us at this wedding, not our favourite thing in the world but Julia and Dan are such amazing people we didn’t mind too much. Becky set off for the reception venue where Julia was getting ready with her bridesmaids and Rob headed off to meet Dan at his house with the groomsmen. Not surprisingly, everything was running smoothly and there were plenty of laughs being had and selfies being taken all morning.

The groom and groomsmen pose for a selfie in the garden before heading to the wedding at Hardwick Hall.

The wedding ceremony was at Julia’s family church and we always think it is a beautiful way to do it. The church itself was a modern, red-brick situation and although they aren’t as photogenic as a big, stone church from the year 1200, it makes up for that with good parking and accessible toilets. You might think we’re being silly saying that but when you have two cars to park and long-ish journeys between venues you need to have the right priorities!

Some of the family had travelled from Scotland and as a result there were a few kilts kicking around the place. Rob felt a bit jealous because he quite likes his kilt but he doesn’t get to wear it very much. There was also a family member who had brought his bagpipes and was tasked with some pre-wedding entertainment and with playing the bride and groom out of the church. Continuing the theme of unusual attire, the vicar was a really kind guy who it turns out likes to wear Vibram Five Finger shoes - you know, the ones with the toes in. Becky had been forewarned by Julia but Rob wasn’t quite prepared with the information prior to meeting him. At least Rob also owns a pair of them himself so it wasn’t as big a shock as it might have been.

After the ceremony, and the bagpipes had finished piping, We got to play with one of our favourite things. Not smoke bombs this time - CONFETTI CANONS! If you want a photo of the air around you completely filled with confetti and smiles and laughs on all your guests faces - get confetti canons. They’re amazing, they go off with a bit of a pop so people will definitely react to them and they boot out so much confetti it’s crazy. Oh, and you can get bio-degradable ones too. There’s not many reasons not to get them really, unless your guests really, desperately can’t be trusted not to set them off right into your face…

A bride and groom laughing as their wedding guests fill the air around them with confetti from confetti canons.

Once we were all back at Hardwick Hall, Julia shared her secret desire to kick off her shoes and run across the grass out the front. We are nothing if not enablers and cheerleaders and Julia didn’t really take a great deal of convincing before she was off. Photos of frolicking are definitely high on our list of favourites, can’t beat a bit of a frolick.

The bride runs across the lawn at Hardwick Park with her dress billowing out behind her.

The best thing about Julia and Dan from our point of view, was that they really put a priority on getting their wedding photographs taken. They scheduled plenty of time for them into their wedding plans and they were super passionate about getting them done. We really think it shows in their shots too. We got the chance to shoot them and their friends being silly around the side of the hall after we had arrived there. But even better, later on in the day we were able to go back out with them once the sun had moved around and the light had changed. We even managed to go a bit further into the park with them and really make the most of everything Hardwick Hall has to offer wedding photography.

A black and white double exposure photograph of a bride throwing her dress in front of the lake at Harwick Hall inside the jacket of the groom.

After their meal, it was dancing time! Hardwick Hall’s Floral Chapel is a beautiful part of the venue. It’s out of the way of the main areas and it means it feels a lot more private. The guests got well into the spirit too, loads of people were dancing and the party atmosphere was fantastic. The room has a mezzanine/balcony type affair that we absolutely could not resist and made for a great place to snap shots of the whole dancefloor from. Julia and Dan were dancing the whole time and it really lends weight to our argument of “if you want people to be dancing, you should be dancing too”.

This was another wedding we were in no rush to leave. Julia and Dan were so welcoming and their family and friends were just as kind. We love our couples and we especially love it when we get to know them well and we almost feel like one of the guests ourselves. It wasn’t long before we saw these guys again for an adventure shoot. Julia and her sister wanted to get their wedding dresses back on and we couldn’t resist getting them down to Saltburn Beach! But that’s a story for another blog post.

Scroll down to check out the amazing suppliers who helped this wedding come together and be one of our favourites from this year.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our wedding photography, our laid back style and what we can do for you on your wedding day then click here.