Welcome to 2023 roundup of my best wedding photography and family photos from around Yorkshire and beyond
Holla if you spot yourself!!
Keeping it real (because guess what, Instagram isn’t)
If I’ve learned anything last year, it’s that I won’t be ready for what life throws at me. I will never be adequately prepared. I likely won’t have the right words when it counts and I won’t know the right answer at the darkest moment. I now bravely accept that I can’t protect my heart, but I’ll still try to live life as authentically as I know how. The importance of friends and family has always been front and centre for me, but it has somehow become even more evident throughout 2023. I have so much appreciation for the support they’ve shown me through a difficult year. We all experience difficult times and we all have that something that gets us through. As hard as it felt to work at times during 2023, upon reflection my work really did help get me through. It’s not actually possible to dwell on my own issues when fully in the middle of capturing the love, the laughter, the absolute madness of a wedding day.
I will always and forever be so grateful to all the engaged couples who put their trust in me as their wedding photographer. To all the families that invite me into their inner circle to capture their bonds for family photography. It has always felt an honour and absolute privilege and please know if you have stood in front of my lens, you very likely played a part in creating some joy in my day. A huge thank you to all that played a part (no matter how small) of being in front of my lens.
It’s pretty hard to pick my best wedding photos and family photos for a yearly round up. Trust me, it takes a long time to whittle down. We all have favourite photos for different reasons and I think these are my favourite because they remind me of a particular moment, they convey the vibe or show the bond between people and capture that person’s essence.
My best engagement Photography around Yorkshire
I love engagement photoshoots (or pre-wedding photoshoots). It’s such a great way to get to know my couples before their wedding day. I hear time and time again from my couples, how beneficial their engagement photoshoot felt to them. It really is a great way for them to have a little practice being in front of the camera and learn it’s not that scary. It also helps me learn what the couple are like to tailor photographing on their wedding day.
“We are so happy with the service Gemma provided. Our pre-wedding engagement shoot really helped us to feel more confident and relaxed in front of the camera, which we typically aren’t!
Throughout the arrangements and on our wedding day at The Priests House, Gemma was wonderful to work with. She made us feel at ease. She absolutely understood the kind of wedding day that we wanted and fit right in. The photographs are beautiful and many of our guests commented on the day how much they liked Gemma and felt relaxed taking photos with her.
We’re very glad that we booked Gemma and can highly recommend her services!”
My Best Wedding Photography - A Yorkshire Dale Wedding Photographer
This year I have visited a few new venues, like Sandburn Hall in York, Wharfedale Grange near Harrogate the quirky Charlton Hall in Northumbria. And I have been blessed to revisit some old favourites, such as Otley Chevin Hotel with their super friendly staff, the Priests House in the shadow of Braden Tower and the historic East Riddlesden Hall which is a local wedding venue for me. I’ve photographed intimate weddings to large full day weddings. I’ve headed over the border to Eaves Hall, (another of my favourite venues) and down to Derbyshire for a more alternative wedding in Matlock. Each wedding is so different, that after 10 years of being a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I am still fully immersed and show no signs of falling out of love with it.
My aim is always to capture the love story and all the emotions that go with it. To show uniqueness for each wedding, bride and groom. I feel it’s so important to preserve memories in one freeze frame image and the full gallery collection to tell the full wedding day story. I don’t follow trends, so you won’t be seeing the blurry photos or bright flash popping in wedding guests’ faces that are currently trending. These are trends that might continue to be popular this year, but I prefer to produce images that are as real as possible and will still look great 20, 30 years down the line. I aim to capture photos that stand the test of time.
“Your photographer choice is as important as the bridal party or groomsmen and we know we made the right choice with Gemma. She supported us both through the whole process. All of our guests commented on how amazing she is! We’re so grateful to her for being a part of our special day!
I’m not sure this does you justice, but we cannot thank you enough for your contribution as a wedding photographer and personally for making our wedding day truly special. It would not have been the same without you.”
My Best Family Photography - Skipton Family Photographer
Be open to documenting your family just as they are, in this exact moment, including toddler defiance, teenage angst, extra Christmas kilos, and all the quirks that will make you endlessly fascinating to your future selves. fascinating to your future selves… you know this is true if you’ve ever looked back at photos of yourself as a baby, toddler, teenager, or photos or your parents in their youth, your grandparents….
I remember a chat I had with a lovely mum during a family photo session. She told me her phone is full of photos of her husband with her kids and she booked me because she wanted her kids to grow up and look back at photos of them all together. She hates photos of herself, but want to be in them with her kids. She wanted the natural candid photos and there is so much you can’t capture on a phone or a selfie.
“Gemma is extremely friendly and put us all at ease. My older daughter is 3 and can be quite shy when she meets people she isn’t very familiar with, but Gemma soon won her over and we got some lovely pictures of her. My 4 month old daughter loved the session too and Gemma captured some beautiful images of her smiling away. We love the pictures we chose and would happily repeat the experience in the future. Thanks Gemma”
My photo session books are always open for capturing precious family moments, offering a choice of 1-2 hour photo sessions with an album too. Whether it's an intimate family gathering or a lively outdoor adventure, I am dedicated to preserving the essence of your family. And of course I am taking bookings for 2025 wedding photography, with limited availability for select dates this year. 2024 brides…this is your year!
After the passing of my 16 year old Yorkshire terrier and working closely with dogs at weddings for Bow Wow Vow, I feel passionate to add an additional photography service. I am thrilled to announce I am open for pet portraiture photography, where I aim to capture the unique personality and spirit of your furry companions. Of course, your pets are always welcome to join in on family photoshoots, but I am now accepting bookings where the prime focus is honouring the individuality of your beloved pet. I am super excited about this additional offer, so feel free to get in touch for what I’m certain will be a very fun photoshoot.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. My work means a lot to me and it’s lovely when people show an interest. Which was your favourite photo? Did you spot yourself in this blog? Do you have a different favourite photo from your collection?
P.S
If you are the opposite of me and haven’t skipped the text because you are only interested in the photos, you will have noticed I mentioned a new service I’m offering. Pet Portraiture Photography. And you will have seen I mentioned I work for Bow Wow Vow on some occasions. If you are a dog owner and would like them to be part of your wedding, then do check out Bow Wow Vow, they offer a bespoke service so your dog can be part of your wedding whilst in excellent care. Say yes to dogs at weddings.