bolton abbey wedding photographer
Bolton Abbey is a picturesque location for a wedding with its charming ruins, stunning landscape, and historical significance. As a Bolton Abbey wedding photographer, I have the privilege of capturing the unique moments and emotions of couples embarking on their journey together in this enchanting setting. I’ve been lucky to photograph weddings at various wedding venues in Bolton Abbey. Hannah and Tony choose the Devonshire Arms Hotel for their imitate wedding ceremony followed by Bolton Abbey Village Hall for the wedding reception with 120 guests!
I believe in building a connection with the couples I work with. By understanding their vision, preferences, and personalities, I can ensure that their photographs reflect their true essence. I guide them through the process, making them feel comfortable and at ease in front of the camera, allowing their love to shine through authentically. An important part of Hannah and Tony’s was to visit the Bolton Abbey ruins where a friend did a lovely reading and we all had so much fun with group photos against the backdrop of the ruins and some lovely couples portrait in the lush surroundings of Bolton Abbey Estate.
It was honour to be Hannah and Tony’s Bolton Abbey wedding photographer. Here are a few highlights at their Devonshire Arms hotel wedding and the village hall party, along with some very helpful wedding planning tips from Hannah.
Tell us about how you met and the proposal
We first met at university in Bath, after what will be 8 (give or take) years together, and having just bought a house, we decided that it is probably about time that we get married…..
How did you feel in the lead up to your wedding?
The lead up was quite busy in terms of all the little things that needed doing the few weeks before. There wasn’t the chance to get nervous, there was too much to do! With a DIY wedding that is what will happen; we had so many family members and friends pitch in before and during the wedding, we felt very lucky.
Often the aspect that makes a wedding original to the couple, what aspect we’re important to you?
We wanted it to be fun, relaxed, the chance to spend time with the people we love most. For the day to be traditional but with our own twists. We had a small ceremony at Devonshire Arms Hotel, because the focus for us was the wedding party in evening – and lots of dancing!
Why did you choose the Devonshire Arm and the Village Hall at Bolton Abbey as your wedding venue?
We chose Bolton Abbey as a place because it is a beautiful setting with the priory ruins and the river. Tony grew up in Skipton and used to come to Bolton Abbey with his family as a kid. It was nice to have a connection with the area as well have the chance to come back and visit it again in the future. Thank you Bolton Abbey Estate, special thanks to Bernard for helping with the booking.
Once we settled on Bolton Abbey, it was obvious that the Bolton Abbey Village Hall was the venue we had to have! We wanted a ceilidh and lots of space to dance, so a village hall ticked all the boxes. Not only is it a lovely venue with everything you need, if you are happy with a DIY wedding, it was the perfect space to make your own. They have held many weddings over the years and the team are very flexible to help you sort what you need for your big day. Specials thanks to Margaret and Sue for the booking and setting up the hall – they were so helpful! The team also run lots of local events so it was great to be working with a venue that helps support the community. Choosing Bolton Abbey Village Hall for our wedding reception, gave us free reign over the food, decorations, and entertainment, allowing for personal touches whilst keeping the budget under control! We wanted it to be a really great day for us and our guests (we had 120 wedding guests) but we didn’t want be stressed about the cost before or after, it’s one day out of what we hope is a life time together.
What was the most important investments for you and why?
Invest time and planning into making the logistics as seamless and smooth as possible, think about your journey (as bride and groom) and your guests journey throughout the day. Keep things simple or if you can afford it, outsource it. This will help ensure you don’t need to worry about anything on the day.
Getting to know your wedding photographer and building the rapport in advance of the day. This was so crucial and made everything much more chill, even though posing for photos isn’t our normal thing.
Why did you pick your photographer?
Firstly, Gemma’s previous photos looked great! Second, we wanted a local photographer, who offered an engagement shoot in the package, so we could have a test run to check that we all got on before the big day! We wanted to pick someone who was easy going and ensure everyone was relaxed for the photos. Gemma did this wonderfully.
Any suppliers that deserve a special mention
Tacos Truck! Thanks to Three Girls One Pineapple, we wanted tasty veggie and plant-based options as well as keeping the carnivores well fed. It was a delicious dinner alternative! They were super self-sufficient, had all the wedding guests fed within 1 hour and had a jazzy truck!
The Dogsbody Ceilidh Band, they were super lively and got the the guests (all ages!) on their feet! This bit really helped the guests integrate and it so lovely to see the different groups of friends and family mixing.
The Richmond Brewing Company were fantastic in the prep and on the day, serving great local product and worked tirelessly to keep our guests well hydrated all night!
Dj Ed (dj_edmarshall) delivered simply the best set, it was everything we wanted. He read the crowd, there was dancing and sing alongs and it ended on a high!
Was there a moment of the day that really sticks out?
The speeches were all so personal, some sweet, some funny and in some cases unexpected – we had them in the evening so all guests could be there for it. It really made the day special.
Was there anything you wish you’d known before you tied the knot?
More and more brides are taking the opportunity to speak on their own wedding days – which is great! What I realised from this, is that perhaps more brides would like to but they are too busy making decisions about cake, chair coverings and cheese boards – if speaking at your wedding in any capacity (be that short and sweet or a full on laugh out loud speech) is something that interests you, make it a priority task otherwise you might be overrun by myriad of other wedding admin.
I have to ask about the dress!
I knew I wanted a ceilidh for our wedding party, so I therefore wanted a dress with a skirt that could be twirled during the dances…and I based all my choices around that.
I had the dress tailored to trainer height so I could wear flats in the evening, I would highly recommend! And the dress allowed for cape veil, which I was very excited about. I also knew I wanted a second-hand dress. I know this is not conventional, but weddings can be very wasteful and there are so many beautiful dresses out there ready to be worn again. I used Bridal Reloved who are specialists in this and then had it tailored. However, you can try Oxfam or websites like ‘Still White’ where you can find beautiful dresses for a smaller price tag, and it’s better for the world!
Now you’re married, do you have any handy tips for couples planning their wedding?
Agree a budget you are both comfortable with.
Identify the one or two features for you both that are non-negotiable and design your day to make those work.
Work as a team, share out the tasks between the bride and groom for planning at the start, it’s better to share the load.
Ask for favours from friends and family (though be tactful in how many!)
If you are doing speeches write the 1st draft early, you won’t have time closer to the wedding – the third version of mine was much shorter and funnier than the first.
Allocate part of the day which is just the two of you, we had Gemma take us off for photos which was lovely (so just the three of you…)
I hope you found Hannah’s wedding tips helpful and enjoyed the wedding photo highlights.
If you are looking for a Bolton Abbey wedding photographer, I have experience photographing weddings at the Tithe Barn, Devonnshire Arms Hotel and Village Hall in Bolton Abbey and know all the lovely spots on the Bolton Abbey estate for wedding photography.