Alex Wedding Solo

Some people take a long time to choose the music for their wedding DVD so I am often editing these up to six months after the event, if not longer.  At the wedding of Nicola and Marshall in Dewsbury last year, one of the bridesmaids, Alex, sang a solo in church.  Now I remember thinking at the time how good she sounded, but when you are busy filming the signing of the marriage register then you can't really take it in properly.  However, when I came to edit it I was absolutely blown away by how good she was!!  So I just had to post a video of her singing.  If you would like a fantastic soloist at your wedding, then I am sure that I could persuade her to sing for you too!  Simon Cowell eat your heart out - I heard her first!

Wedding Leeds Town Hall

Besides weddings on both weekends we also had a mid-week wedding on Thursday this week.  John-Paul had only booked us for their photography and video a week before the wedding.  I'm quite used to receiving late bookings and they are always welcome, but in all the 19 years that we have been involved in the wedding business I think that a week's notice is the shortest that we have ever had.  Marta is actually from Spain and in August they are having a big celebration over there, so this wedding at Leeds Town Hall was quite a modest affair.  I actually love these smaller, more intimate weddings and they have a totally different feel to the more traditional wedding with dozens of guests - I suppose that they remind me of my own wedding which we had at our favourite restaurant in Dewsbury.  After the ceremony we took the family photos at the front of the incredibly impressive Leeds Town Hall, before moving on to Millennium Square for photographs of the couple at Marta's suggestion.  I think that the Civic Hall is a wonderful building and was hoping to get a rather special photo of Jean-Paul and Marta in front of it.  Unfortunately, on a Thursday lunchtime there were dozens of office workers enjoying the spring sunshine who rather spoilt the look of the whole photograph, so I spent an evening in photoshop removing them all.  Let me know if you see anyone that I missed!

Beckie and Robbie's Wedding at the Crab Manor Hotel at Asenby near Thirsk

Wedding Photography Crab Manor Hotel, North Yorkshire

The second wedding of the week-end started in Gildersome for the bridal preps.  This was going to be a special wedding!  Beckie is a florist and so was making her own flowers, her mum is a dressmaker who made the wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses, and the reception was at the Crab and Lobster, aka the Crab Manor Hotel, which is my favourite restaurant in the whole of Yorkshire which just happens to have fantastic grounds for photos, in addition to fantastic food! If you like seafood then you just have to go there, but book first.  The place is really popular!  So I was looking forward to great flowers, beautiful dresses and superb photos!  The ceremony was held at Beckie's local church, Gildersome Baptist Church.  We had already met the minister, David, at the rehearsal a couple of nights before.  I have to say that in all my 19 years in the wedding business I have never met an officiant who was so welcoming.  He even offered me a choice of chairs for the signing photo to raise Beckie to the best height at the table for the photograph!  After the ceremony specially made buns were served to all the guests who were not travelling to the reception.  The church had actually been completely full with standing room only at the back.  David's services must be legendary!  The church also possesses the most wonderful deep red wall which provided a fantastic backdrop for some bridal portraits.  Beckie and Robbie travelled up to Asenby in a beautiful 1965 VW camper van.  I have seen a few of these at weddings but this was definitely the best example that I had ever seen, provided by All Cool Camper Hire  Beckie had only asked for a small number of group photos which gave us plenty of time to use the extensive grounds at Crab Manor with the couple.  There was hardly a cloud in the sky and glorious sunshine, which we used to great effect to provide a beautiful rimlight on Beckie's hair.  After the meal and speeches (which were held outside as the weather was so nice - was this really the first day of April?) we took the opportunity to get some shots of the couple using a video light as the main light source in some of the wonderful rooms of Crab Manor.  I was sorry to leave after the first dance, but at least I shall be back there in less than a week's time for a family birthday meal.  Did I mention that the food is to die for?