Olivia & George | Yorkshire Countryside Wedding Photographer.
Now this is a proper Yorkshire wedding! Let me paint the scene for you before you scroll down and see for yourself. Olivia and George climbed a hill in North Yorkshire to get married in a derelict church in the woods. I love being a Yorkshire countryside wedding photographer, they’re always full of DIY elements and everyone pitches in with a typical hands-on Yorkshire approach. But I was not prepared for how amazing Olivia and George’s wedding was going to be! Their morning was spent getting ready together with friends and family in the town. Olivia wore a Nobody’s Child dress, and George wore a corduroy blazer and linen shirt from Seasalt. They both put their walking shoes on to hike up to the church where all their guests were waiting, waving to neighbours and shopkeepers as they made their way up together.
St Mary’s Church Ruins, Pateley Bridge
When Olivia and George described their wedding venue to me, it sounded amazing but if I’m honest, I couldn’t really picture it. It’s a church ruin high on the hill in Pateley Bridge, which frankly sounded amazing anyway. This 13th century church is nestled in steep woodland, accessed by old cobble stone paths. Abandoned 200 years ago in 1826, it stands roofless but full of character. It didn’t matter one bit that it was windy and rainy, Olivia and George are hands-on outdoorsy people and carried on regardless. I was 100% willing to sacrifice a drone to the weather gods and the trees if I could pull off just one amazing aerial view of this absolutely unique wedding venue. Spoiler alert, I did!
An Honest Yorkshire Wedding
I talk and write a lot about the value in honesty and authenticity in my wedding photography. I approach weddings as a visual story-teller, capturing moments of the day that evoke feelings when you look back at them. Olivia and George made this so easy for me to do, for which I’m so grateful to them. They are salt of the earth kinda people, known to their community who all wished them well on their hike up to the church ruins. I can tell they’re well loved, which comes out in the photos of their friends and family who were so happy to be celebrating with them. After the ceremony, and guests had moved on, Olivia, George and I made our way back down the hill on foot stopping for photos along the way. I had no plan, no idea of the route we were taking, no clue of where we were really going – but I absolutely loved everything we captured on the walk down, its so honest, unscripted and utterly Olivia and George!
Yorkshire Garden Party Wedding
Olivia and George met their guests at a private residence overlooking the valley (complete with resplendent Yorkshire flag!) They enjoyed a relaxed garden party of sandwiches and cups of tea throughout the afternoon before the evening show stopper of a hog roast arrived. Local band The Big Easy eased us through the afternoon, before another local band, The Merlins ramped up the energy into the evening.
This Yorkshire countryside wedding was effortlessly simple and I applaud Olivia and George for organising a wedding that was so honest and authentically them. If you’re looking for a Yorkshire countryside wedding photographer for your own DIY wedding, that’s absolutely the type of wedding I like to be involved with. Get in touch.
