Behind the Scenes at Grinkle Park Hotel – What Really Makes a Wedding Day Work
I've photographed weddings at Grinkle Park Hotel for many years now, and although I've worked at wedding venues all over North Yorkshire, the North East and further afield, Grinkle is somewhere I've always enjoyed returning to. It's a beautiful country house hotel, the grounds are lovely and there's plenty of choice when it comes to wedding photographs, but there's another reason I rate the place so highly, and that's the people who work there.
When you're attending a wedding as a guest, you quite rightly spend your time enjoying yourself, catching up with family and friends, having something to eat and celebrating with the couple. What you probably don't see is the amount of work going on around you to make sure everything happens when it should, particularly when you've got a hotel full of people who all need looking after.
Being a wedding photographer means I get to see quite a bit more of that side of things than most guests do, and after photographing weddings for the best part of two decades, you certainly begin to notice the difference between venues and how their teams work.
The People Behind a Grinkle Park Wedding
One thing I've always appreciated about Grinkle Park is the effort the staff put into looking after the couples and their guests. Paul, Tammy and the whole team work incredibly hard, and having photographed weddings there over the years, I've seen that same commitment time and time again.
It's easy to concentrate on the obvious things when you're choosing a wedding venue, such as how the building looks, where you'll have your ceremony, what the grounds are like and whether you've got enough room for everyone. Those things are important, of course, but I think the people actually running the wedding deserve just as much consideration.
A good wedding team makes a huge difference to the atmosphere of the day, particularly when things need adjusting or a few unexpected little problems crop up. Weddings involve quite a lot of organising, even when everything appears to be happening naturally, and somebody has to keep an eye on all those details while the couple and their guests get on with enjoying themselves.
I've always found the staff at Grinkle approachable and willing to put the effort in, and that's something I really appreciate when I'm working alongside them.
What Happens While Everyone Else Is Enjoying Themselves?
I was photographing a wedding at Grinkle recently and took a few photographs of the staff working during the wedding breakfast. It's probably not the sort of thing most couples would immediately think of when putting together a list of wedding photographs, but it's something I find quite interesting because it shows another side of the day.
While the guests are sitting down, chatting and looking forward to their meal, there's a whole team making sure everything is ready and that the service runs as smoothly as possible. Plates need to reach the right people, timings need to be managed and there's always something else happening in the background that the majority of guests will never even notice.
And really, that's how it should be. You don't book a wedding venue because you want to spend the afternoon worrying about whether everybody's dinner is going to arrive or whether the room is ready for the next part of the celebrations.
You want to enjoy your wedding, knowing there are people looking after those things for you.
I think it's worth recognising that work occasionally because, as a photographer, I'm often still moving around while everybody else is seated, so I get a different view of what's happening. I've watched wedding teams working in all sorts of circumstances over the years, and it really does give you an appreciation for the amount of effort involved.
Photographing Weddings at Grinkle Park Hotel
Of course, from my point of view, there's also the photography to think about, and Grinkle Park offers plenty of opportunities for that.
The hotel is tucked away in the countryside at Easington, near Whitby and the North Yorkshire coast, with extensive grounds, gardens, woodland and a lake. It's a lovely setting for a wedding and somewhere that gives us quite a bit of flexibility depending on the weather, the time of year and how the couple want their photographs to look.
Having photographed weddings there for so long, I know the venue well enough that I don't need to spend ages wandering around looking for somewhere to take photographs. I can usually work out where I'd like to go based on the conditions on the day, which means we can make good use of the time without keeping the couple away from their guests for too long.
I'm not particularly interested in turning somebody's wedding into a long photoshoot, and most of the couples who book me aren't looking for that either. They want some lovely photographs of themselves together, the important family photographs and, just as importantly, all those natural moments happening throughout the wedding.
There are plenty of opportunities for that at Grinkle, whether it's the couple having a quiet few minutes together in the grounds, guests enjoying themselves outside or the conversations and laughter happening around the hotel.
It's those photographs that help tell the story of the whole wedding rather than simply showing what the venue looked like.
Why Experience at a Wedding Venue Matters
One of the benefits of working regularly at venues such as Grinkle Park is that you build up a familiarity with how things work and get to know some of the people involved.
I know where I can take couples for photographs, which areas are useful at different times of day and how to work around the various parts of a wedding without getting in everybody's way.
It's also nice arriving somewhere and seeing familiar faces among the staff. When everybody is comfortable working around each other, it makes the day easier, and I'm always conscious that the couple shouldn't have to worry about what their photographer is doing or whether they're going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That doesn't mean every wedding follows the same routine, because they certainly don't. Some couples book photography from the preparations in the morning until the evening celebrations, while others prefer shorter coverage or a Twilight wedding later in the day.
I recently photographed Ian and Karen's Twilight wedding at Grinkle Park, which was a good example of how a later wedding can work without needing photography throughout the entire day. We concentrated on the parts of the wedding that mattered to them and still had time for some relaxed photographs around the grounds.
Whatever type of wedding a couple chooses, my approach is much the same. I want to photograph what's really happening, offer direction when it's useful and otherwise allow people to enjoy themselves without constantly being aware of the camera.
More Than Just a Beautiful Wedding Venue
I think sometimes it's easy to look at wedding venues purely in terms of their appearance, particularly when you're scrolling through photographs online and trying to imagine what your own wedding might look like.
Grinkle Park certainly has the setting, with its country house character and grounds, but having worked there as often as I have, I'd say the people behind the venue are every bit as important.
The attention to detail, the preparation and the amount of work going on during a wedding are things I've come to appreciate more and more over the years. Paul, Tammy and the team probably don't get told often enough how much that work is noticed, particularly by those of us who are there regularly.
And that's really why I wanted to write this article. Not simply to show another collection of wedding photographs, but to acknowledge some of the people who help make those photographs possible by looking after everything else around us.
A wedding is a big occasion for the couple and their families, and while photographers, florists, entertainers and all the other suppliers play their part, the venue staff are often the ones working away throughout the day making sure things run properly.
So the next time I'm at Grinkle Park, I'm sure I'll be doing what I usually do, photographing the couple, their family and friends and everything happening around them. And somewhere in amongst all that, I'll probably find a few more moments worth photographing behind the scenes as well.
Planning Your Wedding at Grinkle Park Hotel?
If you're getting married at Grinkle Park Hotel and you're looking for a wedding photographer who knows the venue well, I'd love to hear what you've got planned. I've photographed weddings there for years, and whether you're arranging a traditional full-day celebration, a smaller wedding or something later in the afternoon, we can have a chat about the photography and work out what suits you.
My approach is relaxed and natural, with plenty of attention given to the people and moments that make your wedding personal to you. I'll help organise the photographs that need organising, but I also want you to spend your day enjoying yourselves rather than feeling as though you're constantly being directed by a photographer.
Check My Availability for Your Grinkle Park Wedding
You can also call, text or WhatsApp me on 07739 121743, or email photos@discoveryphotography.co.uk if you'd rather have a chat first.
