As the year draws to a close, I always find myself slowing down a little — not just to catch my breath, but to reflect on the incredible people, places and moments I’ve had the privilege of photographing.

This year has been filled with intimate weddings, emotional ceremonies, wild weather, quiet glances, loud laughter, and everything in between. From grand venues to registry offices, from countryside barns to elegant halls, every wedding reminded me why I fell in love with documentary wedding photography in the first place.

Some wedding venues shout for attention.
Others quietly win you over the moment you arrive.

Howard Court is very much the second.

Tucked away in the North Yorkshire countryside, Howard Court is one of those venues that feels personal, calm and full of character — the kind of place where weddings feel real, unhurried and deeply meaningful. As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, venues like this are an absolute dream to work in.

Not every wedding needs a crowd.
Not every wedding needs a big venue.

Some weddings are simply about love — and Ben & Simone’s Middlesbrough Registry Office wedding was exactly that.

With just a small number of guests present — their children — this was one of the most heartfelt, meaningful ceremonies I’ve had the privilege to photograph. Proof that the smallest weddings often carry the biggest emotions.

Nestled deep in the North York Moors National Park, Hackness Grange is one of those rare wedding venues that feels like stepping into a storybook. Georgian architecture, endless private grounds, lakeside views, woodland edges and atmospheric interiors — it’s everything a couple could want, and everything a photographer hopes for.

There are wedding venues — and then there is Danby Castle Barn, a place that carries history in its stones and magic in its atmosphere.
The kind of magic you don’t need to force, pose or perform for. It exists on its own — all you have to do is step into it.

This photograph from a recent wedding is the kind that stays with you.
Not because it’s “perfect”, but because it’s real.

Rushpool Hall is one of those rare North Yorkshire wedding venues that feels like it was designed with photography in mind.
Every corner of this romantic Victorian mansion offers a different mood, a different backdrop, and a different way to tell a couple’s story.

When I photograph weddings at Rushpool Hall, there’s always a moment that stays with me long after I’ve packed up my cameras.
This image is one of those moments — a quiet, emotional scene from a recent Rushpool Hall wedding, captured in the beautiful light of the bridal suite.

If there’s one thing that quietly makes or breaks your wedding photography, it’s not the weather…
not the venue…
and not even whether your partner can tie a bow tie under pressure.

It’s your timeline.

A relaxed, well-planned wedding timeline gives you space to breathe, room to enjoy the moments, and time for me — your photographer — to tell the story of your day naturally and beautifully.

As a North East wedding photographer specialising in natural, documentary-style storytelling, I’ve photographed weddings everywhere from Danby Castle Barn to Rushpool Hall, Grinkle Park Hotel, Hackness Grange, Sneaton castle, and more. And the one thing the best wedding experiences have in common?

A timeline that flows.

Today I’m sharing exactly how to build one.

Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your day.
Not because of the “pretty pictures” (though those matter too)…
but because your photographer is the one person who is with you through your most emotional, vulnerable, joyful moments.

Some weddings stay with you long after the last dance finishes — and Ian & Tia’s beautiful celebration at Danby Castle Barn is absolutely one of them. Set deep in the heart of the North York Moors, this venue already carries so much character, but the emotion, laughter and genuine connection between these two (and their families!) filled the entire place with something truly special.

When daylight fades and the evening party begins, the atmosphere of your wedding changes.
The music lifts, the laughter gets louder, the shoes come off, and everyone relaxes into the moment.

And from a photography perspective?
This is where some of the best, most emotional, most fun images of your day happen.

But the secret to beautiful evening photographs isn’t luck —
It’s lighting.

When you picture your wedding photographs, you’ll probably imagine the “big” moments first — the walk down the aisle, the first kiss, confetti, your first dance.
And yes, those moments are powerful. They’re the highlights you’ve been dreaming of.

When you think about your wedding photographs, your mind probably goes to the “big” moments — walking down the aisle, the first kiss, the confetti, the first dance.
And yes, those moments are beautiful and powerful, and they deserve to be photographed with care.

But after photographing weddings for so many years, I’ve learned something simple and deeply true:

The real story of your wedding day lives in the small moments.