I'm beginning to think I should have my own parking space at Grand Villa Heights in Ravenscar, having photographed two weddings there in just over a week! This time I was back for Michael and Kealeigh's wedding, and although the venue was the same as the previous week, it was a completely different day with plenty happening from the ceremony right through to the evening celebrations.
One of the things I enjoy about photographing weddings at the same venue is seeing how differently couples choose to celebrate. Grand Villa Heights has some fantastic views across Robin Hood's Bay, plenty of interesting places for photographs and a mixture of indoor and outdoor spaces, but it's always the people who make each wedding different.
Michael & Kealeigh's Wedding Ceremony
Grand Villa Heights, formerly Raven Hall Hotel, sits high above the North Yorkshire coast at Ravenscar, between Whitby and Scarborough. It's a venue I've become increasingly familiar with, particularly over the last few weeks, and I've enjoyed seeing how different weddings work within the spaces there.
Michael and Kealeigh's ceremony was a lovely part of the day to photograph, especially with their family and friends gathered together. There was also a rather important little chap involved in Kealeigh's arrival, complete with his own sign announcing that mummy was coming, which was a nice personal touch and certainly something worth remembering.
I always enjoy looking for those little things during a ceremony because quite often they're the moments that make the photographs personal to the couple. Of course, I'll photograph the important parts of the service, but I'm also watching what's happening around the room and looking for the reactions from the people who've come along to share the day.
It's one of the reasons I prefer to work as unobtrusively as possible during a wedding ceremony. I want to photograph what's happening rather than spend the time moving people about or making myself part of the occasion.
Wedding Photographs Around Grand Villa Heights
After the ceremony, we had the opportunity to get some photographs of Michael and Kealeigh together around the grounds of Grand Villa Heights. There was some lovely low autumn sunlight later in the afternoon, which worked particularly well when we headed outside.
One thing I always try to do with couples is make the most of the available light without keeping them away from their guests for ages. I'll find somewhere that works, give a little direction when it's needed and then let them spend a few minutes together while I take the photographs.
We managed to get a nice mixture of photographs, including some with the sun behind them and a few more relaxed ones as they walked together through the grounds. I also had a bit of fun with Kealeigh's veil, which gave us something a little different without having to go through a long collection of poses.
For me, photographs like these work best when the couple are comfortable with each other and aren't constantly thinking about what the camera is doing. I'll always help with positioning and lighting, but I don't want anybody feeling as though they need to perform for the photographs.
And with the North Yorkshire coast on one side and the grounds of Grand Villa Heights around us, there's certainly no shortage of places to work with.
The Wedding Breakfast and Evening Celebrations
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Michael and Kealeigh's wedding was how much everybody got involved as the day went on.
There was plenty of laughter during the celebrations, including a room full of guests waving their napkins around, which certainly made for some interesting photographs. It's the sort of thing I enjoy photographing because everybody is concentrating on what's happening rather than worrying about where the photographer is standing.
I think sometimes people imagine wedding photography is mainly about the ceremony, family groups and photographs of the couple, but there's so much more happening throughout the day. Quite often the photographs that bring back the biggest smiles are those taken when people are enjoying themselves and haven't even realised I've been photographing them.
That's why I like being around for those parts of a wedding, particularly when there's something unexpected going on or people are getting a little carried away with the celebrations.
Later in the evening, Michael and Kealeigh had their first dance with low-lying smoke covering the dance floor, which worked really well inside the venue. It gave us something quite different from the photographs we'd taken earlier, with the wooden beams and warm lighting creating a completely different atmosphere.
We also headed outside for photographs with sparklers after dark, which was a nice way to include some of their guests in the evening photography.
By that point we'd gone from photographs in the afternoon sunshine to working in almost complete darkness, which is one of the things I enjoy about photographing a full wedding day. The conditions and the atmosphere change throughout the day, and it gives me the opportunity to produce photographs that are all quite different while still telling the story of the same wedding.
The Little Details That Make a Wedding Personal
As well as photographing the ceremony and everything happening throughout the day, I always try to make time for the smaller details couples have chosen.
For Michael and Kealeigh, there were some lovely personal touches, including Kealeigh's flowers, shoes and jewellery, along with the rings. I particularly liked the photograph of their hands together, with the wedding rings and their tattoos all becoming part of the image.
I think these are the sorts of photographs that can be easy to overlook when you're concentrating on everything else happening during a wedding, but they're often worth including because they show something about the people themselves.
And although I wouldn't want to spend ages photographing every decoration or item in the room, I do think it's important to record some of those things alongside the people and the bigger moments of the day.
After all, quite a lot of thought goes into planning a wedding, and it's nice to have photographs of some of the details you might not necessarily remember years afterwards.
Another Wedding at Grand Villa Heights in North Yorkshire
Having now photographed several weddings at Grand Villa Heights, I'm getting to know the venue rather well, and it's somewhere I enjoy working.
Its location above Robin Hood's Bay gives us plenty of opportunities for outdoor photographs, while the indoor spaces are useful when the weather isn't particularly cooperative. I've already photographed weddings there in very different conditions, which is a good reminder that you don't need everything to be perfect to get a nice collection of wedding photographs.
Michael and Kealeigh's wedding was another example of how two couples can choose the same venue and have very different celebrations. From their ceremony and the time we spent taking photographs around the grounds to the entertainment and photographs after dark, there was plenty happening throughout the day.
That's what I'm really interested in when I photograph a wedding. The venue is important, and I'll certainly make the most of it, but the photographs should ultimately be about the couple and the people who were there with them.
Planning Your Wedding at Grand Villa Heights?
If you're getting married at Grand Villa Heights in Ravenscar and you're looking for relaxed, natural wedding photography, I'd love to hear what you've got planned.
I've photographed several weddings at the venue now, so I'm familiar with the different areas for photographs and how to make the most of the grounds and coastal setting without spending ages away from your guests.
Whether you're planning a full day of celebrations or something a little smaller, we can have a chat about the photographs that are important to you and how much coverage you'll actually need.
My approach is to give you a proper record of your wedding, including the important photographs you'll want to have and all those little moments happening around you that you might otherwise miss.
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