Hannah & Mark’s Bolton Castle Wedding

It’s fair to say the weather hasn’t been kind to those getting married in the UK this Summer so far. Hannah & Mark’s wedding took place on the first weekend of June and actually the forecast was mainly dry, if cloudy. The forecasters, however, had not reckoned with the North Yorkshire Moors where after a dry morning, low cloud and persistent drizzle set in. If you’re going to have weather like that though on your wedding day, where better, more atmospheric place to have it than in a medieval castle complete with roaring fires & candles-a-plenty? Bolton Castle was the perfect setting for this wedding.

Mark and Hannah met about six years ago when they were both students at Sheffield university. They have a mad passion for the outdoors and one of the reasons for choosing Bolton Castle was the fact that they spend many a weekend hiking, biking and sailing in the area. Mark’s family have a weekend home on the shores of Semerwater and you may remember the account of the pre-wedding shoot exertions back in March. You can see the photos from that hike-cum-photoshoot here.

On the morning of the wedding, Hannah and her bridesmaids & parents sipped champagne and got ready at Simonstone Hall, a very popular hotel near Hawes, while Mark and family enjoyed the morning at the pad on Semerwater. That is of course after a serious bit of mountain biking!!

 

The scene at Mark’s family’s house on Semerwater. A beautiful sunny early Summer’s morning!!

 

…..and the boys were out for a serious pre-wedding hurtle down a mountain on 2 wheels. In the meantime the girls were taking a far more relaxed approach!

Love this one of Hannah putting her earrings in. She looks amazing.

And finally Mark is out of his muddy biking gear and into something a little more apt for the occasion!

Penny was one of the most excited mothers-of-the-bride I have seen. A nice moment as she tells herdaughter how beautiful she looks (and gives the bridesmaids a hug!).

Some final make-up touches.

 

And into the dress!

 

There was time for a few bridal portraits before the cars left for church.

 

And while that was going on the guys were trying their best to pull off the Reservoir Dogs look!

The wedding service took place in the quaint market town of Askrigg (the filming location for All Creatures Great and Small). After a beautiful ceremony with plenty of laughs and tears it was off to the Reception at Bolton Castle and some bride & groom photos under any cover we could find! The biggest challenge of the day was then inticing everyone down the narrow spiral staircase and out into the damp for a big group photo. However with the help of some well-organised ushers this was achieved with the minimum of fuss and was well worth it!

 

I love this moment. In our experience it’s very often the groom rather than the bride fighting to keep their emotions in check at the start of the service.

 

Bolton Castle looked suitably grand for this special occasion.

And the Woodcutter’s room provided a cozy retreat from the drizzle.

 

As did one of the towers.

 

This has to be one of our favourite spots for a big group shot.

The wedding breakfast room looked stunning – impeccably decorated and very medeival-looking! The speeches were highly entertaining and we learned a lot about Hannah & Mark we didn’t know (as did many in the room). The less said about the gnome outfit the better! We then had time to make the most of a break in the rain and nip out for a few evening photos in front of the imposing castle before it was time to head back to the ceilidh – nothing better to get the party into full swing!

 

Love the cake! Very appropriate.

 

The corridor leading to the medieval loo was perfect for whipping out some off-camera flash for a bit of drama!

 

 

 

We left the revellers trying to untangle themselves from their latest ceilidh moves and took a parting shot of the castle looking magnificent in the early Summer dusk.

Our thanks to both Hannah and Mark for asking us to capture this very special day for them. It was a beautiful occassion and we enjoyed it immensely.