GOMERSAL PARK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - KAREN and LEE

I was over the moon when Karen and Lee asked me to be their Gomersal Park wedding photographer. Gomersal Park Hotel is located just a short drive from Leeds, Halifax, Wakefield, Bradford and Huddersfield, situated in the very heart of West Yorkshire. It is a privately owned hotel with beautiful parkland and allows guests to enjoy fine dining in a romantic Italian restaurant and relaxed in the cosy bar with a drink or two. The hotel can even provide a helipad with a little prior notice.

One of Yorkshire’s leading wedding venues, Gomersal Park is a great place to celebrate your special day, with several private rooms which are fully licensed for civil ceremonies, wedding breakfasts and evening receptions. The dedicated team of onsite wedding professionals will help you plan your wedding as well as your honeymoon and anniversary. With three rooms of varying size: The Oakwell, The Bronte and The Cromewell suites, this venue can cater for all bride and grooms, regardless of the size of the wedding.

laughing through bridal prep

When Karen and Lee told me they wanted completely natural photos, I was fully onboard. As soon as I arrived for bridal prep I could see exactly why they’d asked for this approach. The bridal prep room was packed with bridesmaids, children and various suppliers. Everyone was in high spirits and there was always someone laughing.

Once she’d had her own hair and makeup done, Karen wasn’t scared to muck in herself providing makeup to her all her girlfriends. She was very good at it indeed so I wasn’t surprised when I learned that she was a makeup supervisor working in television. It was a really fun bridal prep session and I was able to get plenty of photos of people laughing.

A sports car and a wedding dress

I went outside to Lee and their son. They had surprised him with a swanky sports car which they had hired and he and his friend were allowed a drive around before the wedding began. Lee looked super smart in his army uniform, and he was soon laughing with his groomsmen over a pint from the bar.

I returned upstairs to find Karen putting the finishing touches to her hair and makeup and then it was time to put on her stunning wedding dress. Her veil adorned and tweaked it was time to welcome her son and the father of the bride into the room to see her for the first time. Her son came in waving enthusiastically and her dad had a tear in his eye.

Wedding Ceremony and a little saxophone

Lee was in awe when Karen walked down the aisle, and they were all smiles when they met at the alter. One of Karen’s bridesmaids and best friend gave a heart warming speech and broke into tears. There was plenty more laughing as the ceremony continued and Karen and Lee said their vows and exchanged rings. The mother of the bride spent the whole ceremony alternating between crying and laughing as she held both her husband’s and Lee’s mum’s hands.

The register signed, as Karen returned up the aisle she gave an emphatic cheer to her loving guests. Karen and Lee met their guests outside and accompanied by some cool live saxophone music, there were emotional hugs all round. Our bride and groom didn’t want to leave any of the family out, and so it was that their pet dog Marla was brought by her handler to join in the fun for short while.

With so many guests the confetti run was fantastic and then it was time for a few couple portraits in Gomersal Park’s lovely grounds. Meanwhile, back at the hotel guests were being entertained (and completely baffled) by an amazing magician. I was able to capture so many great reactions to this guy’s amazing skills.

Expected speeches, got a striptease

Karen and Lee entered the room for their wedding breakfast to rapturous applause. The speeches were hilarious, filled with the laughter of over a hundred guests. Karen and Lee’s son was surprised with the gift of a new XBOX, and he even delivered his own speech. Lee was of course shamed and humiliated by his best man and who would expect any different? It wasn’t long after the speeches finished that I got a pleasant surprise as a photographer – an impromptu dance-off and sort-of striptease between one of the guests and the father of the bride at the other end of the room. I wonder what the staff of Gomersal Park thought when guests began climbing on the tables. I wouldn’t like to think!

Confetti Cannon and Party

In the time between the wedding breakfast and the reception, the children enjoyed some outdoor games while the adults took part in a little photobooth action thanks to Capture Cab. Karen and Lee had also organised some gambling tables and there’s plenty of raucous action round those.

Even before the cake cutting guests had hit the dance floor and I enjoyed dancing too to get those great, dynamic action photos. The first dance was lovely, accompanied by a couple of confetti cannons. The dance floor was suddenly packed with guests I was lucky enough to take one of my favourite dance floor photos of all time. Karen enjoyed a three way kiss with her son and Lee before joining her bridesmaids and girlfriends for a good old dance off. The party in full swing, I moved amongst the crowds grabbing shots of all those awesome moods. The wedding guest who had stripped earlier, repeated his performance and spent the rest of the evening with his shirt off. What a legend!

Massive congratulations to Karen and Lee on their awesome wedding and for generally being just awesome.

natural wedding photography at Gomersal Park Hotel

Are you planning a wedding at Gomersal Park Hotel? Are you looking for a photographer with a natural style who captures real moments? Fancy reliving your day through your photos? Awesome! Why not check out some of my blog posts, get in touch to check for availability or have a look at more portfolio.