SKIPBRIDGE COUNTRY WEDDINGS PHOTOGRAPHER - JEN and ANDY

I feel very lucky to be a Skipbridge Country Weddings wedding photographer. Located on a farm in the heart of North Yorkshire, this quirky wedding venue has been catering for laid back couples since 2011. The family run business was started following the wedding of their eldest daughter Katie which was held on the farm. Following a request to host another bride and groom’s wedding, the family decided to setup in earnest as an award winning wedding venue. Civil ceremonies are performed in the Willow Bower under the willow tree, an outdoor, licensed location on the site.

Quirky Wedding venue in north yorkshire

Situated in between Harrogate and York, amongst beautiful North Yorkshire Countryside, Skipbridge Country Weddings is now at the centre of business operations on the family farm. There no ask too big or too small and the family are happy to cater to newlyweds’ every need thanks to the many years experience in hospitality, hosting events from the staff and in particular, the dedication of Skipbridge’s General Manager, Dave the Llama. This venue will guarantee to impress you and your guests with its country charm and relaxed, rustic atmosphere.

great location for a teepee wedding

Skipbridge Country Weddings have been proud to be a PapaKata Teepees accredited venue since 2014. The service at the onsite Teepee is excellent, drawing from Papakata’s experience of hosting 2500 successful events since 2006. Following the ceremony bride and grooms can relax over their wedding breakfast then continue the party, in the spacious Teepee. Need a little lubrication to really let your hair down? The Rolling Barrell is a top quality mobile ba that rolls into the side of the tepee and is situated conveniently next to the dance floor. There’s many a reasonably priced drink to be had here and staff can even source real ale from the local brewery.

For all those night owls out there, there is also the Grain Silo, a hidden secret of the farm, open from 9pm to midnight. Bride and grooms can have a sit with their wedding guests, enjoy a few drams of whiskey while sitting around the warm log fire. Singing to folk guitar is not obligatory but probably likely given the cosey and charming atmosphere of this quirky room.

Natural Wedding Photography at skipbridges Farm

Our bride Jen, and I, go back years, We were at high school together, although it was a very big school and we swam in different circles. I was nonetheless excited when she booked me to be her documentary wedding photographer. Jen asked for natural photos that captured the spirit of her day without any fuss or being dragged away for cheesy, posed photos. And that’s fine by me!

I met Jen at one of Skipbridge Country Wedding’s cottages where she was getting ready with her sister. I don’t remember Jen having such awesome pink hair when we were at school but then our school wouldn’t have allowed it anyway!

Jen’s boots and dress were awesome! Jen was clearly someone who wanted to look great on her wedding but keep a quirky relaxed vibe. The mother of the bride arrived and her mum and sister helped her put on her dress and put the finishing touches to her hair. The bride’s reaction when her son arrived at the cottage in his suit was priceless. I was just about to head upstairs and I was really glad that I was able to capture it.

party games as guests arrive

I went to meet Andy at the Teepee, passing Skipbridge’s General Manager, Dave the Llama on the way. He was relaxing with his wedding guests who had already begun to arrive. Many of the children were playing with the various outdoor party games on the site: hula hoop, giant connect four, jenga and bubblle blowers. These kind of things are always great fun to photograph!

Andy and his friends and family moved over to the Willow Bower under the willow tree where the wedding ceremony was to be held. A guitarist provided chilled-out tunes to get people in the right moved for the relaxed ceremony. Many of Andy’s family from Italy, tried to sing along, but alas did not know many of the words!

an emotional wedding ceremony

Our groom Andy was clearly over the moon when his wife to be came down the aisle led by her younger son. The civial ceremony was conducted in the hut and was short but heartfelt with two readings from one of Jen’s friends and her sister. Jen and Andy then read their own vowes to eachother, which were filled with emotion. The first kiss was nice but the passionate hug afterwards was amazing.

The ceremony concluded, Jen and Andy led their guests back to the grounds of the teepee where they continued with the party games as well as a including a little confetti here and there. The booze stand was open and everyone helped themselves. Jen and Andy’s pet arrived to add another dog at a wedding to my last. Why not bring your dog along? Their part of the family right? I saw some really impressive hula hopping from a couple of gests and was able to sneak up close to get some photos so they really popped out of the frame. One of the children attending the wedding even drew a bit of a crowd due to his amazing hula hopping skills, and a little girl stole show….by stealing the microphone!

The weddng breakfast and dave the llama

Jen and Andy requested just a few couple portraits, taken by Skipbridge’s rustic lorry, and the we moved into the teepee for the wedding breakfast and speeches. During the meal many of the guests, particularly the children found time to wander outside. Although not part of his job description, Skipbridge’s General Manager Dave the Llama was happy to come to over to say hello and provide a little entertainment. The children were very happy indeed to have met Dave the Llama.

A lovely first dance as the sun set

A little more games and relaxation and then it was time for the cake cutting. Our bride and groom cut the wedding cake to the applause of their guests. Our newlyweds had decided to have their first dance outside while the sun set behind the trees. This was great for me as a photographer as there was such lovely natural light and the country setting made it just perfect. Accompanied by some romantic guitar melodies, Jen and Andy hugged and kissed their way round the field in the presence of their emotional family and friends.

Massive congratulations to Jen and Andy. I wish you guys all the best for the future. What a great day it was to be a Skipbridge Country Weddings wedding photographer!

planning on getting married?

If you like natural wedding photography and think I might be the photographer for you then by all means get in touch to check for availability, see more weddings on my blog or take a look at my portfolio.