Spring Wedding at East Riddlesden Hall // Emma + Dan
Spring Wedding at East Riddlesden Hall
Where do I start with Emma and Dan’s East Riddlesden Hall wedding photography? This was an absolutely amazing day and one of my favourite ever weddings for so many reasons. Emma and Dan live in London but traveled back up to Dan’s native Yorkshire for their wedding. I had an idea their wedding at East Riddlesden Hall would probably be a cracker. However, not only did it live up to my expectations, it absolutely blew them away.
I started the day working alongside the superb Lauren Sally on hair and make up duties. Lauren and I worked together at Lindsay and Ian’s Ripley Castle wedding in 2014 and it was great to see a friendly face at bridal preparation. It’s safe to say between Lauren, Emma, her bridesmaids and myself, there were plenty of jokes flying around. I must add, almost all of them coming at my expense.
National Trust Wedding Venue
After the morning preparation I made my way to East Riddlesden Hall in Bradford which is now looked after by the National Trust. Having been run into a state of disrepair in the early 1900’s. You can read how East Riddlesden Hall was saved on the National Trust website here.
I absolutely love National Trust wedding venues having shot Jane and Lee’s wedding at Calke Abbey last summer. Weddings at National Trust properties are completely unique with amazing photo opportunities everywhere. East Riddlesden Hall is no exception and it is simply one of the most beautiful venues I have photographed a wedding at. As a result, I can highly recommend having your wedding at East Riddlesden Hall.
New York Brass Band
Emma and Dan’s marriage service was held in the barn at East Riddlesden Hall with huge smiles in full force throughout their service. After the ‘I do’s’ had been exchanged, Emma and Dan walked out into a huge confetti explosion before their big surprise. The New York Brass Band appeared behind them and escorted everyone through the grounds of East Riddlesden Hall to the gardens where the outdoor reception was taking place.
With East Riddlesden Hall being an especially stunning backdrop, It was easy to photograph everyone having a brilliant time. I cannot speak highly enough about The New York Brass Band as they performed brilliant, contemporary songs that everyone loved. I took a quick film on my iPhone so you can see a exactly how good they were…
Natural, Relaxed Couple Photos
I could’ve easily taken longer than 20 minutes for Emma and Dan’s natural, relaxed couple photos. Especially as there are so many opportunities for great photos when shooting East Riddlesden Hall wedding photography. In between the photos, The New York Brass Band performed a giant conga leading the guests back to the barn for the wedding speeches. As a result, we broke off from the photos and joined in the conga which was brilliant fun. In addition to the speeches there was an ‘Egg Yarping’ contest. This is a Butler family tradition where eggs are tapped on to each other with the unbroken egg progressing to the next round. The winner was the best man’s son who beat off all the guests to take the Egg Yarping crown.
Tom Rocks and The Replicants
Top wedding band (and my good mates) Tom Rocks and The Replicants arrived to setup for the evening reception. It was only a couple of weeks after Lisa and Matt’s wedding at Wood Hall Hotel when we least worked together. As always the lads were in great form, absolutely smashing the evening reception. By all accounts, not one person was sat down during their second set, probably something to do with the surprise rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. Emma’s Dad who is a massive Liverpool fan, as is singer Tom, so I suspect he will have enjoyed that one.
All in all this was an amazing wedding from start to finish. Emma and Dan are a brilliant couple who laughed through every minute of their wedding day alongside a top crowd and amazing performances from The New York Brass Band and Tom Rocks and The Replicants. Finally I must say a huge thanks to East Me, Drink Me for their gorgeous food and to Evelyn who ran the day perfectly making it an absolute pleasure to shoot Emma and Dan’s East Riddlesden Hall wedding photography. It’s almost certainly one of my favourite weddings of 2016 and I can’t wait to return to East Riddlesden Hall.
So here’s Emma and Dan’s East Riddlesden Hall wedding photography. Music by BØRNS, photos by me…
East Riddlesden Hall wedding photography by James Tracey © 2016
