PRE-WEDDING SHOOT - ON TOP OF A FELLSIDE IN THE LAKE DISTRICT WITH KATHRYN AND GARETH BEFORE THEIR WEDDING AT CRATHORNE HALL IN NORTH YORKSHIRE

PRE-WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT ROMANCE FOR KATHRYN AND GARETH .. DESPITE THE HIGH WINDS ON THE TOP OF THE FELLSIDE IN THE LAKE DISTRICT - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I'm a sucker for punishment ..... most brides and grooms are quite happy getting together with me on a beach or a local country park or a favourite spot in a beautiful city like Durham or York for their pre-wedding portrait photography.

It's nice when they want it done in Paris or in Nice  ........ but I was caught out a little bit when Kathryn and Gareth said they would like to have their photographs taken on top of a fellside in the Lake District ... :)

That's where they became engaged to be married during the Christmas holidays, so they wanted to have their pre-wedding shoot on the top, so they could see the Lancashire coastline, the mountains of Cumbria and probably my house on the north east coast at the same time!

So after a 2 hour drive across to meet them at Gareth's parent's house, it was up the fell we went.

Now, at slightly more than 50 years of age, I didn't want two Doctor's of Medicine out-yomping a rather unfit photographer, so I travelled light with just one camera and lens and flashgun and aimed to stay at the front, stopping only when they stopped for a breath of fresh air.

I was praying they would stop every 100 feet at one point. We did have a laugh or two and I was wondering if their Doctorate's meant they could also offer first aid as a paramedic would and if they had the direct number of a air ambulance crew to hand ...

Anyway, we got there, it was blowing a gale and we could JUST about see the Lancashire coast and the Cumbrian Mountains .. so we didn't hang around too long as the pub beckoned and the thought of a pint of real ale was very attractive as we headed down through the gloom ...

The whole point of a pre-wedding shoot is a bonding session really, so that we are not strangers on the wedding day, we feel as though we know each other a little and of course, if we also manage to create some nice images too - all the better.

So, I hope you like the one that we chose together to represent the yomp up the Fell (above) which will be framed and displayed with the wedding cake at their wedding at Crathorne Hall in North Yorkshire, and the additional ones below which actually feature me leaning into the howling wind and Gareth and Kathryn trying to keep their footing at the top as the wind blew in from the Atlantic.

You pre-wedding shoot comes as part of your wedding photography package with me.

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

SMILES ALL ROUND ... DESPITE THE HOWLING WIND! - AND THE LANCASHIRE COASTLINE IS IN THE DISTANCE

HANG ON!! KATHRYN AND GARETH HOLD ON TIGHT AS WE GET TO THE TOP WITH THE HIGH WINDS

DESPITE THE HIGH WINDS .. THERE'S TIME FOR A CUDDLE AND A BIT OF BLUSTERY ROMANCE - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

... AND GARETH KINDLY TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH OF ME TOO!