Matfen Hall Wedding Photography Review from Cate and Andrew

CATE AND HER MUM ... READY FOR THE WEDDING DAY CELEBRATIONS - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

TIME FOR SOME LAST MINUTE CHECKS FOR CATE AND HER MUM IN GRANDMOTHER'S MIRROR

EVERYTHING IS GOOD .. TIME TO LAUGH AND RELAX!

THE BEAUTIFUL AMULET THAT MATCHED CATE'S HAIRPIECE AND THE STRAPS ON THE JENNY PACKHAM WEDDING GOWN - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

TIME FOR ONE QUICK PHOTOGRAPH WITH THE GIRLS BEFORE WE HEAD OFF TO GET CATE MARRIED TO ANDREW!

CATE AND HER FATHER MARTIN ARE MARCHED UP THE ROAD BY TRADITIONAL PIPER

ANDREW AND KATE AT THE ALTER IN ALL SAINTS CHURCH LANCHESTER

THE BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH

COOL, CALM AND CASUAL AND RELAXED ... MARRIED AT LAST!

...AND, WE'RE OFF TO MATFEN HALL .. NOT SURE WHERE THE HORSE CAME IN, PERHAPS IT WAS A LUCKY HORSE I SUGGESTED? NO, JUST WALKING BY ..... !

MATFEN HALL AWAITS ......

SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW FALLS ON THE WALL DECORATION AND FLOWERS IN THE GREAT HALL AT MATFEN

MUSIC AND ATMOSPHERE AS THE GUESTS ARRIVE

THE BRIDE AND GROOM ARRIVE

CATE, RELAXED AND HAPPY,  CAUGHT IN THE COLOURED REFLECTIONS OF THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW IN THE GREAT HALL AT MATFEN - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

ANDREW AND CATE ... SO HAPPY AND RELAXED WITH THEIR DAY AND WITH THEIR WEDDING

PLACE CARDS FOR THE WEDDING BREAKFAST

RELAXED BRIDAL PORTRAIT PLEASE!  CATE CATCHES THE RAYS OF THE SUN AT MATFEN HALL IN HER BEAUTIFUL WEDDING GOWN AND CLUTCHING HER LOVELY WEDDING BOUQUET

I LOVE A LOVELY BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE - CATE LOOKING GREAT - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

AND SWINGS HER ROUND TO THE CHEERING CROWD OF WEDDING GUESTS ....... PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

... AND FINISH IT ALL OF WITH A KISS!

Cate and Andrew are a great couple and I had been looking forward to their wedding for a long time!
Cate's mum Maria booked me way before I met with Cate herself as she had been so impressed with some of the relaxed images I create at some of the lovely weddings I'm asked to be part of.... This is Cate's review of my part in her wedding to Andrew at Matfen Hall in Northumberland.
"Dirk had been a recommendation from a friend of my mam’s. We took a look at his blog and website, my mam snapped him straight up ... then we met him! 
It could have been risky, but we loved the relaxed style of his photographs, and we had a lot of trust in the personal recommendation.
We did not need to worry. 
Dirk came out to my parents’ house to meet us in Lanchester and he was full of energy and enthusiasm, and really made us feel confident he would deliver the photographs we wanted.
It’s obvious he loves his job, and the amount of brides he has as friends on Facebook is a clear marker to me that he’s great at his job, and cares about giving each of us the best photographs of our big day.
Dirk was thorough and professional throughout the whole journey. Our pre-wed shoot had Andrew on edge at first, but Dirk explained it’s better to get that feeling out of the way well before our wedding, and on the day we could relax knowing Dirk that little bit better, and comfortable he knew exactly what we wanted from him.
Our friends were oblivious that he was our professional photographer, fitting in so well and joining in the fun.
As expected, we had hundreds of photographs from Dirk to peruse from the long day.
All absolutely gorgeous!
He had captured the relaxed pictures of our friends and family just as we’d hoped. And even though we wanted to keep the group photos to a minimum, when we squeezed more in on the day, Dirk took it in his stride and kept us extremely happy.
He even found time to keep my bridesmaids happy with their photo requests!
Andrew and I hadn’t warned him that we had a special first dance planned, but he caught it all, and we’ve got magical photographs to remember it, with all our friend’s faces watching. Their reaction was priceless!
He stayed long into the evening, longer than he’d planned, but seemed to be enjoying spinning around in the middle of the ceilidh dancers, ducking inbetween, producing some great action shots!
After our wedding, Dirk kept in touch, ensuring we would get our perfect album, and we did. He swapped photographs around, trimmed and rearranged (even airbrushing annoying dress tags out of shot!).
I felt Dirk gave us a real personal treatment, so enthusiastic and excited about our day.
Seeing all his brides’ comments on facebook, you can tell he’s a complete professional, and he manages to give us all a five star treatment! 
Thank you Dirk!! .... "
Cate and Andrew Key
SEE THE ORIGINAL SNEAK PEEK BLOG POST HERE
If you would like me to be the official photographer at your wedding at Matfen Hall, or in Northumberland or across the north east, anywhere in the UK, or your destination wedding abroad, I would love to hear about your plans. Please ring me anytime on my mobile 0778 7150966 and let's chat and check your date!! 
HAVE A LOOK AT THESE OTHER NORTHUMBERLAND AND NEWCASTLE WEDDINGS I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED!

Danielle and John's Bamburgh Castle wedding in Northumberland HERE

Sharon and Martin's Slaley Hall wedding in Northumberland HERE

Rowena and William's wedding at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland HERE

Kathryn and Richard's Matfen Hall Wedding HERE

... AND GET IN THE MOOD WITH MY Northumberland weddings inspiration board HERE on Pinterest

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

Alice in Wonderland Themed Tea Party at Ellingham Hall

HAPPY WEDDING WEEKEND AT ELLINGHAM HALL IN NORTHUMBERLAND

It was great being the wedding photographer at Rowena and William's three day weekend wedding at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland for their closest friends and family.
This was the fourth time that I had met the bride and groom after our initial meeting to discuss their wedding, then having fun on the beach at Tynemouth with them and Rowena's mum Barbara for their pre-wedding portrait shoot.
Their fabulous wedding the day before at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland was certainly a day to remember with lots of laughs and it was fun all the way.
I stayed overnight at  The Pack Horse pub just along the lane from Ellingham Hall after completing photography past 10pm, and very much looked forward to their Alice in Wonderland themed tea party for all the wedding guests in fancy dress.
I turned up early afternoon at the hall to find that many of the guests had been up early after the all-day celebrations the day before and headed off to Bamburgh Castle ands the beach just a few miles away, while others were taking part in a big rounders match on the vast lawn at Ellingham Hall.
Inside, the sandwiches that I had come prepared to help assemble for the tea party were almost finished, so I was able to wander and take photographs as preparations continued.
It was nice to meet and greet many of the guests from the wedding the day before in their 'civvies'.
There was bunting to be hung in the room where their wedding ceremony had been, cakes to put out, home made lemonade to wheel out from the huge kitchen where an army of helpers were now moving sandwiches and more cup cakes into the room next door where Rowena and  her friends were marshalling the troops and decorating the hall before they headed off to get into their fancy dress costumes - and what costumes and inventiveness turned up as we headed towards tea-party time of 3pm!
All your favourite characters were there .. Rowena as Alice (of course) met with three other Alice's, two of them bewiskered 'gentlemen' ..(it's a man thing. It was a Sunday), white rabbits galore, The Queen of Hearts, The Mad Hatter (William and at least two others of various shades and colours!). Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Walrus, Five Seven and Two as well as the Knave of Hearts and many, many more.
Time for the big group shot (which we didn't manage for the wedding the day before as it was so wet) and lots of individual photographs of all the characters before we headed to the hall for a magnificent tea party!
Afterwards, we sat on the lawn, all gathered for the ceremonial opening of the wedding presents by William and Rowena, to top a fabulous long weekend wedding celebration over three days at Ellingham Hall.
In Rowena's words: "It couldn't have been more perfect.."
If you would like me to be a small but important part of your weekend wedding, your three day wedding celebration with family and friends, at a Themed Weekend Wedding, a Retro Wedding, DIY Wedding, Backyard Wedding or just some wild and wacky themed wedding ... tell me all about your plans on 0778 7150966 and I would be happy to be part of your wedding celebration anywhere in the UK or across the world!
SEE Rowena and William's wedding at Ellingham Hall HERE
VIEW Amy and Fraser's winter Ellingham Hall wedding HERE
HAVE A LOOK at Liz and Steve's wedding at Ellingham Hall HERE
SEE Danielle and John's wedding a few miles away from Ellingham Hall at Bamburgh Castle and Budle Hall in Northumberland HERE
VIEW a small intimate 2nd wedding in Northumberland at Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, just a few miles from Ellingham Hall HERE
WOODHILL HALL is another weekend wedding venue in Northumberland, while you can also have a three day long wedding weekend at GUYZANCE HALL in Northumberland too.
READ Shelley's testimonial / review of her Northumberland fairytale winter castle wedding at LANGLEY CASTLE HERE
SHARON AND MARTIN'S WEDDING AT SLALEY HALL IN NORTHUMBERLAND
A WINTER WEDDING AT LANGLEY CASTLE FOR KATE AND CHRIS IS HERE
DIRK VAN DER WERFF