CRATHORNE HALL BRIDE AND GROOM IN NORTH YORKSHIRE ....

Karen and Andy may have left their wedding plans later than most - they managed to do the whole thing in just 6 months!
I met with them and we semed to get on well during the consultation - even though I managed to turn up the night before my appontment!

Luckily, my personality and photography won them over and they booked me to be their official photographer at Crathorne Hall near Yarm in North Yorkshire - one of my favourite wedding venues in the north of England, and a place where I have photographed four wedding this year.

The staff at Crathorne Hall are most attentive and on top of their game, and the country house hotel has a wonderful atmosphere, all cosy and warm and welcoming - with wonderful grounds.
Karen and Andy wanted their wedding like many of my brides and grooms, relaxed, fun and a wonderful day of celebration, no messing around with photography for hours on end and lots and lots of images of their close family and guests enjoying themselves - letting me capture the ambiance and atmosphere and fun of the day.

I met with Andy and his close friends at the Crathorne Arms and he confessed to a few nerves - in fact he didn't finish his pint! Karen on the other hand was so chilled out that she wasn't even getting into her wedding dress until 15 minutes before and was fashionably 10 minutes late for her civil cermony!

The brief service over, it was time to chill out and relax for an hour or more before the wedding breakfast and I managed to gather family and friends together for 10 minutes for a few family keepsake photos - all captured as quickly and as naturally as possible ... Karen and Andy were having a great time and I even managed to get a few minutes with themto get some nice portraits - as they didn't want to be out of their comfort zone too long!

There were some great speeches - even from Karen and almost as it was over and we had finished our meal, guests for the evening were turning up and it was all go again ......

If you would like me to be the official photographer at your Crathorne Hall wedding - ring me on 0778 7150966 NOW!

My latest wedding news and photographs HERE

View recent testimonials HERE:

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

Headlam Hall Wedding Photography for Rachel and Jonathan

HEADLAM HALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
RACHEL ARRIVES AT ST GODRIC'S CHURCH IN DURHAM IN A CLASSIC JAGUAR - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

RACHEL HAPPY AND SMILING AS HER FATHER LEADS HER DOWN THE AISLE

APPLAUSE FROM RACHEL'S PARENTS AS THE COUPLE EXCHANGE A KISS IN ST GODRIC'S CHURCH

SMILES ALL ROUND FOR THE HAPPY COUPLE

RACHEL AND JONATHAN IN THE 'SECRET GARDEN' OF ST GODRIC'S CHURCH WHICH OVERLOOKS DURHAM CATHEDRAL

BEST DRESSED YOUNG LADY AWARD GOES TO ....

ALL READY FOR THE WEDDING BREAKFAST AT HEADLAM HALL

THE BEAUTIFUL WEDDING BREAKFAST MENU AT HEADLAM HALL

CANAPES ANYONE?

TIME FOR A NICE RELAXED GROUP PHOTOGRAPH - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY AS RACHEL AND JONATHAN LISTEN TO THE SPEECHES - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

RACHEL 'SWISHES' ACROSS THE MAIN LAWN AT HEADLAM HALL

LOVE IN THEIR EYES ..... THE HAPPY COUPLE ONLY HAVE EYES FOR EACH OTHER - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

A MOMENT TOGETHER IN THE WALLED GARDEN CAUGHT BY THE LATE EVENING SUN

... AND TIME FOR THE FIRST DANCE

NEW!!
CHECK OUT NICK AND AMANDA'S WEDDING AT HEADLAM HALL HERE
ENJOY ROHANNE AND ANDREW'S WEDDING AT HEADLAM HALL HERE
HAVE  A LOOK AT CHARLOTTE AND CHRIS' WEDDING AT HEADLAM HALL HERE
Rachel and Jonathan wanted a really chilled out wedding with their closest family and friends at St Godric's Church in Durham with a beautiful reception at the incomparable Headlam Hall near Darlington - and they got their wish!
Both training to be dentists, I had met with them at Headlam Hall with Rachel's mum too about 18 months or so before their wedding, just chatting and laughing about their plans for their wedding in Durham and their plans for their reception at Headlam Hall.
I was delighted when they asked me to be their official photographer and we kept in contact by e-mail before meeting a few weeks before their wedding when we went for a walk and a chat around the river in Durham on their pre-wedding portrait session.
It was a beautiful day in August and the gathering friends and relatives at St Godric's Church on the hill close to Durham were full of excited chatter about the day ahead. Jonathan was calm cool and collected, and later, when Rachel arrived in her beautiful classic Jaguar car, not only did she look stunning, but she was also pretty cool and relaxed too.

The wedding ceremony was fun too, and the clergy were kind enough to allow me to discreetly take photographs during the ceremony from the front of the church - usually no bother in a Catholic church, but rare in a C of E Church nowadays.
The 'secret' garden lay down pas a car park, and through a covered walkway, and down the side of a house which opened out into quite the best viewpoint of Durham Cathedral I have seen - and terrific for a few formal family wedding photographs before we headed to Headlam Hall.
Headlam Hall, along with Crathorne Hall is one of the finest wedding venues for civil ceremonies and receptions for many, many miles around. One of my all time favourite venues.
Service, attention to detail and staff are second to none - highly recommended
Champagne and canapes on the terrace with the vast gardens at the guests' disposal gave me the chance to capture the fun and atmosphere of the day and after an hour or so of relaxed conversation in the sun, I quickly gathered close relatives together together with siblings and bridesmaids for a few quick, relaxed group shots and one main photograph of the whole party on the lawn - total 10 minutes, everyone was smiling, that laughed at my silly jokes and the photographs looked great!
Into the Edwardian Suite for the wedding breakfast which was superb as always, and then tears, laughter and fun during some excellent speeches - giving me lots of photograph opportunities.
By the end of the fun, it was 7pm and it was time for me to grab Rachel and Jonathan for 15 minutes to create some nice photographs of them together in the grounds - but return them in time to greet their evening guests and ready themselves for their first dance and the fun of the evening ahead!
When I left the party was in full swing ... and I was off to edit their photographs so they would be ready on their return from the Far East from honeymoon.
I hope you enjoyed a small number of the 400+ final edited images which documents their fantastic wedding at Durham and at Headlam Hall.

If you would like me to capture great natural images at your Headlam Hall wedding, then ring me anytime on 0778 7150966. READ MY LATEST REVIEWS HERE

My latest wedding news and photographs HERE

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

WEDDING REVIEW FROM VICTORIA AND JAEGER'S WEDDING AT THE CRAB AND LOBSTER / CRAB MANOR NEAR THIRSK IN NORTH YORKSHIRE

VICTORIA'S WEDDING CAR ARRIVES AT THE CRAB AND LOBSTER NEAR ASENBY, NORTH YORKSHIRE

VICTORIA'S BEAUTIFUL CONES FULL OF REAL PETALS

AS AN ITALIAN, JAEGER THOUGHT IT WAS CORRECT TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA IN THE PUB BEFORE HIS WEDDING!

VICTORIA LOOKING BEAUTIFUL JUST BEFORE SETTING OFF FOR THE CHURCH SERVICE IN TOPCLIFFE

VICTORIA AND HER FATHER  ARRIVE FOR HER CEREMONY

HAPPINESS ALL ROUND AS VICTORIA GREETS AN OLD FRIEND

A GUST OF WIND PICKS UP VICTORIA'S VEIL AS SHE AND JAEGER COME OUT OF THE CHURCH - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

It's always lovely to receive praise and testimonials about my wedding photography across the UK and abroad.

It's often even nicer too when Mum and Dad take the time to thank me too - of course it's often the parents who pay for, or towards the wedding photography, and quality wedding photography is never cheap!
Margaret and Bob Hutchinson were superb hosts at the wedding of their daughter Victoria to Jaeger. The wedding was originally planned for Rome, but then switched to North yorkshire for Hartlepool born bride Victoria who lives and works in London with Jaeger.
 Lots of Jaeger's friends and family came from Rome for the day, and although a very cold and windy day in North Yorkshire in February - it was a great wedding celebration!
I was actually on the top of a small 'mountain' on the tiny Scottish island of Gigha when my phone picked up the first signal in days (I could see the mainland from the top, so I caught a signal) when I first heard Margaret's voice! Her wedding review:
 ".....It was in a conversation with my hairdresser Ali that I heard about the fantastic photographer Dirk van der Werff who had taken some stunning photographs at her friend's wedding - I phoned Dirk and told him all about Victoria and Jaeger's wedding plans - and it's the best thing we ever did!
From his first visit we felt a chemistry between Bob and I and Dirk and Victoria, his wedding books and photography was superb, but his character and approach immediately put us at our ease, so we immediately booked his services for the wedding at The Crab and Lobster. 
Victora and Jaeger on their next visit north were impressed with Dirk's pre-wedding portait shoot which put them at their ease for the big day, and on that day Dirk was incredibly supportive to all of us, he wasn't just 'the photographer', he was part of our family.
We are extremely indebted to you Dirk, and the fabulous album and photography is more than we all ever wished for - we would recommend your to everyone..."

NEW !! READ ABOUT FAY AND NICK'S RECENT WEDDING AT THE CRAB AND LOBSTER HERE

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Wedding at: Topcliffe Church

Car: 1957 BENTLEY SILVER CLOUD / Keith Snowden Wedding Cars, Harrogate

Flowers: Franks & Thompson Flowers, Northallerton

Dress: Demetrios via London Bride (also at 201, Walworth Grove London SE17 1RL)

Honeymoon: Maldives and Italy

MARGARET AND BOB HUTCHINSON