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| YORK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: MOTHER OF THE BRIDE'S WEDDING HANDBAG AT CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL IN YORK |
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| CEDAR COURTH GRAND HOTEL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BLING ON THEIR WEDDING DAY! |
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| YORK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS: JIMMY CHOO PERFUME FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY .. WHY NOT? |
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| BEAUTIFUL COLOURS IN THE HAIRPIECE FOR ANNE'S WEDDING |
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| ALL SIGNS POINT TO ST WILFRID'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE CENTRE OF YORK CLOSE TO YORK MINSTER |
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| BEAUTIFUL DETAIL IN THE STONEWORK OF THE ANCIENT ST WILFRID'S CHURCH IN YORK - THE VENUE FOR ANNE'S WEDDING TO PAUL |
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| BACK TO THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL .. AND THE ALAN HANNAH WEDDING GOWN |
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| DETAIL FROM THE ALAN HANNAH WEDDING GOWN |
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| ANNE'S 96 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER WAS THE STAR OF THE SHWO - HERE SHE GLIMPSES THE BRIDESMAID DRESSES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL IN YORK |
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| IT TAKES A LOT OF BOOTLE AT THE AGE OF THIS YOUNG MAN TO PLAY LIVE AT A WEDDING CEREMONY AT ST WILFRID'S CATHOLIC CHURCH |
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| PAUL AND HIS BEST MAN .. .ALONE AND WAITING FOR THE GUESTS TO ARRIVE FOR HIS WEDDING TO ANNE |
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| IS SHE HERE YET ... ? A YOUNG BRIDESMAID PEEPS AROUND THE CORNER OF THE CHURCH DOOR TO CHECK IF ANNE HAS ARRIVED FOR HER WEDDING |
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| JUST A FEW MINUTES TO GO AS ANNE ARRIVES AT THE CHURCH WATCHED BY LOTS OF TOURISTS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN YORK |
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| SMILES ALL ROUND AS ANNE'S FATHER HANDS HIS DAUGHTER OVER TO PAUL |
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| MORE SMILES AS ANNE AND PAUL LEAVE THE CHURCH AS MAN AND WIFE |
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| HUGS ALL ROUND ..... GUESTS LEAVING ST WILFRID'S CHURCH YORK WITH YORK MINSTER ALMOST NEXT DOOR |
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| ... AND WE'RE OFF! I JUMP IN THE FRONT OF THE WEDDING CAR AND TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHAMPAGNE AND THE HAPPY COUPLE WAVING TO TOURISTS ON THE STREETS OF YORK! |
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| TIME FOR A FORMAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPH OR TWO OUTSIDE THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL AND SPA IN YORK |
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| THE NEWLY WEDS ARRIVE THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL AND SPA IN YORK, ENGLAND |
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| I THINK THERE WAS A BIT OF A SING-SONG GOING ON BETWEEN ANNE AND HER MOTHER-IN-LAW HERE .... |
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| ... AND THE HAPPY ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES AS ANNE AND HER FATHER HAVE A LITTLE DANCE TO THE MUSIC WATCHED BY HER MUM AND GRANDMOTHER |
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| PAUL ENJOYING HIMSELF AT THE CHAMPAGNE AND CANAPE RECEPTION AT THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL AND SPA IN YORK, ENGLAND |
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| A LOVELY PORTRAIT OF ANNE'S 96 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER - HAVING A GREAT DAY OF CELEBRATION AT HER WEDDING |
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| IT WAS A CRICKET THEMED WEDDING AS PAUL IS CAPTAIN OF HIS LOCAL TEAM AND ANNE 'MAKES THE SANDWICHES' AS HE SAYS! |
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| THE WEDDING BREAKFAST ROOM IS LAID OUT AT THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL IN YORK |
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| WHAT A MENU FOR A WEDDING BREAKFAST TOO .. IT WAS DELICIOUS! |
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| THE STARTER ... |
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| THE MAIN COURSE ... |
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| ... AND DESSERT .... |
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| NOT QUITE A MEXICAN WAVE .. BUT THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF FUN AT PAUL AND ANNE'S WEDDING |
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| ONE OF THE MANY CHARMING YOUNGSTERS WHO PAID A FULL PART IN THE WEDDING DAY - AND A CHEEKY SMILE AS WELL ..... |
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| OUR FLOWER GIRL .. WITH ANOTHER CHEEKY GRIN! |
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| PAUL'S MUM ENJOYS THE BEST MANS SPEECH! |
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| HAPPY, HAPPY FACES AS THE PAGE BOY'S GIFT IS REVEALED! |
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| IT'S SCOOBY DOO .. ALMOST AS BIG AS THE PAIGE BOY! |
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| THE WINNER OF THE SWEEPSTAKE TO GUESS HOW LONG THE SPEECHES WERE MAKES HIMSELF KNOW! |
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| ANNE LOOKING FABULOUS IN HER ALAN HANNAH SILK WEDDING DRESS AT THE CEDAR COURT GRAND HOTEL AND SPA IN YORK |
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| ANNE FRAMED IN THE HOTEL ARCHWAYS |
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| ANNE LOOKING GLAMOROUS ON THE STAIRWELL OF THE HOTEL |
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| TIME FOR A QUICK SWISH IN THE HUGE CORRIDORS TO SHOW OFF HER DRESS |
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| HAVING FUN WITH THE FIRST DANCE! |
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| SMILES ALL ROUND AS PAUL AND ANNE FINISH THEIR FIRST DANCE |
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| POOR DOLLY ..... UPSIDE DOWN! ANNE TAKES CENTRE STAGE, STILL SWISHING HER WEDDING GOWN AS THE YOUNGSTERS FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH DOLLY! |
I first met with Anne and her Mum to have tea and cakes at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel nine months or so before her wedding celebrations.
I photograph weddings across Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in particular, so I was excited to be visiting a new wedding venue in the north of England and delighted to spend a few hours with Anne and her Mum Freda.
They had come across my wedding photographs on the Cedar Court Grand Hotel Facebook page and, to be honest, I didn't have to sell myself to be Anne's wedding photographer at all when we met. I think we didn't even mention wedding photography for the first hour, we just talked about her life, her change of career into teaching, Freda's happiness at her having found Paul, her dream husband and how much her 96 year old grandmother was looking forward to the day!
Fast forward to last weekend.
There was expected to be traffic and pedestrian chaos because of 6000 runners in the annual 10K Jane Tomlinson run, so I oped for a train journey right into the heart of York from home to avoid the problems with the roads. I was just 5 minutes away and when I arrived at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa and opened the door to room 201 and saw a VERY excited bride to be!
Hair and make-up were underway for Anne and her two closest friends who were the bridesmaids for the day while a beautiful white wand of flowers which had been delivered at the same time I arrived told me that there was a flower girl for the day as well!
Anne's Mum Freda was also around and it was nice to meet with her too, we had chatted on Facebook for months since we fist met and she excitedly complimented me on every one of the weddings I had posted on my Facebook page, my BLOG and my website .. and today it was her daughter's wedding day!
I dashed off for a 5 minute walk along the way to get some establishing shots at St Wilfrid's Catholic Church in York, almost next to York Minster where the wedding was to be held and then headed straight back on a scorching day to the hotel. Anne's Alan Hannah silk wedding gown was spectacular and so much the right dress for her, and once her and the bridemaids were in their dresses, it was time for a few photographs with her 96 year old grandmother!
I dashed off back up to the church soon after and caught Paul, just as he had left the pub, suitably refreshed!
Guests were gathering by now and I climbed the stairs to the organ loft where a fine young chap was practising his trumpet for a number of songs to be played during the service, and very nice he sounded too!
It was a nuptual mass, and they're never over quickly, but there was good humour as well as reverence during the service, and, as ever, the Catholic priest in charge allowed me to get whatever photographs I need to tell Anne and Paul's story without me getting in the way.
If only Church of England vicars were so accommodating!
Once back in the sunshine, there were lots of backslaps and kisses and cuddles and bear hugs as guests and close family mingled with the new bride and groom, before I hopped into the font of their wedding car and took photographs of them waving to tourists along the route through York back to the Cedar Grand Hotel and Spa!
The new outdoor decking area was a lovely space with a live singer and plenty of champagne and canapes before we headed inside for the formal speeches and a fabulous (thank you folks!) wedding breakfast as befits a top quality hotel!
I managed to spend 15 minutes with Anne on her own before evening guests arrived and used a few areas around the hotel for portraits and managed to persuade Paul to jump in for a few photographs too.
By now it was time for the cutting of the cake and the first dance which went down a storm. I stayed for another hour to capture some of the shapes being thrown on the dancefloor, then said my goodbyes to the bride and groom and their parents, realised I had missed the last train home (it was a Sunday..) and so crashed on the sofa at my sister's home in York not far away!
Great wedding celebrations for Anne and Paul at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa!
SEE MANY MORE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM YORKSHIRE WEDDINGS ON MY PINTEREST WEBSITE HERE
If you would like me to be the official wedding photographer at your celebrations in Yorkshire, or anywhere else in the UK or abroad, then ring me NOW on 0778 7150966 and tell me all about your plans!
VIEW Andrea and Peter's wedding sneak peek at The Crab and Lobster near Thirsk North Yorkshire HERE
LOOK at Sarah and Josh's English Country Garden Wedding near Richmond North Yorkshire HERE
ENJOY the sneak peek photographs of Sarah and Lee's North Yorkshire wedding at Crathorne Hall HERE
SEE the new 5 Star wedding venue RAITHWAITE HALL WEDDINGS in North Yorkshire near Whitby, HERE
DIRK VAN DER WERFF
