Bowcliffe Hall is a stunning Grade II listed building just off the A1 near Wetherby, West Yorkshire. Handily, this is just down the road from me!
If you want a beautiful but quirky venue then Bowcliffe is your place. The venue offers full exclusivity and complete flexibility so you can 100% tailor your day to the wedding you want.
Liz and Matt wanted an intimate, relaxed and fun gathering of their closest family and friends. And that’s EXACTLY what they got! Their wedding was Easter Saturday and what an incredible sunny day it turned out to be! I arrived early to catch up with Liz and her Bridal party. The picture below of Liz’s Dads face as he sees her in her wedding dress for the first time is one of my faves. I LOVE the emotion of a wedding and I can’t help but get a little emotional myself. If you want your photographer to get as excited as you on your big day, then carry on reading – you’re in the right place!
The ceremony was held in the Bowcliffe Room. An elegant room with tons of natural daylight coming in through the large sash windows and high ceilings, a photographer’s dream! Look at all those facial expressions as she walks down the aisle. Overwhelming feelings of joy, pride and so much love in the room.
We then headed out onto the lawn for drinks, canapes and a bubble reception instead of the traditional confetti shot. You can see how sunny it was, we totally lucked out with the weather! I think it was 24 degrees, which at Easter was amazing!
Whilst the guests enjoyed the sunshine and their gorgeous surroundings, I was able to take Liz & Matt into the extensive gardens for their Bride & Groom Portraits. So many quirky features to choose from. I had major dress envy when I found out Liz’s wedding dress had POCKETS! The lace bolero jacket was a thing of beauty too.
The wedding breakfast was served in the Ballroom, an opulent and glamorous room which originally started life as the drawing room of Bowcliffe Hall, where Winston Churchill used to be entertained. If it’s good enough for Winston and all that….
After dinner, a Gin Bar was set up in the Drivers Club and the lawn games began. The best, most competitive game of Jenga I’ve ever witnessed ensued. Possibly the longest lasting too. As the evening started to draw in, a casino was set up on the patio which kept the guests entertained for hours.
I left the guests partying into the night shortly after the first dance and amazing fireworks display c/o Optimum Fireworks.
Liz and Matt worked hard to ensure that there was something for every single one of their guests to enjoy, and the vibes were pure laid back happiness. I felt truly welcomed into such a small gathering – being there all day, you do feel like part of the wedding. I’m so grateful I got to photograph this loved up pair in such a gorgeous location – though sadly for me, they weren’t up for taking their photographer on honeymoon to the Maldives! A girl can certainly dream….
