Photographing the Christmas wedding of Jo and Phil at the historic Ilkley Manor House.
I was delighted to be asked to photograph Jo and Phil’s wedding day at the beautiful and historic Manor House at Ilkley just after Christmas 2021. This was the first time I had photographed a wedding at this venue which, by day, is open to the public displaying local historic artefacts and periodic art displays.
Set in the heart of town, the Ilkley Manor House is set within the footprint of a Roman Fort and is a Grade 1 listed building dated back, in its oldest sections, to the mid 14th century. As any installation has to be removed for a Wedding celebration the Ilkley Manor House offers limited availability for Civil Weddings every year, so Jo and Phil were lucky to secure this amazing building.
Groom Prep at Ilkley Manor House
As this was a limited coverage wedding for photography bridal prep was not required but, arriving early, I met with Phil and his son to capture some Groom prep shots using the building as the backdrop. Thankfully the rain held off, the photographs were fun to do and show off the historic beauty of the building.
Able to host up to 60 guests, the venue offers some great spaces for wedding photography including the courtyard outside and gallery rooms with vaulted ceilings which were beautifully decorated with flora arrangements by Cosmos Flowers for a Christmas wedding.
When Jo arrived with her father and family members we captured some wedding photos outside again showing off the beautiful building. Jo looked amazing in her wedding dress by AvaRose Bridal carrying her stunning bouquet by Cosmos Flowers. Hair and beauty by The Salon, Ilkley.
After a beautiful ceremony, and with the rain now threatening outside in the dark, we decided to use the vaulted room to capture the formal group shots set against the ornate windows of the historic building. I managed some photos to capture the beautifully decorated and prepared reception room as the newlyweds relaxed with their guests downstairs. As you can see from the photo collage it was beautifully decorated by the staff at Ilkley Manor House. I enjoy doing these types of images and challenge myself always to capture interesting and creative images that the couple will be able to look back on in their wedding gallery, or album, with fond memories, transporting them back to their special day.
Despite being only a relatively short event we were determined to make some stunning after dark wedding photos. It was raining by this time so out came the brolly. We went on to capture this lovely photo, which you can see below, which just shows how beautiful the venue looks in the dark and how effective flash photography can be.
If you are looking for a photographer to capture some creative and memorable wedding photos after dark you need to make sure your photographer is competent in the use of flash and off-camera lighting techniques. I am happy shooting in natural light but I also offer that extra dimension to your wedding photography and keep on shooting when the natural light has disappeared, after all, the party is still going strong! ‘Natural light only’ photographers mean just that so choose wisely.
Congratulations to Phil and Jo on your wedding and I hope your beautiful Graphi Studio Italian handmade wedding album brings back so many special memories.
Map showing the location of the Manor House, Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
