FANTASTIC NORTH EAST WEDDING VENUES AND LOCATIONS PHOTOGRAPHED BY A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, NATURALLY IN A RELAXED INFORMAL MANNER

	Read my Wedding BLOG - all about recent weddings by Dirk van der Werff

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What's happens during our wedding.....?

My most recent weddings

It's the BIGGEST day of your life.
The less stress the better, but if you have invited only your closest friends and your nearest and dearest relatives, that's the way it should be!
I want to have as much fun as you, because my aim always is to blend in and become part of your day, to capture the fun and the laughter and detail - naturally

Nicola's wedding in Durham

Victoria at The Crab and Lobster

Lynn's wedding at Lindisfarne Castle

Kate's wedding at Langley Castle

Most brides wish for me to be around from when they are getting ready, when they are chatting with their friends with a glass of champagne. This gives me an opportunity to create photographs of your dress before you put it on.
If you prefer not to have me around at that time, no problem at all and I will be happy to meet with you later in the day.
Often the wedding is in one location, at a country house or hotel with a civil ceremony and that makes things much easier and more compact, allowing me to flit between groups of people or the bride and groom and parents as the day progresses, but if you start at home, and move to a church wedding and have a wedding breakfast and speeches elsewhere, that's not a problem either.

Louise at Jesmond Dene House Hotel

Amy's wedding at Ellingham Hall

relaxed

Karen's wedding at Crathorne Hall

Natalie's wedding at Gisborough Hall

I will be with the two of you most of the day.
Not in your face. but close by, observing and taking discreet and candid photographs of your natural smiles and interactions between the two of you and with your family and guests.
There's nothing forced, nothing un-natural. I won't be stopping the natural flow of the day, and I'll make sure that all the details photographs so beloved of brides, the favours, the tables, the flowers , the cake details, the rings, the dress details, the hats and the gifts are all captured before the end of the day.
Once the service is over at the church, the plan is to get you outside and meet and greet with your guests - lots of nice natural images of your smiles and happiness rather than static images of lines of people.
Then, if you or your family want some images at the church, that's fine, we can do that in 5 minutes flat and then head off to your reception venue, so you can relax and chill out and start to enjoy your day!
Parents and grandparents EXPECT the photographer to start organising groups and such like straight after a ceremony ..... that's not the best way to do things.
We have all been to the weddings from hell, where the photographer takes over, barking orders, while his assistant marshalls the troops and, with the help of all the groomsmen and best man, give everyone their orders for a ll the formal photography - the dreaded groups!
Unless YOU REALLY WANT TO ... the best course of events is to relax .. meet and greet outside your church and then head off to your chosen reception venue.
Once you are there .. do we start doing loads of group shots and marshall your guests ... err, no.
You have a glass or two of champagne, you mingle, you chat and talk and laugh and cry and talk ..... it all makes for great natural wedding photographs.
Often, when we arrive at the hotel or venue for the wedding breakfast, the staff have already set aside an hour or two for photographs ..... why?
All my best photographs will come from you all having a great celebration - the laughter, the fun, the ambiance .... once you have had 45 minutes or an hour of that, then I will suggest, or we will sort out between us, a few close family groups .. that's mums and dads and grandads and grandmas ... and bridesmaids and best man sort of thing.
They will take about 10 minutes, max. I will sort them, nobody needs to be bothered, there will be no shouting, only fun and laughter.
If we get the opportunity, I will siggest that we do one big group photo, to make sure we get a shot of everyone who attends, andf that's it.
No bother, no hassle, no stress, just relaxed and chilled out and fun!
You will NEVER be late for your wedding breakfast because of me. Head chefs and wedding co-ordinators love me, because I'm no bother, no problem and actually helpful and liase with them, rather than fight with them or be awkward.
They have important jobs to do - and so do I, but, together with the two of you, we can sort it easily and stress free.
Once you are in the wedding breakfast and in among the speeches, everything will flow nice and easy (have you considered having the speeches first ?).
Once the formals are over, EVERYONE will want fresh air, more alcohol, they will want to sit down to relax and get ready for the evening fun and frolics!
This is a great time for you to freshen up, for me to laise with your mums and dads and get some of those less important fam ily shots that we didn't get before sitting down, and wh nyou re-appear, I will take you way for 10 or 15 minutes and get some photographs of you on your own - at last!
As soon as I'm done, you have time to prepare for the evening celebrations - and I will be there too if you want me. By your side, discreet and a friend close-by to help if you need it!

DIRK VAN DER WERFF 2010

A magnificent 6 tier wedding cake with 110 individual white, milk and dark chocolate cakes filled with chocolate mouse and sponge and spray painted with more chocolate!

Rachel's wedding at Headlam Hall

Shelley's wedding at Langley Castle

Lucy's wedding at Seaham Hall

Catherine's wedding at Crathorne Hall

Rhoanne's wedding at Headlam Hall

Gill's wedding at Bowes and Teesdale

Kerry's wedding at Tynemouth

Leila's at Sunderland Glass Centre

Louise in her Vera Wang dress with her bouquet of feathers and white zantdeschias

Weddings in County Durham

Kirstey's wedding at Wynyard Hall

Weddings in Cleveland / Teesside

Claire's wedding at Redworth Hall

Weddings in Northumberland

Anne's wedding at Redworth Hall

Pre-wedding portrait photography

	Stephanie choose a retro outfit for her mum's wedding at Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island - see my BLOG entry HERE

	If you have a wedding party of less than 22 individuals, then why not try booking the Captain's cabin for your wedding breakfast on board HMS Trincomalee - the second oldest floating warship in the world, berthed in Hartlepool Historic Quay on the north east coast of England

	A relaxed and happy group of friends and relatives wait for me to fall off the wall during Andrew and Rhoanne's wedding at Headlam Hall during the height of summer!

	.... and some lovely weddings from previous years ....from Tontine Restaurant North Yorkshire, The Crab and Lobster near Thirsk, Crathorne Hall, Langley Castle, Redworth Hall, Guyzance Hall, Doxford Hall, Judges Country House Hotel, Slaley Hall, Close House Hotel, Tall Trees Yarm, Hardwick Hall, Dissington Hall, Rockliffe Hall Chillingham Castle and Beamish Hall

Jo & Jez at Crathorne

Tall Trees Yarm

Lucy at Matfen Hall

Lindsey at Dissington

	ALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS © Dirk van der Werff. Images cannot be reproduced without permission. © 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Aquilegia Photographic Ltd / website by Dirk van der Werff