Our penultimate wedding before the end of the year is an absolute beauty. The venue, breathtaking Skipton Castle. Autumn & James said their vows below a beautiful old church window with no glass – only the sounds of trees and nature, and champagne corks popping outside as they were wed! The couple look fabulous, the images are just wonderfully romantic thanks to Joss Denham Photography, who gets an amazing review from the happy couple!

Wedding photographer’s website

North East & Yorkshire wedding photographer Joss Denham

Wedding photographer review

Photographs were amazing! They captured everything that was good about the day, and will be moments we look back on for our whole lives. They captured the sense of the day and the happiness.

Joss was hands down everything we could have asked for from a wedding photographer. He kept things chilled out, he never asked us to do any silly poses or awkward shots. Everything felt natural, unforced and easy.

Venue name + review

We got married at Skipton Castle in Yorkshire. We chose the venue as it felt rustic, and elegant, and beautiful.

The ceremony itself took place in the Chapel, which was 12th Century. We exchanged rings under a huge, church-like arched window, without any panes of glass. We could see the trees rustling outside and hear bottles of champagne being popped ready for our drinks reception behind the chapel. There were views over the dales and the sun came out, which was magical. We would 100% recommend the venue. On top of the lovely venue itself, the staff were excellent. They were organised, responsive, kind and professional. For those that like the idea of getting married in a church, but are not religious – this was the ideal place. We had the reception in a local pub. Unfortunately they don’t usually do wedding receptions, but had kindly made an exception for us because of family nearby. It is a place I have been coming every year for christmas, birthdays, holidays etc.

Wedding look and style

The style of our wedding was sort of traditional and classic. We wanted the ceremony to feel elegant, and had a string quartet and a chapel filled with white flowers, ivy trailing through the windows, and candles. But we also wanted a full weekend to bring our close friends and family together for a lovely time in the Yorkshire dales. So we tried to keep the drinks flowing and food coming.

The colours were all whites, greens, and muted pastel pinks. We wanted the colours to feel delicate and gentle and they also felt that they fit in with the surrounding dales. This came out beautifully in the pics, eg with the stone walls in the background, within the castle grounds, in the courtyards and over the cobbles.

Tell us a little about your outfits

The wedding dress was a strapless ivory satin with pearl beading and a ridiculously long train. I loved the idea of coming down the isle in the old chapel with this huge train following behind. When our friend came up to give a reading he had to walk the other way around us because the train filled the whole side of the chapel – to all the guests, and our, amusement. I chose the dress with my mum in Royal Tunbridge Wells. I wore a flower headpiece that my mum wore for her wedding 39 years ago. The mens suits were navy and classic, with simple white rose button holes.

Florist name + review

We chose white and green flowers throughout. The bridal bouquet was filled with white lisianthus, and the bridesmaids a blush pink lisianthus, to match their nude pink dresses. Fresias also meant they smelt lovely all day. The huge floral displays are now being enjoyed in my grandparents home, squished into their living room- as they lived down the road and were carried from the pub the next morning there. About 6 months before our wedding the brides parent moved to the Yorkshire Dales, right next door to a florist. A lucky co-incidence, and team effort from the brides mum and aunty to make them look so beautiful. Ivy that filled the windows was sourced from local gardens in the days before!

Cake maker name + review

3 tiered cake, from a friend of my bridesmaid. 2 tiers of lemon, 1 of vanilla and raspberry jam. All covered in a white chocolate ganache. We managed to eat half the top tier out of a basket on our drive back down south the next day. It was amazing.

Catering

Directly after the ceremony we had canapes at Skipton Castle, from Good Food Story. All were fantastic but the blue cheese tartlets were our favourite. As we were clinging on to the last of the good weather we had canapes alongside prosecco and pimms. At the pub, for the wedding breakfast, we had a 3 course meal with a classic sticky toffee pudding for desert. All the guests also got a box of salted caramel truffles that were made at our local deli. The night was topped off with cheesy chips at half 9!

Wedding entertainment and music

We had a string quarter, the Ebor Quartet, during the ceremony and during drinks and canapes afterwards. They were amazing and helped set the mood in the chapel. They played mainly classical music although also a few Metallica songs (groom’s request). In the evening a local singer/songwriter played in the pub, including for the first dance.

Little extras and personal touches

Some of our friends provided entertainment and a bride/groom quiz on the coach between the ceremony and reception. Luckily the bride and groom had their own transport so couldn’t confirm/deny answers to the questions.

What would be your top tip for a future couple getting married?

Pick a photographer like Joss! We found him through a friends wedding and loved the vibe of them, plus our friend is really into photography so had really done the leg work to find such a great photographer. So it turned out wonderfully for us!

What advice would you give to a future couple to do/not do to make sure their guests have a great time at their wedding?

We did food and drinks and the pub the night before too, which helped make it feel like a whole weekend event and everyone could meet or reunite the day before!

What areas or vendors would you advise future couples to definitely invest in and/or even increase their budget on?

Good food and drink vendors, and of course a great photographer! In a couple of instances we switched travel and food vendors because they were a bit tricky and unresponsive. As soon as we switched to recommended ones it was unbelievablely easy, hassle free and great servive. Don’t spend money on people it is tricky to engage with.

James & Autumn’s recommended wedding suppliers for Skipton Castle