I have photographed one Bowcliffe Hall wedding, Duncan and Caroline's, and it is still one of the days I get asked about most. Partly the venue. Mostly the weather, and what the weather made us do.
"It rained all morning. It stopped exactly as they sat down to eat. So I went and got them."
The VenueWhat Bowcliffe Hall gives you
- iIndoors and out, in the same place. The hall has enough rooms and enough sheltered corners that a wet morning does not wreck the plan. We kept everything indoors or right beside the building until the sky changed its mind.
- iiThe staircase. Some of the most memorable frames from this day were taken on it. If you are marrying here, save a few minutes for it.
- iiiThe gardens. Sunlight coming through the trees, and room to move. This is where the day turned.
- ivDogs are welcome. Nina came, and she is in a lot of the photographs. Bowcliffe Hall is dog friendly, which not every country house is.
A Real Bowcliffe DayDuncan & Caroline, rain then sun
I don't fight the rain. I just stay ready for it to stop.
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A wet morning
It rained, so we moved. Most of the day was held indoors or right beside the hall, using the rooms and sheltered spots it has rather than the plan we started with.
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The sky changed at exactly the wrong moment
The rain stopped just as the wedding breakfast began. Best light of the day, and everyone sat down to eat.
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So I went and got them
I grabbed my camera and asked Duncan and Caroline to step outside with me. We went into the gardens with the sun coming through the trees, and that unplanned shoot is the set of pictures this wedding is remembered for.
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The staircase, and Nina
Back inside for the staircase frames, with their dog Nina in the middle of most of it. She was a proper part of the day rather than a guest who happened to have four legs.
"A venue that works in the rain is worth more than a venue that only works in the sun. Bowcliffe gave us somewhere to be all morning, and a garden to run to the moment it cleared."
PricingA full day at Bowcliffe Hall
A full day of Bowcliffe Hall wedding photography starts from £1,800, with no travel charge anywhere in Yorkshire. The pricing page has what's included and the shorter options.
Duncan & Caroline's SuppliersWho made the day
Venue: Bowcliffe Hall. Flowers: BlossEm. Cake: Dream Cake Designs, Dianne Stanley. Suits: Top Mark Suit Hire. Dress: Laura Jane Bridal. Styling: Limelight Wedding Emporium.
