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Whenever I sit down with a couple for the first time, I always ask the same thing: “Where is your place?”
It’s an important question. I’m not looking for a backdrop that looks good on a postcard; I’m looking for the place that feels like home to them. Maybe it’s the pub where they had their first pint, a rugged stretch of the Dales, or a windswept coastal path with an ice cream in hand. For Stacie and Jack, their “place” happened to be one of the most arresting architectural marvels in Yorkshire.
Now, I have to be a bit careful here. Due to a certain amount of red tape and the kind of bureaucracy that usually requires a three-piece suit and a clipboard, I’m not officially naming this location. But let’s be honest—if you’ve spent more than five minutes in Yorkshire, you’ll recognise these soaring arches and the weight of that 12th-century stone immediately.
I’ve shot here before—most notably a full-scale wedding at the abbey a few years back—but this session felt different. There’s a certain irony in the way these places are guarded. Personally, I’ve always thought the best way to keep these beautiful ruins alive isn’t through gatekeeping, but by filling them with life, movement, and stories. If the powers-that-be see these images, I hope they see what I see: two people making history in a place that’s full of it.
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Walking through the valley with Stacie and Jack was effortless. Some couples take a minute to warm up to the lens, but these two have a natural shorthand—a way of bouncing off one another that makes my job remarkably easy.
They led the way, taking me to their favourite nooks and crannies of the estate. We avoided the “tourist shots” and instead went for something a bit more editorial—capturing the scale of the ruins against the very real, very vibrant energy they bring to the frame. It wasn’t about the “monument”; it was about how they fit within it.
There’s a specific joy in witnessing the “quiet before the storm” of a wedding. These pre-wedding sessions aren’t just a dress rehearsal; they’re a chance to capture the couple exactly as they are before the white dress and the formal “I dos.”
Stacie and Jack are the real deal—professional, fun, and clearly ready for a bit of a rock-and-roll celebration later this year. If this session was the prologue, I can’t wait to see what the main event looks like when we document the rest of their story.
Thank you, Stacie and Jack, for trusting me with your “place.” I’ll see you at the altar.
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YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
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