Mabryn & Matt travelled from Charleston, South Carolina to York, England to celebrate their wedding day at The Grand hotel.
When I first received Mabryn’s enquiry through instagram last year I was excited by it, and boy it did not disappoint! We met properly in the Spring for Mabryn & Matt’s engagement shoot which we captured around York City Centre in various locations like The Museum Gardens, and a little cosy pub, as they wanted a relaxed photoshoot with little posing. I knew as I sipped a drink with them that we would get along perfectly on the big day, they already felt like friends!
The night before the wedding I was invited to attend the rehearsal dinner to photograph the candid moments and speeches at their wedding venue- The Grand in York. It really helped me get to know them all even better which helped so much on the day of the wedding, with their friends and family already used to me. Matt’s extended family all live in England so there were a mixture of Americans and British guests attending the wedding and there were many lighthearted jokes about the use of Yorkshire slang and how their American friends and family may make use of the dictionary Matt’s father had created!
The day of the wedding itself we had so many different weather conditions to challenge us but it made for some creative and beautiful photos indoors and out, from the first look on The Grand Hotel’s elegant staircase, couples photos outside under York City Walls for shelter, wedding party shots both inside the boardroom due to a sudden rain shower and later, more relaxed shots down by the river when the sun came out and did its beautiful thing! This is where I captured some of my fave shots of the day, the light coming through the trees and highlighting the beautiful cape Mabryn wore over her timeless House of Renhue dress.
Mabryn’s hair and make up by Hannah Dora Make up and Paige Lauren Hair were fresh, classy and beautiful, and her bridesmaids wore a fabulous mixture of colours, shapes and prints that were so individual but worked stunningly well together. Matt and his groomsmen wore traditional morning suits marking their place as gentlemen for the day!
The ceremony in the Boardroom looked stunning with the most beautiful floral displays by Sophie from Walter & blossom and styling by Ambience Styling, the couple were greeted to the Yorkshire string quartet during the ceremony playing beautifully, I definitely shed a tear or two during the vows and then later in the day during the speeches. Having walked in to the Boardroom when the candles were lit on long tables which had been expertly dressed by Ambience for the wedding breakfast, I was struck with how beautiful it all looked together and it struck me that the pretty pastel coloured aesthetic may have been a nod to the couple’s home town of Charleston with its colourful streets.
The attention to detail and creativity from the couple was outstanding and made the wedding so memorable, from the invitations, with a hand drawn image of The Grand on the front that Mabryn drew herself, to the wax seals, envelopes and drinks sleeves with the spectacular design incorporating two M’s with a palm tree and moon, and a Yorkshire rose for their two homes.
Later in the evening after the walk by the river in York, Mabryn surprised everyone with her second look of the day, taking off her floaty cape and adding a halter neck to her figure hugging gown she looked incredibly classy and it was such a cool look for the evening do, meaning she could dance the night away freely and they certainly did, with a couple of quick pauses to make the most of the golden evening light filtering in through the boardroom windows.
All in all one of the best days I’ve experienced as a wedding photographer and just goes to show how changing weather conditions and fluid plans can all work out beautifully in the end!
All suppliers listed below images!
SUPPLIERS
Photographer- Leanne Peacock Photography @lpeacock_photography
Venue – The Grand, York @thegrandyork
Stylist – Ambience Styling (Lydia) @ambiencenorthyorkshire
Florist – Walter and Blossom (Sophie) @walterandblossom
Hair – Paige Lauren @paigelauren_bridalhair
Makeup – Hannah Dora @hannahdoramakeup
Coordinator – Daisy
Events manager – Chris
Dress – Renhue @houseofrenhue Lovely Bride Charleston @lovelybridechs
The String Quartet
@theyorkshirestringquartet
