August 2014 - Firehorse Photography & Filming by Simon Mark Whitten

22 Aug 2014

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Kimberley & Rashpal’s Pre-Wedding Photo-Shoot

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Where has the Summer gone?

It started well and the sun was shining last Wednesday, but the temperature didn’t match.

And it’s not because the location for Kim & Rashpal’s pre-wedding photo-shoot was coastal Scarborough because it’s been the same throughout Yorkshire for the last few weeks.

But the light was good and to a photographer, that’s the important bit, – it’s all about the quality of the light.

Scarborough is my favourite location for a pre-wedding or location portrait shoot as it’s got great Victorian seafront architecture, big skies, beach huts, covered arcade areas and the only element we couldn’t use the other day was the beach as it was an incoming high tide. Can’t have it all…

October 24th will be the couples wedding day with a Sikh ceremony wedding in Leeds followed by a reception at Rudding Park, Harrogate, my home town.

I’m really looking forward to this one…even if Summer will definitely be long gone by then!

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18 Aug 2014

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Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire Marquee Wedding, Part 01

Sticky Post By Simon Whitten On August 18, 2014 With No Comments

Last week was a busy week. The busiest week of the year for weddings with 3, this being the final one.

I shoot more marquee weddings than any other type of wedding or venue so Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire marquee wedding was another typical day in the office for me…and it’s a great office to work in!

Sophie & Ollie’s wedding came about as a result of a wedding I photographed last year for Louise & Christian with Christian’s parents being Ollie’s god-parents.
I don’t know if that makes Ollie & Christian god-brothers, or something…

So it was another gloriously sunny day in a field on top of a grassy hill in West Yorkshire, unlike our pre-wedding photo-shoot where it did nothing but rain.

Sophie wore Pronovias sourced from the Bond Street shop in London and the groom Ollie, traditional morning suit and the 6 adult bridesmaids were dressed in grey.

Flowers were by Tracy at The Butterfly Net and the car, a cream MGB by Sophie’s dad, John.

The ceremony at St John The Evangelist in Upper Denby was conducted by the very accommodating Rev. Jeff and during the ceremony, Sophie’s sister Frankie sang ‘Grow Old With Me’ by Tom O’Dell.

Part 02 of Sophie & Ollie’s wedding continues here with the reception.

18 Aug 2014

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Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire Marquee Wedding, Part 02

Sticky Post By Simon Whitten On August 18, 2014 With No Comments

Continuing on from Part 01 of Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire marquee wedding that took place on Saturday the 9th Aug in the village of Upper Denby, is Part 02, the reception.

This took place in a hilltop field with extensive views of the beautiful West Yorkshire countryside and just a short stroll from the church.

After a few family pics back at Sophie’s parents, the B&G arrived in Sophie’s father’s open top cream MGB for the champagne reception.
Might have technically been a Prosecco reception as these things should generally be called these days!

The catering was supplied by ‘The 3 Acres‘, a nearby local landmark restaurant with strong family connections (it’s owned and run by the groom’s god-parents) and instead of a cake cake, the couple had a stack of cheeses ‘cake’.

The evening entertainment was provided by wedding band The Juke Boxers and the couple are honeymooning/honeymooned in Tanzania and Zanzibar.

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14 Aug 2014

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Swinton Park Summer Wedding: Nadia & Eric (Part 01)

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Two of the greatest Swinton Park weddings that I have photographed to date have been on Thursdays with this, Nadia & Eric’s wedding day being the second of these.

The sun shone all day which at a Swinton Park Summer wedding is exactly what you’d want and it added real vibrancy to this most colourful of weddings.

The wedding itself was Muslim culture (Nadia’s family) meets Chinese culture (Eric’s family) in a quintessential English country house setting.

Nadia wore a gorgeous traditional dress in a colour I hope she won’t mind me calling peach with silver trim and Eric traditional outfit in white with red & silver trim.

The stunning bouquets, buttonholes and floral displays were by Stems. with hair and makeup by Debs at Love Hair & Beauty plus Zarina.

A Muslim ceremony followed directly after a civil ceremony in the library with a drinks reception in the drawing room and outside after that.

There are too many pictures to omit from even this highlight post so a second post follows here featuring the couple, speeches, dancing and fireworks.

14 Aug 2014

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Swinton Park Summer Wedding: Nadia & Eric (Part 02)

Sticky Post By Simon Whitten On August 14, 2014 With 1 Comment

Following on from Part 01, is the second of these 2 posts showcasing the highlights from Nadia & Eric’s Swinton Park Summer wedding.

Whilst the guests were being ushered into the dining room, I spent a few minutes with Nadia & Eric getting a few pictures of them in and around the house & grounds.

The meal itself was accompanied by a sitar player and were some of the most heartfelt and emotional speeches I have heard this year with 6 speakers, – 3 from each side of the newly merged families.

Then it was cake cutting, bouquet toss and first dance with both a band and bhangra dancers. The photos probably don’t do this bhangra dancing justice as James at Cornerstone Cinema wedding film will no doubt demonstrate.

The evening culminated (for me anyway) close to 11pm with a dramatic firework display by Sirotechnics.

Full gallery with international print ordering facility available by clicking here.

05 Aug 2014

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Papakata Marquee Wedding: Sophia & Christopher Part 01

Sticky Post By Simon Whitten On August 5, 2014 With No Comments

If you have reached this page via the Journal link, you will have been informed that the sun shone.

The temperature gauge on my car was rising by half a degree every 5 minutes on the fairly brief drive to the other side of Thirsk and Baldersby St James for the Papakata marquee wedding of Sophia & Christopher.

It topped out at 28 degrees C by lunchtime so probably climbed higher but never actually felt too hot.

The first thing though was cake. Specifically Toy Story chocolate cake. And ginger beer.
It was Xan, the bride’s brothers birthday the previous day and I was invited to join the family for the end of their lunch.
(Top tip, – make your photographer part of your wedding day and you get better wedding pics. Feed them chocolate cake and ginger beer, you get their best!)

Sophia wore a Charlie Brear wedding dress from The White Closet, Didsbury and was attended by her 2 bridesmaids, Nicola & Imogen in cream with floral headpieces by one of my very favourite florists, Lucy MacNicoll.

The ceremony in St. James’s church was conducted by Suzanne Jukes and followed by a garden party reception and Papakata marquee next door in the Old Parsonage grounds, the home of Sophia’s grandparents, more of which in Part 02 of this post.

05 Aug 2014

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Papakata Wedding, Sophia & Christopher, Part 02

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Continuing on from Part 01 of Sophia & Christopher’s Papakata wedding is Part 02, the reception.

The garden party style reception was held in the beautiful & unique location of Sophia’s grandparents grounds of their house, the Old Parsonage in Baldersby St James, between Thirsk & Ripon in North Yorkshire.

Although the temperature was quite hot, there was plenty of shade within the garden and the heat never became overwhelmingly so.

Canapes and drinks were served on the lawn followed by the 3 course wedding breakfast & speeches in the Papakata teepee style tent with catering by the ever excellent Yorkshire Party Company who I work with on several weddings every year.

The evening entertainment was by ceiligh band Coila all the way from Ayrshire in Scotland with dancing late into the night.

Cake was by Bettys of Harrogate and a Yorkshire institution!

The couple will be honeymooning in New Zealand in the new year due to Army Captain Christopher’s commitments.

Full gallery with print ordering option available by clicking here.

Month: August 2014

Kimberley & Rashpal’s Pre-Wedding Photo-Shoot

Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire Marquee Wedding, Part 01

Sophie & Ollie’s West Yorkshire Marquee Wedding, Part 02

Swinton Park Summer Wedding: Nadia & Eric (Part 01)

Swinton Park Summer Wedding: Nadia & Eric (Part 02)

Papakata Marquee Wedding: Sophia & Christopher Part 01

Papakata Wedding, Sophia & Christopher, Part 02

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