T he 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. (“Lashings of ginger beer”!!) It was Xan, the bride’s brother’s 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 very 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 and 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!
What else can I say about this wedding without getting ‘over-flowery’? Well quite simply, it was perfect and a joy to photograph. A great setting, great people and just a really really great day.
Probably the most memorable part of the day for me was the evening and the ceiligh, – so much more fun than a DJ! They can be a tricky to photograph due to their nature, but stay long enough and you can!
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 the link.
Papakata Wedding Photography by Firehorse Photography
