Holmfirth Vineyard Wedding Photographer

Louise & Alan’s Holmfirth Vineyard Wedding

Despite the British winter making a comeback, there was a real sense of “sod it, let’s do it!” in the air — which is exactly what a wedding should be like. If anything, it made for some brilliantly funny photographs.

Holmfirth Vineyard sits on the hillside above the Holme Valley, a few miles south of Huddersfield, and the view is the whole point of the place. On a still evening that view is the easiest job in the world. On this day it came with low cloud sitting in the bottom of the valley, a wind coming over the top, and rain — and honestly, it was better for it.

The morning

Louise got ready with her bridesmaids — dress hanging in the window, the kilt on its hanger in the next frame, and a bouquet of burnt orange, deep red and white against ivory. The bridesmaids were in mixed jewel shades rather than one colour: sage green, red, burnt orange, blush. It is a braver call than matching them all up, and in a group photograph it looks far, far better.

A Scottish groom, and a Yorkshire downpour

Alan is Scottish, so there were kilts. It turns out a wet Pennine hillside holds no fear whatsoever for a man in a kilt, which is more than could be said for the rest of us. The clear umbrellas came out, the flagstones went shiny, and everybody simply got on with it.

Sadly, some of the kilt photographs are best left off the internet — I would quite like to keep my Instagram account. These are the ones that made the cut.

The ceremony

They married in the Solaris Suite, with a floral arch at the top of the aisle and the whole valley filling the windows behind it. A glass-fronted room is a gift on a grey day: the light comes in soft and even from one side, nothing needs a flash, and the weather outside stops being a problem and starts being a backdrop.

The view, between the showers

There is a gap in every wet day and we took ours. A few minutes down among the vines, then back along the terrace with the valley dropping away behind — mist in the bottom of it, fields climbing the far side. The men lined up on the wet flagstones, the bridesmaids got their bouquets in the air, and Louise’s veil did exactly what you want a veil to do in that much wind.

The party

Speeches, cake, and then a first dance that turned into a full dip under the fairy lights. After that the floor did not empty again — kilts, bright dresses and green uplighting until the end.

Louise and Alan — a truly welcoming and incredible bunch of people. On behalf of Ollie and me, a big thank you for making us feel so at home.