Barn Wedding East Yorkshire
The Barns East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer
If you are a creative couple looking to plan a truly unique wedding then The Barns, East Yorkshire could be the ideal venue for you. As a wedding photographer that loves the great outdoors this venue is so much fun to visit and one that I would always jump at the opportunity to visit again, this blog post is written from my own experiences and explains why I have such a soft spot for this venue.
How to get there
Getting to The Barns, East Yorkshire feels like an adventure in itself, approaching from Hull I exited onto the B1230 and then took a left onto Tongue Lane just after Newport. You drive along the long narrow road with views either side of stunning Yorkshire countryside as far as the eye can see. You will pass over a level crossing with a charming building attached, on my first visit to The Barns this crossing was still operated manually and it took me by surprise to see the attendant bring the barriers down to safely let the oncoming train through, this has now been modernised with automatic barriers but the crossing does still have a certain charm. Beyond this the road appears to almost come to an end as you approach a tight corner taking you to the right, The Barns are positioned on the inside of this corner and the generous car park can be accessed just before. Despite running close to the property, the road is so quiet that you very quickly forget it is there and you really do feel far from anywhere.
First impressions
Walking into the venue from the car park the first impression is that this is a property that is very much cared for and maintained to a high level. Everything looks sharp and tidy but in a way that maintains the rustic feel and character of the buildings, it is a genuine “wow” moment when you visit for the first time. The venue consists of two main barns, one is a brick building dating back to the 18th century and the other is a wooden structure that compliments this beautifully. Both barns are connected by a cosy courtyard with relaxed seating, more on that later!
On my most recent visit the groom and some of his family were staying in the onsite Swallow’s Nest Cottage, this is a new addition to the venue but it is built to fit beautifully into the land as though it has always been there. The cottage has a lovely country feel with a large kitchen boasting plenty of mirrors which came in handy for the groomsmen to fix their ties and pocket squares! The garden and paved areas outside the cottage are a fab spot for some smaller group photographs, with time on our side it was a good opportunity to get a few family shots and also some of the groomsmen looking dapper in their suits.
Harry Potter themed wedding
The theme for the day was Harry Potter which was very tastefully done and looked truly magical, blending beautifully with the rustic textures of the buildings. This is were The Barns East Yorkshire comes into it’s own, offering you a stunning blank canvas in which you can make your own with your own themes, ideas and décor. The team will talk through ideas with you, using their experience to recommend vendors to help make your ideas come to life. If you prefer the hands on approach then you will be given full freedom to make the venue your own, the team even allow you access the day before to get everything set up which is a massive bonus.
A rustic wedding to remember forever
Guests begin to arrive, congregating in the courtyard before heading through to the brick barn where they can get a drink from the well stocked bar. As you would expect for late October in East Yorkshire, it was quite a cold day! That said, the heating was on in the barns making it lovely and warm, the contrast in temperatures making the barns feel even more cosy. The ceremony takes place in the brick barn which is visually stunning and a joy to photograph. There is so much to love about this building, exposed brick, high ceiling, exposed beams, even the chairs look good! This is brilliant for a photographer because I can shoot from just about any angle knowing that the backgrounds will look fab! With the bride arriving, guests are seated and the groom receives a few last words of support from his best man, at this moment the large door at the back of the barn will be opened ready for the bride to enter. All eyes are on the bride as she arrives into the barn and walks down the aisle, these moments always pass so quickly but are so precious and are a privilege to witness and capture. Having the ceremony in the barn is such a special experience, your own piece of history adding to the long history of the building. With vows spoken, papers signed and all sealed with a kiss, it is now time to celebrate!
Confetti photographs
Exiting the barn each guest is given a generous handful of confetti and line either side of the walkway ready for the confetti photographs, I love this part of the day! The trees along the walkway almost form a tree tunnel, add to this a newly married couple, lots of excitable guests and hundreds of colourful pieces of confetti and you have all of the elements needed for some seriously fun photos!
With your guests all together and on their feet this is a fantastic opportunity to get the group photos done, we’ll go into this part of the day with a clear list which will have been planned ahead of the day, this way we can get each photograph quickly. The Barns offer a good choice of places to stage these group photos, personally I like the rustic walls of the barns because this is a backdrop that you don’t really get anywhere else, the textures look amazing and your group photos will really pop against this. This can be tailored depending on the size of your group and there are lots of other spaces to use, the large barn door looks brilliant and there are plenty of trees if a green backdrop is preferred.
Relaxed and fun couple photographs
With group photos finished and guests happily talking amongst themselves over a drink, this is a perfect opportunity to spend a short time getting some couple photographs which you will be proud to share for years to come. As mentioned a few times already, the barns and surrounding grounds are full of fantastic photo opportunities, we’ll have a loose plan and locations in mind so that we make full use of this time together. I’ll have my own ideas but if you have your own suggestions please shout them out and we’ll make sure to capture those for you too. I will always approach this part of the day in a relaxed manner, often this is the first time on your wedding day that you will have spent alone so I don’t want to take anything away from this moment for you. We’ll use a few locations and a variety of angles so that you have lots of photographs to cherish. As with all venues, the lighting changes dramatically throughout the day which will open up a wide range of new photo opportunities, I’ll communicate clearly with you and suggest a few ideas for additional couple photos at intervals during the day. Perhaps we get a beautiful sunset, or you may wish to use some of the venues lighting for some night time photos, there is no pressure from me to do this but if you would like these extras then I will do all I can for you.
Rustic wooden barn, evening celebrations
With the couple now back with their guests I take the opportunity to head into the wooden barn in which the wedding breakfast and evening party will take place. Wow! This room is spectacular! 4 long tables, all beautifully decorated in a way which would not look out of place in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Clearly lots of time has been put into the small details so I make sure to capture images of everything to add to the overall story of the day. The lighting in the barn is fantastic, twinkly fairly lights highlighting the beams and textures of the walls, candles adding highlights to the tables.
Guests are seated for dinner and I take the opportunity to have a quick scout around to plan a few other images that could be achieved in the evening. I mentioned at the start of this blog about a courtyard with relaxed seating, what I didn’t mention yet was the fire pit at the centre of this area. Traditional leather sofas are so inviting to relax on, all lit and warmed by the roaring fire which is maintained by the staff throughout the day, I made a mental note that this was an area we simply had to use for a few quick photos later in the evening.
Speeches took place at the end of dinner, I made sure to position myself to capture the guests reactions and emotions as they shared stories of life, laughter and love. An interval in proceedings gave the opportunity to quickly get the firepit images planned earlier, I was so happy to be able to capture these for the couple as it is a unique image that is not achievable at most other venues.
Dancefloor photography
As the day comes to a close the party was in full swing, the dancefloor was full of life and I made sure to position myself to capture all of the action, such a fun way to end a beautiful day.
Final thoughts
The staff were incredibly helpful all day and couldn’t do enough to ensure every element of the day went smoothly, there is clearly huge pride taken in the venue and this makes for a truly enjoyable experience for all who visit.
We are a husband and wife team of wedding photographers in Hull with a love of storytelling through images. If you are planning your own wedding day and like our style it would be great to have an informal chat to hear your story so far, your plans, and see if we’re a good fit for you.
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For more information on the venue please head over to the official East Yorkshire Barns website, if you have any questions I’m sure one of the team would be very happy to help.