Anna & Ryan – The Wedding

The Bloggue de Bordeaux..

Bloggue de Bordeaux…? Yep I’ll get to that 😉

It seemed like a long time ago that we booked this; but Saturday 29th July finally came around for Anna and Ryan’s Wedding.  I’d been looking forward to this for ages and knew we would be in for a fun day after meeting up with them previously for their pre-wedding pics.  I knew then that Anna and Ryan would be creating a fantastic DIY Wedding to remember!

Kettlewell has always been quite a special place for me and my family as my Mum was evacuated there towards the end of World War II.  It was my first destination of the day so.. car loaded (scrambled eggs and sausage destroyed) and I was on my way to get the day going with the bridal and groom preparation shots at a real Yorkshire Wedding!

Kettlewell Village Hall .. What a beautiful little venue.. tucked away right in the centre of the village.  It had a lovely rustic feel to it with chairs dressed by Betty Loves Vintage and topped off beautifully with a funky Wurlitzer jukebox from jukebox-hire.co.uk   The staff couldn’t have have been more helpful and accommodating.  Top marks all round.

I always like to get shots of the venue before any guests get there as I know how much work goes into setting the room up before hand.  My 1st shot of the day was a masterpiece (even if I do say so myself) ha ha !

Loved doing the prep shots; with all the usual chaos that ensues.  The vibe was starting to feel exiting now too as time was ticking on.  The best bit for me was… ‘Daisy, daisy…’ 😉 ok enough with the randomness.. When I did the pre- wedding shots for Anna and Ryan I met the lovely Daisy a Doggue de Bordeaux.  I fell in love on the spot.  What a beautiful hound !!

(Gotta say it was hilarious watching Ryan run around the house after her catching impending slobber secretions.  Her expression was comedy genius…  Fair to say she didn’t give a damn lol)

So back to the wedding!  We’d decided I’d hitch a lift with the guests to Skipton on the bus that had been put on to get people to the ceremony and back.  A beautiful vintage Bus provided by Yesteryear

Hats off to the driver too!  I had struggled driving my car to Kettlewell with all the narrow roads, twists turns and random sheep 🙂 !! He managed to navigate a socking great double-decker with apparent ease whilst I snapped away at the guests.

(who on the whole were managing to avoid too much travel sickness)

Anna really broke the mould for this wedding and was actually early to the venue!! Unheard of but.. it gave us plenty of time to snap away at some lovely pics before the ceremony started.

I really enjoyed the ceremony.  This is one of the reasons I love wedding photography.  Its an absolute privilege to share a day like this with a couple.  I guess I’m a bit of a softie really  but its all about Love…  I managed to remain professional tho and not get emosh’ during the ceremony… but.. it really was quite touching to see the love between Anna and Ryan..

(even if the vows did take eleventeen hours for them to get through) ha ha!

My ride back to Kettlewell was with the lovely Ange who was fab!! (thank you for looking after me all day by the way and making sure I was fed and watered.  You’re a star! x )  I would insert a piccie but she’d kill me as, like me, she hates having her piccie taken!!  We managed to get back just before Anna & Ryan so that we could grab a couple of shots with the Camper van.  (thanks Mr Van driver for being a good sport) Beautiful split screen VW Camber by the way.. Very cool! Provided by Bronte Camper Hire highly recommended fleet of bugs!!

Whilst the guests were busy tucking into a drink we moved on to one of my favourite bits of the day.  I love to take the Bride and Groom off for some location shots with just them.  As well as getting really nice pictures I think it gives the bride and groom time to breathe out and relax a little bit.  Wedding days can be gone in a blink so its nice to slow them down a little and take the new Mr and Mrs for a walk, a giggle and a little photo shoot.

(thanks Aiden for your help carrying bags.  Very much appreciated!)

I guess traditionally its at this point that my day tends to start to slow down a little.. Depending on what couples want I try to slip into the background a little and move to almost a reportage coverage of the day.  I’m very conscious not to turn a wedding into a photo-shoot…  Its not about me, its about the couple’s special day.

There was a real family feel to the guests and it was very much a child friendly wedding. The kids were great and were well entertained (they kept me busy too!!) little tykes 😉

There were still a few things we ‘needed to do’  group shots for example.  We’d been organised though and had a list to work from so they were done quickly and again the guests were left to enjoy the entertainment and food (bar provided  by Bronte bars and events).

The spread was amazing and delicious!!  I asked which company had done the food for them so that I could mention it in the blog and I couldn’t believe this had been prepared by the family!! Take a bow guys …I may have hoovered up a little bit myself .. after the guests obviously 😉

(and thanks as I’ll be needing more miles on the exercise bike now.. either that or my clothes are somehow shrinking…? )

How cool was that cake guys!! Again prepared by the family!! The characters done by Mrs B’s Bespoke cakes

The ‘Best Man’s speech’ was without a doubt one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Well done Oliver you did a fab job and had everyone in stitches!  Take a bow mate..

A special mention has to also go to Trouble at t’mil These guys did an absolutely great couple of sets throughout the afternoon.   Really really good music and a cracking set of lads too.  Was nice to have a chat with them after they’d done and were re-lubricating the vocal chords with a well earned pint of the gold stuff!

My last action of the day was to grab some shots of the 1st dance.  I only managed to grab a couple before the dance floor was flooded with everyone enjoying a boogie with the couple

I left everyone going nuts to the second band of the evening;  Northern Epidemic who were really getting the crowd going at this point.. These guys are awesome! Its always nice to see people getting up and having a dance at a wedding rather than the DJ sat there playing songs to himself.

Anna & Ryans guests did them proud.. maybe they’re all a bit nuts.. 😉

I slipped away thoroughly exhausted but having had an amazing day.. but on my way I was accosted by a hog roast that insisted I sample its delights before leaving.. How could I refuse.. Well basically that was never going to happen .. Piggin Fantastic the name says it all!!!

I’m so pleased I was asked to be a part of Anna and Ryans wedding.  I’ll remember it for a very long time..

I’m also going to miss the lovely Daisy xx

If….. you’ve made it this far thanks for reading and well done!  I’m no blogger (you probably guessed that) and this is certainly the first time I’ve blogged about a wedding.  It wont be the last though as its been a nice little trip back to a LOVELY…

(there is a joke there to those who know)

…day with beautiful people

Thank you Anna & Ryan.. I will get cracking with the editing!

Ben  xx

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Ben Cumming

Hi, I’m Ben Cumming, your go-to Yorkshire Wedding Photographer. I’ve been honoured with awards like The Photographers Bar from The Guild of Photographers, and I’m one of the few to achieve ‘Qualified’ status in the country. I’m not just about taking pictures; I’m about telling your love story. Whether you’re into soft floral tones or dramatic “wow” images, I’ve got you covered. I’ve had the privilege of capturing weddings across Yorkshire—from Huddersfield to my hometown of Batley. Beyond weddings, I also offer portrait shoots and mentor upcoming photographers. I’m a proud member of The Fellowship of Photographers Association and come highly recommended by various wedding venues. Choose me to make your wedding day unforgettable. Looking forward to telling your love story through my lens!