Tag: south yorkshire wedding photographer

  • Louicia & Dean’s Lawns Farm Wedding

    Louicia & Dean’s Lawns Farm Wedding

    Spring Wedding Day On A Working Farm

    That’s right, a working farm complete with livestock, mud, lumpy grass, the works.

    I’ll admit this kind of wedding is not for everyone.

    If your idea of a perfect wedding doesn’t involve at least one of your guests slipping in the mud then I would suggest avoiding a farm wedding.

    There is a lot to love about Lawns Farm.ย ย 

    It is family run and the whole village gets involved, including the animals.ย  This kind of wedding venue feels so much more personal and down to earth.ย  Honestly, for all the glitz and glamour of a stately home wedding, I think there is something to be said for coming home with muddy boots, stinking of bonfire smoke.

    Of course a wedding wouldn’t be much without an amazing couple and a bunch of crazy guests to get the party stared, and oh boy did this lot deliver.ย  Shots were flowing, heads were knocking on the bouncy castle, people were chasing goats for selfies, and of course there was beer pong in the tent.

    Louicia and Dean were restricted to 30 guests because of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, but I must say it felt like just the right amount of people to give the day a party vibe without being overcrowded.

    Before we get to the sneak peak slideshow and some photos, I’d like to acknowledge some of the team who helped make this day possible:

    The Wedding Movie

    The Photos

  • Gabi & Matthew’s Sheffield General Cemetery Wedding

    Gabi & Matthew’s Sheffield General Cemetery Wedding

    A Wedding at Sheffield General Cemetery

    In my time running a photography club in Sheffield I have been to Sheffield General Cemetery quite a few times.ย ย It’s an amazing place full of atmosphere in the middle of Sheffield.ย  I know this phrase gets overused these days, but it is definitely a hidden gem.ย ย 

    At first glance it you might think this is just an overgrown mess, full of old decrepit gravestones, weeds and old trees.ย  Yes, it is a little ungainly, but that is what gives it a spooky charm ideal for all kinds of seasonal occasions.ย  The Samuel Worth Chapel has been recently revamped so that it now perfectly serves a low-key wedding ceremony and reception.ย  The plain white walls provide a blank canvas for you to make your own with flowers and decorations, whilst the bar and bathrooms give your guests everything they’ll need to enjoy themselves in comfort.

    There are plenty of traditional places around Sheffield to get married.ย  For those looking to break from tradition, the Sheffield General Cemetery is definitely worth a look.ย  Yes you’ll have to get over the idea of getting married in a cemetery, and you’ll get a lot of people making jokes about it being symbolic of the death of your freedom, if you can get over that then you’ll have a wedding that your guests will be talking about for years to come.ย ย 

    That brings us nicely on to Gabi and Matthew, who not only ‘got over’ the idea of getting married in a cemetery but embraced it.ย  Their humanist ceremony at the General Cemetery was all about rejecting traditional wedding stuff and doing their own thing.

    But first, they had to get legally married at the Sheffield Town Hall.

    Wedding Ceremony @ Sheffield Town Hall

    From the outset, Gabi and Matthew didn’t want to be tied down by outdated wedding traditions.ย 

    They got ready together, arrived together and walked down the aisle together.

    This meant that we were able to get a few nice snaps on the steps of the Town Hall with the two of them together, something you can’t always do when the bride arrives after everyone else has settled in the ceremony room.

    These photos from Sheffield Town Hall were taken on the Friday prior to their Sheffield General Cemetery wedding day on the Saturday.

    The Wedding Celebration @ Sheffield General Cemetery

    Fast forward to Saturday morning and we’re at Gabi and Matthew’s home in Sheffield.ย  ย Again both getting ready and travelling to the wedding together.

    The relaxed vibe continued throughout the day as guests gradually arrived at the Samuel Worth Chapel at the Sheffield General Cemetery.

    Thankfully it was a beautiful day (considering it was October in Britain).ย  It did rain a little in the late evening but this didn’t cause any issues since the food trucks had long gone by then.ย ย 

    Oh man did I mention the food trucks?ย ย 

    You know there is a reason I don’t lose weight even though I spend my days on my feet :-).ย  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some amazing food at weddings in the past, but I am very partial to street food.ย  I was invited by Gabi and Matthew to get myself some food from the trucks; still I politely waited until most of the guests had gotten their dinner before I joined the queue.ย  I opted for Shoot The Bull since I liked the look of the steak sandwich, but by the time I got to the front they were out of beef.ย  I ended up with the halloumi, all I can say is never have I been so pleased that my first choice wasn’t available.ย  Highly recommended :-).

    The Dream Team

    Before we get to the photos I think it’s worth dropping some links to the hard working small businesses that made this day possible.

    And now, some photos…

    All photos and videos in the article were taken by JLM Wedding Photography

  • Sheffield Town Hall and Staindrop Lodge Weddingย 

    Sheffield Town Hall and Staindrop Lodge Weddingย 

    The story of a Staindrop Lodge Wedding

    I know I come across as polite and well mannered.

    Rest assured though, I grew up around the beauty industry.  I have seen and heard it all, very little shocks me.

    Having said that, Becky’s bridesmaids put in a concerted effort to break through my well trained demeanour.

    My poor Unmanned Corner Cam saw things no camera should ever see.  I guess I was asking for that by leaving it in a mostly empty room rather than in a busy room where I would usually set it up.

    In all honesty I had a great time from the start.

    I could tell straight away that this was not going to be a dull day.

    By the way, if you want to see the collection from the Unmanned Corner Cam you are going to have to speak to Becky and Jordan, they ain’t going on my Facebook page ;-).

    St Paul’s Mercure Hotel, Sheffield

    st pauls mercure hotel sheffield

    My day began in St Paul’s Mercure hotel in Sheffield City Centre, where Becky and team had stayed the night before and were now getting ready.

    It was pretty calm overall.

    Makeup was going on, hair was being curled and spirits were high.

    Speaking of make-up, the make-up artist had brought along a pretty hefty studio light to help her do her job in the otherwise quite dark hotel room.  It made for a few interesting prep shots which I usually wouldn’t get.  I don’t tend to bring much lighting gear to hotel rooms because I like to be discrete as well as able to leave quickly, so this was an interesting opportunity to try something a little different.

    The Wedding Ceremony at Sheffield Town Hall

    I am no stranger to weddings at the Town Hall in Sheffield.

    Even though I have covered weddings here numerous times before (see them on the blog here) I get a slightly different experience each time.

    Not having to worry about last minute parking in Sheffield City Centre on a Saturday afternoon was a pleasant change this time around.

    I did see something new actually.

    Whilst reading the vows for Becky and Jordan to recite, the celebrant actually said the Best Man’s name instead of the Groom’s.

    Suffice to say, talk of this little faux-pas carried on late into the evening.

    Staindrop Lodge

    We spent a bit of time in the Peace Gardens in Sheffield after the ceremony.

    We took a couple of snaps whilst everyone had a little chat and a catch-up, then the newlyweds made their way off in their wedding car to Staindrop Lodge.

    Staindrop Lodge in Chapeltown is a lovely little spot ideal for smaller weddings.

    I didn’t experience the wedding meal so I can’t comment on that, though I can tell you the burgers from the bar menu are fantastic!

    The staff were all very good too as far as I could tell.  Everyone I spoke to was very helpful and accommodating.

    So, the wedding party spend the remains of the day at the Staindrop Lodge enjoying the mild weather and flowing drinks.

    At night the DJ set up his stall and the party got going.  I left around the time the ties were being tied around the foreheads, nobody needs photos of that ;-).

    Highlights from the Gallery


    See ya next time.

    James

  • An autumn themed Fairway Pub, Dodworth weddingย 

    An autumn themed Fairway Pub, Dodworth weddingย 

    An Autumn Themed Wedding

    What better way to to beat the autumn blues than to embrace the beauty of the season with an autumn themed wedding?

    Orange was the colour of the day.

    The bright orange contrasted beautifully with the earth tones and wood that decorated the venue.

    Autumn wasn’t the only theme for the day though.

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  • Lyndsey & Steve’s Superhero Themed Whitley Hall Hotel Wedding

    Lyndsey & Steve’s Superhero Themed Whitley Hall Hotel Wedding

    Getting married on a bank holiday in Britain is a bit of a gamble, weather-wise.

    Luckily Lyndsey and Steve landed on the first sunny August bank holiday weekend since 1874.

    I have been to Whitley Hall hotel before so I was already excited about coming back, when they told me about the superhero theme I just couldn’t wait.

    So, here’s the story.

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  • St James Church, Anston & Consort Hotel Wedding

    St James Church, Anston & Consort Hotel Wedding

    I arrived at the Consort Hotel in Thurcroft nice and early to find the air conditioner in Colleen’s room dripping on the carpet, the bathroom flooded from the shower and some of the girls suffering from… hay-fever… allegedly.

    Still, spirits were high in the face of adversity and everyone was surprisingly calm as the girls gradually transformed into Bridesmaids, Flower Girls and of course, a Bride.

    St James’ Church, Anston

    Church services simultaneously excite and terrify me.

    Churches were never designed with photography in mind.

    Often the lighting is poor.  There is little room to manoeuvre and there are certain areas which are consecrated and therefore off limits.

    Working with the Vicar is a must for me.  I will always make an effort to discuss my intentions with them before the service.

    As it happened, Colleen had invited me to the rehearsal earlier in the week so I had a great opportunity to chat with both the Vicar and the Verger meaning I was able to discuss all the ins and outs, propose my routes and establish exactly where I should and should not stand.

    It also gave me chance to suss out the parking situation which is often a stress point for me when I am rushing from the bridal suite to the church trying to beat the bridal car.

    Having had that pre-planning opportunity everything ran smoothly for me at the church and, I think, I didn’t upset the Vicar!

    Best Western Consort Hotel, Thurcroft

    As I had mentioned earlier in this post, there were a few issues with leakages in the bridal suite in the morning.

    Fortunately this was not a sign of things to come as everything went very well as far as I could tell once we were back at the Consort Hotel.

    Being that the hotel is situated on a busy road in Thurcroft the opportunities for outdoor photos were pretty limited, so my suggestion to anyone getting married here would be to try to get your group photos done elsewhere, at church for example.

    For us, the weather at church was, adverse.  The sun was beating down creating some pretty harsh shadows but worse than that, there was a very strong wind running through the grounds so guests were struggling to maintain their composure.

    We ended up taking up a spot on the edge of the car park for group photos, and then I took Colleen and Floyd down the road to what looked like a farm for our evening portraits.

    Overall, I’m chuffed with the photos and I had a great time taking them.

    Colleen and Floyd have a very lively family, all of whom made me feel very welcome.  Definitely one to remember.


    Here is a selection of photos that you can scroll through.

    So there you have it.  I hope you enjoyed those photos.  Get in touch with any questions, comments or if you want to check my availability.

    See ya next time.

    James

  • Louise & Matt’s Kenwood Hall Wedding

    Louise & Matt’s Kenwood Hall Wedding

    Holy moly what a hot day to get married at Kenwood Hall.

    After having covered a wedding in Tuscany just a month earlier I figured I was now good and ready for all weather conditions.

    As Louise’s Mum pointed out, it was a different kind of heat than you get on holiday.

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