If you are interested in getting married in Yorkshire then you’ll love this comprehensive guide by member April from Kook Events.

 

Yorkshire. Often referred to as “God’s County”. Home of the mighty Yorkshire Pudding, Sean Bean, three stunning National Parks, and more restaurants with Michelin stars than any other county outside London. The dramatic and beautiful landscape, it’s rich history, amazing food and drink, and friendly locals are just some of the MANY reasons you might decide to get married in this spectacular county. Seriously, I could go on forever about how awesome Yorkshire is, but let’s get to the nitty gritty of planning a wedding.

The selection of wedding venues in Yorkshire is pretty extensive – there really is something for every couple. We have stunning castles and historic spaces (such as Castle Howard, Jervaulx Abbey, Danby Castle, Cannon Hall, Allerton Castle, and Fountains Abbey), beautiful exclusive use stately homes with grounds (The Highfield House, Saltmarshe Hall, Howsham Hall, Denton Hall, The Orangery at Settrington), art galleries (Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Hepworth Gallery, Left Bank Leeds), uber cool industrial type spaces (New Craven Hall, The Northern Monk Brew Co, River Mills Ballroom, The Arches, 92 Burton Road) and more gorgeous barns than you can shake a stick at (Deighton Lodge, The Normans, Barmbyfield Barns, East Riddlesden Hall, to name a few). Bricks and mortar not your thing? Not to worry. Yorkshire folk love an outdoor knees-up, and we have some amazing tipi and marquee suppliers (My Tipi Event, Wills Marquees, Your Marquee and Yorkshire Yurts are just some of my favourites).

Once you’ve found a venue and picked a date, best get your guests to save the date! Yorkshire is home to some amazing artists and designers, so you’ll have no problem finding a kick-ass stationer. Suzanne Oddy Design, Cotton Letterpress, and I Am Nat are just some of the folks whose work I love.

Next job – if your venue doesn’t have its own chef, it’s time to select a catering company. If innovative gastro and fine dining is the vibe you’re after, then look no further than The Hog & Apple Food Co, Dine or Box Tree Events (the latter being catering team from the Michelin-starred Box Tree Restaurant in Ilkley). If you’d like something creative, delicious, but a little bit relaxed, there’s a caterer for you too. Homegrown Hospitality, Grub & Grog, Baba Ganoush and Eat Me Drink Me are a great selection of places that I can recommend starting your search. If you want to go all-out casual, there are loads of incredible Yorkshire street food companies who can provide your catering too! Shambles Kitchen, El Kantina, Tikk’s Thai Kitchen, Pie Eyed, KerbEdge, Smokin Blues, The Pizza Guy, and Donut Kitchen are just a snapshot of some of the diverse array of street food options in the area!

Of course, aside from great food, you’ll probably want some great drink too. In Yorkshire, booze is one thing we do well – we have over 30 breweries, and are home to some amazing gin distilleries too. The Yorkshire Bartender, Mix & Twist and Speakeasy Libations are just a few companies you can rely on to get the party started! For you festival brides out there, The Tipsy Trough will even rock up in their horse box bar – guests love it!

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you might want to end your reception with a spot of cake – Poppy Pickering, The Blush Cake Company, the Blossom Tree Cake Co, and Where the Ribbon Ends are just some of the marvellous people who can make that happen for you! And of course, would this even be a Yorkshire blog if I didn’t drop Betty’s as an option in here too? YUM. If you’re more of a savoury kinda person though, Shepherds Purse or Love Cheese can whip you up a mind-blowing wedding cheese cake, and the Gourmet Pork Pie Co make some amazing… well… Gourmet Pork Pie wedding cakes!

You might not want a civil or religious ceremony on your wedding day, and instead might opt for something more customized and unique. There are many great celebrants in Yorkshire, however the wonderful Louisa from Starr Gazing Ceremonies is one of my favourites. In my opinion, you can’t get more wow-factor than a heartfelt personalized celebrant-led ceremony in the thick of the Yorkshire countryside, backdropped by incredible views.

Next – you’ll want a skilled professional to capture the huge smiles, happy tears (and later, the crazy dance moves). There really are SO many fantastic wedding photographers in Yorkshire, who are amazing at their craft. If you want more of a romantic or traditional style, I recommend looking up Jane Beadnell, Belle and Beau, Olivia Brabbs, Foxtail Photography or Annemarie King. If you’re wanting something more edgy, fun, or artistic, I love the work of Tim Dunk, Mr & Mrs Boutique Wedding Photography, Fox & Owl, Joe Stenson, Tux & Tales, Jamie Sia, Shutter Go Click, Kindred and Bloom Weddings (it really was too hard to narrow it down any further than that)!

If you’ve decided to wear a wedding dress, there are so many places to look for “The One”! A few of my favourite bridal boutiques and Yorkshire wedding dress designers include Ghost Orchid Bride, Luna Bride, Rolling In Roses, Chloe Jane Bridalwear, Kate Beaumont, The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique, and Dotty Bridal.

To finish off your look, you might want to consider a hair & make up artist (because who doesn’t love being pampered)?! Some of my favourites include Julia Jeckell, Amy George, Natalie Willingham, Jenn Edwards and Victoria Farr.

One of the main parts of your wedding design is likely to be your flowers. There are so many truly talented Yorkshire floral artists – I adore the work of Lucy MacNicoll, Firenza Floral Design, Campbell’s Flowers, River & Rose, Brown Paper & String and Leafy Couture (to name just a few)! There are some fantastic florists who wherever possible use local or homegrown flowers too, such as Owl House Flowers and Beamsley Blooms.

Of course there’ll be other finishing touches you’ll want to make. I love hiring props and furniture from Black Event Furniture, All Things Borrowed and Add Vintage.

Moving on to the evening reception, you’ll want to make sure you’re bringing the fun and getting your guests into the party spirit (if your epic drinks menu hasn’t done that already!) I absolutely love the New York Brass Band, Blackbeard’s Tea Party and Vibetown. If you want some candid snaps of your drunk friends and family (and who doesn’t) there’s some great folks out there who can facilitate that with a next-level photobooth (check out Viva La Booth, Booth Revolution and Picabo’s VW Camper Booth).

After all the shenanigans, you’ll might need a ride to your hotel. All Luv Dub and the Yorkshire Heritage Bus Company are definitely some of the coolest transport to get you, (and your guests) to where they need to be!

Phew. Now you’ve done all that planning, you’ll probably be up for letting your hair down for your stag or hen party. I can say first hand, that Leeds is an amazing night out, as is York. If you fancy doing something interactive beforehand, I can strongly recommend a private gin tasting with The Curious Gin Co, or a macramé workshop with Stitch Up! There are loads of luxurious spas to try too – The Feversham Arms in Helmsley and Rudding Park Spa in Harrogate are excellent. If you fancy getting into nature, I love Jollydays Glamping, North Star Club, Swinton Bivouac and Camp Katur, and there is no shortage of places to find outdoor activities.

So there we go – that’s basically your Yorkshire wedding planned, right?! And if you need a little extra help, you’ll definitely find a Yorkshire wedding planner or wedding coordinator that’s right for you in the UKAWP Member directory.

Accompanying Photos:

York City Centre Wedding by Tux & Tales

Highfield House by Melissa Beattie Photography

Rolling in Roses by Melia Melia Photography

Papakata at Skipbridge Country Weddings by Georgina Piper Photography

Left Bank by Joe Stenson

Firenza Floral Design by Belle and Beau

Yorkshire Wedding by Bloom Weddings

Jervaulx Abbey by Shutter Go Click

Suzanne Oddy Design by Mr & Mrs Boutique Wedding Photogrpahy

Yorkshire Bartender by Todd & Moore