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A RELAXED CHURCH & MARQUEE WEDDING IN TOPCLIFFE, NORTH YORKSHIRE | EMILY & WILL

There are some weddings you’re excited about… and then there are the ones you secretly hope will happen one day.


Wedding party in pink dresses and suits poses by a jersey cow and tractor in a field under a blue sky with clouds, smiling and joyful.

Emily and Will’s was definitely the second.


FROM GUESTS, TO THEIR OWN WEDDING DAY


I first met these two a few years ago when I was photographing the The Parker Wedding.


They were guests, but somehow still managed to steal a bit of the spotlight. I remember Will making his grand entrance onto the dancefloor with a tray of baby Guinness's and Yaga Bombs.


Three people at a party, one holding a tray of drinks, smiling and posing in a tent with colorful lighting. The mood is joyful and lively.

I remember thinking at the time, if these two ever get married, I’d love to photograph it

.

And then, they got in touch.


A CHURCH CEREMONY AT St Columba’s Church

Emily and Will chose to marry at St Columba’s Church, right in the heart of Topcliffe near Thirsk.


Stone church tower under a blue sky with clouds, surrounded by tall trees and tombstones. A "Church Street" sign is on the stone wall. church and marquee wedding
People in formal wear enter a church wedding. A man in a blue suit hands out papers. A woman in polka dots wears a large hat.
Bride in white dress holding bouquet, walking down church aisle. Guests seated, stained glass window visible, joyful mood at the church wedding.

There’s something about a church wedding that always feels timeless. The quiet anticipation, the walk down the aisle, that moment where everything suddenly feels very real.


A traditional start to the day, before things unfolded in a way that felt completely their own.


Bride adjusts veil with help, groom watches. Priest stands between them. Stained glass windows in background, church wedding, formal mood.
A bride and groom stand before a clergy member in a church wedding. Stained glass windows and flowers surround them, creating a reverent atmosphere.
Bride and groom at the altar in a church, surrounded by seated guests and floral decor. Stained glass windows create a colorful reflection.
Bride and groom walking down church aisle, smiling, with floral decor. Stained glass windows in the background, guests seated along benches at the church and marquee wedding.
Bride and groom walk arm in arm amidst confetti, surrounded by smiling guests in colourful outfits after a church wedding ceremony.
Wedding ceremony with a bride in a white gown and groom standing under an arch. Guests are gathered outside, brick house in the background.


A SPRING / SUMMER FARM MARQUEE WEDDING


From the church, the celebrations moved into a marquee set in the family paddock in the North Yorkshire countryside village Topcliffe.


It had that perfect in-between feel of late spring slipping into summer. Warm sunshine, open fields, and that relaxed energy that comes when people can settle in and enjoy it properly.


And from here on, the day really started to reflect who they are.


Aerial view of a rural setting with white marquee and people gathered, surrounded by houses and lush green fields under a cloudy sky.
Wedding welcome sign for Emily & William with cows, barrels, and drinks at outdoor reception. Floral archway and tent in the background.
A marquee wedding scene with guests mingling outdoors. A girl in white plays on hay bales, while a woman in pink holds flowers nearby. Tent in background.


A WEDDING FULL OF PERSONALITY (AND TRACTORS 😄)


The tractors weren’t just part of the setting, they were part of the day.


Emily and Will, along with the bridesmaids, travelled to and from the church by tractor, with the bridesmaids riding in a basket on the front. When Emily mentioned this is passing the night before, they thought she was joking, especially the one who was 30 weeks pregnant 😅


But it worked. And more than that, it felt right, it was fun and memorable just like the pair of them.


Five men in suits with pink ties pose cheerfully by a red tractor, holding drinks. They're in a sunny, tree-lined parking lot.
Four bridesmaids in pink dresses holding bouquets stand on a platform next to a red tractor, with a brick house in the background. They're arriving at a church wedding
Bride in white dress climbs red Massey Ferguson tractor on street, assisted by bridesmaid in pink. Other bridesmaids watch.
Wedding party poses on and around a tractor in a field. Bridesmaids wear pink dresses; groomsmen in grey suits. Sunny day with blue sky.
Bride in white gown and five groomsmen in gray suits pose by a red tractor, smiling on a sunny day with a rural backdrop.

A reminder that you don’t have to follow a set formula. You can do things your way and it often makes the day even better.


JERSEY COWS, BUT MAKE IT WEDDING READY


On the way back from the church, we stopped at a family friend’s farm, where they breed and show Jersey cows.


Emily and Will had arranged to include two of them in their photos and when we arrived, they were fully show ready. Groomed, sprayed, and standing there looking immaculate. Honestly, some of the best behaved “guests” of the day, happily posing while everything carried on around them.


A smiling bride, groom, and flower girl holding a cow's halter stand in a green field. The girl holds white flowers. Joyful mood.
Bride and groom stand smiling beside a young girl holding flowers. Two brown cows flank them on a grassy field under a cloudy sky.
Man in a grey suit with pink tie holds a cow by a leather lead. They stand on a grassy field with trees in the background. Cow drools.

Far more cooperative than the dogs we tried to photograph later, which is saying something.


Again, completely personal.


Completely them.


Bride and bridesmaids in pink dresses pose with a cow, holding bouquets aloft. A tractor and fields form the background under a cloudy sky.



One of the things that worked so well was how everything was planned around the flow of the day.


Taking the bridesmaids and close family up to the location with Emily and Will was a game changer. We could have their family photos, wedding party photos, and some time together, all before heading back to the marquee.


It meant nothing felt rushed later on.


No long gaps.


No disappearing for hours.


Just enough time to create those important images, without taking them out of the day they’d worked so hard to bring together.


A bride and groom holding hands in a lush green field, with a flowing veil and a red barn in the background under a cloudy sky.
Bride and groom kissing in a field under a blue sky. Bride in lace dress, groom in grey suit with pink tie, both looking joyful.
Bride and groom walk through a field, she holds flowers and lifts her dress. Brick house and barn in the rural background. Sunny day.

A RELAXED MARQUEE CELEBRATION (DONE THEIR WAY)


Back at the marquee, the atmosphere was already in full swing.

Emily and Will chose a grazing table for their guests. Something more relaxed than canapés, but still making sure everyone was well fed. 


It worked so well.


Man in blue shirt and pink tie smiles holding a water bottle. He stands among a group at a marquee wedding with trees in the background.


Guests could help themselves, chat, move around, and ease into the evening. It naturally became their starter, before everyone sat down for mains and pudding ahead of the speeches.


Another choice that felt simple, but made such a difference to how the day flowed.


Fay Donaldson in a purple suit, plays a saxophone outdoors beside a white tent. Sunny day, green grass, and people in the background at a marquee wedding.
Three people in formal attire at an outdoor event, smiling and holding drinks. Greenery in the background, sunny day.
Vase with pink and white flowers beside a "Highland" cow print in a wooden frame on a table. Rustic wooden slice, wine bottle, elegant setting.
Guests seated at round tables inside a white marquee with wooden chairs. Festive atmosphere with hanging greenery and soft daylight at a marquee wedding.


SUNSHINE, SAX & A DAY FULL OF ENERGY


The whole day had this constant energy to it. Sunshine from start to finish, people moving between the marquee and the paddock, laughter everywhere you looked.


Fay Donalson a saxophonist in purple leads a couple into a wedding tent as guests applaud. The bride and groom smile in a sunlit garden setting at a marquee wedding.
Fay Donalson, in a purple suit plays the saxophone at a marquee wedding. Guests in colorful attire clap and cheer around her.
Fay Donaldson, DJ in headphones stands behind a music booth with "Fay Donaldson Music" text. Elegant, smiling, wearing a sparkly brown jumpsuit at a marquee wedding.
Bride and groom dancing on a wooden floor under a tent, surrounded by guests in formal attire. Joyful mood, with soft lighting and greenery.
Fay Donalson in a sparkly outfit smiles holding a saxophone, surrounded by a cheerful crowd at a marquee wedding. Vibrant, joyful atmosphere.
Fay Donalson, in a glittery outfit plays a saxophone on a stage with warm lighting at a marquee wedding. Speakers and lights illuminate the background. Mood is vibrant.

Fay Donaldson brought so much atmosphere with her sax, effortlessly lifting the whole day without ever taking over. And working alongside Grace and Motion meant everything was captured naturally as it unfolded.


A DAY BUILT AROUND BEING PRESENT


What I loved most about Emily and Will’s wedding was how in it they were.


Nothing felt staged.


Nothing felt forced.


They’d built a day around the things that mattered to them, and then simply enjoyed it, that’s always where the best moments come from.


CHURCH & MARQUEE WEDDINGS IN NORTH YORKSHIRE


Emily and Will’s wedding is such a good example of how beautifully a church ceremony and marquee reception can work together.

A mix of tradition and personality. Structure and freedom.

Proof that you don’t have to choose between the two and that you don’t have to do things a certain way for it to work. Watch their story unravel below to see for yourself.



If you’re planning a wedding at St Columba’s Church or a marquee wedding near Thirsk, and want it captured in a relaxed, natural way, you’re in the right place.


Get in touch and tell me all about your plans so far.


Shout out to other Wedding Suppliers

Bridesmaids Dresses: GB Bridesmaid's Dresses

Church: St Columba’s Church in Topcliffe

Videographers: Grace and Motion

DJ & Saxophonist: Fay Donaldson

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