Brian Harte People Photographer

I was chatting with Rudding Park a couple of weeks ago when they told me they were holding a Valentines Ball.

My mind starting whirring with ideas and I asked “Do you have a photographer in case any one goes down on one knee?”…within a few seconds I’d somehow managed to volunteer to be offical photographer for Rudding Park!

So on Saturday evening I arrived in Harrogate hoping that someone would pop the question and knowing that even if they didn’t I’d still have some fun taking photos.

A few moments after midnight, in the early hours of February 14th, Robert Bell surprised his Valentine Tracy Kipling by proposing on one knee.

She said Yes!

Full of happiness they immediately hit the dance floor to celebrate the moment.

I am sure Robert must have been on edge all night knowing what he was about to ask. I could tell they were so in love before he asked and they were even more so after.

It was a privilege to capture the memory for them and I wish them all the best in the future!

They had a fab swing band on the night called Chris Hiltons Little Big Band (formerly Simply Swing).

If you are looking for a swing band for a wedding or event they were very good. Check them out here.

As well as Robert and Tracy there was lots more love at The Valentines Ball…

Plus lots of fun and dancing…

There was even a photo of me taken sporting my winter beard!

I had to leave before it finished as the next day I was at a wedding fair but when I left the dancing was still going strong!

When Luke and Sara asked me for “something different for their wedding invite” my mind started going in to over drive. I thought about re-enacting scenes from great movies or maybe something more challenging to set up….a kiss underwater or maybe as they are parachuting from an airplane (ok…I like to dream big).

Luke and Sara had already given it some thought and wanted a photo to show Sara looking a bit miffed cleaning up after Luke.

They told me they only wanted a quick snap for the front of their wedding invite but I wanted to make it more than a snap. After a bit of furniture rearranging and setting up a light or two we settled on a montage of photos showing many Sara’s cleaning while Luke lounges on the sofa watching TV!

Luke and Sara have since married in Bali and I will be taking their post-wedding photos when they party through the weekend having booked exclusive use of Middleton Lodge, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Their invite went down a treat with their guests…here are a few quotes from their replies

Choice invites, knew you would be different. – Ben & Hannah

Thanks so much for the invite though – it’s a great one – much better than the normal hearts and roses guff. – Catherine xx

Hi Luke, Thanks for the invitation they are fab! – Sasha

…look forward to seeing you both as husband and wife.  Ps.  I love the photo Luke, you are just going to have to retrain him sara. xxxx – Liz

Of course we will be there, quality invite!! – Rob C

Never seen an invite like that, they are excellent! – Soph & Kieran xxxxxx

So tell me your plans for a wedding invite and book with me for a special engagement shoot.

Everybody had their fingers crossed yesterday for the weather and it seemed to have worked Helen & David’s wedding missed the worst of it and the sun even paid a visit to bring a shine to the photos.

Helen & David booked with me over a year ago and I’ve been looking forward to their wedding ever since. They had booked an engagement shoot with me as they thought they might need a warm up….

…they didn’t really need it as they are such a natural and down to earth couple.

Helen looked stunning with her hair up

They got married at St.Wilfrids church, Calverley in Leeds. It is a gorgeous church and the priest was lovely.

They had a pink theme wedding and Helen text me on Thursday to ask me if I could get in on the theme. I was wearing a pink tie and I noticed that David was wearing pink socks!

There were a few photos in the church grounds

before throwing the confetti on the way to Oulton Hall.

Oulton Hall is one of my favourite locations and yesterday we took advantage of it’s beautiful setting to take some fab photos….

…including some during the meal and speeches.

The night, for me at least, ended with the first dance…

…but I couldn’t help unpacking my camera from the car to take one last photo.

Helen & David’s photos will be online from 2nd June. Please contact Helen or David for a password to the site.

…and popped the question myself, she said yes (after a stunned pause) and now I can look forward to planning my own wedding!

I had the ring ready and had spent a few weeks looking around for just the right one. Eventually while looking at engagement rings on the web I stumbled upon Serendipity Diamonds who specialise in engagement rings.

Here is a photograph of the one I chose…

I was having a romantic break at a romantic cottage in Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire, owned by a Peter & Helen Massey who chose me to take their wedding photos in 2007. When I told Helen the good news she told me her good news, a baby girl and now I’ll be taking her Christening photos this summer!

Now, who do I get to do my wedding photos???…….

A few weeks ago I was asked to go to Runswick Bay for an engagement shoot. Being one of my favourite areas of England I jumped at the chance.

Pulling in to the bay the weather was good, in fact it was great! So in an upbeat mood I went for a little walk along the beach looking for locations where I could take Peter and Helen. I decided to challenge myself and look for locations that you might easily walk past without a glance. Having had a look around I was quietly confident that I had my locations in the bag and decided a nice cup of tea was in order.

It was then that the nice tea-shop lady informed me that the weather was about to turn quite nasty. I found it hard to believe looking outside on a glorious day however I’ve experienced this scenario in the past and my gut feeling said to go with the tea-shop lady. So I ambled up the quaint narrow passages towards Peter and Helen’s cottage. In fact I got lost and had to ring Helen to come down and find me, but hey that doesn’t sound as good!

We quickly had a look over the clothes and selected a few tops and jackets to wear and hit the beach where the weather had turned to what I can only describe as “driving rain”. Hmmm….nice.

Keeping a big smile on my face I jollied them both along and managed to get some smiles from them in the rain. Helen’s prediction that “it would pass” was fast being proved wrong so we ran to one of my locations which would provide shelter. Here I shot them on their own and together getting some cracking shots but I wanted something more….

…I wanted them to get wet. No really I had some ideas but I also wanted to know if they trusted me, which they did, and I got each of them standing in the rain while I used a flash off camera (also in the rain which is not advisable if any photographer is reading) to get a fashion look for the photos. This turned out to be Peter’s favourite photograph and for me was evidence to them that whatever the weather I will take photographs and they will be great.

We moved back to their cottage where I took some window lit photographs as we dried out.

Helen was a bridesmaid at a wedding I photographed two years ago and I love it when people come back to me as I know I must have made a good impression first time around. I’m looking forward to their wedding and I hope to make it even more fun than their engagement shoot.

Peter and Helen have two romantic cottages they rent out. One at Runswick Bay and the other at Robin Hood Bay on the North Yorkshire coast and if you would like to find out more you can visit their website here.

I recently had some fun taking photos of Rosie & Jason for their engagement photoshoot.

The day was a clear sky, low full on sunny day. With no foliage on the trees I was going to have to be inventive to get some relaxed fun shots without all the strong dramatic shadows that come with strong sunlight. They are very much in love and it seemed easy for them to get intimate in front of the camera.

I can’t wait for the wedding day…apparently they have booked the sun!