Wedding Photography at The Merchant Adventurers Hall in York
The Merchant Adventurers Hall is a stunning Grade 1 listed medieval guild hall in the heart of York. If you’re looking for a unique wedding venue with an inner-city location it’s the perfect option! This architectural gem of a wedding venue is perfect for history lovers and it also has amazing gardens.
Wedding Ceremony in The Great Hall
The Great Hall is such a beautiful space for a wedding ceremony. The hall is the largest timber-framed structure in the UK and really has the wow factor for your wedding guests! I absolutely love this room because the rich colours work so well with my style of wedding photography.
When I arrived at the Merchant Adventurers Hall for the ceremony, all the wedding guests were already seated. I could see the couples’ gorgeous welcome sign positioned at the bottom of the aisle, ready to greet guests. As an experienced wedding photographer, I knew that this sign would be in the background of all of their ceremony photos, so I took the opportunity to move it to one side. This meant I could capture a clear shot of the bride walking down the aisle without any distractions behind her. It’s the little details like this that make a huge difference to your wedding photos.
Their table flowers really framed the couple nicely too!
There is plenty of room during ceremonies to move around at the top of the aisle. This means I can capture lots of different angles and give my couples the best possible wedding photographs.
After their legal ceremony, the groom’s mum led a handfasting ceremony so I was able to capture even more photos, this time from the other direction. This isn’t normally possible without a second wedding photographer, so I was really happy to be able to get these extra shots for them.
Top Tip for Your Merchant Adventurers Hall Wedding:
Make sure to tell your guests not to wear stiletto heels on your wedding day. This is to protect the ancient wooden floor in the grand hall. According to the Merchant Adventurers Hall website, stiletto heels are classed as anything smaller than a 5-pence coin. High heels larger than this are welcome! You can also buy heel caps if needed.
The Best Spot for Confetti Wedding Photos
When you exit the grand hall and walk down the steps you’ll reach a small courtyard which is a great place to arrange your guests for a confetti throw to celebrate your marriage. This couple had so much confetti left that they had a bonus throw for the bride and her bridesmaids afterwards! They had so much fun in this moment and I absolutely love the joy in this photograph.
Drinks Reception in The Merchant Adventurers Hall Gardens
Surrounding the Merchant Adventurers Hall venue on two sides is the stunning walled garden. Sunken below the streets of York and bordered by the River Foss, the garden is perfect for a spring/summer drinks reception.
The walled garden is a great spot to capture lots of natural wedding photos.
There is also more than enough space for any group family photos and the stone walls provide the perfect clean backdrop for them!
Couples Photos in York City Centre
If you’re having a Merchant Adventurers Hall wedding, why not make the most of its central location and head to the streets of York for some couple photographs?
Of course we did take some lovely natural couple photos amongst the flowers in the garden, first.
My couple decided to travel on foot to their second wedding venue which meant I could capture lots of natural portraits along the way without taking them away from their guests for too long.
Our first stop was just outside the Merchant Adventurers Hall gatehouse entrance.
Then we headed to the bridge over the River Foss and down the streets towards the National Centre for Early music, their reception venue.
Wedding Reception at The National Centre For Early Music
Your wedding breakfast can take place in the Hall, with your evening reception downstairs in the Undercroft but my couple chose a different venue for the rest of their wedding day.
So if you’re looking for a reception space with a similar feel to The Undercroft at the Merchant Adventurers Hall, but as much space and daylight as the main hall, then the National Centre for Early Music in York is the perfect combination of the two. It’s just a 10 minute walk or 5 minute drive down the road.
The couple spent the rest of their special day with family and friends, having dinner, laughing and crying during speeches and dancing. There were so many lovely moments to capture. I especially loved photographing the bride’s fun dance routine with her dad!
Merchant Adventurers Hall Wedding Photographer
If you’re getting married at The Merchant adventurers hall in York city centre and you’re looking for a wedding photographer with a colourful, laidback style, I’d love to hear from you!
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