York City Wedding at the Merchant Taylors Hall

Mr and Mrs Atkinson-Sødal's Intimate Wedding In The City Of York

I had the pleasure of meeting Eirill and Ben via Zoom in 2023 during our initial consultation. All couples who enquire with me are encouraged to have a chat with me via Zoom or over the phone so that we can get to know each other and so that they can get a sense of what I'm like in person! I was so excited about Eirill and Ben's plans for their day as soon as they started telling me about it - Eirill knew exactly what she wanted and they had both fallen completely in love with their venue (who wouldn't?!). I understood the brief - these two wanted their laid back, intimate day to be a celebration of love & family and they wanted someone to capture all of their details, their beautiful venue and Eirill's colour scheme sensitively with a nod to the warm colours of the winter that was just about to pass at the end of the February in which they were tying the knot. It sounded dreamy!

The Merchant Taylors Hall is one of York's hidden gem wedding venues tucked into the city walls just a few hundred steps from the minster. Built in the 1400's, it is quite literally steeped in history and the bridal preparation room above the front door is extremely special. With the early morning sun melting the frost from the medieval leaded windows casting shadows, a sense of calm descended on the mornings activities - a rare feeling for the morning of a wedding!

The ceremony was held at the York Unitarian Chapel, a beautiful building only a couple of minutes walk from the Merchant Taylors Hall. I couldn't get enough of the colours inside the chapel which leant itself beautifully to Eirill's own colour scheme. The Unitarian Chapel celebrates difference and values togetherness and unity irrespective of individual beliefs, making it a venue ideal for the celebration of love. Eirill and Ben's ceremony was absolutely joyous; from heartfelt readings to the whole congregation sharing in the singing of Arctic Monkeys "I Wanna Be Yours".

After the ceremony, Ben and Eirill took some time to enjoy their new status as man and wife as they wandered through some of the quieter streets of York including the stunning Chapter House Street with the Minster providing a dramatic backdrop to their first few minutes as Mr and Mrs Atkinson-Sodal. By this point in the day, we were blessed with some unseasonably warm sunshine which made for some beautiful shots.

When we headed back into the Merchant Taylor's Hall some incredible Italian anti-pasti was laid on before speeches and traditional Norwegian entertainment courtesy of Eirill's parents. The day was topped off by a very well choreographed first dance and some high-energy dancing from Eirill and her girls - it was extremely difficult not to put the camera down and get stuck in!

I hope that you enjoy browsing this beautiful day.

The Merchant Taylors Hall is one of York's hidden gem wedding venues tucked into the city walls just a few hundred steps from the minster. Built in the 1400's, it is quite literally steeped in history and the bridal preparation room above the front door is extremely special. With the early morning sun melting the frost from the medieval leaded windows casting shadows, a sense of calm descended on the mornings activities - a rare feeling for the morning of a wedding!

Every bride and groom are offered a free of charge venue visit with me before their big day. In this couple's case, this was welcomed because they had organised the day themselves without the help of a coordinator. While a wedding photographer can't replace a coordinator, we do have a wealth of experience when it comes to what a wedding day looks like - and I always welcome having my brain picked when couples are feeling out of their depth! In this instance, the venue was in the early stages of opening their new bridal preparation room when I visited with the bride and groom, so I helped advise on the accessories and furnishings that would be useful and where they would be best placed on the morning of the wedding.

The ceremony was held at the York Unitarian Chapel, a beautiful building only a couple of minutes walk from the Merchant Taylors Hall. I couldn't get enough of the colours inside the chapel which leant itself beautifully to Eirill's own colour scheme. The Unitarian Chapel celebrates difference and values togetherness and unity irrespective of individual beliefs, making it a venue ideal for the celebration of love. Eirill and Ben's ceremony was absolutely joyous; from heartfelt readings to the whole congregation sharing in the singing of Arctic Monkeys "I Wanna Be Yours".

After the ceremony, Ben and Eirill took some time to enjoy their new status as man and wife as they wandered through some of the quieter streets of York including the stunning Chapter House Street with the Minster providing a dramatic backdrop to their first few minutes as Mr and Mrs Atkinson-Sodal.

By this point in the day, we were blessed with some unseasonably warm sunshine before we all headed inside for some incredible food, wonderful speeches, and traditional Norwegian entertainment courtesy of Eirill's parents. The day was topped off by a very well choreographed first dance and some high-energy dancing from Eirill and her girls - it was extremely difficult not to put the camera down and get stuck in!

I hope that you enjoy browsing this beautiful day.