There’s something I find myself doing almost without thinking these days. Whether I’m booking a hotel for a weekend away, ordering something online or looking for a new café to try, I always end up doing exactly the same thing before making a decision.

I read the reviews.

Not because I expect every business to be perfect, but because I want to know what it's really like once the sales pitch has finished. Photographs can look amazing, websites can be beautifully designed and social media is often full of highlight reels, but reviews are where real people tell real stories. They’re honest, they're personal and, more often than not, they answer the questions we didn't even realise we were asking.

If you're planning your wedding, you've probably already imagined the photographs you'll treasure forever. Perhaps it's walking back down the aisle as newlyweds, confetti filling the air around you, or that beautiful portrait together as the sun begins to disappear behind the trees. They're the photographs we all expect to love because they're the moments we see on social media, in wedding magazines and on venue websites.

They're important, of course, and I make sure every couple has those photographs. But after photographing weddings across North Yorkshire, the North East and beyond for more than seventeen years, I've realised something that genuinely surprised me.

There are some wedding days where you arrive at a venue for the first time and immediately start looking around, spotting photographs everywhere. Fred and Claire’s wedding at Aston Hall in Sheffield was definitely one of those days.

This was my first time photographing a wedding at Aston Hall, and with beautiful summer sunshine, plenty of outdoor space and a couple who clearly knew how to enjoy themselves, it turned into a cracking day to photograph.

There's something incredibly special about weddings that completely reflect the couple, and Matt and Jo's wedding at the Mallyan Spout Hotel in Goathland was exactly that. It wasn't about following traditions for the sake of it. Instead, it was about celebrating who they are, surrounded by the people they love, in one of the most beautiful corners of the North York Moors National Park.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, these are the kinds of weddings I absolutely love to photograph. Every part of the day felt authentic, relaxed and filled with laughter, which is exactly what documentary wedding photography is all about.

Every year, around this time, my camera gets a little break from weddings and starts following a different kind of celebration.

Prom season.

Over the years I've photographed proms across North Yorkshire and the North East, and every single one has been different. Different dresses, different suits, different cars and different personalities, but they all have one thing in common.

They're a huge milestone.

For many young people, prom marks the end of years spent at school alongside friends they've grown up with. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, whether that's college, university, apprenticeships or starting work. It's one of those moments that deserves to be remembered properly.

That's why I love photographing proms.

When couples ask me which wedding photography package I'd recommend, my answer is nearly always the same... my Signature Wedding Photography Package.

It's the package that gives me the time to tell the complete story of your wedding day, and after all, that's exactly what I am... a storyteller.

For me, wedding photography has never been about turning up, taking a few nice photographs and heading home. It's about capturing the atmosphere, the personalities and all those little moments that you'll never notice on the day but will mean everything when you look back through your photographs years later.

Every now and again, I'll be editing a wedding or updating my website and find myself disappearing down memory lane.

I'll stumble across an old photograph and instantly remember the moment it was taken.

This image from Graham and Heather's wedding at Rushpool Hall is one of those photographs.

It's funny because, on paper, it's just a groom singing into a microphone during the evening reception. But to me, it's so much more than that.

One of the things I love most about being a wedding photographer is that every wedding has its own story to tell.

Some are huge celebrations with hundreds of guests, while others are smaller, more intimate occasions where it's simply about two people promising to spend the rest of their lives together.

Paul and Paula's wedding at Whitby Registry Office was exactly that.

A relaxed, personal wedding surrounded by the people who mattered most, followed by a wander around one of my favourite places on the Yorkshire coast.

As a Whitby wedding photographer, days like this remind me that you don't need a huge venue or a packed schedule to create beautiful wedding photographs. Sometimes all you need is a couple who are completely comfortable together and a town like Whitby providing the backdrop.

One of the questions I get asked quite regularly is, "How long does it take to edit our wedding photographs?"

The honest answer is... quite a while!

Most couples see me arrive on the wedding day, camera in hand, capturing all the laughter, emotion and moments that make their wedding unique. What many people don't see is what happens after I've packed the cameras away and headed home.

For me, photographing a wedding is only half of the process.

The editing is where the final story really starts to come together.

As a North East wedding photographer, one of the things I love most about my job is that no two weddings are ever the same.

Every couple brings their own personality, their own story and their own atmosphere to the day, and Leanne and Sophie's wedding at Websters Ropery in Sunderland was a perfect example of that.

From the moment I arrived, the day felt relaxed. There was plenty of laughter, plenty of smiles and absolutely no pressure to be anything other than themselves. That's usually when the best wedding photographs happen.

As a documentary wedding photographer, I'm always looking for genuine moments rather than creating them, and throughout the day Leanne and Sophie gave me plenty of those.

Every now and again it's nice to step away from weddings and spend a few hours doing something completely different.

That's exactly what happened recently when I met up with Charlotte Potter and Nurry Lee for a promotional portrait shoot in the beautiful villages of Glaisdale and Lealholm, deep in the heart of the North York Moors.

As a North Yorkshire photographer, I spend most weekends capturing weddings, but opportunities like this remind me why I first picked up a camera all those years ago. There were no timelines to follow, no confetti runs to organise and no speeches to catch. Instead, the afternoon was all about creativity, exploring locations and creating photographs that reflected the personalities of two incredibly talented musicians.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, I’m lucky enough to work at some incredible wedding venues across the region, but Hackness Grange is a venue I always look forward to returning to. Nestled in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside just outside Scarborough, it offers everything I love as a documentary wedding photographer; stunning surroundings, a relaxed atmosphere and endless opportunities to create natural wedding photographs without ever making the day feel like a photoshoot.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, there are certain images that stay with you long after the wedding day itself has finished. Not because they were massively planned or took hours to create, but because everything naturally came together at exactly the right moment.

This photograph from Darren and Finuala’s wedding at Blackthorn Gate Lodge is honestly still one of my favourite wedding photographs years later.

Every time I look at it, it reminds me why I love relaxed documentary wedding photography so much.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, I get to work at some amazing venues across North Yorkshire and the North East, but every now and again you photograph a wedding that just has absolutely everything.

Gary and Kelly’s wedding at Treebridge Hotel was definitely one of those weddings.

Loads of personality, loads of laughs, brilliant guests and honestly one of the most fun relaxed atmospheres you could ask for as a documentary wedding photographer And somehow… Cindy the horse completely stole the show.

There’s sometimes this strange idea that a wedding has to be huge or expensive to feel special.

Honestly, after photographing weddings across North Yorkshire and the North East for more than 17 years, I can honestly say that’s just not true.

Some of the most emotional, relaxed and genuinely lovely weddings I’ve ever photographed have been smaller registry office weddings.

Every now and then you photograph a wedding that just has a really lovely atmosphere from the minute you arrive, and Joe and Jennifer’s wedding at Rushpool Hall was exactly that.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, I get to work at some amazing venues across both North Yorkshire and the North East, but there’s always something special about weddings at Rushpool Hall. The building itself has so much character, the grounds are beautiful for photographs and the whole venue just seems to create such a relaxed atmosphere throughout the day.

And honestly, Joe and Jennifer’s wedding fitted the venue perfectly.

Honestly, I don’t think couples always realise just how special that part of the wedding day can be until they actually see it.

The speeches are finished, everyone’s relaxed, the pressure of the ceremony has gone and the whole atmosphere of the wedding seems to shift into something completely different.

Then the light changes.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer photographing weddings across both North Yorkshire and the North East, golden hour is probably one of my favourite parts of any summer wedding day.

There are some wedding venues that just instantly feel relaxed the moment you arrive, and for me Howard Court is definitely one of them.

As a North Yorkshire wedding photographer, I’m lucky enough to work at some incredible venues across both North Yorkshire and the North East, but Howard Court always has such a lovely atmosphere about it. It’s one of those places that feels elegant without ever feeling overly formal, and that balance works brilliantly for natural wedding photography.

Honestly, from a photography point of view it’s a dream venue to work at. One thing I always notice at weddings at Howard Court is how relaxed couples seem throughout the day. I think that comes from the venue itself.

It was such a privilege to capture the wedding of Jonathan and Vicki — a wonderful couple whose love for each other shone brightly from the moment we met, right through to the beautiful twilight hours. Celebrating at the iconic Scarborough Spa, and held in the stunning Suncourt, this afternoon and evening wedding had that magical, romantic atmosphere you dream of. As a natural wedding photographer covering North Yorkshire and Teesside, I absolutely love working here; the Suncourt is such a unique space, and as the sun goes down and the lights come on, it becomes pure magic — perfect for relaxed, timeless wedding photography by the sea.

Some wedding venues just have a certain atmosphere about them, and for me Scarborough Spa has always been one of those places.

Every time I photograph a wedding there, it reminds me why I love being a North Yorkshire wedding photographer so much. The views across the coastline, the character of the building itself and the way the whole day flows there always creates such a brilliant atmosphere for couples and guests alike.

But honestly, what really makes weddings at Scarborough Spa stand out for me is the people behind it.

Over the years I’ve worked alongside a lot of amazing wedding venues across North Yorkshire and the North East, but the team at Scarborough Spa genuinely make such a difference to the feel of the day.

Naomi in particular is absolutely fantastic to work with.