What if your wedding day felt like the most romantic date you’d ever been on? Getting dressed up for each other, wandering somewhere beautiful and having the time to enjoy it all together. This spring editorial is the work of Christy Photography, a member of our Love My Dress directory, and I’m delighted to share it with you. Christy wanted to capture that lovely feeling of spending a day exploring somewhere with the person you love and I love how she’s brought that idea so beautifully to life.
Set amongst Knaresborough’s cobbled streets and riverside views, the shoot features a flowing gown by British bridal atelier Wilderness Bride, a brown suit and beautiful seasonal flowers by Sarah Hinchliffe of North & Flower. Sarah’s bouquet brings together hellebores, ranunculus and narcissi in soft white and cream, while Christy’s photographs combine sunlit portraits with more spontaneous moments and a handful of images captured on film.
If you’re planning an elopement or a smaller wedding, perhaps this will encourage you to leave a little room in your plans for a wander together, somewhere you’ve always loved or somewhere entirely new.
After photographing countless pre-wedding shoots in busy city centres and familiar parks, I wanted to create something more romantic and tell a softer, more intimate love story through my lens. That desire led me to Knaresborough, a place whose painterly beauty immediately inspired me.
From the charming cobbled streets to the peaceful riverside lined with boats, it felt like stepping into a scene from a classic romance. My aim was to capture that feeling, bringing the setting, light and dress together to create photographs that invite you to pause and take it all in.
I wanted to combine an editorial style with a more candid, natural approach, capturing the feeling of a couple on a date or exploring somewhere beautiful together. The dress supplier provided a light gown that allowed for easy movement, while the suit company offered a selection from which I chose a brown suit to complement the soft countryside tones.
We captured moments of the couple laughing at the train station, wandering through the streets and simply enjoying time together.
It was a reminder that even on a wedding day, particularly in a setting like this, couples can slow down, breathe and enjoy the experience.
For couples planning a smaller or more relaxed wedding, spending meaningful time together in a beautiful place can be at the heart of the day.
The scenery brought so much to the photographs. The sunlight was beautiful and we kept stopping to appreciate our surroundings throughout the shoot. At the castle viewpoint, I took a more editorial approach, using the sweeping landscape as a backdrop for striking, expansive portraits. I wanted these images to invite a longer look, with space to appreciate both the couple and the view.
I also focused on closer, more detailed photographs around the cottages along Knaresborough’s Waterside and beside the water. These captured the veil catching the light with the viaduct in the background, soft white flowers in the sunshine and the contrasts between strong sunlight, blue skies, yellow flowers and white buildings.
Together, these elements created the elegant, natural mood I had in mind. When planning pre-wedding shoots, I always suggest a range of settings, and somewhere like Knaresborough offers a lovely combination of countryside views, waterside walks and characterful streets. I also took a few photographs on film.
“For this Knaresborough elopement shoot, I wanted to capture the romance of spring with a bouquet of hellebores, ranunculus and narcissi. I chose seasonal flowers for their soft textures, with white and cream tones that complemented the riverside setting and the light, relaxed feel of the shoot. My intention was to bring natural beauty and elegance to an unhurried celebration of love.”
From the Florist, north & flower
“For this Knaresborough elopement shoot, we provided a light gown that allowed for easy movement as the couple explored the cobbled streets and riverside. Its romantic feel complemented the setting and Christy’s vision of a wedding day spent enjoying time together somewhere beautiful. It’s an approach that suits our designs, which combine refined silhouettes with elegant details for the modern romantic.”
From the bridal fashion supplier, wilderness bride
This editorial was captured by Love My Dress recommended supplier, Christy Photography. Based in Manchester, Christy photographs weddings across the North West and throughout the UK, combining candid moments with the more considered portraits you see here.
The businesses below are personally recommended members of the Love My Dress Wedding Directory, selected for the talent, creativity, quality and genuine care they bring to every wedding they become part of. We are immensely proud to recommend these trusted partners to you.
Below, you’ll find a full list of all suppliers, vendors & venues mentioned in this article. Those marked with a ✓ are personally recommended members of the Love My Dress Wedding Directory.
Founder of Love My Dress, podcaster and editor, Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters, one at university and one aged 15, and a lively menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, long walks, being outdoors and star gazing. She also has a slightly unexpected obsession with blockchain and market analysis, studying price charts and patterns and has a deep fascination with market psychology. Annabel is known for her integrity, trust and advocacy within the wedding industry, values that underpin both her editorial voice and professional relationships. Alongside her work on Love My Dress, she also supports Philip in running the family’s sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers.
