Traditional wedding with traditional values at The Scarborough Spa
A Blind Date, Thirteen Years Later, and a Wedding Full of Surprises at Scarborough Spa
Some love stories take the scenic route, and this one was worth every single mile.
Thirteen years ago, a blind date was arranged by the groom's brother. Neither of them could have imagined that one introduction would lead to a lifetime together, but here they were, surrounded by 40 of their closest family and friends, celebrating their marriage on a beautiful summer's day at the stunning Scarborough Spa.
From the moment the day began, it was clear this wedding would be one to remember.
Like many weddings, there was an unexpected twist before the celebrations had even really started. At 9am, the bride's original makeup artist cancelled, leaving everyone wondering what to do next. Thankfully, the wedding gods were smiling. A replacement artist was found at the last minute and, quite honestly, you would never have known there had been any drama. The bride looked absolutely radiant, and the makeup was flawless—a reminder that sometimes the best solutions arrive when you least expect them.
As guests gathered overlooking the Yorkshire coast, there was an unmistakable feeling of warmth and togetherness. This wasn't just the joining of two people; it was the coming together of two families. Their children stood proudly alongside them, and their nine wonderful grandchildren brought even more joy, laughter, and plenty of smiles throughout the day. Watching generations celebrate together was incredibly special.
After a heartfelt ceremony, everyone settled down for dinner and some truly wonderful speeches. There were stories that had everyone laughing, touching moments that celebrated the couple's journey.
Then came one of the day's funniest moments.
Just as everyone was enjoying dinner, a pizza delivery appeared! There were a few confused faces as people wondered who on earth had ordered takeaway to a wedding. As it turned out, nobody had. It was all part of the entertainment. The "Deliveroo driver" was actually the incredibly talented singing waiter, whose surprise performance had the entire room singing, laughing, and dancing in their seats. It was brilliantly executed and caught almost everyone completely off guard.
As the evening celebrations got underway, guests were treated to another delight as mini golf appeared, giving everyone—from the youngest grandchildren to the adults—a chance to embrace their competitive side and enjoy the summer evening.
But nothing could prepare us for the first dance.
Rather than choosing a well-known love song, the groom had written one himself for his new wife.
As the music began and the lyrics filled the room, you could feel the emotion wash over everyone. Every word spoke of their thirteen-year journey together, the life they had built, and the future they were promising one another. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.
Mine included!
As a wedding photographer, I'm lucky enough to witness so many incredible moments, but every now and then a wedding leaves a lasting impression that stays with you long after you've packed away your cameras. This was one of those days.
It was a celebration filled with love, laughter, family, resilience, unexpected surprises, and unforgettable memories. Proof that even when the morning starts with a cancelled makeup artist, everything can still fall perfectly into place.
Congratulations to an amazing couple whose love story began with a blind date and continues to inspire everyone fortunate enough to know them. Here's to the next chapter of your beautiful adventure together.
Venue - Scarborough Spa
"Amazing, we spent 10 months planning our wedding with them. Going through lots of ideas, changing our minds now and then. Nothing was too much trouble, they met us regularly and had a run through of table designs so we knew that we had everything right. Really lovely people, professional, but calm, patient and with an eye for the smallest detail. There are not enough words to describe how special they made our day with the way they decorated and prepared the Spa for our wedding, the planning and organisation on the day was run like a military operation which meant we were all calm and was able to enjoy the day fully. The whole wedding package was fantastic, excellent value for money and would not hesitate to recommend them. All supporting staff were great, food was amazing and all delivered with a smile."
Dress - The Wedding Room, Scarborough
"From the moment I stepped into the wedding room to ask a question, Hannah made me feel special. Choosing my dress was a fabulous experience, she didn’t rush and I must have tried on 10 dresses before I found the dress. Very knowledgeable and has a keen eye for what will suit and what wont suit a bride, she also uses a local semester, who works a few doors down from her shop. Again great service and did an excellent job with the alterations."
Make up - Make up by Loisrea - Instagram
"Lois was absolutely fabulous from start to finish. As a local makeup artist with an excellent reputation, she took the time to understand exactly what I wanted, even working from a photograph to create
the perfect bridal look.
As she stepped in at the last minute when I was let down by my pre-booked make-up artist, we discussed how I wanted by bridal make-up to look like and what I also wanted for my bridesmaids and maid of honour. I knew straight away from her questions that she understood my vision, which immediately put me at ease. Lois brought a wonderfully calm and personable presence, helping me feel relaxed and confident. Her professionalism, warmth and attention to detail were exceptional".
The quality of the products she used was outstanding, and my makeup stayed flawless throughout the entire day. She also created beautiful looks for my bridesmaids, making everyone feel special and look amazing.
I cannot thank Lois enough for helping me feel my absolute best on my wedding day. I would highly recommend her to any future bride."
Hair - Janine's Unisex Hair Studio
"Janine and Elle did an absolutely wonderful job with the wedding party's hair on our wedding day. From the initial discussions through to the final styling, they were professional, friendly and attentive to exactly what we wanted.
They created beautiful styles for the bridal party that lasted throughout the day and evening, Janine had had a trial with styling my hair and on the day she created the most beautiful style and with the aid of the pearls really accentuated the curls and style. Helping everyone feel confident and look their best. Their calm and organised approach made the morning run smoothly and contributed to a relaxed atmosphere on what can often be a stressful day."
Bridesmaids dresses - Joys Bella Bridesmaids
"Beautiful dresses, quality materials.
Great service from both Louise the owner and the seamstress, Jade who did all the alterations."
Flowers - Louise the Florist
"Kate at Louise Florist - created the most beautiful wedding flowers I could have imagined. From our first meeting, she took the time to listen to my ideas and worked closely with me to understand the vision for our wedding day.The flowers she produced were simply stunning. The colours were vibrant, elegant and perfectly complemented both the wedding party and the venue. Every arrangement was carefully planned and beautifully presented.The floral displays transformed both the Sun Court Room and Reception Room, creating a wonderful atmosphere that exceeded all expectations. The attention to detail and creativity demonstrated throughout the process were outstanding.I would highly recommend Kate ( Louise florist ) to anyone looking for exceptional floral design and outstanding customer service. Beautiful, quality flowers and very reasonable priced."
Wedding Cake - By Loz
"Loz is our son’s Partner and bakes as a hobby, doing all the children’s birthday cakes and she did her mums wedding cake.
We gave her a couple of idea’s and swatches of materials that matched the bridesmaid dresses and the maid of honour, and then gave her free reign to create the cupcakes and the larger wedding cake that we would cut on the day."
Entertainment - Singing Secreto Dave (Pizza Service, DJ and Entertainment)
"Dave from Singing Secreto’s provided fantastic entertainment and service throughout our wedding celebrations. From the pizza service that went down a storm and he delivered it so well to the DJ set, everything was delivered professionally and helped create a brilliant atmosphere for our guests.
Dave was approachable, flexible and clearly experienced in ensuring everything ran smoothly. He had an amazing voice, and was happy to accommodate a last minute change to our first dance pre-arranged piece of music.
We received many positive comments from guests and would not hesitate to recommend Singing Secreto’s to anyone planning a wedding or special event."
Violinist - Bliss Violinist
"Bliss provided beautiful live violin music which added a truly special touch to our wedding day. The performances created a wonderful atmosphere and added elegance to the ceremony and celebrations.
The music was performed beautifully and helped create memorable moments throughout the day. Many of our guests commented on how lovely the violin music was, and it contributed greatly to the overall experience.
We would highly recommend Bliss to anyone looking to add something unique and memorable to their wedding day."
Photographer - Me
"What an amazing day, we are still buzzing. You were fantastic and organised all the photos so we get all ones we discussed and more. You are a true professional and a lovely person.
Thank you for making our day so special."
Thank you, to the team at the Scarborough Spa, Naomi and Alice, for letting me be part of their organisation for the day. If you think Scarborough is your kind of wedding venue, then get in touch with Naomi, you won't regret it.
If you need a photographer for your day, please get in touch. I would love meet you for coffee to hear more about your day, I can show you some more of my work and we can see if we get on. Give me a ring on 07863 670376 or drop me a line on [email protected]