There is a distinct magic to rural North Yorkshire celebrations, and Laura and Tom’s day at Thirsk Lodge Barns was the absolute definition of relaxed, authentic romance. Tucked away amidst sweeping fields, this wedding venue blends historic red-brick warmth with bright, modern architecture—making every corner a dream to document.
Here is a look into their amazing wedding day, in their own words.
How did you Choose your Venue?
"We visited a few wedding venues, as you do, most of which we did like. But as soon as we drove up to Thirsk Lodge Barns, we essentially knew straight away that it was the one. We adored every single part of the venue and found that the staff themselves has such love and pride for the venue itself too. It was honestly a no brainer."
Tell me About the Proposal
"For our four year anniversary, Tom booked a lovely hotel and spa trip. I could sense he was nervous and so from quite early, had my suspicions. The room was covered in rose petals and at that point I was pretty certain what Tom had planned. He knew I didn't want a public proposal, and before I knew it he was down and one knee and I'd said 'yes' before he'd even had the chance to finish!"
How did you Choose your Dress?
"My mum was visiting me in Cardiff and really wanted to start looking at wedding dresses. The wedding was over a year away and I wasn't wanting to make any decisions yet and hadn't even started looking yet apart from browsing, as you do. But I was like why not! My family live in Yorkshire, hence why we got married up there, and I don't see them too often so we went for a look! We looked in a few stores but nothing really stood out. We were just browsing but at this one smaller store, they said they were quiet and I could try on some dresses if I wanted. I maybe tried on 10 to 15 dresses, loving, in particular, 3 of them and after a few more try ons, I had my dress!
It was the first day of looking and completely unexpected, but I fell in love with it in the same way as I did the venue."
Tell me About the Flowers and Bouquet
"I made the bouquet myself and this was sort of the template/inspiration to guide our choices for the other floral arrangemens. Given that we had chosen a golden/champagne colour for the ties of the groom and groomsmen, I thought having flowers that complemented that would be fitting.
So in my bouquet, I chose a sort of champagne/peach colour alongaide white roses offset by deep green leaves. This obviously meant that any white rose arrangement would complement well. We chose artificial flowers that matched the bouquet for the wedding and visually they were all beautiful, especially with the stands that came with them. The fact that we chose artificial flowers also made it easier to buy, organise and decorate with no concerns about wilting and with memories that would last. I do love the tradition of framing the remains of old flowers or placing them in resin, but I want to look at them and see them exactly as they were. We both do this every day as they are in a vase in our kitchen window!!
Everything turned out even better than we'd pictured it and we had a lot of compliments on the day."
How did you Personalise Your Day?
"I think that every part of the day felt personal. At the end of the day, you've spent, generally, at least a year planning and building up to this day. Yes, you follow themes, inspiration you've seen, ideas you've read about, but is all a product of your vision and effort and everything you envisioned for that day. We had personalised napkins, signage, cake decorations etc, but every flower, confetti piece, decorative piece was all specifically chosen to make the day our own."
"Firstly, we wholeheartedly recommend Dale to anyone and everyone who needs a wedding or events photographer. He was perfect.
From the first call we had a year before the wedding, to the prep calls before and the day itself, Dale was fantastic.
My wife and I aren't often one for photos and before we spoke to Dale, we were nervous for this part of the day. But we knew after that first call we would be so comfortable with him and we were excited, knowing he completely understood what we wanted.
From the preparation photos for the Grooms party, the bridal preparation, group photos and Dale stealing us away for peaceful and scenic photos during the day, he was simply amazing. He was kind, understanding and so attentive. He took photos of all the little details that will make for amazing photos and will truly document the entire day.
Having seen the initial sneak peak photos just days after the wedding, we adore them and can't wait for the rest. All our guests spoke glowingly of Dale too and he really went the extra mile, in essence giving my cousins their own scenic photoshoot too!
Dale, we can't thank you enough for how well you captured our special day and will be forever grateful!!!"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Laura & Tom
How did you Choose your First Dance Song?
"For a few years, there was always a song that Tom would play for me when I was stressed or upset or just in my own head. He would just lie with me and play it until I felt better. Over that time, it sort of became 'our song'. So when choosing certain songs for different parts of the day, the first dance song in particular was a very easy one for us. We just looked at each other and knew."
Best Wedding Moment
"Where to begin! Every part of the day was special. We both adored the speeches, and despite not being the most confident of public speakers, we both decided to speak and they were truly wonderful moments that enabled us both to express our love for each other in front of the people we care for most as well as allowing the best man and father of the bride tell some really lovely stories about us both.
Tom also has a fond memory for the confetti moment where we were first introduced as the married couple and can be seen grinning throughout all those photos.
Despite also both being a bit camera shy, we cannot deny that we actually loved the moments where Dale would squirrel us away for some photos just the two of us and it was a great way for us to have a breather and time for just us two."
What will you Remember Most?
"We'll remember how happy everyone was and how lucky we were. We had fantastic weather, all our suppliers (photographer, venue, catering and DJ) were all amazing and the day went perfectly.
It meant we had such a joyous time and so did our guests, we received lots of compliments throughout the day and after, making all of the planning and stress so worth it!"
Tips for Other Wedding Couples
"When planning, remember it is your day. Family will obviously be involved when planning and everyone will have their opinions and their say, but make sure any decisions made align with exactly what you are wanting. It is your day, and you'll want to look back on it and think, 'I would not change a thing'."
Which is your Favourite Wedding Photo?
"We have a few favourite wedding photos. Firstly the one of us two stood in the venue grounds in front of the old house is so beautiful.
Then we also love the photos of our families in the evening. I don't think everyone can remember those photos being taken (some sore heads the day after) but they were such joyous moments and really captured how lucky we are to have such amazing and supportive families."
Which Moment do you wish you Could Relive?
"Honestly, every single moment of the day itself. It was a dream. One of our favorite films is Groundhog Day, and if we could pick a day to relive over and over, it would be our wedding day."
What Would you do Differently?
"Absolutely nothing. From start to finish, the day was absolutely perfect and neither of us would change a thing."
Thank you Laura & Tom for sharing your wedding memories and tips. It was a huge pleasure being part of your special day.
Scroll down to see some of my favourite highlights from their stunning North Yorkshire celebration.
Planning your own Thirsk Lodge Barns wedding? I’d love to chat.
