Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer

Grace & James
Yorkshire

Bride and Groom in the walled garden at the fig house at middleton lodge

“Thank you SOOOOO much!
We love them.
They are truly beautiful!”

The Wedding of Grace and James – Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer

Myspace, Butterfly eyes and a slice of the Mediterranean in North Yorkshire

Being part of Grace and James wedding was just amazing. The couple had been together since school and with close family bonds, and a bunch of brilliant longstanding friends, plus a love of music – I knew this would be a wonderful wedding and it didn’t disappoint! The Fig House, part of the Middleton Lodge Estate, is a dream wedding venue. Grace described it as a ‘slice of the Mediterranean in North Yorkshire‘. This was the perfect venue for Grace and James wedding – a relaxed, laid back and stylish couple and a day full of love. I was thrilled to be photographing this wedding and it was great to be joined by my wife, Abigail, who was filming the day for the couple! Looking for a Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer – then get in contact and I’ll send over my full brochure.

  • bride getting ready at parents home
  • black and white portrait of bride
  • bride comes down the stairs to be greeted by family
  • bride gets help putting on shoes for wedding
  • church doors at catholic wedding
  • Groom aisle at the end of the aisle for bride
  • Grooms men hands
  • bride under umbrella heading to the church
  • bride enters the church with father
  • bride and groom at catholic church
  • black and white image of bride and groom holding hands
  • Signing the book church wedding
  • signing at wedding
  • first kiss at wedding ceremony - bride and groom
  • bride and groom in the walled garden at the fig house middleton lodge
  • Bride and Groom in the walled garden at the fig house at middleton lodge
  • Bride and groom in the walled garden amongst flowers at Fig house
  • Tables laid out for wedding breakfast at the fig house
  • bridesmaids, groomsmen and bride and groom at the fig house
  • Bride, groom and grooms men walking at the fig hoise
  • Wedding guest greets bride and groom at the fig house
  • Hugs at middleton lodge wedding
  • Bride and groom kissing whilst sat for meal at the fig house at middleton lodge
  • Bride laughing during wedding speeches at the fig house
  • Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding photographer
  • Bride and groom kissing at the fig house middleton lodge
  • Father of bridge hugging his daughter
  • wedding couple dance to brass band at the fig house middleton lodge
  • bride in doorway middleton lodge
  • New York brass band middleton lodge weding
  • cake cutting middleton lodge wedding
  • eating the wedding cake - bride and groom middleton lodge
  • Dancing at Middleton lodge wedding
  • Wedding guest dancing at Middleton lodge
  • bride and groom kissing in the rain at Middleton Lodge Wedding
  • Bride and groom in marquee on dancefloor at middleton lodge
  • Guest dancing at middleton lodge wedding
  • Wedding guests dancing at middleton lodge
  • Bride dancing at wedding with dress oulled out middleton lodge
  • cellar bar at Middleton Lodge wedding

James and Grace’s Wedding Day

Grace and James met on Myspace! Who remembers that? Basically any teen or young adult of the mid-late 2000s with an interest in music was on Myspace. It was about connecting with people into similar music and discovering new bands. Grace and James discovered each other this way around aged 16.

“She was into Kings of Leon and Twilight…so I pretended I was into King of Leon and Twilight”!


After a few messages, they found out they were going to be at the same sixth form. Although they chatted online, James was a little less forthcoming in real life and it was only when Grace told him one of his friends had asked her out that he finally plucked up the courage. Since that moment he introduced Grace to all his family and friends as ‘my girlfriend, the supermodel‘. And on her wedding day, she really did look stunning (as did he). Her dress was created by Muse by Berta and delicately sewn into the lace were butterflies. This had a special meaning because her family refer to her as ‘Princess butterfly eyes’.

Family is incredibly important to Grace and James, and both of them got ready in the morning at their family homes before travelling to the church for the ceremony, the same church that Grace’s parents had married at many years before. The choir serenaded the couple with the most perfect hymn ‘Amazing Grace’!

Despite the rain, a quick confetti throw happened followed by a race to cars, and the couple and their guests travelled to Middleton Lodge where they held a drinks reception in the boiler house that is connected to the Fig House.


The Fig House at Middleton Lodge


The Fig House was set up beautifully with long wooden tables and minimal decor that added to the rustic charm. The rain even held off for a few moments so I was able to slip outside with the newly weds to create some natural portraits before guests sat down to eat.

Between the courses were a range of heart felt speeches from the Father of the bride, the groom and his best man – his brother Nick. The couple’s university friend, Benedict, was also the compare for the day. Yes the couple even went to York University together, though studied different subjects! As the speeches end, the sound of a brassband drifted across the court yard and guests spilled out through the doors to be greeted by the New York Bras Band who soon had guests dancing. The band then led the procession of people over the main house at Middleton Lodge for more drinks in the main house bar, followed by people heading to the marquee set up on the lawn for the evening celebrations.

In true British style, the weather was changeable through the day. There was some amazing moments where guests could hang outside amongst the ambient lighting and make use of the outdoor seating. At other times the comfort of the marquee was needed. Although for me, there is no bad weather for photographs and we made the most of the rain and some clever lighting to create some epic portraits of the couple. As my aim is to shoot most of the day in a purely documentary style, I always make sure portraits and group shots are done quickly and the couple os back at the party in no time at all!


Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer


When Grace and James first got in touch, they told me what mattered to them from their photography:

“We want a photographer who makes us feel comfortable. We are both really awkward in front of the camera, and the best pictures we have together are the candid ones. We love that your style is documentary, and really want this to reflect on our day”

“I would love some really beautiful and romantic shots of me and James that we rarely ever capture together because James doesn’t usually like getting his picture taken. I would love these to be artistic, natural and original”.

We loved being part of James and Grace’s wedding day and are so happy we could create memories for them. If you are after a Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer, and may be also videographer, then we’d love to hear from you!



The Wedding Team

Wedding dress – Muse by Berta (the Wedding Club)
Earrings – Ejing Zhang
Veil – Etsy
Groom Suit – Suitsupply
Groom Shoes – Loakes
Hair – Black Door Hairdressing
Cake – Mother of the bride
Flowers Church – Undertheivy
Flowers Fig House – The Wilde
Band – New York Brass Band
Photographer – Andy Gaines Photography
Videography – Abigail at Andy Gaines Photography

Weddings at Middleton Lodge

“When we saw The Fig House at Middleton Lodge, it was like we had found a slice of the Mediterranean in Yorkshire and instantly loved it”.

The Middleton Lodge estate in North Yorkshire features a 18th Century main house, but also a range of converted buildings on the estate. There are a number of places you can opt to get married and hold your celebrations, including the main house, the lawns, the Fig House, and the marquee. The Fig House is just stunning. A converted barn with exposed plaster and brickwork, with contemporary features. Light and airy, the patio doors open directly onto the walled country style garden which is awash with colours and scents.

There is also a range of accommodation for your guests and an in house team that will help with wedding planning and making sure everything runs smoothly on the day. Choosing me as your Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer means that you can relax and know that you are in safe hands, I will make sure your celebrations are documented perfectly and you’ll have photos you will measure forever.

Get in contact and I’ll send over my brochure that gives more info on how I work on your wedding day, my style and approach and full details on pricing and packages (including videography and albums). I’d love to be your Fig House at Middleton Lodge Wedding Photographer.