The Venue Bowers Mill Wedding Photography
Ashley & Emily
A chilled wedding with a rustic, industrial vibe captured in The Venue Bowers Mill wedding photography, by Phil Salisbury.
Rustic, spacious, relaxed, and run by the pros, The Venue Bowers Mill is an award-winning gem in the Yorkshire countryside. The former textile mill has iron pillars, high ceilings, wooden floors and exposed brickwork, it’s packed with industrial character and good vibes to capture in your Bowers Mill wedding photography.
I joined Emily and Ashley with one instruction - to do whatever I wanted! They completely trusted me to document their story in my signature style as their Bowers Mill wedding photographer at The Venue. This laid-back pair had planned a chilled day for everyone to enjoy, and of course, their fluffy little legend Betsy the dog joined them and stole our hearts! They also booked a pre-wedding photoshoot, so they felt at ease in front of the camera and knew my stress-free way of working would fit with their plans and personalities.
Not only is the venue unique to look at, but it’s also super flexible with space to adapt to the size and style of every wedding. Having Bowers Mill Aparthotel next door also means there’s somewhere for guests to stay after dancing into the night, so no need to worry about transport. Ceremonies can take place outside by the lake at the pagoda, or in The Spinning Room overlooking the rooftops of Bowers Mill and endless Yorkshire countryside.
The Venue Bowers Mill wedding photography gives me loads of opportunities to include unique industrial features in epic portraits, as well as framing natural documentary moments and details. The Bowers Suite is a spacious open-plan room on the old factory floor that can be divided up for different parts of your wedding day. With huge windows and a high ceiling for an added wow factor, it’s ideal for banquet-style wedding breakfasts, and the food here is next level. What makes it even better is the expert Bowers Mill weddings team - they know what’s what when it comes to weddings, and it shows!
Emily and Ashley got ready on-site and started the day with laid-back drinks with their wedding parties. Emily had chosen a boho dress by All Who Wander, from Ava Rose Hamilton, the added tulle sleeves and veil created an awesome look, especially with her Converse bridal trainers!
Ashley’s groomsmen wore brown tweed suits from Jenson Samuel, with sage green accents to match the bridesmaids. Betsy the dog was with them, looking fabulous in her little wedding outfit and enjoying lots of cuddles. The boys had a big part to play as Ashley waited for Emily to arrive in the Spinning Room for their ceremony… FLOWER DUDES! They scattered those petals with style! As they said their vows, Betsy looked up adoringly at her humans… and then had a little snooze – it’s hard work being such a legend!
Wedding Stylist Emily K used her experience and creativity to style The Venue perfectly, bringing Emily and Ashley’s ‘rustic vibes’ vision to life. Blamey’s Florist of Harrogate created natural-looking floral displays using plenty of foliage mixed with luxurious pastel colour blooms in bouquets and buttonholes, plus some impressive installations for the ceremony and around the top table. Paired with the stunning features of The Venue Bowers Mill, the styling and floristry brought everything together in a luxurious, elegant and understated style.
Now it was time for fizz, canapes and a few happy tears, as they celebrated becoming husband and wife. Next, after a quick good luck fist bump from Betsy (adorable), Emily and Ashley braved a storm of confetti from their enthusiastic guests! We arranged formal group photos in the shade next to the wedding pergola, then took the newlyweds into the grounds for some relaxed portraits together. This is where Emily’s choice of footwear shone – as she happily strolled over the uneven ground in her high-top Converse with her dress gathered in her arm.
We returned to check out The Bowers Suite before guests were called to sit for the wedding breakfast. Each guest had a friendship bracelet to mark their place and the table names had a Taylor Swift theme – Swifties always find a way to include their Queen! The towering gold candlesticks added some drama to the tables and a unique wedding newspaper awaited everyone. In the newspaper, Emily and Ashley had included details of their entire love story, tributes to those who couldn’t be with them, and a list of wedding suppliers (including me, hi!).
After a delicious feast and brilliant speeches, everyone chilled out and enjoyed some games while we popped back outside with Emily and Ashley to capture some photos at golden hour. Then when we came back everything was ready for their first dance and cutting their cake, made by Three Little Birds Bakery.
The evening party was Emily’s chance to relax, let her hair down and DANCE! The resident DJ provided all the floor fillers. Ashley loves the photos of Emily partying the night away, especially after all the hard work she put into planning and organising it all! Guests played with props, glow sticks and Taylor Swift masks on the dancefloor and had a lot of fun with them in the photo booth from Viva La Booth.
I loved capturing Emily and Ashley’s The Venue Bowers Mill wedding photography, and I’m excited to be back there again soon. The space, flexibility and chilled vibes of the place make it super special, and the whole team are so professional. It’s dog friendly too, so if you have your own fluffy little legend like Betsy, they can come along and join the fun!
Whether you are looking for inspiration, or want to check my availability for your wedding at Bowers Mill, I’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch and we can start talking plans!
I’m a Manchester wedding photographer, but I capture weddings everywhere from the Lake District to Hertfordshire and from North Wales to Tuscany, to name just a few! If you want relaxed, authentic photos that capture emotion and all the wild party moments then count me IN, I’ll be right there on the dance floor with you!
