South Causey Inn Wedding Photographer | South Causey Inn Wedding Photography
Kris & Toni’s Wedding Photography overlooking the beautiful Beamish Valley.
This was our first wedding at The Durham Suite venue. We’ve visited the South Causey Inn for a number of weddings over the years in the Main Pub & in The Old Barn and each suite is basically a different venue. We’d always had a good time there and knew that Kris & Toni would be fun. A wedding with great people, a beautiful venue & an explosive night.
The Valley View opposite the Durham Suite
The Valley View cottage was HQ central for Toni. It was hot in there with 3 bridesmaids, a flower girl, a makeup artist, hairstylist and boatloads of family. But the champagne was flowing & people were constantly coming & going so there was a real family atmosphere. Ivy Mia, Toni’s niece & flower girl was having everyone’s life playing hide & seek.
Tieless at the Durham Suite
The boys turned up with only their ties to fasten. Probably a good idea on this warm August day. I thought I was going to get the job but the waiting family didn’t give me a chance and I gladly documented instead. Kris’s sons were loving the suits and seemed ready for the day, no nerves in sight. As more guests started arriving I took the lads out to the garden to the Durham Suites private garden.
The Tanfield Suite Service Room
Adjoining the Durham Suite is a service Room called the Tanfield Suite. It’s extremely atmospheric, beautifully dressed and great to photograph. The wisteria on the wood beams makes it so cosy. Some darker venues use spotlights that can be problematic when they hit people but this room is just filled with soft pools of light. Kris’s two best men were keeping his mind off things, constantly laughing & joking on. He was a rock, right up to the point Toni entered the room and then lost it just a little.
The Durham Suite Garden
The Durham Suite Garden had some wonderful views on this beautiful hot summers day. It was the perfect space to get the group images our couple wanted. It had a shaded corner where we could keep everyone cool. The ice cream cart was a godsend that everyone got to try.
The Durham Suite Function Room
The Durham suite mirrors the Tanfield Suite’s dressing but is flooded with natural light from above and the side. It’s so easy to photograph. When there are no technical problems to keep in mind you can relax and focus on the action. All of the speeches were hilarious and the two best men had the groom and most of his family hiding behind their hands most of the way through.
A little trip to the Lake
One great thing about a wedding at the South Causey is the option for a little trip down to the Lake. After the wedding breakfast, The Causey Staff kindly took us the short car ride to a nearby fishery. I remember Lisa accidentally gripping Kris as we all squeezed in the back of the Landrover. You really can’t take her anywhere. In front of his new bride too!
That evening there wasn’t an angler in sight and we had the whole place to ourselves. Toni & Kris also seemed to appreciate the time away to catch their breath.
Unplanned Wedding Fireworks
So picture the scene… We had both packed our gear away & loaded the cars. I was sitting in my car chatting to Lisa about how the day had gone. All of a sudden firework start screaming into the sky from behind the cottages. The wedding next door at the Old Barn had gone the whole hog and orgainised a full blown fireworks display.
Lisa sprinted back into the Durham Suite to find Toni & Kris while I grabbed a camera. Firstly, I didnt dream that the fireworks display would last long. Most wedding fireworks last 30 secs with a couple of pops & fizzes. Secondly, it had taken us a full 20 mins to get the bride & groom past their guests at the last attempt. The chances of Lisa even finding both of them were slim.
As I began taking the lens cap off & changing settings on the camera Toni & Kris came sprinting around the cottages. I couldn’t believe it. There was no time to think, we just tried to give direction the best we could over the noise of the fireworks. They were both ecstatic to catch them and it was the cherry to top off a wonderful day.
We thoroughly enjoyed Toni & Kris’s wedding at the Durham Suite at The South Causey Inn. They are an amazing couple. Great fun and down to earth. This blog post has been a while coming, we wanted to save some of our best weddings to fill the dry patch covid has created. Halo Photography hope they both have a wonderful life together.
