A Summer Wedding at Crow Hill, Marsden: Moorland Skies and a Marquee Party
Heavy rain clouds, long moor grass and warm summer light breaking through underneath: that’s the picture we’ll always have of Kim and Mathew’s wedding at Crow Hill. We slipped out onto the moor behind the house at sunset, and the sky that might have worried another couple gave them the most incredible light.
Crow Hill: a country house and marquee wedding venue near Marsden
Crow Hill was a stone country house just off Carrs Road in Marsden, near Huddersfield. Couples could marry in the house, then celebrate in a marquee in the grounds, with walled Victorian gardens and rooms for family to stay. Marsden is almost surrounded by the National Trust’s Marsden Moor Estate, around 5,685 acres of open moorland, and the moor rises right behind the house.
It always seemed a little odd how rarely we worked at some of our favourite venues close to home, and Crow Hill was one of them. The first time we shot there it felt like just the kind of intimate venue we love, with some awesome scenery a stone’s throw away. Then, after years of the occasional wedding, we photographed two in a few months: Fran and Ian’s earlier in the year, which reminded us of everything we loved about the place, and Kim and Mathew’s in the summer.
Sadly, Crow Hill stopped hosting weddings in April 2021, when the business announced its closure, citing the effects of the pandemic and Brexit.
A relaxed morning and a ceremony full of smiles
Kim is about as far from the stereotypical ‘bridezilla’ as it’s possible to be. It was clear even from their engagement shoot that she and Mathew just wanted a relaxed day, enjoying the company of their friends and family. Neither of them was going to waste it worrying about ‘what ifs’ or fretting over the weather.
The morning set the tone. Mathew was all smiles in his shirtsleeves with a mug in hand. Kim had her make-up done by a tall window full of green leaves, then laughed her way through the last checks of her lace dress. Mathew waited under the trees in a navy suit and checked waistcoat. Inside, he turned to watch as Kim walked in carrying soft pink and lilac flowers.
Afterwards the confetti flew in front of the old stone house, and it would have been impossible to catch either of them doing anything other than smiling. A weathered wooden door in a stone wall made a quiet spot for a few portraits.
Speeches, sweepstakes and a marquee party
The reception was in a marquee draped in white fabric and strung with bunting. The tables were full of personal touches: chalkboard labels, jam jars wrapped in hessian and lace, and pink astrantia. The ‘lucky in love’ favours offered the chance to win a quid or two, on the understanding that any winner bought the drinks.
There was even a speech sweepstake, with guests guessing how long the speeches would run, and the top table laughed behind their hands. Later everyone gathered round for the first dance under a candle chandelier, with the marquee lit in purple and orange and Mathew dipping Kim into a kiss.
Sunset on the moor behind Crow Hill
Around sunset we headed out onto the moor for some couple shots, and were reminded just how incredible this part of the country is. No wonder some of the country’s greatest landscape photographers love Yorkshire so much.
The slightly ominous clouds could have been enough to worry some brides, but we like to think Kim and Mathew have some pretty great karma. They got the incredible skies that rain brings, with the warm light of summer still shining on them. We followed a path through the long grass, then stepped back and let them wander with nothing but sky around them. This is definitely a couple who are guaranteed to live happily ever after.
What we loved about Crow Hill
Crow Hill no longer hosts weddings, but if you’d love a day like Kim and Mathew’s in the West Yorkshire hills, here’s what made it work:
- The moor on the doorstep. Slipping out onto open moorland at sunset gave us photos that say exactly where the day happened.
- Moody skies are a gift. Pennine clouds often make better portraits than a clear blue sky, especially when the evening sun breaks through underneath.
- A house and a marquee. A ceremony indoors and a party under canvas gave the day two different moods, with shelter if the weather turned.
- Make it a weekend. With rooms for family on site, a Crow Hill wedding could easily become a whole weekend.
Planning a wedding in the West Yorkshire hills?
The moors and valleys of West Yorkshire are still some of our favourite places to photograph a wedding. See the Crow Hill weddings page, more marquee weddings and summer weddings, and our Yorkshire wedding photography, or get in touch to check your date.
