A Hazlewood Castle Engagement Shoot: Spring Blossom and a Golden Sunset
Just as we said hello to Nicola and Keith, the clouds broke and the sky over Hazlewood Castle turned a deep orange. Soon the two of them were wrapped up in each other under the blossom, the low sun pouring through the branches, and long shadows stretching across the grass. Golden hour had arrived, and for once the British weather had let us have it.
Hazlewood Castle: a historic castle engagement shoot location near York
Hazlewood Castle sits between Aberford and Tadcaster, close to the A1 and A64, about twenty minutes from the centre of York. It’s Grade I listed and was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. It was home to the Vavasour family from Norman times, and its chapel of St Leonard dates from the 1280s. Today it’s a hotel and wedding venue set in more than seventy acres of woodland and landscaped gardens.
Nicola and Keith were getting married at Hazlewood later that year, and they wanted their engagement session in the same place to make the most of the blossom trees Hazlewood is known for. It’s a lovely idea. The castle even offers ceremonies at its garden pagoda under the cherry blossom, and a shoot in the grounds means you know exactly where everything is before the big day.
Chasing the golden hour
Golden hour is a term every photographer knows. It describes that elusive time just before sunset, when the sky has an incredible warm glow. We rarely get to enjoy it on shoots because of the unpredictable British weather, so on the rare occasions it turns up, we make sure we make the most of it.
We arranged Nicola and Keith’s shoot around sunset and, honestly, we were ready to be disappointed. It has happened in the past: you plan everything around the light and get a misty, overcast evening instead. Not this time. The clouds cleared just as the shoot began, and everything that followed was bathed in that warm light.
Blossom, long shadows and a tree to climb
Under the blossom we used the white flowers as a soft frame around the two of them. Out across the parkland, the old trees threw long shadows and the sun sat low behind them. One of our favourite frames is almost entirely shadow: the two of them tiny against a starburst of sun, their silhouettes stretching towards the camera across the grass.
Chris is always keen to show off his tree-climbing skills, and that night was no different. Taking up Keith’s kind offer of a leg up, he finished the shoot in the branches of an amazing tree. Below him, Nicola and Keith hugged on the grass as the sun went down behind them.
We loved walking around the grounds and getting to know another lovely couple who treasure photography as much as we do.
Why we love an engagement shoot at your wedding venue
If you’re getting married at Hazlewood Castle, or anywhere with grounds like these, here’s why we’d recommend a shoot there first:
- You learn the best spots. By the wedding day you already know which trees, paths and views you love.
- Spring blossom is worth planning for. If your wedding is later in the year, an engagement shoot in spring gives you the blossom too.
- Book around sunset. The last hour of light is the most flattering of the day, so it’s worth arranging the shoot around it.
- Wear something comfortable. You’ll be walking across lawns and parkland, so shoes you can stroll in make it far more relaxed.
Planning your own wedding near York?
If you’re getting married at Hazlewood Castle or anywhere near York, we’d love to hear from you. See more of our York wedding photography and Yorkshire wedding photography, or get in touch to check your date.
