Emma and Phils Healey Barn Wedding

Emma and Phil tied the knot at their church in the centre of Newcastle before heading to Healey Barn in the Northumberland wilderness. Emma and Phil are the type of couple that only seem to come along once every wedding season. I can always tell the kind because they have that spark in their eye and that little bit more excitement in their voice than most. Nearly all couples are excited to be getting married, but most kind of forget why they are getting married. It is not their fault; the wedding industry bombards you with that much stuff they say you should need, by the end of the planning, it becomes a little overwhelming. I think for most couples when it gets to the day they are sometimes just relieved that its all over, the planning that is.

The Bridal Prep

I spoke with Emma and Phil over the phone, and we met for their pre-wedding photoshoot at Sycamore gap, you can read about it here. It has been a personal goal for me to photograph a couple there because of how amazing the scenery is, but you can’t just turn up with any couple. They need to have that spark, and you both need to be singing off the same hymn sheet because it is a little challenging to get there. The shoot was amazing, I was buzzing for the full two-hour drive home, and I just knew their wedding was going to be everything I had hoped it would be. 

Big buildings, big hearts. 

Pulling up outside in the shadow of the famous tyne bride, a very inconspicuous old red brick building greeted me. From the outside, the only clue that it was a church was the large letters on the side that said CityChurch. A handful of Phil’s groomsmen were greeting arriving guests as they walked through the glass doors. Inside, it still doesn’t look like a church, but it felt more like a church than any I had been in before. Newcastle CityChurch is a converted factory that still boasts relics from the past, like the old lifting cranes high above our heads and the old tall single pane windows that were letting the light of that soft winter dapple the guests below. Even though the room was large, it was filled with the buzz of guests eagerly awaiting the bridal party. Fairy lights were strung from side to side above our heads that dulled the harshness of Victorian engineering. Looking around, I had that feeling I talked about earlier; you could feel a sense of community in the room. They all belonged. 

Healey Barn

Healey Barn is an 18th-century barn surrounded by lush pine forests and rolling hills in the heart of Northumberland, between Hexham and Newcastle. As a wedding venue, it is right up there with the very best. As you enter the old barn, you at struck with how elegant and grand it is. Old traditional oak beams lead your eyes down the long and narrow barn to the roaring fireplace that dominates the far wall. From the ceiling hang large floral chandeliers that add the finishing touches.    The old barn is the main focal point where you and your guests mingle throughout the day, but through the door adjacent to the fireplace is another stunning long barn that is laid out to host your wedding breakfast. The centre of the venue is a courtyard that is littered with fire pits that are perfect for sitting around with friends and a drink during those long summer nights.