Oakwood at Ryther Wedding Photographer & Videographer

Converted barns in the Vale of York

Oakwood at Ryther is on Moor Lane at Ryther, near Tadcaster in North Yorkshire (LS24 9EL), a spot the venue describes as deep in the Vale of York. Its own website says it is run as a family business and centred on a courtyard, with a Ceremony Hall, The Old Grain Store and the Oakwood Barn for guest bedrooms, all offered for your exclusive use.

We photographed Beth and Dan's wedding here on 23 September 2021, and their day is the one in this guide: a ceremony under the oak arches, petals at the glass doors and a last set of portraits in a field of long grass under a grey sky. Our York and Harrogate guide, Leeds guide and North Yorkshire guide show more weddings around here, and this page stays with Ryther. What we say about the buildings comes from the venue's own website, and what we say about the photographs comes from looking at them.

For current venue details, explore Oakwood at Ryther. This wedding was in September 2021, so ask the venue what has changed since and exactly what your date includes.

01 / The spaces / From the venue's own description

The Ceremony Hall, The Old Grain Store and the Oakwood Barn

The venue's website describes the Ceremony Hall as a former haybarn with hand-crafted oak arches, reclaimed brick, a York Stone floor and globe pendant lights, and says it seats up to 140 guests. The Old Grain Store is a converted barn with exposed brick, original beams, chandeliers, a staircase of wood and glass, a granite-topped bar and a mezzanine cocktail lounge, and the venue also gives its seating as up to 140.

The Oakwood Barn holds the bedrooms: the venue lists 15 ensuite rooms for up to 32 guests, a bridal suite with a dressing room and balcony, and a two-bedroom cottage at Cawood about ten minutes away. It says the site is yours alone, with no other guests or wedding parties on site, that you choose a caterer from its handpicked list and that corkage is not allowed. The pages we read give no ceremony licence position and no finishing times, so ask for both in writing.

02 / September 2021 / Beth and Dan

Beth and Dan: oak arches, petals at the glass doors and long grass under grey skies

Beth and Dan married on 23 September 2021. The photograph at the top of this page is a quiet moment between them, foreheads together and smiling in front of a curtain of fairy lights on a brick wall, Beth in a lace gown and veil holding a bouquet of white roses and Dan in a black suit and bow tie.

Their ceremony was in the Ceremony Hall, under the oak arches and a cluster of globe lights. Beth and Dan hold hands and face the officiant, both smiling, while guests in burgundy dresses laugh along in the rows behind them.

Afterwards they walked out through the glass doors, Beth raising her bouquet high as bridesmaids in burgundy, groomsmen and young guests in black suits threw red and white petals around them.

In the next frame they stop for a kiss in the courtyard as the petals fall, with guests watching and a timber-clad barn behind them.

Inside, they posed on a wooden staircase with glass panels and brick walls, Beth's long lace train falling down the steps past lanterns with lit candles.

The grey September sky suited the last portraits, taken in a field of long pale grass behind a wooden fence. They walk hand in hand and look at each other, then kiss with the bouquet at Beth's side, then walk on with her veil trailing behind.

Planning your photographs at Oakwood at Ryther

These are the questions we would put to the venue, and how we would plan around the answers:

1. Ceremony: Beth and Dan were married in the Ceremony Hall, which the venue says seats up to 140. Ask which kinds of ceremony the hall can host on your date and how the legal side is handled. The venue's About page also mentions churches nearby at Wistow, Cawood and Kirby Wharf.
2. Confetti: The petals at the glass doors gave us some of the liveliest frames of the day. The venue lists biodegradable petal confetti among its inclusions, so ask whether it comes with your package and where guests should stand to throw it.
3. Getting ready: The venue lists 15 ensuite bedrooms and a bridal suite with a dressing room and balcony. Because you have the site for a whole weekend, ask which rooms are free on the morning, and tell us when you would like us to arrive.
4. Weather and light: Beth and Dan's September day stayed grey, and the soft sky suited the long grass portraits. Ask the venue which covered areas we can use if it rains, and we will check the forecast and the sunset time for your date and agree a plan with you beforehand.
5. Group photographs: Have as many as you wish. Around 15 groups is a common choice and takes about 20 minutes. Pick a roomy spot with a sheltered fallback and give one confident guest the list, so everyone is gathered quickly.
6. Portraits: A portrait walk of about 15 minutes, with photo and video side by side, is usually plenty. Ask the venue which fields and paths you may use, and tell us if you would like to walk out into the open ground as Beth and Dan did.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings as one team, with one of us staying close to the couple while the other watches the guests. For a barn venue with a hall, a courtyard and open ground, you get a single timetable and a single plan for the ceremony, the confetti and the portrait walk.

The photo and video team package carries a £120 deposit and a £400 saving over booking photography and videography separately. We are based near Cardiff, and travel across England and Wales is included in standard full-day packages. When the drive is over two hours we always stay in a hotel the night before and cover it.

Questions about a Oakwood at Ryther wedding