Claire and Scott’s Wedding at Carlton Towers | Real Weddings | Carlton Towers Wedding Photography

St Georges Day was the date chosen for Claire and Scott’s wedding at the amazing Carlton Towers in East Yorkshire. I recently asked Claire to tell me about their wedding day, read on to hear all about a sunny April wedding at one of Yorkshire’s finest wedding venues

“Our wedding photographs exceeded every expectation we had”

Scott’s late father grew up in the village of Carlton and spent his childhood playing around the ponds on the estate. His ashes were later scattered there overlooking the house, so in many ways it felt like having him with us on the day.

There’s even more family history tied to Carlton Towers. Scott’s Nanna worked there in the 1940s when the house was used as a military hospital , and it’s where she met Scott’s Grandad. Also, in the late 1800’s Scott’s great-grandfather was the village blacksmith who made the crown that still sits proudly on top of the house’s flagpole today. With so many meaningful connections, it really was a no-brainer for us to choose Carlton Towers as our wedding venue

I’d love to hear the story of your engagement – who proposed, where did it happen, and how did the moment unfold?

Scott completely caught me off guard and proposed on 10th May 2025 – exactly ten years to the day since our very first date together. We were on a secluded beach between Sandsend and Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire. We both love being by the sea as well as beach combing for sea glass, driftwood and fossils. After a fairly precarious scramble down to the beach, we spent a few peaceful hours there without seeing another soul. At one point I sat down on a large rock to admire the view while happily eating a bag of roast beef Monster Munch (very glamorous!), and that’s when Scott chose to propose. It was completely unexpected and I just sat and cried with happiness.

Did you have a particular wedding style or vision in mind for your celebration at Carlton Towers, and how did you bring that atmosphere to life throughout your wedding day

We wanted our wedding day to feel natural, relaxed and full of rustic wildflower charm, more of a slightly uneven “mismatched” look rather than anything too polished or formal.

As amazing as wedding venue stylists and professional cake makers are, we always knew we wanted to create everything ourselves. We had a really clear vision and poured so much time, thought and effort into bringing it to life. Scott made the wooden cake stand and table centrepieces himself, and I made our wedding cake and cupcakes too. Seeing everything come together on the day made us feel incredibly proud.

Please tell me about finding your dream wedding dress — how long did the search take, and what was it about that perfect dress that made you realise it was ‘the  one”

I found my wedding dress during my very first appointment at one bridal shop, Jacqueline’s of Cottingham. I picked out six dresses myself to try on and honestly disliked every single one of them once they were on!

Thankfully, Jacqueline gently stepped in and asked if she could choose some for me to try instead. Clearly, I needed the expert help! She picked out three dresses, and the very first one I tried on, an Ellis Bridal gown – ended up being “The Dress” It was nothing like what I’d originally imagined for myself, but it fitted in beautifully with the understated natural flower theme of the wedding which just proves the experts really do know best.

What meaningful details or personal touches made your wedding day feel uniquely yours, and how did these reflect your story as a couple

So much of our wedding day felt personal because of the family history connected to Carlton Towers and because we designed and created so much of it ourselves.

As part of our natural feel for the day, we used wildflower seeded paper for our invitations and place settings so guests could plant them afterwards. Another meaningful moment was visiting the hidden bluebell woods near where Scott’s dad’s ashes are scattered. We often walk there together in all seasons, and on our wedding day Chris kindly drove us down the country lane so we could have some wedding photographs taken amongst them. The bluebells did not disappoint. In fact, they were the best we’ve ever seen them. 

Looking back on your wedding day at Carlton Towers , which moments stand out as the most unforgettable, and which memories will you treasure forever?

Having our closest family there to witness our marriage meant everything to us. Writing our own vows made the wedding ceremony feel incredibly personal too – and there was definitely plenty of smiles during the final line of mine!

We’ll always remember how blessed we were with the beautiful weather, the incredible food and service, and of course the unforgettable bluebell woods. Seeing those photographs afterwards completely blew us away. Chris captured the atmosphere and emotion of the day so beautifully – Our wedding photographs exceeded every expectation we had.

What advice would you give to newly engaged couples planning their own wedding day, especially when choosing a venue and creating a celebration that feels personal to them?

Trust your own vision — with a little inspiration, time and patience, you really can create a day that feels completely unique to you. A DIY wedding definitely comes with a little blood, sweat and tears, but the sense of pride when it all comes together is absolutely worth it!

And just as importantly, trust the wedding professionals around you too — their experience and guidance can make such a difference and help bring your vision to life.

Do you have a favourite wedding photograph from the day? Tell me why this photo means so much to you and the memories it captures.

We both absolutely love the photographs of us walking through the bluebell woods together. The sunlight coming through the trees, the vibrant colours and the natural feel of the woodland setting — especially because it’s somewhere with personal meaning to us that not many people know about.

We also love the photograph of us both creased up laughing after the final unsuspected line of my vows  – Chris captured this perfectly.

”Chris, thank you very much for the amazing photographs of our wedding day. We feel that the day was captured perfectly.  We are absolutely thrilled with them and look forward to choosing photographs for an album. Love from Scott and Claire “

Above: Claire and Scott’s favourite wedding photograph from their day at Carlton Towers.

Claire and Scott’s wedding suppliers

We’d also love to say a huge thank you to all of our suppliers, the amazing staff at Carlton Towers, and of course Chris the man behind the camera who captured our wedding day so beautifully. We’re beyond grateful for the memories he’s given us which we will cherish forever. 

• Wedding Venue – Carlton Towers East Yorkshire www.carltontowers.co.uk/
• Wedding Photography – Chris Chambers  www.chrischambersphotography.co.uk
• Wedding Video – Chris Chambers  www.chrischambersphotography.co.uk
• Wedding Dress – Jacquelines of Beverley – jacquelinesofbeverley.co.uk
• Grooms suit – House of Cavani Menswear – cavani.co.uk
• Wedding Stationary – Poppy Forrest – poppyforrest.co.uk
• Wedding Flowers – Passion Flowers Doncaster – passionflowersdoncaster.com
• Bridal Make Up – Toni Neylon-Walker Makeup Artist – tonineylonmakeup.co.uk

Claire and Scott’s wedding photographs

Below are a selection of wedding photographs from Claire and Scott’s wedding day at Carlton Towers. These are just a small selection from the gallery of over 500 photographs