Ben & Michaela | Danby Castle Barn Wedding
Ben and Michaela got married at Danby Castle Barn on a bright, breezy day in August, with the North York Moors rolling away on every side and the heather in full purple bloom. It was a small wedding, with just under thirty guests there from start to finish, and it felt exactly like the two of them: relaxed, kind, a little bit nerdy and full of laughter.
They’re huge Lord of the Rings fans, and the whole day had a lovely “hobbity” feel to it, from wildflowers in terracotta pots to a menu that started with Second Breakfast. Add an outdoor ceremony looking over the dale, portraits up on the moor and an evening of dancing in a stone barn, and you can probably tell I had a brilliant time photographing it.
Meet Ben & Michaela
Ben happily calls himself the nerdy one, with Dungeons & Dragons, archery and gaming at the top of his list, while Michaela is happiest outdoors, running, doing yoga or camping. What they share is a love of reading, hiking and, in their words, “finding beautiful views to enjoy a good sandwich!”
They met on Bumble in September 2023, not long after Michaela had moved to North Yorkshire. “We bonded over our mutual love of film and TV, especially Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and our love for being outdoors, hiking and adventuring,” they told me. “We felt a connection in shared values and ethics straight away.”
Home is now shared with two elderly cats they adopted together, and they’re both big animal lovers, cows especially. They’d even asked me to keep an eye out for the cows in the field next to the ceremony, which tells you a lot about these two.
The Proposal
Ben had been planning to propose since a camping trip in June 2025, when they walked along the beach at Beadnell Bay. “Everything seemed just perfect, but I didn’t have the ring yet. If I did, I would have asked there and then,” he said.
While he was researching rings he found a maker who hand-casts them in sand from a beach of your choosing, and they had sand from Beadnell Bay. So Michaela’s engagement ring was cast in sand from the very beach where he’d first wanted to ask.
He waited for a view worth the moment, and in December 2025 he found it, at the top of a big hill on a hike in the Dales, just after lunch. Michaela stood up to pack away the sandwiches and turned round to find him on one knee. On the way back down she spotted a man working on a radio tower and shouted over that they’d just got engaged. His reply? “Congratulations, did you have to go all the way up there to do it rather than at the bottom?”
Why They Chose Danby Castle Barn
Ben and Michaela spend as much time as they can hiking on the Moors and in the Dales, so a venue surrounded by them was always going to win. They’d always wanted an outdoor ceremony, and they loved the wooden beams in the barns and the old castle ruins. “As soon as we arrived to view and saw the rolling hills, we knew that this was the perfect place to get married outdoors in the beautiful landscape,” they said.
Danby Castle dates back to the 14th century and is partly in ruins now, with the barns, an old courtroom and the farmhouse built around what’s left. The ceremony lawn looks straight out across the dale, with nothing but fields, drystone walls and moorland beyond. For a couple who wanted to bring a bit of Middle-earth to their wedding, it’s hard to think of anywhere better.
Personal Touches
With their love of Tolkien, Ben and Michaela wanted things to feel “a bit hobbity”, taking inspiration from The Fellowship of the Ring and especially Bilbo’s 111th birthday party. Their florist, Moonwind Flowers, built a natural, garden-inspired design around terracotta pots of wildflowers, hops, apple tree branches and moss.
The tables had little potion bottles sealed with wax, wooden place names and a well-thumbed copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, and the menu, of course, began with Second Breakfast and Elevenses.
Their outfits were chosen with just as much care. Michaela’s bohemian lace dress from Sister Organics was handmade by an independent seamstress, and Ben’s suit from Dandy Threads was made from locally sourced Yorkshire materials. Both were free from animal products and made with a low carbon footprint.
Getting married at Danby Castle Barn? I’d love to hear about your plans.
Bridal Preparations
Everyone got ready at the venue. Ben and Michaela arrived at eight to help set everything up, and by half ten Michaela was in the getting ready room, a bright white room with lovely window light, which makes my job very easy. There were flowers pinned into her hair, lots of hugs and plenty of laughing.
Then came one of my favourite moments of the day. Michaela had asked for a reveal for her dad, and his face as he came through the door says it all.
Ben, meanwhile, was looking remarkably calm in his tweed, leaning in a stone doorway while the guests started to arrive.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was at two o’clock out on the lawn, with rows of wooden chairs facing an arch of greenery and a drystone wall, and nothing beyond it but fields and moorland. Guests greeted each other by the castle walls before taking their seats, and baskets of vegetables and pots of flowers lined the aisle, very much in keeping with a hobbit’s garden.
It was a warm, happy ceremony, and Michaela laughed her way through a good part of it. With the old castle walls behind them as they said their vows, it was every bit the outdoor wedding they’d hoped for.
Drinks Reception at Danby Castle Barn
Danby Castle Barn asks for real dried flower petals as confetti, and Ben and Michaela’s guests threw handfuls of it over them as they came back down the aisle.
Afterwards everyone spilled out onto the grass for drinks, hugs and lawn games. I kept the group photos quick and relaxed so everyone could get back to celebrating, and we finished with this one of friends under the stone archway in the castle ruins.
Couple Portraits on the Moors
Ben and Michaela had told me how much they loved pictures of couples on the moors, so for their portraits we headed up onto the moor above Danby. Late August is heather season, and the whole hillside was purple.
We walked a quiet road through the heather with the moorland stretching out to the horizon, then found a grassy track between two banks of heather that felt a long way from anywhere. These are two people who are happiest out walking together, and I think it shows in every one of these pictures.
Love the look of this venue? My Danby Castle Barn wedding photographer page has everything you need to know about getting married and photographed here.
Wedding Breakfast and Speeches
The wedding breakfast was served at half four in the barn, all exposed stone, oak beams and long tables dressed with wildflowers and moss. With a small group of guests everyone was close together, and the room was full of chatter and laughter from the start.
The speeches came after the meal. Ben spoke with Michaela beside him, and judging by the faces around the room it went down very well.
The Evening Celebrations
At quarter to eight Ben and Michaela cut their cake from Tiers & Sprinkles, set on an oak barrel, and went straight into their first dance.
Lonan, the band, had everyone up dancing straight afterwards, and Magnum Entertainment kept the party going on the DJ side.
Evening Portraits at Danby Castle
Before the light went, I took Ben and Michaela back out into the castle ruins for a few more pictures. The old stone fireplace, the arch in the courtyard and the view back over the castle and its lawns made a lovely end to the day, and a nice reminder of just how old this place is.
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Ben and Michaela, thank you so much for asking me to be part of your day. It was a joy to spend it with you both and with your families and friends, and I hope these pictures take you straight back to the heather, the barn and all that laughter. Here’s to many more adventures together.
Planning your own wedding and would love me there? I’d be happy to check my date for you.
