Thirsk couple get married at Sutton Bank National Park

John and Michelle Ashby were joined by family, friends, and public onlookers out for a walk on June 22, as they celebrated their marriage at Sutton Bank National Park.

The couple, who are thought to be the first to get married at the location, which saw them set up the ceremony along the Cleveland Way towards Garbutt Wood, with John and Michelle getting married overlooking Lake Gormire. 

John and Michelle during the ceremony (Image: SUBMITTED)

The ceremony was performed by wedding celebrant Simon Baker, who oversaw a service with a backdrop of sunny skies.

While Mr Baker has never been a celebrant at any other wedding, this was an extra special one - given that Simon taught John karate when he was around 11, as well as being the ICT manager at Thirsk School and sixth form, where two of Michelle's children are pupils. 

An aerial view of the wedding ceremony (Image: SUBMITTED)

While the couple had a celebration ceremony at Sutton Bank - they were officially married a few weeks before the service, given that the celebrant couldn't legally marry them.

Mr Baker said: “During the lead-up to the day, I’ve never been so obsessed with looking at the weather forecast,” said Michelle, “It would change every hour, let alone every day, right up to the day before”.

The couple with the celebrant, Simon Baker (Image: SUBMITTED)

Thankfully the weather was great, but the wind was a concern for Simon, who had personally made the couple's wedding arch and two wedding-themed decorations, of pampas and coral flowers, just as Michelle wanted.

“My wife and I were also keeping an eye on the weather on the lead-up to the ceremony day”  said Simon, “because the decorations were very fragile, and at risk of being blown apart, so we  had the idea to glue the big items in place using a hot glue gun, such as the wind catching leaf spears and large pampas grass, in the hope that this would add strength, which turned out to be the best decision of all."

The ceremony at Sutton Bank (Image: SUBMITTED)

During the ceremony John and Michelle included a handfasting, and the ancient Celtic symbolic ceremony of ‘Tying the knot’.

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The couple used a platted cord of five different coloured ribbons, each chosen by them and Michelle's children, each colour representing qualities and strengths that are important to them.

The binding of the ribbons into one, and the action of tying a knot as the couple break away from their bound hands, creating an infinity knot, symbolises the unity of the couple and their family.

After the ceremony, the wedding party celebrated with drinks and snacks and posed for photographs taken by Michelle's friend and professional photographer Joanna Brierley, followed by a reception buffet and DJ at the Vale of York in Carlton Miniott.