I met up with Caroline & Owen down at Gullane beach on a beautiful August evening. A beautiful setting for some engagement photography but it was really, really busy! So much for the quiet secluded shoot. Didn't matter though as they were both brilliant.
Wedding blog coming soon!
Dunglass Estate is fast becoming one of my favourite wedding venues. It has everything you could want for your wedding day. A beautiful consecrated church, a stunning country house for bridal preparations and a huge marquee for the reception. I love it!
When I arrived it looks as though things may run late a little due to a slight hiccup but these things happen and all involved sorted things out very quickly indeed. Before long Natalie was being pampered with only thoughts of walking down the aisle. Craig was busy meeting and greeting guests and the atmosphere at Dunglass was superb. The autumn leaves had turned fully orange and red and the place looked spectacular!
Everyone gathered in the church to await the arrival of the bride. Natalie looked simply breathtaking as she walked down the aisle at her father's side. After the ceremony the newlyweds were met outside by a flurry of confetti as the guests cheered them on.
A perfect autumn wedding with a fantastic couple. Thank you Natalie & Craig!
Kirsty & Phil's wedding at Glenskirlie Castle was a fun filled but laid back wedding in the autumn. I arrived at Glenskirlie just in time for Emma Motion the MUA to make a start on Kirsty's makeup. I grabbed a few shots of the finishing touches and then headed downstairs to meet up with Phil and the boys.
Phil was downstairs greeting all the guests as they arrived. It was a lovely day so most grabbed a drink and headed for the beautiful gardens to the rear of the venue.
The ceremony was fast approaching when I noticed a guy setting up an electric piano by the doors at the rear of the ceremony room. I was a little concerned as this was one of my spots for getting a few candid shots of the ceremony. It transpired that he was supposed to be at Glenbervie and not Glenskirlie! I've never seen anyone pack up so much gear in so little time in my life. Watching him push that big case into the boot of the car and speed out of the car park like a scene from Starsky & Hutch was hilarious!
After the ceremony and photographs, the bride and groom mixed with friends and family for drinks before gathering in the main hall for speeches.
It was one of those weddings where you say to yourself, "I can't believe I get to do this for a living!" Thank you Kirsty & Phil!
Donna & David's Wedding at Seamill Hydro on a beautiful summer's day on the west coast of Scotland. Seamill Hydro was the perfect setting for the happy couple's fun and relaxed wedding day atteneded by close friends and family. I arrived early to meet up with Donna for a few bridal prpearation photographs before heading to the front door to meet the David and the boys as they arrived. David was looking very smart as he greeted the guests arriving. Donna's father walked her down the aisle in the beautiful ceremony room at Seamill.
After the ceremony there was time to relax and mingle with the guests before family shots and some lovely shots of Donna and David around the grounds at Seamill Hydro. I knew there would be a beautiful sunset as the weather was fantastic all day. We arranged to meet before the evening guests arrived so we could head down to the beach for some sunset shots.
Another fantastic wedding with two genuinly brilliant people. Thank you both so much for choosing me to be a part of your special day.
Lynn & Craig's wedding was at the wonderful George Hotel in Edinburgh. A Fantastic winter's day in the heart of the New Town. I met up with Lynn and family at her parents home in Corstorphine where it was great to catch up with Morven who's wedding I had the pleasure of photographing last year. Perfect timing too as hair and make-up had just begun.
Then it was off to The George Hotel to meet Craig and the guys who were giving guests as warm welcome as they arrived. Andrew, Morven's new husband was on the bagpipes at the front door of the hotel doing a grand job of building the wedding atmosphere.
Lynn arrived in a traditional white Edinburgh Taxi looking absolutely stunning! A few shots with her father and the bridesmaid and it was time to get married.
I was working with Geewhiz Wedding Films for the wedding and they were fantastic all day. They had their positions set for the ceremony but were thoughtful of placement for the photographs too. Great to work with awesome suppliers like that. New friends too and working with them again next year. Looking forward to that.
After the ceremony it was time for the confetti shot and then family shots back inside in the warmth of The George. Lynn & Craig braved the cold for a few photographs on the streets of Edinburgh which was brilliant.
After dinner the band struck up and everyone looked back on what was a perfect winter wedding in Edinburgh.
The Keavil House Hotel was the perfect setting for Natasha & Stuart's winter wedding in Fife. It was chilly that's for sure but it stayed dry all day which allowed us to get some lovely shots outside in the golden sunshine.I arrived to meet the girls for hair and make-up. The two adjoining rooms were full of excitement for the day ahead. With around an hour to the ceremony Stuart and the boys arrived looking a little nervous but the nerves soon melted away once all the guests arrived at Keavil with big smiles and hugs for the groom.
The ceremony room was simply stunning! What a beautiful room for a wedding ceremony. After the ceremony and the family photographs he jumped in the car for nearby Pittencrief Park for some shots in the winter sunshine.
Stuart broke out the old projector for the speeches. The guests were laughing along to all the old photographs on the big screen... the happy couple growing up and leading to the big day. After dinner the evening guests arrived and then party time! The dance floor was packed as it was finally time for everyone to let their hair down!
A chilly February Day at Solsgirth House for Rachael & Colin's wedding. Rachael and her family were already at the house with hair and make-up in full swing when I arrived. Colin and the boys arrived looking very smart indeed and relaxed in the bar while they awaited the arrival of the guests.It was a beautuful ceremony and afterwards we headed outside but under the shelter of the arched walkway at Solsgirth as the rain had started in earnest. It was pretty wet but with some stragtegic positioning and a couple of brollys we got some lovely outside shots. Then it was off to the marquee where the bride and groom danced the night away.
I met with Heather and Robert on Wednesday for the engagement shoot at Dalkeith Country Park. It's a great walk around there and we got some lovely photos of Heather & Robert. Like every couple it takes a few minutes to get used to having your picture taken but after a while they were fantastic. Roll On April!
I met up with Zoe and Ben for the first time today at Hawes Pier, South Queensferry. It was pretty chilly but thankfully we were all wrapped up nice and warm for a walk through this lovely picturesque town. We had a great time and I can't wait for the wedding in St Andrews in May!
I spend a wonderful afternoon with Renne & Andrew for their wedding at Lothian Chambers. It was pouring with rain in the morning but by the time I headed to Canonmills to pick them up for our little jaunt around the Old Town at 1pm it was a glorious winter’s day. We headed for Arthur’s Seat first for some nice photographs around the loch up there then headed to the Salisbury Crags view point for some spectacular Edinburgh backdrop shots. I think we were all grateful to get back into the warmth of the car as it is freezing now! Renee and Andrew didn’t mind though so off to the High Street we went for some more photographs before meeting up with family and friends at Lothian Chambers for the ceremony.
The newlyweds finished their day at Lucky Liquor, a brilliant little bar on Queen Street where the mixologist had created a cocktail just for them which they made together with their guests looking on.
I love small intimate and fun weddings and this was one of the very best!
Amy & Paul's wedding was at the beautiful Crieff Hydro. It was easily one of the wettest weddings of the year as the rain lashed against the windows for the bridal preparation photos. Paul and the guys got ready at one of the other lodges and thankfully the hotel had arranged a mini bus to take them the short distance to the main hotel. They would have got drenched! Amy arrived in style! The vintage car was fantastic! I got soaked as Amy arrived as I wanted to get shots of her in the car, looking out to towards the bridesmaids. She looked beautiful.
The rest of the day went with the only hitch that matters.The wedding ceremony. It was perfect.
A massive thank you to Amy & Paul for making me part of their very special day.
Humanist Celebrant: Mary Wallace Make-Up: Lisa Anderson
Lynsey & Matt tied the knot at the wonderful Eskmills Venue in Musselburgh. It was a chilly but thankfully dry December afternoon but with such a great venue and a brilliant couple, who got out there in the cold for some great photographs, How could I go wrong? It was a fun packed day from beginning to end.
Rebecca & Calum's Edinburgh Castle Wedding at Christmas. The 3:30pm ceremony time meant we would be shooting in the dark for most of the afternoon and this actually was so much fun! Edinburgh at Christmas time is full of bright lights and decorations which proved a wonderful backdrop in which to get some lovely night wedding photographs.
Simone and Aiden have flown to Edinburgh all the way from Canada to get married in this wonderful city. Yesterday was the first time we met and right from the first photograph I knew this was going to be a great engagement shoot. Both Simone and Aiden were very naturual in front of the camera and the usual ten minutes of awkwardness which usually starts off an engagement session just wasn't there. Makes my job really easy. Below are some shots for the session.
Nicola & Peter's Wedding at St Peter's Church & The Royal Scots Club
Nicola & Peter's wedding at the Royal Scots Club was on an unusually mild Halloween. It was a beautiful autumnal day in Edinburgh as I drove into Abercromby Place to meet up with Nicola and her family for some bridal prep photographs. I then headed to the church at Lutton Place to catch some shots of Peter meeting the guests as the arrived for the ceremony at St Peter's.
Nicola looked simply beautiful, wearing a lovely 3/4 length dress as she arrived with her proud father. After the ceremony we headed to Arthurs Seat for some bride and groom shots as the sun started to set. It's such a brilliant view from up there.
The party in the evening kicked off in big style immediately after the first dance and as I said my goodbye's you could see everyone was having an absolute blast!
Your wedding is something that you plan to so once and every bride and groom hope it is the best day of their lives and so it should be. You are surrounded by experts in the industry who work hard every weekend to make your dreams come true. Here in the UK the trend for your wedding day plans seems to be taking a more USA style approach but is this a good idea?
In the States the bride and groom often see each other before the ceremony. They call this the "First Look" and it's a nice time for the bride and groom to get away together for a few moments before the wedding day starts proper. Believe me, once it starts, your hour hand on your watch is going to look more like the second hand. The day flies by. After this first look and small portrait session the family photos would be arranged with the immediate family.
The groom would then head off to the venue with the guys and greet other guests as they arrive before the bride makes her way there too for the ceremony. All sounds amazing right? After the ceremony there would be a "Cocktail Hour" for the bride and groom to mingle with guests, relax and grabs drink or two. It's this Cocktail Hour that several venues in the UK have latched onto but they don't realise that most of the photos would already have been done before this in the States. So we are expected to take all the photos you need from family groups, candids, bride and groom portraits in under an hour and that's if the wedding runs to time. If the bride is late I'm often told by the venue that the photo time has to be cut so the guests are called to dinner on time.
Thankfully most venues are very accommodating when the ceremony runs late for whatever reason but some aren't so much. The best way to avoid this is to chat with the venue's events planner months beforehand to set out realistic timescales. I know that some venues actually use the 2:30pm wedding as a selling point as it's great "not to have your guests hanging around too long." So your ceremony ends at 3pm and the guests are called for dinner at 4pm. To me, all this means is that you don't really get much time to enjoy YOUR wedding day. That hour flies by and you don't really get much time to enjoy that cocktail, the string quartet you wanted to have playing in the background. Very little time to chat with your guests as you really need to get those family photos (Which i always recommend are kept to a minimum anyway) and the relaxed and romantic bridal portraits.
Why spend most of the day in hair and make-up and only an hour or so enjoying the day before dinner? It just seems crazy to me.
What would I recommend? Well, it really isn't up to me and please be assured I will work with any timings i'm given and believe me I've worked with very tight timings. Fifteen minutes in some cases but If I was planning a wedding? How would I do it? Ok, go on then.
I'd say 1:30 ceremony. It's still only an hour before when most take place these days but that hour is crucial. It also means you'll still have plenty of time for bridal prep too.
The venue can then still call guests for 4:30 to take their seats for dinner and enjoy the speeches so the meal begins at 5pm. So why the big gap between the end of the ceremony and dinner? let's say the ceremony ends at 2:15pm. Straight after the ceremony the last thing a good wedding photographer wants to do is wade in and pull the guests required for family photos away along with the bride and groom. There's great photo opportunities in those moments that happen naturally. I'll always where possible set up a confetti photograph but then step back and let the day unfold. Hugs, smiles and maybe a tear or two. This is YOUR day and you should be in the middle of it.
As the ceremony ended at 2:15, you have time to enjoy a drink before the family photographs which we move onto next. This may happen at 2:45 and take no more than 30 mins. Often less, as at this time it's best to keep the family photos to immediate family and bridal party. As they day goes on I can always get shots of friends, extended family and evening guests as they chat and interact with the bride and groom.
Whats next? Talk to your guests and relax, there is plenty of time. Enjoy another champagne, maybe pose for a few iPhone photos with friends and enjoy it, breathe it in and have a good time. Then at maybe 3:30 we can get some nice shots of the b&g around the venue without rushing and in the knowledge you've had a good time. Easily making it back for dinner and there's no one at the wedding who can say they never saw the bride and groom all day because the photographer whisked them away. You were there mingling with guests with some photos in-between.
Now picture that all happening in 1 hour or worse, 45 minutes.
So if your photographer recommends 2hrs - 2.5hrs "For photos" they probably don't mean they want you to stand for photos for all that time. Its a mix of wedding day fun with your photos in there too.
Other factors to consider. What if the day runs late? Maybe the makeup artist got held up (has happened), the wedding car breaks down (yup) or even if the forecast is showers. Narrowing down your family and bridal photos to between 3pm and 4pm which is also to include guests reception and in some hotels, guest check in along with the possibility of rain and you have potential stress on your day which is the last thing you want. With more time we can wait until that rain shower passes by. Time for a drink then.
As a final note, I have photographed weddings with as little as 15 minutes for photos right up to 3 hours of time and everywhere in-between. I always get the job done, just ask any of my clients and it's always fun and relaxed but I just wish sometimes, the bride and groom had more time to take in every second.
Derek Christie
Dalkeith palace Wedding Photography
Justine & Andy's Dalkeith Palace wedding is right up there as one of my favourite weddings and at a stunning location too. The Buccleuch Estate, locally know as Dalkeith Country Park it's a vast area of natural beauty with Dalkeith Palace as a stunning jewel in it's crown.
The ceremony took place at St Mary Scottish Episcopal Church just inside the gate of the estate. It was also great to catch up with Rev Peter Harris again. He always conducts a lovely but fun ceremony for the happy couples and is also the school chaplain at the special needs school my son attends.
I headed to The Scotsman Hotel in the heart of Edinburgh to meet up with Andy and the guys. They were getting ready in one of the suites in this converted newspaper HQ. There was great banter with the guys as they all seemed nice and relaxed as they prepared to head out to Dalkeith.
I then headed to Justine's parent's house just outside Edinburgh for the bridal prep photos. The girls were all very excited about the wedding which made for great fun and relaxed photographs. Justine looked stunning in her dress as the girls fussed around making sure every detail was absolutely perfect. Finally....it was time to head to the church.
After The ceremony, Justine and Andy were met with a London Red Bus and a full pipe band lead by Pipe Major Andrew. They marched the short distance to Dalkeith Palace a little further into the estate where drinks and canopies were served. Even though it was May, it was kind of chilly too. The guests were fantastic though as they waited patiently for their turn at the family photos. We flew through them nice and quickly so that everyone could get back to enjoying the drinks and chatting with family.
After the speeches we nipped back out for a few more photographs then head back for the cake cut and the first dances. I couldn't resist staying on a little longer as some of the dance moves were awesome. The guests really got into the Ceilidh in a big way and there was not a floorboard to be seen on the dance floor. Everyone was up dancing and having a blast at one of this years best weddings!
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It was a beautiful September day for Laura and Donald's wedding at St James' The Less Church with reception at The Houston House Hotel. It was at the hotel where the day would start with the bridal preparation photos. Laura was one of our make-over shoot competition winners with hair and make-up by CityBrides Hair & Make-Up. It was great to catch up with Helen and Emma MUA again, they always do an amazing job.
The morning flew by with family popping in and out of the bridal suite to give Laura the best of luck for the day ahead. The bridesmaids were brilliant all day and Laura had very thoughtfully given all the bridemaids and flowergirl gifts as a thank you. A lovely touch.
I then headed of to James The Less Church in Penicuik to meet Donald and the guys as they greeted all the guests on arrival. It's a beautiful little church tucked away on the far side of Penicuik. Massive thank you to the minister who was very accommodating and understanding when it came to getting photographs in the church. Laura arrived in a vintage Beaufort car and she looked just stunning! We paused for a few shots at the front door of the church before heading inside for the wedding ceremony. I love setting up the confetti photos at any wedding but at James the Less Church there is a lovely long path which is tailor-made for a confetti run. It was great fun and the newlyweds expressions of joy made it all worthwhile.
It was then back to the wedding reception venue where Giovani was waiting with two glasses of champagne for Laura & Donald. As the guests were a few minutes behind us we took a walk around the beautiful gardens for the bride and groom portraits. Everywhere you look there's a photo opportunity at the Houston.
After the family photos it was time for the speeches and then time for me to say goodbye. Perfect wedding? Oh, you bet!
Morven & Andrew's Dalmahoy Wedding was one of my favourite weddings of the year. It was great to catch up with some familiar faces and really was a privilage to be asked to shoot another family wedding. Morven and Andrew were married at Carrickknowe Church then headed off to the stunning Dalmahoy Golf & Country Club.
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Back in August I had the pleasure of shooting Jennifer and John's wedding at The George Hotel in Edinburgh. The George Hotel is one of Edinburgh's landmark venues with the King's Hall and that gorgeous chandelier. Jennifer and John were brilliant all day and even headed back into the streets after the wedding breakfast for more photos around the New Town of Edinburgh. Massive thank you to Jennifer and John for making me part of their special day.
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