Mery and Alberto are both from Spain and were flying into Scotland with all their guests for the wedding, so our first meeting was just a couple of days before the wedding, when Mery popped in to the photography studio en-route to her hotel.

Mery had studied law at Glasgow University and fell in love with Scotland and its castles. When she first set eyes on Eilean Donan castle she vowed that whenever she met Mr Right, this was where they would get married.

Mery has impecable taste in selecting Scottish Castles – Eilean Donan is the perfect picture postcard castle and to most people is instantly recognisable. It’s been featured in a number of movies including the opening scenes of Highlander and the James Bond movie The World is Not Enough.

Being a very popular tourist attraction, weddings have to be performed “after hours” so the ceremony did not start until 6:30pm. The evening reception was to be held at nearby Loch Duich Hotel and it was all quite different from a typical Scottish wedding (no wedding cake, no speeches for example, and chuck in some Flamenco dancing for good measure).

I think the Spanish must be blessed with a certain beauty gene as all the guests looked extremely glamorous, and as soon as the ladies spotted a camera they would pose like experienced models. (Getting my signature style of documentary shots was a little bit of a challenge LOL).

Mery wore a stunning gown from Spain’s top fashion house, Victorio and Luchino.  On the morning of the wedding Alberto spent the day getting into a Scottish frame of mind by wearing a kilt (as did most if the male guests) and then changed into a more traditional Spanish attire for the ceremony itself.

The weather once again proved a little bit of a challenge, but it stayed dry from the ceremony and the main portrait session with the couple.

Thank you Mery and Alberto for choosing us to photograph your fabulous wedding – Morag and I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Here are my favourite wedding photographs from the day:-

Family and friends can view the full wedding gallery on our clients page. The password to access the gallery is Mery’s full first name (i.e. what is Mery short for?)

Like what you see, want to see more? You can view our new iPad and iPhone compatible portfolio here.

Would you like to discuss you own wedding or portrait photography requirements with us? Use the Contact menu at the top of the page or contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431

P.S. Eilean Donan Castle sits on Loch Duich on the road to Skye and is the home of the Clan Macrae. Last year, despite the credit crunch, the castle had one of its business years ever as Macrae’s from all around the world descended on it for Scotland’s Homecoming year.

P.P.S. Interested in having your own Highland Wedding at Eilean Donan Castle? The information is all here.   Just remember the nice photographer that told you LOL.

Ian and Kerri were only going to be in the country for a few days and had organised the entire wedding over the Internet. They had never visited the hotel or met with any of the vendors. But you would never know. With a little help from Ian’s family and friends based in Scotland, the wedding was planned to perfection.

Our Malaysian bride Kerri was the most relaxed and chilled bride and she took everything in her stride. Ian was slightly more nervous, but soon relaxed into the day and everyone had a fantastic time.

Lochgreen House makes a stunning backdrop for a wedding with views to the Isle of Arran and world famous Royal Troon Golf Club on its doorstep. Ian is a keen golfer, so I wonder what influenced the couples’ decision on wedding venue?

Friends and family flew in from all over the world making this a very multi-cultural day. We even had a Chinese Tea Ceremony on the lawn. Chinese tradition states that the happy couple must show their respects to their family by serving them tea. They will start with the oldest members of the family and then move on to siblings. Ian’s Mum was quite taken by the whole thing and looked as if she’d been a veteran of many a tea ceremony.

Ian of course made sure that Scottish traditions didn’t go unnoticed with a Piper on call to toast the bride and a bottle of Talisker Single Malt whisky on every table. Slainte mhaith! (Which for those of you calling from outside Scotland is Gaelic for “Good Health”)

Here are some of my favourite photographs from the day.  Images 2 and 4 were taking by my lovely wife and assistant photographer, Morag.  She was also responsible for the stunning lighting achieved in the last image of Ian and Kerri on the dancefloor.

Friends and family can view the full set of wedding photographs in our Clients Gallery. The password to access the gallery is Ian’s surname (all in lowercase).

Like what you see, want to see more? You can view our portfolio here.

Would you like to discuss you own wedding or portrait photography requirements with us? Use the Contact menu at the top of the page or contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431

P.S. Ian is also a keen diver and photographer – you can view some of his stunning underwater camera work on Flickr

P.P.S. You may have noticed that the site has had a slight makeover – we are currently updating the site and have launched an updated portfolio section of the site. Our existing portfolio used “Flash” animation exclusively to display the images and unfortunately Flash does not work on the vast majority of mobile devices including the Apple iPhone, and I know we have a lot of users visiting the site with iPhones (and increasingly the new iPad).   The new portfolio still has the same gorgeous Flash animation, but also enables the portfolio to be viewed on an iPhone and the awesome iPad.  Check it out here!

A Scottish Castle Wedding is the dream of many a bride and Dalhousie Castle certainly ticks all the boxes.  The Castle dates back to the 13th century, is steeped in Scottish history, and although it has seen a lot of changes (it was even a Boarding School at one point) it still retains its character and heritage.  Dalhousie is one of Scotland’s finest wedding venues and even has its own chapel, so it was easy to see why Kim and James selected it as their venue.

The weather that day was fabulous, so as soon as the ceremony was over everyone was out enjoying the grounds of the castle with champagne in hand.

Then it was on to the speeches and dinner – James and his groomsmen didn’t disappoint with some very entertaining tales. Then it was on to the evening ceilidh, but not before Kim and James stunned everyone with a fantastic choreographed first wedding dance to the sounds of Sergio Mendes’ “Mas Que Nada”.

So here, as usual, are some of my own personal favourite images from the day:

Family and Friends can view the full set of wedding images in our Clients Gallery – the password is James’ surname (all in lowercase).

Morag and I love to hear from visitors to our website, so please don’t be shy and feel free to leave your comments and feedback below.

Like what you see? Want to see more? – you can view our Wedding and Portrait Photography portfolio here

Looking for a Wedding Photographer? Or perhaps planning a special family portrait? We’d love to discuss your plans with you. You can contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431 or use the Contact menu at the top of this web page.  We look forward to hearing from you.

P.S.  Speaking of romantic weddings fans of Braveheart may note that Edward I (aka Longshanks) stayed at Dalhousie Castle before going on to meet Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk

P.P.S. “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes is one of those songs we’ve all heard before but can never remember the title of – it has featured as the theme tune for many TV programmes and adverts including the fabulous Nike campaign for the 1998 World Cup (yes that’s where you’ve heard it before).

Our first of five June weddings saw us back up at one of our favourite wedding venues – Dalmunzie Castle, nestled high up in the Central Scottish Highlands of Perthshire, just a couple of miles South of the Glenshee Ski Resort area.

Breanna and her team at Dalmunzie had planned for the wedding ceremony to be held on the gorgeous lawn at the front of the hotel – and she was confident that the local weather wouldn’t let her down.   The day had started in glorious sunshine, but with every passing hour, the occasional little passing shower would make an appearance.  But as luck would have it, the rain stayed away for the ceremony and our photo session, before finally a thunderstorm made its appearance, to help create the cosy atmosphere for the evenings activities.

We had a fabulous day – Robin and Kath clearly enjoyed every minute of the day - Breanna and the Dalmunzie Castle Team once again showed why they have such a fabulous reputation as a wedding venue – and the wedding guests were a great fun crowd.

Congratulations Robin and Kath – here are some of my own personal favourite images from the day.

Family and Friends can view the full set of wedding images in our Clients Gallery – the password is Robin’s surname (all in lowercase).

Morag and I love to hear from visitors to our website, so please don’t be shy and feel free to leave your comments and feedback below.

Like what you see? Want to see more? – you can view our Wedding and Portrait Photography portfolio here

Looking for a Wedding Photographer? Or perhaps planning a special family portrait? We’d love to discuss your plans with you. You can contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431 or use the Contact menu at the top of this web page.  We look forward to hearing from you.

P.S.  It was nice to spot that Dalmunzie Castle staff were using an image I took of the hotel last year as the Desktop Wallpaper on their office computer. Cool!

P.P.S. We’ll be making the trip back up to Dalmunzie Castle this coming weekend for another wedding and once again in August. Can’t wait.

Margaret and Stuart (who are no strangers to the blog) are both doctors, so it was pretty clear from the outset that this was going to be a very well-planned event and indeed it was. One concern I did have however was whether the wedding day schedule would be typed up or handwritten – have you ever seen a doctor’s handwriting? LOL

The day started at Margaret’s parents’ beautiful home in Kippen. With four bridesmaids, the bride’s parents and the bride to get ready, you would perhaps be expecting things to get a little frantic.  Add to this the rather major issue of hosting the Wedding Breakfast and Reception later that day in a Marquee at the bottom of the garden. Can you imagine the logistics of effectively turning your home into a wedding venue for a hundred guests? Amazingly everyone was very calm and relaxed with Margaret’s Mum and Dad, Anne and Robert taking care of all the logistics.

After all the ladies (and Robert) were in their finery it was off to the small village of Doune for the Wedding Ceremony at St Fillans Catholic Church.

After the wedding ceremony it was back to Kippen and the Marquee overlooking the Forth Valley. Robert, (Margaret’s Dad for those that haven’t been paying attention) had apparently spent ages getting the garden in stunning condition so that guests could meander round the gardens with champers in hand. However the weather men had different plans. It rained. And rained. And rained.

Fortunately the rain finally relented at the end of the evening and we were able to get some stunning wedding photographs of Margaret and Stuart in the gardens – so Robert hopefully all your work wasn’t all in vain.

Margaret and Stuart provided a “Donations Bar” where all proceeds went to their two favourite charities, Strathcarron Hospice, which cares for terminally ill patients in the Forth Valley area, and ‘Mary’s Meals‘, an international charity aiming to provide school meals for some of the world’s poorest children. Well done guys.

Credit must also go of course to Wedding Planner Rebecca Barnett who ensured everything ran smoothly on the day.

So here are a few of my favourite shots from the day.

Friends and Family can view the entire gallery in our clients area – the password is the couple’s surname (all in lower case). You can also order any prints in various sizes directly from the gallery.

Thanks Margaret and Stuart for allowing us to be part of your special day – it was a truly wonderful wedding.

Don’t be shy – We love to hear from visitors to our website, so please feel free to leave your comments and feedback below.

Like what you see? Want to see more? – you can view our Wedding and Portrait Photography portfolio here

Looking for a Wedding Photographer? Or perhaps planning a special family portrait? We’d love to discuss your plans with you. You can contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431 or use the Contact menu at the top of this web page.  We look forward to hearing from you.

PS. Did you know that Doune Castle is where many of the scenes in Monty Python and the Holy Grail were filmed? You didn’t?  Well you do now. They even have an annual Monty Python Day there each year.

PPS. Kippen also has a claim to fame. In 1891, Duncan Buchanan planted a vineyard in the village (yes in Scotland!) and one of its vines grew to be the largest in the world. The Kippen Vine covered an area of 5,000 square feet, spreading across four greenhouses. It became a famous tourist attraction, until the Vinery had to close in 1964.

There you are – see it’s not just Whisky we make here in Scotland.

Denis is Irish and a contingent of friends and family were flying in from the Emerald Isle, so I knew this was going to be a fun wedding and it certainly proved to be. The wit and wisdom of the Irish “craic” was never far away and the speeches were some of the funniest and heart-felt that I’ve heard.

Later that day news started to filter through the wedding party that flights from Scotland back to Ireland were being disrupted due to the volcanic ash cloud situation.  Did that dampen their spirits – not one bit!

Meanwhile, the staff at Balbirnie House clearly demonstrated why they are one of the most popular wedding and civil partnership venues in Scotland, with fantastic customer service throughout the day.

As a venue, Balbirnie House offers a great backdrop for wedding photography and Denis and Stevan were absolutely delighted with their photographs.

Here is an extract of an email I received from the guys after they received their images:

“We are delighted with the pictures they are amazing worth every penny, we have watched the slideshow three times in a row now laughing and crying through it each time. A big thank you for all the hard work you put into them we couldn’t be more happy.“

Thanks guys it was a pleasure.

Here are some of my favourite images from the day:-

P.S. Apologies for the lack of blog updates lately – we had a two week holiday in Crete recently followed very rapidly with a trip over to Tuscany, so it’s all been a little bit manic at this end.  Normal service has now resumed however, so watch out for more blog updates as we play catch-up on the website.

P.P.S. Another reason for the lack of blog updates is I have been engrossed with my new Apple iPad.  It is absolutely awesome and a gadget lover’s dream device.  I went for the 32GB iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G.  I can see lots of areas where I can use this in my photography business (well that’s my excuse anyway). If you haven’t seen one yet, get yourself along to an Apple Store.  This also reminds me that I need to tweak a couple of the areas on this website, particularly the portfolio area to ensure it is indeed iPad (and iPhone) friendly – watch this space…

Like what you see want to see more? You can view our wedding portfolio here.

Want to talk to us about your Wedding or Civil Partnership – please contact us using the Contact Menu at the top of the page or call us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431 – we’d love to hear your plans.

Morag and Simon live down South, but Morag wanted to return home for a proper Scottish Wedding and chose the gorgeous wedding venue of Airth Castle. The stunning castle overlooks the village of Airth and the nearby River Forth.

Airth Castle Hotel was recently named the “Best Wedding Venue in Scotland” at the prestigious Vows awards and is a well-deserved accolade as the staff cannot be more helpful.

Of course weddings don’t organise themselves, even with the perfect wedding venue.  It takes planning.  Lots of it.  However, if Carlsberg planned weddings they would hire our lovely bride Morag – if ever there was a lesson in “best practice” on how to organise a wedding with was it.  (You can see Morag’s wedding project folder in the images below). Morag was so organised and the wedding ran like clockwork allowing the happy couple to relax and enjoy their well-planned day.

We first met Morag and Simon last year for their pre-wedding photography shoot at the Wallace Monument in Stirling.  So on the day we were all very relaxed.

Occasional cases of mass confusion did however occur every time I asked Morag for something – as readers of the blog will know, my wife and wonderful assistant is also called Morag. Eventually we agreed Morag 1 (aka the bride) would be called Morag, and Morag 2 (aka the photographer’s assistant) would be called Mo. That lasted all of two minutes when I already had the names reversed. No problems with the groom fortunately. Well done Simon.

We had great fun with the happy couple and their guests all day – it was a fabulous wedding. In the evening we brought along our popular photobooth to allow guest to get some “couples” shots in our portable photography studio, as well as some fun filled “creative” shots.

Here are some of my own personal favourite shots from the day:-

Friends and Family can view the full wedding gallery here. The password to access the gallery is the Groom’s surname.  The photo booth images can also be viewed there as well.

Like what you see? Want to see more? You can view our portfolio here.

Interested in speaking to us to discuss you own wedding photography or portrait requirements? Please click on the Contact menu at the top of the page or give us a call on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431. We can cover wedding and portrait commissions throughout Scotland as well as overseas.

We’d love to hear from you.

P.S. The Best Man’s speech reference to the Volcanic Ash Cloud disruption was classic, bringing out a carrier bag from Iceland to collect the ash.

Tracy and Greg, who are no strangers to the blog got married a few weeks back at the majestic Barcelo Stirling Highland Hotel.  The Stirling Highland Hotel sits on the road up to Stirling Castle and the building was the original home of The High School of Stirling (which has since moved twice), so it is steeped in local history.

It was very fitting then that Tracy and Greg chose some very classic and historical cars to transport them to the venue.  The Highland Hotel also has an agreement with Stirling Castle to allow couples to have their photographs taken in the grounds of nearby Stirling Castle.

Of course any great wedding cannot go without a little bit of drama and our poor bride and groom got stranded back at the hotel with a broken down car when all the rest of their bridal party were waiting for them up at the castle.

Once they were able to be rescued and the official group shots were taken we then had another problem as a wayward tourist decided to walk right in front of one the bridal cars ejecting the mother of the bride out of her wheelchair – fortunately she wasn’t hurt.  Apparently neither was the tourist although I believe the driver of the car did leave him with a loud ringing noise in his ear with the roasting he gave him LOL

After all that drama it was back to the wedding venue for a good Scottish knees up with a traditional Ceilidh which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day.

Like what you see? Want to see more?

Please view our portfolio section to see some more of our work?

Friends and Family will be able to view the wedding photographs and order prints from our clients gallery once Tracy and Greg have had a chance to review all their images.

Or so the Roman’s thought when they visited the Callander area and set up camp a couple of Millennia ago.  It wasn’t long of course before the brave Scots kicked them into touch and sent them packing back over Hadrian’s Wall.  Remnants of that Roman camping expedition can however still be found close to the venue for Jeff and Claire’s recent wedding – the stunning Roman Camp Hotel.

Dating back to 1625, The Roman Camp Hotel is situated in Callander in the heart of the Trossachs.  The Hotel is an excellent (and very popular) wedding venue with lots of character, and the occasional hint of Roman influence.

Whilst the Roman’s might have had a little gap in their strategy, there was certainly no sign of that in Jeff and Claire’s wedding plans – They came, they saw and they most certainly conquered – their wedding absolutely rocked and it was definitely one of the best weddings we’ve had the pleasure of photographing.

The day kicked off at Claire’s parents house in the small village of Doune (near Dunblane and Stirling), and then it was off in the Bentley to the historic Trossachs Parish Church which is located on the road between Callander and Aberfoyle.

After the ceremony Jeff and Claire stopped for a quick photocall at the Harbour Cafe by the side of Loch Venachar. We then headed off to the Roman Camp Hotel for the reception and dinner.

Jeff is a fellow member of Stirling Camera Club and a very good photographer, so when he asked me to photograph his upcoming wedding I was of course very honoured. ( No pressure there then LOL ). It also meant that both Jeff and Claire were up for grabbing some “interesting” shots, so it’s not often the Bride and Groom will happily march into the (gloomy and very dark and very scary) local woods for some more portrait shots.

Then it was time to let their hair down on the dance floor, and boy they did. Entertainment for the evening was provided by the fantastic and highly recommended Copycats and the evening was topped off by a feast fit for the Romans themselves – a Hog Roast straight from the barbecue.  Marvelous!

Here are a few of my favourite shots from the day.  Jeff and Claire’s full wedding gallery will be up on the website shortly – you can register to be notified via email as soon as they become available.

P.S. Like what you see, want to see more of our Wedding Photography?  Please view our portfolio here.

P.P.S. Are you looking for a photographer for your wedding in Scotland? If you would like to discuss your photography requirements with us, please click on the Contact menu option above ,or call us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431.  We cover weddings throughout the whole of Scotland and can also cover occasional weddings overseas – just ask.

No problem however as we’ve worked with overseas-based couples before and with Sharleene and Barry’s meticulous planning everything worked like clockwork on the day – even the weather, which blessed us with a beautiful spring day.

The ceremony took place in the David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park in Aberdeen – a fantastic location on such a gorgeous day.  Then it was on to the Palm Court Hotel for the wedding reception. Highlight of the day was the lighting of chinese lanterns, which after a little coaxing slowly lifted off into the night, ending a fantastic day with a very fun crowd.

Here are a few of our personal favourite images from the day.

Family and friends can view the full gallery of images and order prints by visiting our clients gallery page – the password to access the gallery is the Groom’s surname (all in lowercase characters).

We love to hear your from our website visitors, so please feel free to leave us your comments which are always appreciated.

Like what you see? Want to see more of our wedding photography? Please view our portfolio here.

Want to discuss your wedding or portrait photography requirements with us? Then please use the Contact Menu at the top of the screen or contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431.

The password to access the gallery is the couple’s surname. You can access the gallery here.

In the meantime please allow me to present another batch of our own favourite photographs from Nicola and Paul’s wedding day.

We love to hear your from our website visitors, so please feel free to leave us your comments which are always appreciated.

Like what you see? Want to see more of our wedding photography? Please view our portfolio here.

Want to discuss your wedding or portrait photography requirements with us? Then please use the Contact Menu at the top of the screen or contact us on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431.

Gean House is located on the Eastern fringe of Alloa off the B9096 Tullibody to Alloa road.   The stunning mansion house was constructed in 1912 as a wedding gift for his son by a member of the famous Patons family, owners of many of the local woollen mills in the area at that time.

The Gean simply oozes with character with its huge fireplaces, warm wooden panelling and its distinctive Edwardian architecture.

The Wedding Fayre kicks off at 11am and runs on until 4pm. There is a bridal fashion show at 1:30pm and last year it was standing room only – so please arrive early to make sure you get a good seat.  Entry to the Wedding Fayre is free of charge.

Come visit our stand and you could win a lovely bottle of champagne and you may also leave with a nice little gift.

We will also be launching our exciting new album range so please be sure to stop by our stand and say hello.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

In the meantime I will leave you with this photograph I took at Gean House just this past weekend, featuring the lovely Fiona Bruce wearing a Watters gown supplied by Ivory Whites in Perth and jewellery by Gioia Mia.

For me this image captures The Gean’s warmth and character – I hope you agree.

P.S. Okay, you may not know here Gean House is?  Here’s a Google maps link to Gean House.

P.P.S.  Like the above photograph and want to see more – please view our portfolio

Orocco Pier is a gorgeous wedding venue which sits on the banks of the River Forth on the East of Scotland, close to Edinburgh.   The venue has a stunning outlook,  overlooking the world famous Forth Bridge and “the Golden Gate wannabe” the Forth Road Bridge.

We had a great day with Nicola and Paul and their extremely warm and welcoming families.   Stars of the day were of course the happy couple, but we must also mention little Matthew, shown in the second and fifth photograph (taken by Morag). You know that expression “he’s been here before”? – that definitely applied to Matthew, here was a young man with what seemed like a lifetime of wisdom in his young head – he kept us entertained with his little quips all day.

Honorable mention also goes to Nicola’s gorgeous Christian Louboutin shoes.  Morag hasn’t stopped gushing about them since the wedding.

Nicola and Paul are now on the other side of the world enjoying their honeymoon in New Zealand.   So in celebration of their first week anniversary here are a few of our favourite images from the day.

The full gallery of images will be up on the website once Nicola and Paul get back from New Zealand.   In the meantime friends and family can register to be notified as soon as the images become available by visiting our client gallery.

Enjoy the rest of your Honeymoon Nicola and Paul and Happy First Week’s Anniversary.

Like what you see? Want to see more? You can view our Wedding Photography portfolio here.

Want to discuss your own wedding or portrait photography requirements? Then we’d love to hear from you, please contact using the Contact menu at the top of the web page.

1. Take the creative mind of a certain Mr John Denton (photographer extraordinaire)
2. Roll one wooden floor to an even thickness
3. Add one attractive model (thank you Ms Ashleigh Hewitt)
4. Garnish with some recycled Christmas Fairy Lights
5. Lastly sprinkle some digital processing to taste

This is a quick shot I took at John Denton’s mini Lighting Workshop that I organised at Stirling Camera Club on Wednesday night.

John very kindly drove all the way up from Yorkshire to present a mini workshop on lighting techniques to the members of the club.  John presented an extremely enjoyable evening and it was a real pleasure to meet him.

Coincidentally this shot reminds me that I don’t have any time to lie down at the moment as it’s all go.  I’m currently finishing off Joyce and Doug’s photographs from their recent wedding at Broomhall Castle in Menstrie. On Saturday Morag and I head off along the River Forth to Orocco Pier in South Queensferry for Nicola and Paul’s wedding.

On Sunday we have three client meetings and then a visit to the stunning Balbirnie House in Markinch to chat through final arrangements for an upcoming Civil Partnership.

Next weekend we will be at Gean House in Alloa working with a local model on a bridal photoshoot. We’ll be experimenting with some new lighting equipment recommended by Gordon MacGowan during his SWPP Convention Masterclass.

Then its back to editing and preparing some new sample albums just in time for an upcoming Wedding Fayre also at Gean House on the 21st of March.  Oh, and a little trip up to the Winter Gardens and Palm Court Hotel in Aberdeen on the 20th for Sharleene and Barry’s wedding.

Keep an eye open for some sneak peak images from Nicola and Paul’s wedding early next week.

Like what you see? Want to see more? Please take a minute to view our portfolio.

Want to get in touch? Please click on the Contact menu at the top of the page.

Thanks for visiting.

Although based near Stirling, our Wedding Photography adventures will take us all over Scotland this year and we’ll also be photographing some couples from as far afield as the USA, South Africa and Australia.  So, if you are one of those couples getting married this year, may I take this opportunity to wish you a particularly Happy New Year.

So before the new Wedding season kicks off proper, what better time than to update our wedding portfolio and refresh some of the banner images you see here on the website.  Then we’ll spruce up all the marketing materials before a much-needed holiday in the Sun.  Then we can really put our feet up (well for a couple of weeks anyway).

But…we can’t start a new year without closing out the last one, so here’s a little slideshow of my own favourite wedding photographs from 2009.

The Dalmeny Park describes itself as one of Scotland’s premier wedding venues, and it is easy to see why – gorgeous surroundings and everything ran like clockwork tendered by a very very attentive staff.

Scotland at the moment is experiencing a bit of a cold snap and the temperature on Saturday never rose above 1 or 2 degrees all day (and a good Scotch Mist was never far away either). This didn’t hold Renee and Ally back though, and they were more than keen to nip outside into the cold misty day for some really cool portraits.  Add in the warmth of some festive Christmas lights and you have the makings of a well-timed seasonal set of wedding photographs just in time for Christmas.

Enjoy your honeymoon guys and here is a little sneak peak of some of your wedding photographs from the day.

Like what you see? Then please leave your comments below as we’d really appreciate hearing your feedback on our photography.

Want to see more? Then please take a few minutes to view our portfolio.

If you would like to be notified when the full wedding gallery has been approved by Renee and Ally, please register your email address here, and we will email you as soon as they are available for viewing.

Well, when Dean and Nina stepped off the plane in Glasgow they must have thought they’d left the Spanish sunshine far far behind as it was literally bucketing down with rain the whole week before their wedding.

Fortunately the Scottish Weather finally decided to play fair and on the morning of their Wedding the rain stopped, the sun shone and for a minute (just a minute) they could have though they were back home in Tenerife. Well okay, maybe just for a split second.

Dean and Nina’s wedding was held at Glasgow’s famous 22 Park Circus, one of the finest Registry offices in Scotland. Then it was on to the Campanile Hotel for the Wedding lunch and evening celebrations. Although the rain clouds were never far away, we managed to get some great wedding photographs in the gorgeous Scottish sunshine.

Here is a short slideshow featuring a small selection of the wedding photography from the day.

Family and friends can view the full gallery of photographs in the Clients area of the website.

Thank you Dean and Nina for choosing me to be your wedding photographer, and honestly I’m not at all jealous that it is currently around 32 degress centigrade in Tenerife right now.

Tony is the son of one of our next door neighbours and we’ve got to know him quite well over the past few years. He is also a serving member of our armed forces so it was a great privilege to photograph Tony and Danni’s wedding day.

The ceremony was being held down near Peterborough, so being based in Scotland, this was a little bit of a destination wedding for us. However, “have camera, will travel” is my motto!  So we made a long weekend of it and even managed to let our hair down a little once the cameras were safely put to bed.

Here we present a slightly modified version of the slideshow of wedding photographs presented to Tony and Danni.

Friends and family can view all of the images (including the family formal shots and the photobooth images) in our clients gallery.  The password is the groom’s surname.

WARNING: If you are going to view this slideshow at work, there is sound on it, so you may wish to turn down your speakers or alter the volume control accordingly. Those of you who were at the wedding will of course recognise the music.

So without further ado, Let’s get it on….

This was once again a slightly unusual wedding as Dean and Nina organised their wedding all the way from their home in Tenerife! For most people that would be a planning nightmare, but they had a lot of friends and family in the Glasgow area to assist with any hands-on preparation.

The Wedding ceremony took place at the stunning registry office at 22 Park Circus, near Charing Cross in Glasgow. This 1870′s building features one of the finest interiors in Scotland and is now owned by Historic Scotland and is leased to Glasgow City Council.

After the ceremony (which was presided over by one of Nina’s best friends), we took some photographs of the happy couple around the Park Circus area, Kelvingrove Park and then headed down to the reception venue at the Campanile Hotel.

Although Dean is originally from England he couldn’t resist becoming Scottish for the day and as a special surprise for Nina, swapped his Groom’s outfit for a full kilt rigout just in time for the first dance.

It was a great day and the weather was very kind to us.  Here are a few of my favourite photographs from the day and keep an eye out for the full wedding slideshow later next week.   In the meantime please feel free to leave your comments and best wishes for Dean and Nina in the comments section below.

If you would like to be notified when all of the images from the wedding are available for viewing, please visit the clients page on our website and select Dean and Nina’s Wedding Day from the list of events – you will then be able to register your email and we’ll let you know as soon as the full wedding gallery is available for viewing.

Tony is a serving member of our armed forces, so we were very proud to be photographing his wedding day.  He is also the son of our neighbours and friends, Sandra and Graham, so we’ve got to know Tony a little bit over the years. Needless to say I was very ready for his wicked sense of humour and we got some “interesting” shots during the day.

As Scottish based Wedding Photographers this was to be almost a destination wedding for us as the wedding was to take place a good few hundred miles away from home, close to Tony’s RAF base near Peterborough.

The wedding day itself was an emotional rollercoaster with lots of tears and lots of laughter.  The day started off with a mild panic from Bride Danni over some missing bridal shoes (which were fortunately found in time).  Then at the ceremony there was great  hilarity as Tony turned round and carefully scanned the room as the Registrar asked if anyone had any reason to speak up before the formal proceedings began. Cue more laughter, when, satisfied at the quietness in the room, he proclaimed “Game On!”.

The Wedding Reception was held at the Haycock Hotel in Wansford, a historic Coaching Inn dating back to the 1600′s.  Mary Queen of Scots apparently stayed here once.

There is of course a lot more to report from the day, but for now here is a tiny little peak into the festivities with a few of my favourite wedding photographs from the day.

If you would like to be notified when all of the images from the wedding are available for viewing, please visit the clients page on our website and select Tony and Danni’s Wedding Day from the list of events – you will then be able to register your email and we’ll let you know as soon as the full wedding gallery is available for viewing.

Having photographed Fiona, Christopher and young son Connor earlier in the year for their pre-wedding photoshoot, I knew how much fun they are to be around, and the wedding proved no exception.  A great day was had by all.

The wedding venue was The Three Kings in Shieldhill near Falkirk, which has a stunning location high above the Forth Valley. Everything runs like clockwork at The Three Kings under the personal supervision of its owner David Cattanach, a name I fondly remembered from the past – when I was a youngster Davy played football for Stirling Albion and Celtic Football Club.

With the heatwave of June now long behind us, July’s “changeable” weather was always a slight concern, but the weather worked its magic and we had a gorgeous day.

This slideshow gives a selection of images, the full set can be viewed in the clients area (the password is the groom’s surname). You can also view the fun-filled photobooth pictures which have also been uploaded to the same area – simply click on the “Photo Booth Images” picture after you enter the password.

One last thing – it would be a travesty to not mention the sheer detemination and willpower of Fiona’s Mum Marion, who spent many a long hour (about two years it is rumoured) to hand knit Father of the Bride Ian’s kilt socks – and what a stunning job she made of them. I believe she’s now taking orders for delivery in 2014 – get your orders in now.

Please leave your comments below – if we receive 10 comments or more to any of our slideshows we reward our Bride and Groom with an extra 8 x 10 Print Credit – so don’t be shy, tell them what you thought of the day and what you think of the photographs.

This is a common question we see asked on Wedding forums in the lead up to a wedding.

As Wedding Photojournalist’s we prefer to go with the flow and document your day as it happens.  However, we do of course, take some formal group photos on the day and, (particularly in large groups) it can be hard to get a perfect image with everyone’s eyes nicely wide open.

So we thought we’d share this awesome illustrated tip from a couple of guests at Alicia and Paul’s recent wedding.

Step 1 – Grab an assistant (Disclaimer: Each guest will of course require their own assistant.)

Step 2……

So there you have it “The Ultimate Guide on How To Avoid Blinking in Your Wedding Pictures”.

Thanks for being such great sports, girls.

P.S. Don’t forget to ask about our optional “Photobooth” manned by the delightful Morag – you too could star in our next illustrated wedding tip.

Jeff is a UK based photographer and is acknowledged as one of the ten best wedding photographers in the world today. He is also one of Canon’s “Ambassadors” – the only Wedding photographer amongst that very elite group.

George is a fellow Scot who emigrated to the States as a young man and is now based in New York. George’s work is simply outstanding, to the point that American Photo Magazine described him as “unique even among photojournalistic shooters”.

Sunday’s seminar was all about the mechanics of Wedding Photojournalism, covering the finer details of lighting, composition and storytelling. It was clear that both photographers were extremely passionate about their craft and it was a very enjoyable and inspiring day.

I took copious notes (which I’ll need to sit down and review), but one key thing that I was left with was a statement from George that he attributed to the father of modern photojournalism, Henri Cartier-Bresson:

“The image is good or not from the moment it was created”

In other words you either have the image or you don’t – hours and hours in photoshop won’t change that. It’s all about the eye and skill of the photographer, not the equipment or the software they use. You need to strive to find “the” image in the scene before you, and focus on that one goal.

It was a fascinating day and I came away with a lot of new ideas (and challenges) that I hope to put into practice very soon.

I’ll leave you with a favourite image of mine from Stephen and Shanita’s recent wedding which I think typifies my style as a wedding photojournalist – Shanita is a professional dance tutor, and to me this picture defines the story of her wedding day.

As you may recall Alicia is American and she decided to hold her wedding on the good old 4th of July – America’s Independence Day.

Alicia and Paul were married at St Ninians R.C. Church in Gourock and then the festivities continued at the Tontine Hotel in Gourock.  I say festivities, as the evening event was to be a ceilidh, rather than a formal reception – the full reception was to take place the following week in Wyoming, Colorado.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Alicia and Paul,  were married at St Ninian’s Church in Gourock, followed by their Ceilidh celebrations that evening in the Tontine Hotel in Greenock. The Ceilidh band “Iron Broo” kept everyone dancing into the wee sma’ hours.

Of course, you can’t have a wedding in Scotland without some concerns over the weather, but despite almost monsoon conditions the previous day, the weather was kind to us and we were able to take the planned formal wedding photographs at the beautiful viewpoint of Lyle Hill, overlooking Paul’s home town of Gourock.  The view down the Clyde Estuary from Lyle Hill is stunning and I have to say as a Wedding Photographer it’s the first time I’ve had a Trident Nuclear Submarine feature in the background of one of my wedding photographs.

Here are a small selection of photographs from the day as a little sneak peak – the full set will follow once Alicia and Paul have a chance to review their images.

Please feel free to leave your comments and messages for Alicia and Paul – every time we get more than 10 comments we reward our bride and groom with a print credit for an additional 8 x 10 image of their choice, so don’t be shy.

We also had a photo booth setup and a number of guests “struck a pose” under the studio lights – you’ll be able to see these images on the clients section of our site later this week – please visit the clients area, and you can register your email with us so we can let you know when the images become available.

Alicia and Paul, thanks for a wonderful day and have a fantastic reception in Wyoming this weekend.

We recently enhanced this package by replacing the mounted print with a brand new offering that is designed to showcase the best images of the day and to present them in a truly unique manner.

The Wedding Guest Book is a customised product designed to showcase the images taken of you both on your pre-wedding shoot and incorporating lots of space for your guests to write their messages of congratulations. This is a wedding guest book that is truly like no other.

What better way to start of your wedding preparations than to get out into the Scottish countryside and take some wonderful images. Although we are based near Stirling, we can actually organise a pre-wedding photoshoot almost anywhere convenient. So whether its a favourite haunt in Glasgow, or a beauty spot in Edinburgh, (or even your marriage venue itself), we’ll find the perfect backdrop to the start of your wedding preparations.

Featured in these images is the Wedding Guest Book we created for Alicia and Paul who are getting married in July. This photoshoot took place at Glamis Castle in Perthshire.

The free pre-wedding photoshoot offer must finish at the end of this month. So if you have a date set and have yet to book your photographer, give us a call.

As Scottish wedding photographers we get to visit a lot of good wedding venues. Occasionally we also come across a special venue that can truly be identified as a “Great Scottish wedding venue”. One such place is Dalmunzie Castle in Glenshee, Perthshire.

I was fortunate enough to visit Dalmunzie Castle last weekend when doing a pre-wedding photoshoot for Jill and Iain who are getting married there next year (watch out for their photos appearing on the site in the next few days).

Dalmunzie dates back to 1510, and is a picture-postcard turreted mansion house. The venue is located in the Perthshire countryside, just outside the village of Spittal of Glenshee which lies a few miles north of Blairgowrie on the A93.

As locations go, this is truly a magnificent spot and it is apparently one of the highest hotels in the United Kingdom. Not surprising when you discover that the venue is just a few miles south of the famous Glenshee Ski resort area.

For the Bride looking to host a classic Scottish wedding, you would struggle to find a better place in terms of romantic location and character. The venue can cope with weddings from the smallest intimate affair, right up to parties of 70 people. The 17 bedroom hotel also offers ample space for the bridal party to unwind after an energetic ceilidh.

The wedding ceremony can be held at the nearby Kirk of Glenshee or at the hotel itself either in the Drawing Room or on the spacious front lawn.

The scottish castle boasts beautiful grounds that extend to 6500 acres and which include tennis courts, walking trails, and even a 9 hole golf course. Mountain bikes and four wheel drive estate tours can also be arranged.

The last thing that makes a wedding venue truly special is its customer service. In the brief time I was at Dalmunzie, the owner, Brianna Poole, made a special effort to say hello and her staff were very attentive. I also witnessed how Brianna and her staff attended to a previous day’s wedding party, and I was very impressed by their customer focus and attention to detail.

Lastly, as a wedding photographer the location offers a wonderful backdrop with lots of outdoor and indoor locations to work with.

So if you have yet to decide on your wedding venue, and are looking to experience a real Scottish Castle Wedding, why not give Brianna at Dalmunzie Castle a call. The hotel also has a lot to offer the overseas bride and groom who may be considering a Wedding in Scotland.

For further details on hosting your Wedding day at Dalmunzie Castle, you can visit www.dalmunzie.com

Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback below.  A full gallery of images from the wedding are available to view in the clients area.

Mix together a great location, a little guitar music, fine dining, a stunning bride, twin bridesmaids, a fun crowd, and you have the ingredients for a great party and a fantastic wedding reception.

This was a slightly unusual wedding for us as when we were first contacted by Shanita she had already selected her main photographer.  However having seen our fun photojournalistic style of wedding photography she asked if we could photograph her evening celebrations which we were delighted to do.

Shanita is a professional dance tutor and really knew how to rock the dance floor, and she even persuaded Steven into doing a properly choreographed first dance (which is already up on YouTube).

Any other wedding photographers reading this post may also notice that the twin bridesmaids bore more than just a passing resemblance to famous US-based  Wedding Photographer Jasmine Star (among the Top 10 best Wedding Photographers in the World), who is herself a twin – how cool is that.

This is just a little sneak peek of the day, so keep an eye on the blog for a full slideshow of the wedding early next week.

So to help with your decision-making process, I thought I would suggest some sensible questions, and at the same time give you my response. Kind of like talking to myself really (but don’t tell anyone).

1. How would you define your style?

I personally shoot mostly with a photojournalism (or reportage) style, but I mix this with a blend of traditional and posed images. I also try to work in some “wow” high fashion style photography as well.   Ultimately however, I work with you to get the final “mix” just right, but I aim for a contemporary rather than traditional look.   I want to be able to tell the story of your day in pictures, and ensure everyone has a relaxed and fun time doing it.

2. I have certain ideas I would like – can you do these?

Of course – I love to hear new ideas.  I’ll try anything and work with you to get the look you want (Within reason – just don’t mention parachutes).

3. Can you show me a complete set of recent wedding pictures?

On this website you’ll find some examples of my work. However, when I meet you both face to face to present my photography packages, I will show you an example of a complete wedding – so you are seeing what a final finished album would look like, rather than just my favourite images.

4. Are you insured?

Yes, I am fully insured for Public Liability and Professional Indemnity and all our equipment is covered for loss damage, flood, plagues of locusts etc.

5. Are you a member of any professional photography organisations?

Yes. I am very proud to be one of only a handful of Scottish photographers to have attained membership of the prestigious Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA).  Membership is extremely tightly controlled and less than 5% of all applicants are actually accepted.  I am also a member of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Professionals (SWPP).

6. What happens if you fall ill on the day?

I take an aspirin and plough on. On a more serious note, being a member of two professional associations, I have access to their “SOS” systems to help out in a crisis.  I also maintain reciprocal relationships with a number of other photographers who offer standby support if such an event were to occur.

7. What happens if your camera develops a fault?

I have backups, and I have backups for my backups. Basically I have a huge range of professional camera equipment (all Nikon Professional Equipment) and I duplicate everything. So if a camera or lens were to fail I have another to hand.

8. What happens if it rains?

We all might get a bit wet and I love a good challenge!  Unfortunately in Scotland, this does tend to happen quite frequently, so I always plan for it and will discuss a “plan B” with you before the big day. I also carry a couple of very handy large umbrellas and my cameras can withstand a lot of rain – basically it won’t stop you having stunning pictures.

9. Can my other guests take pictures?

Of course they can.  I positively encourage them to get involved and can quite often be found handing out little titbits of advice to fellow photography enthusiasts.

10. Can you take a picture of my favourite Aunt / Uncle / Niece etc?

Yes, yes, and yes – if there are any “must-have” pictures on the day, just let me know. All I do ask is, that if there are a lot of “posed” images to be taken, please allow me a little more time within your planning schedule.

11. When will I see my pictures?

My objective is to have your images ready for viewing by the time you return from Honeymoon (10-14 days). If you have online access you will most likely be able to start looking at the photographs when you are still on honeymoon.

12. When will I receive my album?

I initially layout the draft album design and will then sit down with you to approve the final layout. Once finalised I then allow two weeks to get the album back from the printers and into your hands.

13. How can I actually be sure that you’ll be any good and that we’ll get along?

Try me out. I’m not kidding. I offer a pre-wedding photoshoot session for just £50 with a money back guarantee. If you like the resulting images your £50 that you’ve already paid will go towards your wedding booking fee.  If you don’t like the images, I’ll hang my head in shame and you’ll get your £50 back – that’s how confident I am that you will like your final photographs.

14. Who will actually take my photographs?

That will be me, Alan Hutchison.  My wife and business partner, Morag, will also be on hand to assist me during the day and will also be taking some occasional photographs, but I will be the main photographer.

15. So we will have two photographers on the day – will that cost me more?

No. For the majority of our weddings, you will normally have two photographers on the day, but we don’t charge you for an extra photographer, as the bulk of the photographs are taken by me.  At smaller, more intimate weddings I would typically attend that wedding on my own, to ensure that the intimacy is maintained.

16. What about any other emergencies on the day?

I keep a sewing kit to hand (fine for 99% of all wedding emergencies).

17. How far ahead do I need to book?

That is entirely down to you. I only shoot one wedding on any one day, so to avoid disappointment you should try to reserve your date as soon as possible.  However, in these modern times a lot of couples plan their wedding in a relatively short time period, so I can and do get bookings at relatively short notice. So the upshot is, book early if you can. But if you do have a last minute booking just ask – if I can’t help you, I can perhaps help find you an alternative photographer.

18. Wonderful. How do we take this forward?

It’s very straightforward. Why don’t we arrange an initial meeting, you can tell us all about your wedding plans and we can show you some pictures?

19. Great. How can we get in touch?

Easy. Complete our enquiry form by clicking the Contact menu at the top of this page or give us a call on 01259 210299 or 07887 835431.

20. Right. With all these questions I’m exhausted. Can I get a coffee?

Of course, the coffees are on me.

So there you have it – if you have any other questions not on this list, please feel free to ask me directly or stick them into the comments and I’ll come back with an answer.