Isla and Dan's Wonderful "Home Made" Wedding

When I first met Isla and her Mum at the Glen Pavilion Wedding Fair in September 2012, I was completely intrigued by their plans for a wedding at Crail Community Hall on Easter Sunday 2013, so I was delighted when Isla subsequently booked me to photograph her wedding.

The 31st March dawned crisp and cold but there was some Spring sunshine as I made the journey to Crail. En route to the bride's home, I stopped in at the Community Hall to see how it was looking...what a fabulous venue it was. Warm and inviting with beautiful dark wooden floors.  Isla's Mum, Jean, had gone to town making miles of beautiful bunting which was draped across the high ceiling in swags.  I had had a feeling that this would be a brilliant wedding and I was not wrong!

At the bride's house, we started off with some photographs of Isla getting ready with her Bridesmaids. The bouquets lined up on the table were beautiful, made by the Groom's talented sister.  The girls looked fabulous in their prom dresses and I just loved Isla's red shoes.

Back at the hall, guests were arriving and the atmosphere was jovial and lively.  Dan and his Best Man were incorrigible.  Getting them into position for their Groom and Best Man photo, they suddenly asked,  "Shall we kiss?" and before I knew it, they did!  Lucky for me I was quick on the shutter.  

Needless to say, that moment set the tone for the whole day which was filled with laughter from start to finish.  This wedding was brilliantly unique and entirely personal to Isla and Dan.  As I was leaving, Jean asked me if I had enjoyed it.  "I suppose it's just another wedding for you" she mused.  It certainly wasn't "just another wedding".  Here are some photos:

  

Old Manor Hotel wedding for Brenda & Ally

Wow!  I cannot believe October has arrived and I feel oh so guilty for not updating my Blog for so long... let's just say life got in the way.  It's a chilly old day today, with a biting nip in the air, and somehow this takes me back to the last weekend in March this year when I had the pleasure of shooting two weddings...totally different in every way, but the one thing both couples had to contend with was the "chill" factor.

Brenda and Ally were married at the popular Old Manor Hotel in Lundin Links. The skies dared to throw down a few snow flakes as the piper welcomed Brenda and her proud Dad in the oh so cute Beauford (I'm not very good at cars, but this one I know!)

 The Bridesmaids wore gorgeous soft green dresses, the colour being picked up perfectly in the sashes of the flower girls' dresses.

After some meeting and greeting and a few fun "formals" it was time to set off for a Bride and Groom photo session by the sea.  Hats off to Brenda and Ally for keeping the smiles coming...it was seriously Baltic but at least we were blessed with some emerging sunshine.

By the time we got back to the hotel, the sunshine was out in force, which made it slightly easier for me to persuade all the guests outside for the big group photo.

 Brenda and Ally's daughter, Ruby had been an exquisite flower girl all day and the cake cutting photo was a beautiful family affair!

Cake Smash - Tastic

"Cake smash?" questioned my neat and tidy husband.  "You're going to do what?"

"Cake Smash" is one of those shout out loud names that grabs your attention and conjures up images of patisserie vandalism and sticky mayhem in the minds of the uninitiated.  And why not?  It's got your attention hasn't it?  

Cake smash is a novel photo shoot idea from the USA (where else?) and involves putting a large, colourful and enticing cake in front of a one year old baby and watching what happens...well, actually photographing what happens.

I'd been interested in the idea ever since I heard about it, so last month I decided to do something about it.  Having read a number of blog posts written by American photographers who offer this shoot and having viewed many sample photos (some good, some bad) I decided how I wanted to shoot it and devised an approach for my own cake smash shoot. 

As luck would have it, I know a wonderful professional cake maker, Julie, from Sensation Cakes, who happily also has a baby of the right age.  We thoroughly enjoyed the shoot and we were all delighted with the final results.  No vandalism or cake slinging at all....just a delightful discovery of textures and tastes.  Babies are above all curious and it was beautiful to watch Sam take his first taste then watch his confidence grow as he explored the feeling of the icing in his hands....wonderful moments creating fabulous photo opportunities.  If you're interested in having a cake smash shoot for your baby's first birthday, then please contact me for details and prices.

 

Wedding Fairs: The Ultimate Guide

As a regular exhibitor at a number of wedding fairs throughout the year, I meet many, many couples and their families hunting around for ideas, inspiration and their perfect wedding suppliers.  A busy fair has a great vibe, but all that wedding buzz can leave you feeling dazed and confused as your plastic bag begins to weigh heavy with the sheer number of fliers, cards, samples and brochures you collect as you trawl the stands. 

I've devised the ultimate guide to surviving a wedding fair to make sure you get the information you need without succumbing to wedding fair overload.  Newly engaged couples with a long lead time may be happy just to browse, but if you're at the stage of serious wedding planning, here are some top tips:

• Set your goals before you arrive. You might have a particular supplier you want to visit, or you may want to compare prices for certain items or services between different exhibitors.  Arrive early so that you can chat to exhibitors and properly view products without jockeying for position with other couples.
• Exhibitors are there to showcase their products and services and are happy to answer any questions you have. Don't be afraid to ask questions, handle products and samples.  As a wedding photographer, I want couples to open up my sample albums and look at the photographs.  An image may prompt a discussion about my photographic style and approach, or may even just give you ideas for venue decoration, colours and flowers.
• If there's a fashion show, go watch!  Even if you've already got your wedding dress, fashion shows will usually showcase Bridesmaids dresses and Mother of the Bride outfits too as well as kilts and male wedding attire.  It's a chance to take the weight off your feet and to see how the different dress styles look from every angle. 

• If you're on a tight budget, do ask if services and packages can be tailored to your own requirements and budget.
• When you find a supplier you really like, mark their flier/business card with an asterisk or similar mark so you can shortlist your favourites easily when sorting through the paperwork later.
• It might seem obvious, but do check that your favoured suppliers have your date available. 

Do remember to enjoy planning your wedding.  It's a big task, but if you lean on your suppliers for help and advice, you will sale through.  

Steven & Marie at Garvock House

Whilst most of my weddings are booked well in advance, I was delighted to take a number of wedding bookings at the tail end of the 2012 which were booked on much shorter lead times.  With a great venue and a team of wonderful suppliers to help bring it all together, Steven and Marie arranged their wedding in about two weeks, which I thought had to be an all time record (but proved not to be....keep reading my posts!)

I had already booked a stand at a wedding fair on the day in question, but since the couple had planned for a late afternoon ceremony and their wedding was a five minute drive away from where I was exhibiting, I decided that it was completely do-able!

Garvock House Hotel was the venue, (one of my favourite local venues) and the day was bright and pleasant. The Bride had opted for a fantastic 50's style dress with splashy pink flowers, the theme being echoed in the Groom's tie and particularly in the stunning floral displays put together by Vivienne McBride of Lilywhite Wedding Florist.  There were lots of lovely details at this wedding which just goes to show that if you don't have a lot of time to arrange your wedding, it can be done, and done superbly well!  

Steven and Marie literally danced back down the aisle to "Bright Side of Life"....fantastically amusing!

 

The humour just kept coming....don't you just love people who enjoy having fun!

Check out the tiny rosebuds around the favours....it was all so pretty!

Sharlene & Rab Tying the Knot at Edinburgh Castle

I had a very busy September in 2012 with beautiful weddings at The Grouse and Claret in Kinross, Garvock House in Dunfermline, The Glen Pavilion in Dunfermline, and this one at Edinburgh Castle.

 

When Sharlene and Rab booked me to shoot their wedding, I confess I was very excited.  As a total "newbie" to Edinburgh Castle, I knew it would be a challenging day as soon as I looked at the "Photographer's Guide" to shooting at the Castle.  In a nutshell, the regulations about where you can shoot, with whom and when are extremely strict, and just to make sure you adhere to the rules, you get your own "minder".  Oh and by the way, the photographer must not to get in the way of the tourists!

 

So the day dawned, bright and sunny and first up were the getting ready photos with the Bride and her lovely Maids in the outskirts of Kirkcaldy.  Everything was perfect and spirits were high!  Did I mention there was a political rally on in the middle of Edinburgh, the route of which was up the mound and across the Royal Mile?  No?  Well, let's just say that having left the girls in plenty of time to get to the Castle, within sight of the Castle entrance, I was sent on my merry way by a very nice policeman who told me I'd have to go round.  So with white knuckled determination, I wove round Grassmarket and ploughed up the other side, finally to be ushered through the entrance and into my designated space close to St.Margaret's Chapel. 

 

Now, about these tourists....I'm sure I didn't get in their way, but they certainly got in mine. When the Bride arrived the air was thick with excitement and I got a sense of what it would feel like to be a Papparazzi photographer...jostled this way and that whilst obeying the rules, maintaining my dignity and getting a set of photographs that my couple would be proud to own..it was an interesting challenge.

 

I was going to have a little joke and say I spotted this shot when I'd been knocked to the ground by the mob, but it's not true. 

St. Mary's Chapel is the teeniest, tiniest chapel I have ever been in so after the ceremony it was fabulous to be back out in the fresh air...Rab and Sharlene looking so happy...there were about a million people on all sides of me, but you'd never know it. Bride and Groom kept their focus firmly on me. Bless 'em!!

 

On our way to the designated spot for photographs.  It was lovely to have a bit of space to ourselves!

 

 

 

We had just one and a half hours at the Castle, then it was back to the Pitbauchlie Hotel in Dunfermline for the reception.  An amazing couple, an amazing day, a real experience.