Julie and Paul's wedding

Well the good weather continues, and so does the stunning weddings I have been lucky enough to be PAID to photograph!! I truely love this job; I get more excited than the bride sometimes!!

Yesterday's wedding was no exception; Scotland and Northern Ireland joined forces at Balbirnie House for the wedding of Julie and Paul. What a lovely couple, and what a stunner Julie was!
It's always special for me shooting a wedding at Balbirnie, as I got married there myself nearly 8 years ago and going up the drive towards the beautiful Georgian house still gives me goosebumps! So does turning out work like this (easy when you have such an amzing couple!)
I'm really into arty angles at the moment; I don't mind lying flat on my back in order to get the shot!

As well as shooting till after 9pm at night, in the car park in order to get shots like this!

Enjoy the Maldives guys; can't wait to show you the rest of the images when you return!

Lesley and Chris' wedding

Easter weekend; usually unpredictable weather and lots of chocolate.

For me this year, it is BEAUTIFUL sunny weather, a gorgeous wedding and lots of chocolate!!

Lesley and Chris made sure everyone remembered it was Easter weekend, with lots of personal touches at their Garvock House wedding. The daffodils were in full bloom, the bride looked gorgeous and there was tons of chocolate for everyone!!

And the winner is....................

JESSICA AND NEIL!!!

Congrats guys, I will be over to shoot your wedding in Belfast in September!

Many thanks for everyone for entering!

Competition finalists!!

Oh boy did I have a difficult decision in trying to find a winner, and as yet I still haven't decided?!


There were so many fabulous entries, so many great reasons why YOU should win a wedding photography package for FREE from me.



But I have narrowed it down to the following three finalists;



Patra and David
Patra and David are getting married in the Oldham area this year and this is Patra's story;





"Myself and Dave have been together nearly 12 years and due to redundancies for both of us, we have just really struggled to get the money together to pay for a wedding, although it is something we have always wanted, I know we could do it on the very cheap, registry office local pub ect ect, but we wanted something a little special and that meant if we had to wait and save then so be it.
We are not after any limelight or masses of presants from everyone, to us the wedding signifies us being commited to each other for ever and not just about a big party and getting dressed up for the day.
So we have no photographers planned it is just the people attending taking the photos and hopefully we will get some great shots, but a proffesional photographer would be the icing on the cake."

Next is

ROSS & "H"

This couple are getting married in Cyprus this year but coming home for a wedding reception in North Wales.

Their story;

"We have been trying desparately to get a photographer to come to the function to get photos of family members that will be missing as they cannot make it over to Cyprus with us i.e. my fiancees nan who is too poorly to travel etc.

Further details removed now on request of the couple but the rest of the story was regarding a death in the family.

And finally

JESSICA AND NEIL

This is Jessica's story; her and Neil are getting married in Belfast this year

"i would like to win the free wedding photographybecause ive had a crap year literally ...heres mystory..excuse the pun..

went to work in spain to open new store for primarktook really ill in spain thought i had food poisoning..unfortunately not..turns out i had ulcerative colitis which is an inflammatory bowel disease i have never been sick in my life and ivenever heard of this ..to cut a long story short docs tried everything colon swoll up and nearly died and they had to remove it i now have an ileostomy whichmeans i have a colostomy bag and a lovely 7 inch scar on my stomach..

the wedding was nearly cancelled as ivebeen out of work for months however ive just returnedto work and im slowly but surely trying to get my lifeback...as you can imagine my confidence has beenshattered im only 25 and im very self concious so really want wedding pics to be good.

im sure im no more deserving than anyone else but hey its worth a shot!! and im sure my boyfriend would appreciate it as god love him hes had to fork out for everything!"

Can you see my predicament?!

I've got a portrait session this afternoon, so I will be making the decision between the above three at some point today.

Last chance to enter!

Oh dear I am going to have a busy Saturday trying to decide a winner! So many lovely stories, some totally heart renching and well deserved, some............... well some "interesting" emails!!!

Check out this blog on Sunday for the winner, and pictures and stuff!

Entries are coming in thick & fast now!

Just arisen from my sick bed to a box full of emails about the competition. Thanks to Wedding Ideas magazine for putting the competition in their e-newsletter.
http://www.weddingideasmagazine.co.uk/newsletter260307.htm

So many fabulous stories, I am going to find it difficult to decide.

Keep 'em coming!

Still free wedding photography!

How frustrating! Had a few lovely entries into this competition I am holding for free wedding photography and as yet no entries that are suitable!

I've had Rhiannon (what a gorgeous name) getting married near Dundee, but unfortunately on a date in August where I am already booked.

I've had Laura in Stroud, Glos; getting married the day after I have a wedding up here in Fife, with no chance of getting down to near Bristol in time for her wedding!

And others who have posted on forums saying that they wouldnt be able to give me the time for the portrait session!

Surely someone out there wants some free wedding photography.........???

FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Doing something for someone for the hell of it makes you feel good doesn’t it I have decided that this year I am going to do something for nothing with my wedding photography…………….

Okay maybe not completely nothing……….. read on.

Are you getting married in 2007 in the UK and not got a wedding photographer yet? How would you like your wedding photographed for FREE………?

Yes I did say FREE…………….

Coverage from getting ready in the morning, till the start of the meal……FREE

Online proofing for a month……………….. FREE

“Viva” custom-designed album…………………FREE

Slideshow CD/DVD………………….FREE

Why?

Why not? It’s nice to do something for someone who may be can’t afford top quality photography, who may be feels constrained by what everybody else is telling them to do with the photography (lots of formals etc), who just wants to have fun on the day and have great photos to show for it. One of my favourite photographers is Jessica Claire and at the end of the year, she gave away a free wedding photography package; reading about it totally humbled me and prompted me to do the same. Read her story at http://www.jessicaclaire.net/oldblog/C887790049/index.html


So what’s the catch?

- Well, I obviously have to be free for your wedding date!
- Group formals are maxed at SIX group shots to be decided before the day.
- You have to give a minimum of an HOUR AND A HALF with just you and your new husband for photos that are totally different, more than likely away from your wedding venue for some of that time, with you guys being totally up for ANYTHING! (So you must make sure that there is enough time between ceremony and meal for this!)


Who can enter? Anyone that has a date and a venue confirmed for a 2007 wedding and has not got a professional photographer booked.
Anyone that is not already booked for photography with Nikki McLeod Photography.

How do you enter?

Email me and tell me why you should win free wedding photography, make sure you tell me where and when you are getting married and get those entries into me before 31st March by email at
nmcleodphoto@aol.com
where the decision will be made on 1st April on this blog!!

Helen & John's wedding

It was great to finally meet Helen and John from down souf, at the weekend, as they were in Edinburgh for their wedding day. They had chosen the stunning and exclusive Balmoral Hotel for the ceremony and reception, and I was trying to persuade them to have a bridal portrait session with a difference........ Helen wasn't so keen to begin with, but went with it in the end, and here's the results!

We had the boys walking along Princes Street, with the most important member of the McCaig family, Curtis the dog with his tartan tie!

We had a wonderful ceremony, sunlit overlooking the outstanding Edinburgh skyline, we had tears of joy and happiness.

We then went on a wee walk with the Bride, Groom, Best Man and Bridesmaid; dancing in Waverley train station, hijacking a sightseeing bus, smooching in the shadow of the Scott Monument and cuddling in the sunlight!

Well done to Helen and John for being such good sports, and giving me the time to get some great shots of them; I am sure they will agree with me after seeing them tonight, that they certainly have some "different" wedding photos!

Newcastle "Breathless" marathon almost full for 190407!

There has been a tremendous response to the "Breathless" marathon session being held in Newcastle next month. To the point that it looks like there is only ONE space left on Thursday 19th April! If there is enough interest, I can extend it to the Friday evening, so if you are interested, email me quick on nmcleodphoto@aol.com

I am holding the sessions in an executive room in a boutique hotel in the city centre, and I know that I am going to get some amazing results from the lovely girls already booked.

And if you need any more incentive or want to see what some "Breathless" images look like (there are some under the link on this blog "Breathless takes your breath away") here are some beautiful images from Tanya, one of many lassies who have come to the studio recently for a "Breathless" session.

I think Tanya was pleased with the results; I got this email;

"wow some of those pics are fab!! took ages to decide which ones, THANK YOU LOADS!!!!!"

and then I noticed this message on Wedding Ideas Magazine forum when girls were asking about getting boudoir photography done;

"nikki mcleod did mine and i recently got to see the pics.....and she made me look fab!! they say the camera never lies.......well IT DOES much to my benefit, it was a tough task as im not a wee girly (size 22 on a good day ) but hey...if i can do it and come out looking good, anyone can!!"

Tanya is a GORGEOUS lass, and I LOVED her cape, which she is going to need when she gets married in Finland next month; and I am sure her hubby-2-b will LOVE his wedding day present!

"Aliya Rose" comes to Cupar

I was OVER THE MOON to hear that some good friends of mine have opened their own bridal shop in Cupar!!

Kerri, Liz and Kirsty (and I!) all met on http://www.hitched.co.uk an online wedding forum; we are in the Fife area and the four of us plus Nic met up and had a ball!

Bash on a couple of years, and the three of them have got together and opened a contemporary and very stylish bridal shop in main street of Cupar, called "Aliya Rose" http://www.aliyarose.co.uk/ after Kerri's beautiful daughter!

The Jman and I went and visited the shop in it's first week of opening, at their temporary premises while the even bigger and even better premises is being finished.

It's got the most gorgeous dresses in there!

And shoes......................

and tee-shirts..............

and headware.............

and it is run by three of the nicest, friendliest, classiest, young ladies around and I wish them

EVERY success in this venture, though they do NOT need it; they WILL be the best in the area!

And if you are going shopping in Aliya Rose at any point, look out for some albums to browse through, by a certain Fife female photographer..........

"Breathless" goes down a storm!

Gosh you are all keeping me busy with "Breathless" sessions! These are really going down a storm, thanks to the January offer! I also offered a free "Breathless" session at the Rothes Halls Fife Wedding fayre this past weekend. The prize draw (and slideshow!) attracted a lot of attention and many girls participated in the draw (thanks to several boyfriends for pushing some of the girls into it!) The winner of the prize draw was Samantha Hunter. Well done, I look forward to shooting your session at some point this year.

I am looking to be doing a "Breathless" session marathon this April! So many girls travel all over Scotland for a session, and as I am going to Newcastle in April for a wedding, I would like to offer the North East girls the opportunity to partake in a session. These will be held in a hotel in the area, on Thursday 19th April with daytime and evening appointments, with the possibility of extending to Saturday 21st (the wedding is on the Friday but there would be the strong possibility of evening availability on the Friday)

Basically I would be taking bookings for "Breathless" sessions from lassies in the area, doing some contemporary work in a hotel room, with a beautifully wrapped box of copyrighted proofs included in the cost of the session. Then prints would be available starting at £10, and Italian leather albums starting at £150.I need a minimum of 5 sessions booked in order for the marathon to go ahead at the cost of £90 per session with proofs.

Anyone interested? email me on nmcleodphoto@aol.com

"Stripling" seminar in Atlanta USA

Sorry for not being totally contactable the past couple of weeks or so, hopefully I have got back to everyone now since my trip away to the States.

What a trip; fab fab fab fab fab did I say it was FAB?!

I am a BIIIG fan of the up and coming, hip and trendy, young female photographers in the States; my favourites being Jessica Claire, Susan Stripling, Laura Novak and Allegra. There are just so many fabulous lassies in the States producing scrummy yummy images that just amaze me and give me so much inspiration.

Well I am so lucky enough to say now I have met 2 from my list and they are as wonderful in real life as they are on the Net!

I was lucky enough to second shoot for Laura Novak last Autumn at a gorgeous beach wedding in Delaware, Philadelphia. And in return Laura took some gorgeous piccies of my boy!!

So when I found out that Susan Stripling was going to be doing her first seminar, I just HAD to go!

And was it worth it?!

Oh yes.

She is as fabbo in real life, as she comes across on her website, blog and the forums we frequent. I found out so much about her life, her passion for photography, her inspiration (fashion, dance etc; so similiar to me)

She showed us some wonderful photos and we got to see her work with 2 models which was great to see. I also got some great shots myself (one above)

Susan also very kindly took a great shot of me, the best shot I have ever had of me!

There are also some cracking shots of the group on Susan's blog,

http://susanstripling.com/ and click on Blog and look for Atlanta seminar.

As you can see, we all had fun!!

Then Graham, Jack and I had some chilin' time in Jamaica, and Of course I had to practice some of the new techniques I had learnt on the course! Here's Jman chillin'...............

Thanks to Susan for a FAB time, hope to meet up with you again sometime.

New advert in SWD

Look out for the new advert in the Scottish Wedding Directory for NMP; also one of my shots from Lynne and John's 2003 wedding at Balbirnie is featured in their Venues supplement in their Balbirnie feature; I'm very honoured!

Talking of being honoured, I have been asked if my famous bum shot from the front page of my website can be featured in a book!! WOO HOO!! It's for a Digital Wedding photography book, to be printed in the States this year! Can't wait to see it in print!!

June and Adam's wedding

Oh boy am I buzzin'!!!! The first wedding of the year, and boy boy boy, the rest of the years' weddings have a lot to live up to!

What do I like when photographing a wedding?

- Beautiful and different venue
- Funky, modern couple up for anything photographically!
- A relaxed wedding, where guests enjoy themselves and have fun, and the couple really "get into" the day.

Well, for today's wedding, I always KNEW it was going to be a fun, different and relaxed wedding and I DEFINATELY got a couple who were up for anything photographically, and who REALLY got into it!

I have known about Arnot Tower Gardens for several years now, after meeting Helen the owner at an Edinburgh wedding fayre. At that time, Helen was just starting up in the wedding industry building a beautiful wedding venue around her own home. She offered to show me around the venue but I have never yet had a chance to visit ATG.

Well that was until yesterday when I had the recce for June and Adam's wedding. June and Adam are a couple who I have corresponded with for a while now and they sound like a fun couple from the their emails.

Yesterday was the first time I met them and the first time I had finally got to ATG. Wow on both parts! June and Adam are just that "special couple" that I have always wanted, and ATG is just amazing!! It's just SO not what I thought it would be, and I know that in the summertime it will be even more beautiful when in bloom. But even in winter, it is stunning; Helen has made a really intimate classy venue and it is no wonder that it was "VOWS" Wedding Venue of the Year last year.

The weather was fab for the recce, but typically for the actual wedding day, we had typical Scottish wet and windy weather, meaning that the ceremony itself had to be brought indoors to the lovely red drawing room.

Adam looked amazing dapper in his top hat and tails, so unusual for me as I normally get kilts at weddings!


















June just looked stunning her dress, veil and flowerband, and her bouquet was just SSSSSSTUNNING!!













The ceremony was very romantic and the surprise for June was one of her guests and a surprise violinist did 2 songs during the ceremony for her and Adam. EVERYONE was in tears, including me!!!

After canapes, toasts and lots of fun and hilarity with their small party, the newlyweds braved the icy cold to get some amazing night shots!! Arnot Towers is all lit up at night, just screams for cool funky photos!













The castle ruins look sooo funky at night, all lit up!


I have JUST so many great photos from this wedding, I cannot WAIT to get the finished slideshow to June and Adam for their reception in Seattle at the end of the month.

I hope you guys enjoy Loch Ness this weekend and you have a safe journey home, after London this weekend I will be sitting working on these fab photos!

HELLO 2007!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and what a great year it is gonna be, with so many great weddings to shoot!

Suzanne and Ian are getting married at Forresters Park at Cairneyhill in May; this is one of my favourite venues; we used it for Jack’s Naming Day reception! It is just a gorgeous venue and Robert really knows how to look after everyone on the day.

Lesley and Chris are going to have a fab wedding at Garvock House next April, which will be a lovely local wedding for me, and no doubt, a lot of fun!

Julie and Paul are going to be married in April at a very special place for me; Balbirnie House in Markinch. Special, why? Well, Graham and I were married there ourselves nearly 7 years ago! I still get goosebumps every single time I visit there.

June and Adam from Olympia USA are coming over from the States this month to get married at Arnot Tower Gardens which I believe is a stunning venue; booking your wedding photography over the Net is easy with Nikki McLeod Photography, I have photographed several weddings from couples coming from abroad.

Jen and Jonathan are going to have the most amazing wedding in May at St Salvadores Chapel in St Andrews, with a beautiful reception at the Old Course Hotel. I am so excited about their reception, as they are having a fireworks display at the end of the day!

I have also got the May wedding of Leanne and Allan booked, for the City Chambers in Dunfermline and the King Malcolm Hotel. The City Chambers is a place I know well; we even used that venue for Jack’s Naming Day ceremony last November.

Lizzie and Paul have been organising their wedding while in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to their big day in September at Craig House in Edinburgh.

I have a trip through to Glasgow in August to look forward to, for the wedding of Lesley and Iain as they get married at the Redhurst Hotel.

It’s nice to book a wedding on word-of-mouth recommendation, and this was the case for Angela and Garry’s wedding at Dunfermline Abbey and Garvock House this coming June. Angela was the hairdresser on the day of a previous wedding I shot, so she knows exactly how I work on the day!

I don’t do too many long-distance weddings now that I have Jack, but when a good wedding comes along, I won’t turn it down! This was the case with Kirsty and David’s wedding this coming April, in Newcastle.

Emma and Colin have picked me for their August wedding day photographer for their big day; a new venue for me, Balgonie Castle.


The new price list is up and running, not that different from last year's except from the new DVD/CD combo for slideshows!

Edna and Dave's wedding

Last wedding of the year and what a lovely one to finish with! And the first time I have done getting ready with the bride through to post-dinner speeches all within 4 hours!

Edna of Georgia USA and Dave of Dalgety Bay, Fife were married at the Woodside Hotel in Aberdour with friends and family come from all over the UK and the States. Edna's wee boy Francisco looked very dapper in his black kilt to match Dave and Edna looked wonderfully classic and elegant in her gold dress and veil.

Best of luck living in the States Dave; I am sure you will have a fab time.





Have a great New Year eeryone; I am so excited to be photographing so many weddings and portraits in 2007!

"Breathless" takes your breath away!

Want something HOT for your Valentine?

"Breathless" sessions are HOT HOT HOT at NMP!

Want to give your husband-to-be with a wedding day present with a difference, or your long standing love a Valentines Day pressie to remember? "Breathless" sessions are glamorous female photographic sessions by a female photographer, but without the Page 3 glamour! Private personal photos for you and your husband to enjoy for years to come, "Breathless" sessions are done at the compact studio of NMP in Dalgety Bay.


The session can last up to an hour, with as many changes as you prefer. You can also provide props or use the ones at the studio. Previous personal props have included a football scarf, wedding veil and tiara, hubby's war medals, even a motorbike! (Use of motorbikes require the use of your own garage!!)







"Breathless" sessions have become very popular with Scottish lassies for several years now, some coming over 60 miles for their session! The work produced from each and every girl has been stunning, but very personal and private. The following pictures are produced publically on this blog by the girls photographed, as they gave me their kind permission to use them here. Normally "Breathless" sessions are private and not available for viewing without permission, so please do not worry about your photos being plastered over the WWW!

So what happens with a "Breathless" sesssion?

Well, when you book a session, all you normally choose is what kind of viewing you want; studio, private online or CD slideshow. All sessions include up to an hour of photography and your choice of viewing the finished results.

A session plus Studio viewing normally costs £60.
A session plus Online private password-protected viewing for 1 month normally costs £80.
A session plus your own personal CD, with all your photos set to music as a slideshow, PLUS all your photos as low resolution copyrighted images for web, email and viewing purposes for £140.
At your viewing, you can choose individual prints starting at £10, or a beautiful Italian hand-made leather album containing 15 of your favourite photos for £150.

BUT........

For January, Nikki McLeod Photography gives you the opportunity to partake in a "Breathless" session for a great reduced fee.

Book either
- a session and studio viewing with your favourite 15 prints in a leather album for £150; yes that's right, book a studio viewing session with album and get the session for FREE!
- a session AND CD AND album posted to you for £210! Normally all this would cost you £290! But book this special in January and you will get £80 off!

Sessions at this special price must be booked, paid for and taken between 27th December and 19th January, quoted "Breathless January special".
Albums are ready within 2 weeks of choosing your photos and must be chosen by 21st January.

INTERESTED? Email me on nmcleodphoto@aol.com spaces are LIMITED!

Sen and Michelle with Fides

In September I had the amazing opportunity to go to the wonderful country of Switzerland, and visit and work with the lovely Fides Scheifele Fierz of Weddings In Style. Fides and I have"spoken" a lot over the 'water-cooler' of DWF, a professional wedding photographers forum. And we always said to each other, that we should go and shoot with each other.

Fides let me know that she was in need of a second shooter for a wedding in September on Lake Geneva, and it was the same weekend as a totally cookin' wedding in Lausanne so I could second shoot at that one too.

Talk about ROCKING!! I had a ball! Fides and her husband and her daughter are just wonderful people and the weddings were just an unbelieveable experience.

The Lake Geneva wedding hasnt been blogged yet by Fides on her own blog so I better not put any of those images online just yet, but lets just say, I have NEVER been to a wedding where the drinks reception was held on a paddle steamer on a lake; the weather made the scenery so amazing.

The second wedding was Sen and Michelle's big day in a luxurious 5 star hotel in Lausanne, infact the hotel has been named Best Swiss Hotel! It certainly lived up to it's title, it was beuuuuuutiful!! And Sen and Michelle were the most loveiest, sweetest and good-looking couple I have ever met. They were so easy to work with, and so ameniable to getting loads of photos done. Fides and I got so many great shots from their wedding, even though the weather wasnt good to us, it didnt matter!

Here are some shots I took on the day

Thank you Sen and Michelle for allowing me to shoot at your wedding, I hope you love the shots!

More pictures can be viewed on Fides' own blog

http://http://blog.weddings-in-style.ch/

I would like to thank Fides for giving me this amazing opportunity, not only to shoot with her and get some amazing shots in the bag, but also for allowing me into her home, and showing me her beautiful country. Kisses to Nerissa!

NMP in the press!

It's the first time I have splashed out on a full page advert in one of the glossies, but this time I decided to bite the bullet and go for it!

So look out for Jill and Craig featured in the Best Scottish Weddings magazine, out now!

NMP was also featured in the local Dalgety Bay Diary, when the work I did for the "Multiplay" group. "Multiplay in the Bay" is a group formed by local mums of twins, triplets and more! There was a deluge of multiples in the Bay in 2004 and this group was formed in order for the parents to get together and give support to each other. For the past 2 years I have been asked to photograph the sets of twins for a fundraising calender for the group and it has probably been my most challenging of photographic jobs! This year was the theme of "Noah's Ark"!
If you want to buy a calender, contact Simone on simone@simodean.freeserve.co.uk

Gail and Derek's "Bliss" session

Today, the weather from the inside looked lovely. But boy, when you got out there, it was bleedin' freezing!! None detered, Derek and Gail and I spent a great half hour at the Dalgety Bay Sailing Club for a "Bliss" session.

With my Ultimate packages, you can choose to have a pre-wedding ("Bling") session, or a post wedding ("Bliss") session. Gail and Derek chose to have a "Bliss" session on the same day as the viewing of their wedding photos.

Gail and Derek's wedding photos are now online
here at http://www.nmcleodalbum.co.uk