Emily & Dominic's wedding - Cameron Kirk & Old Course Hotel, St Andrews

Apologies for the lack of blogging this past week; it has been SO hectic! I have had so many "Santa" appointments - so many people collecting their finished wedding albums and prints, I feel like Santa! And I continue to be drowning in designing the remainder of the year's albums, which I think I finally see the end of the light for!

But here at last is Dominic & Emily's wedding which turned out to be an event of the year, in so many ways!

Having shot their "Bling" session just days before, in glorious sunshine, I was hoping the weather would stay the same for the wedding day. The weather is one thing that you can't control.... Neither is runaway dogs and runaway hats..... more about that later.....

The day started for me at one of my favourite venues, the 5 star hotel in St Andrews, the Old Course, where Emily and her girls were getting ready. The champagne had already been opened, the girls were having a fun morning and I was totally cooing over the only man in the room! (And it was awesome to be witness to the moment that the bride got asked to be his godmother!)
Various phone calls and texts appeared over the morning, including a few from Hong Kong.

Emily's Jenny Packham dress was just to die for..

As were her Gina shoes..

And Emily was just gloriously stunning..

Then it was time to shoot off to Cameron Kirk, the countryside kirk right next door to the family home; it was sunny surprisingly but very cold and very very windy! The light inside the Kirk itself was amazing.The little flower girl totally stole the show After the ceremony and a brisk mingling outside with their guests (brisk being the appropriate word, due to the wind and cold) I took the newlyweds back into the church for a quick couples session. We were expecting to walk out to an empty churchyard but were suprised to find several of the guests still hanging about.... that's when the fun started!

Apparently a guest or two had gone next door to the house of the bride's parents and had mistakenly let the dogs out, those dogs that deatured in the engagement session...... One of them did what we call in Fife "doing a bunk" and shot off over the nearby fields!! Cue various guys in kilts running over muddly fields, it was quite a sight!

We left everyone to it and made our way to the Old Course for the remainder of the couples session, in and around the hotel.

Most of the guests had gathered in the RoadHole bar at the top of the hotel but apparently some of them had checked into their rooms. The next fun story we heard was that a female guest with a wonderful hat had gone out on to their balcony, and the wind took off with the hat! Hotel maintenance staff had to climb roofs to retrieve it!

The newlyweds joined the rest of the guests and we heard that the dog had been found, thanks to the help of the police and the RAF!

Fortunately it looks like that was enough drama for the day! The speeches went down well.

Thanks Emily and Dom, for a fun and "interesting" wedding, one I won't forget for a long time!

Dominic & Emily's "Bling" session

Venice was amazing, and I shall be adding it to my to-do list, where I blog this trip plus the several other trips I have had this year, over the quiet winter session.

Meanwhile, it was straight back to work this week, and a "Bling" session with Emily and Dominic.

I met Emily and her mother a couple of months ago and started to get excited about their wedding then. But as Emily and Dom live now in Hong Kong, I wasn't able to meet the groom until this week, the week of the wedding! And what a lovely couple they are together!!

After having a recce at their church, we donned the jackets, hats and scarves (okay I exaggerate just a little!) for some shots at a nearby reservoir, where for me it was heaven on earth; beautiful light, big fluffy clouds and blue skyes....... yes in October!! But it was chilly...But it was so worth it when you get amazing light like this...

I found amazing textures in a nearby barn....... which sounded like it had a goose loose inside, which caused much hilarity between the three of us! I love this pano.....
Back at the parent's home, the sun had come out in big style, showing the colours of the house fantastically..
Then we took the family dogs for a walk (me thinks Dom loves the Jacks as much as his future wife!!)
The St Andrews countryside is just stunning.

And a last smooch in the walled garden of the house..I even asked to use the light inside Emily's parents' house, as I had spied how lovely it was earlier when we were sitting talking about the wedding.I am SO looking forward to this wedding on Saturday, I hope the weather stays the same!

Nights in Venice.....

I have been really bad at blogging recently, been a little busy....

{blush}

"Hi Nikki

Thank you so much for the awesome photos!! Along with the assistance of Helen and Louisa, you have truly worked your magic. You have captured so many of the little, special details of our day; without these photos we would never be able to remember them all. It will be so amazing to be able to look at all of the photos in years to come; they will prevent all our memories becoming too fuzzy with time!

Our couples session in particular has resulted in some beautiful shots that we are both very touched by. You captured both of us in such a natural way that you really have caught the essence of our relationship on film. Thank you especially for this.

We can't wait to share the pictures and the finished album with all our friends and family - we know they will love seeing the evidence of their involvement in our special day.

We really hope we are have another excuse to commission you again in future... or at the very least to meet up and have a catch-up drink!

Thank you once again for being such an integral part of our wedding day and for all the effort you and your team put in to capture all those special moments.

Mr and Mrs C (Gareth & Stacey)"

Bev & Fraser's wedding - Dalhousie Castle, Edinburgh

It's every photographers nightmare - being late for a wedding..........

No matter how much planning you can do, you can't forsee a fatal accident on the Forth Road Bridge on the day you meant to be shooting a wedding on the other side of the bridge...........

I added a few grey hairs, many miles on the car (and a speeding ticket would not be out of order either!) in order to get to Bev & Fraser's wedding in time, and I arrived just as the bride jumped into her dress in the honeymoon suite. It was such a relaxed wedding (once I got there!) There just wasn't a time when there was not someone laughing, and most of the time it was the bride and/or the groom - even during the ceremony!Post wedding cuddles.... And drinks and photos on the castle lawn followed....
I managed to prise the newlyweds away from the festivities for a couples session around the grounds...
in what was surely the warmest day of the summer so far...
Bev and Fraser are SO well suited, they both have cheeky personalities that totally shone through on the day!

And they are totally daft on each other.......

The speeches were fun to listen and watch!

You can see where Bev get her amazing personality from.....
Thanks Bev, Fraser and all involved on the day, many of whom travelled far and wide for this big occasion (I know I wasn't the only one to take the long route to the wedding!). Guys give me a shout when you are back in Manchester, so I can show you the rest of the images!

My thanks to Chris............for everything.

Meaghan & Brent's wedding - Falkland Palace & Garvock House, Dunfermline

When Meaghan and Brent came to meet me with a view to photographing their wedding I was really hoping they would choose me - a stunning couple at a stunning venue. So I was really excited to get their booking, especially as I had always wanted to shoot a wedding at Falkland Palace.

On the day, I could not believe how relaxed Meaghan was, especially in front of the camera. Then I remembered.... her own father is a photographer, very evident with the excellent array of photographs of the family around the house. And all credit must go to the Father of the Bride, for not only producing a gorgeous daughter in looks and personality, but for giving her the confidence and know-how in how to work it in front of the lens; Meaghan was so easy to photograph throughout the whole day, it was amazing! The Chapel Royal in the Palace is just breathtaking; even though the weather was great on the day, I had to take the newlyweds back in for a few shots in the Chapel itself.I make no apology for using this blog post to highlight the couples session; by giving me so much time alone with the two of them, I was able to capture so many amazing shots of the newlyweds in and around the Palace grounds.
Stunning, stunning eyes...............The last shot is my ultimate favourite of the day; my "heaven" on a wedding day; beautiful bride, long veil, windy day, stunning venue.........

And I think both of them had a ball - here is an email I received just days after the wedding"

"Hi Nikki

Not sure if you have ever had an email from a couple on their honeymoon before but Brent and I just wanted to thank you for last Friday when you shot our Wedding at Falkland Palace and Garvock House.

You made me feel so calm and I think the shots that you did were brilliant (even though we only saw 6 or 7!!!) Everyone was talking about them for days afterwards!! My Mum even noted that it was like you were a part of the family!!!!

We will be logging onto the blog from Mexico to see some of the final snaps! Cant wait!!

So thank you again - we cannot wait to see the rest of the photos and remember our special day!

Thanks Nikki and see you soon.

Love Mr & Mrs H!!!

AKA Meaghan & Brent!!!!!!!"

Hope this whets your appetite, I'll see you soon in order to show you the rest!

Gillian & Brian's wedding - Auchrannie House Hotel, Isle of Arran

(Here it is at last guys!)

Isle of Arran - Scotland in miniature..... and at last I finally got to see it for myself and yes it IS beautiful.

But not as beautiful as Gillian, the bride I photographed on the island, along with her handsome man, Brian.

I have been looking forward to this wedding for several years now, after I met Gillian and Brian at Susan and Iain's wedding. I thanked Susan for picking me to photograph her wedding in South Queensferry a couple of years ago, and now I was shooting her sister's wedding in a stunning venue.

Granted the weather looked like it might not play ball for the outdoor ceremony but someone was looking down on us, and we all watched in awe as Gillian and her father walked around the grounds of the hotel to her man. With the birds twittering in the trees and the palm trees swinging in the breeze (yes we do have palm trees in Scotland!) it was an emotional moment for all.

After the ceremony and group formals, the Mother of the Bride had organised a horse and carriage for the newlyweds, apparently thanks to me when she saw me photograph one outside her house at another wedding! The ponies trotted the couple to the sea front and onto Brodick Castle, where the rain started to fall but didn't stop the amazing scenery coming through in the images.

Back at Auchrannie, the favours from Arran Aromatics were topically named "After the Rain", by this point, the rain didn't matter - the newlyweds were too busy hugging and kissing everyone and then they laughed and cried at the speeches.

And the post meal dusk was just ideal for a last minute couples session.

It truely was an honour to shoot this wedding and I can't wait to show you the whole set of images on your return guys!




Vendor information;
Wedding ceremony venue; Auchrannie House Hotel, Brodick, Isle of Arran
Flowers; Arran Florist
Video; Aurora Media, Livingston
Transport; Arran Carriage Driving, Torbeg Stables, Arran
Band; Bogullie Band
Bride’s dress; designed by Maggie Sottero; bought at The Marriage Room Bathgate
Bridesmaids dresses; bought at Gwennes of Broxburn

Gillian & Peter's wedding - Inchcolm Abbey and Orroco Pier, South Queensferry

The last of the triple header weekend weddings was one I was thoroughly looking forward to.....

I have always wanted to shoot at the Abbey on Inchcolm Island, so when Gillian and Peter travelled from Sheffield to meet and possibly book me, I was swithering between a great wedding or a lie in my bed after 2 busy weddings!

But I just had to do it; a stunning looking couple and an amazing venue.

Granted, the first time I visited the island with the couple for a recce, I didn't see it in it's best light - horizontal rain, gale force winds and seasickness all round almost!

Fortunately the sun shone on their wedding day, and even the seals came out to see us as we sailed by on the Maid of the Forth, with Gillian and her girls stashed away in the captain's quarters!

Once on the island, the ceremony went without a hitch (except the hitching of two people together!) and the minister brought humour and fun to the seriousness of the day.

As there was so little time between the end of the ceremony and the boat leaving, Gillian and Peter chose that time soley for their couples session around the island and Abbey, I was in heaven!

The party got started on the way back to South Queensferry, as we all basked in the sun.

Onto Orocco Pier and the speeches were hilarious; mankini's, "McMum" a duet by the Best Man and the Groom and more!

Gillian and Peter, it was a pleasure to shoot your wedding, I am glad I chose not to lie in bed instead!

(I am slideshowing the next few weddings, as it is a quicker option than blogging individual images, and I know there are people DESPERATE to see some images!)





Vendor information
Wedding venue; Inchcolm Abbey, Firth of Forth
Reception venue; Orocco Pier, South Queensferry
Transport; Maid of the Forth, South Queensferry
Florist; Absolutely Blooming
Bride's Dress by Kula Tsurdiu
Bridesmaids' dresses by Dessy
Men's outfits by Slater Menswear

More {Blush!}

"Hi Nikki

Not sure if you have ever had an email from a couple on their honeymoon before but Brent and I just wanted to thank you for last Friday when you shot our Wedding at Falkland Palace and Garvock House.

You made me feel so calm and I think the shots that you did were brilliant (even though we only saw 6 or 7!!!) Everyone was talking about them for days afterwards!!

My Mum even noted that it was like you were a part of the family!!!!

We will be logging onto the blog from Mexico to see some of the final snaps! Cant wait!!

So thank you again - we cannot wait to see the rest of the photos and remember our special day!

Thanks Nikki and see you soon.

Love Mr & Mrs Hardie!!! AKA Meaghan & Brent!!!!!!!"

{Blush}

I seem to be making people cry today, fortunately all for good reasons!

I got an email from the Mother of the Groom of a recent wedding;

"Hi Nikki ... its Marie here (Stuart's Mum).

When I saw the blog with the wee story you did, I thought it was superb and was so looking forward to seeing all your pics.

Well ... John and I went round to Stuart & Steph's last night to view all your pics ... absolutely sensational !! ...

You've captured Stuart & Steph so brilliantly in such a natural way ... and totally caught the fabulous atmosphere through your lens of one of the most happiess days we've ever experienced (even as I write this I'm crying again).

Because of the brilliant canvas you've given us, we will be able to recall every tiny detail (your eye for all wee things that you've pictured, I just love Nikki) of the most memorable day and how Stuart & Steph (and everyone) else loved every single minute of it!

With very many thanks, Marie x"

And that's what makes my job even more amazing!