The Wedding of David & Alice

Each wedding has it’s own ‘signature’ ambience; that overall aire which – when you first walk into a room where the betrotheds guests have gathered – subtly informs you that this is a classy or happy or frenetic or tense or nervous affair, or, indeed, any combination of the aforementioned.
I don’t know where that sensing of things comes from? Maybe it’s just me; a perception I’m able to translate, or a certain sensitivity to the vibes being unwittingly transmitted by the assembly - but it works every time.
Now, being able to read the mood of a room can prove quite a handy talent when it comes to photographing the day itself; picking up on the ‘pulse’ of the wedding party and guests can help you strategise your interactions with them: do you project as funny, serious, laid-back, ultra-professional? One things for sure, if you don’t interpret the signs correctly, then you risk alienating yourself straight away and, while it can often prove difficult to tease guests ever so slightly out of their comfort zone in order to help you create unique pictures, getting on the wrong side of them from the start will make gaining their assistance at any stage almost impossible.
Fortunately, the number of positively charged gatherings I’ve attended far outweighs those which have emitted a negative atmosphere, and it’s always those positively charged gatherings which seed the best memories.
The wedding of David & Alice – which I shot recently – was the perfect example of where, from the moment the guests began to arrive, I could tell that I was to have the opportunity of shooting a really sweet and lovely event. A small group of whom were obviously very close family and friends of the Bride & Groom had gathered in the conservatory of the gorgeously appointed Cringletie House Hotel, near Peebles in the Scottish Borders. Among their number were those who obviously hadn’t had the opportunity to see each other for a long time and, amid the prevailing aire of expectancy, there was a buzz of hushed tones as old acquaintances were reaffirmed.
It may have been the action of my lifting the camera to my eye which signalled to the gathering that the Bride was entering the room, for the buzz of muted conversation quickly reduced to a respectful silence, only to be replaced by one or two appreciative ‘Ahhhhs’ as Alice glided through the room to take her place by the side of her betrothed.
The ceremony itself was very simple, but it was that very effortlessness with which David & Alice took the short journey from individuals, to married couple, that gifted the entire proceedings with such an unpretentious and lovely narrative.
Following the formalities, I was able to spend a little time with David & Alice on their own, and I hope the pictures I captured go some way to illustrate just how happy the couple were in both their own company, and in the company of a group of guests who were so obviously delighted to share the day with them.
I have to say, there’s nothing so lovely as a lovely wedding.

David & Alice

Weddings are such fun, and Nikkie & Neil’s special day at Haddington presented the very best of what wedding days are all about: a simple ceremony attended by close friends and family where the atmosphere was just charged with abiding aire of happiness and goodwill.

Haddington is a fantastic town with a long and interesting history, and the registrar’s office offers a great venue for weddings; the ceremony room is well appointed and spacious – with lots of room for the photographer to get around without stirring up a fuss. Outside the office, a garden – specifically designed for weddings – offers any number of excellent backdrops before which to gather the wedding party for their photographs. It was my second wedding in Haddington registry office, and I can’t speak highly enough of it as a venue.

Here’s wishing Nikkie, Neil and their family all the very best of luck n’ love for the future.

Wedding Days

Here are some images from another of the weddings I had the great pleasure of being invited to capture last year; that of Stacey & Gordan Roberts which took place at the start of September.

Incredibly enough, despite the monsoon weather we had to bare over the summer months, this was the first wedding of the year at which it rained. While that might normally have blighted the prospects for the day, this turned out to be one of the best weddings I attended: the families were so enthused on the day and that positivity just seemed to infuse the guests almost as much as the rain infused the clothes of all as they arrived at the venue - an exquisitely appointed church in Coatbridge.

Happy times:

Wonderful wedding days'

Weddings are such great fun! Never was such a singular event so suited to the cyclopic scrutiny of the camera: the nervousness of the bride (and groom – don’t let him fool you) before they meet, and the excited, happy karma which pervades the room when they do. The solemnity of the vows and the time honoured giggling which almost always follows as one of the happy couple trip over the words.

The kiss, that most endearing ritual which marks the first moment of the new union; the congratulations from family and friends: a rousing round of applause which, even as it reaches a happy crescendo suddenly unravels as the body of guests move forward to offer individual words of congratulations to the betrothed.

Then, following the scrutiny of ‘those here present’ it is the turn of the camera. The bride and groom form a magnetic centre as groups come to stand with them then depart to allow others to be pictured with the newlyweds.

Finally, when the list of classic pictures has been ticked and friends and family leave to enjoy a refreshment, the newly ordained husband and wife stand before the camera to record - for pleasure and posterity – those pictures which will forever thereafter remind them of this moment of this day.

Many photographers who ‘don’t do’ weddings suggest that capturing the responsibility of capturing these moments is a burden they don’t wish to experience, but those photographers I know who enjoy this element of their vocation agree that it is one of the most rewarding aspects.

I was commissioned to photograph just such a wedding recently; that of Paul & Alison. The ceremony took place in the opulently appointed Dalmahoy Hotel, West Lothian which was, that day, favoured by the weather in what had been an otherwise dull week. Once again – as on so many occasions in the past – my assistant, Sammy, and I found ourselves in the midst of a great group of people whose warmth towards the happy couple was obvious from the outset. We had a terrific day with them, and we wish them and their family and friends all the very best for the future.

More of these images can be seen in the Weddings section of my website.

Paul & Alison:

Ritz n' Glitz at The Club

I was given a marvellous opportunity to visit ‘The Club’ in Broxburn at the end of last week. Many of the local residents will remember it as the snooker halls but the transformation into a top entertainments venue has been incredible: a great place to enjoy a quiet drink, a 1st class meal or – for the more energetic – an opportunity to take in some entertainment and get on the dance floor.

My reason for going there was to watch the gorgeous young ladies of the Miss West Lothian competition showcase the exceptional talents of Mid-Calder based Allyson Murray. The girls took to the catwalk on three occasions and brought an extra dimension of elegance to Allyson’s jaw-dropping range of Bridal Dresses and Accessories.

Featuring among the sumptuous assembly on the catwalk was local girl, Ashley Brown who is currently competing in Living TV’s ‘Britains Next Top Model’ competition. But I’d say the competition she had on stage at The Club last Sunday was just as great as any she’s had to face on the TV show.

If you’re perusing these pages en route to organising your own wedding, then you might save yourself a great deal of time – and money – by visiting the Ritz n’ Glitz link opposite – believe me, after visiting The Club last Sunday, I know exactly what these dresses can do for a girl!

Quick as a flash, eh?

My last few days have seen me with the nose to the grindstone as I printed a series of 31 x A4 prints.

You have to kinda steel yourself for a task as repetitive as that; you have to make sure your mindset is right and you have to be prepared to stay at it.

It took me around five hours to complete the series and, although I wept silently as I replaced empty ink cartridges one – one after another after another, or so it seemed – I did enjoy seeing the images transposed from electronic imagery to hard-copy prints. It’s a cathartic process that reminds me of developing my prints back in the good old back ‘n white days of yore; the cyclopic blinking of my Dad’s ‘Gnome’ enlarger with its excellent ‘Star’ lens, the rattle of the negative tray, the smell of the chemicals and, of course, watching the images materialise from out of the white paper. It’s not so different now … well, OK, I guess it is.

Things are a lot quicker now though, are they not? Or are they? The fact is, those images I spent all of yesterday printing were first consigned to digital ones n’ zero’s in the camera’s CF card way back in October of last year; a wedding I had originally been commissioned to cover at around this time last year!

As well as being a lovely couple, the bride and groom are also a busy pair and they only finally produced their list of wants just last week. In fact, yesterday marked four months to the day since I did the shoot. I have also to say that the full sum of the invoice was paid just a few weeks after the shoot, and that I have had further orders for reprints.

Isn’t it ironic though, how for all the ease of workload and speed of turnover in the digital age, we humans can still draw things out :)