Posts Tagged ‘glasgow wedding photographer’

Rosa and Barry | Glenbervie House Hotel | Wedding Photography

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Rosa and Barry met whilst on holiday in Mailia in 2002.  Barry proposed to Rosa on 22nd December 2007 having booked for a surprise overnight stay at the Glasshouse Hotel in Edinburgh.  Barry ended up popping the question in the honesty bar at the hotel – after two ‘failed’ attempts at asking Rosa earlier in the day! The couple were sat on a sofa and Barry lent down (Rosa thought he was tying his shoe lace) & the next thing she knew he was on one knee in front of her!

Barry and Rosa looked at quite a few venues before picking Glenbervie House Hotel (a 5 star luxury hotel in Larbert, Central Scotland) but as soon as they drove up the driveway, they both knew it was perfect. They loved the fact that you get exclusive use of the house which they said “makes it that bit more special!”.  They felt the service at Glenbervie House was brilliant throughout the run up to the wedding and on the actual day of the wedding.  Rosa told us “the staff at the venue made sure the day flowed perfectly which allowed me to just enjoy it without worrying about what needed to be done or what was happening next”.

Rosa’s dress was bought from a small independent bridal shop in West Yorkshire called Perfect Daze.  As Rosa told us “I originally tried the dress on about a year and a half before the wedding and nothing I saw after that would compare! When I went back to Perfect Daze to order the dress, I was told that the designer, Catherine Jane had gone into receivership and therefore I wouldn’t be able to get the dress.  Emma (the owner of Perfect Daze) saw how upset I was and managed to get a final one off made for me! I love everything about my dress and I’m so sad I’ll never get to wear it again!”

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

Rosa’s veil and tiara were her ’something borrowed’ (from a friend) and her Mum and Dad bought her jewellery for her, which matched her tiara really well.  Rosa’s shoes were ivory pointed toes with a low heel and she got them from the Westend Wedding Boutique in Glasgow.

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

Millennium Hair Design in Wishaw did Rosa and her bridesmaids’ hair and Rosa commented “the girls in there were fab”.  Rosa’s make-up was done locally to the Glenbervie at Airth Castle Spa.

Flowers were provided by Alison’s Flowers in Stonehouse.  Rosa chose neutral (ivory & white) flowers to to work with their chosen colour scheme at Glenbervie House. Roses and white thistles were the main flowers used to connect the Yorkshire and Scottish backgrounds of the couple.  Their cake was made by Barry’s old Home Economics teacher.

Kilts were from Kilt Pin in Falkirk who won Best Groomswear Company 2009 at the recent VOWS Awards.

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

For entertainment in the evening, the couple had a band called Red Hot Poker Band.  Rosa told us that “everyone commented on how good the band were in the days and weeks after the wedding – its was a brilliant night”.  The couple’s first dance was ‘Rhythms del Mundo’ – a cuban mix of Jack Johnson’s ‘Better Together’ because as Rosa pointed out “it is better when we’re together!!”

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

Rosa also spoke very highly of John McIntyres in Glasgow where the couple purchased their rings.  Rosa told us that “the service was brilliant. When you purchase your wedding ring’s there you get 10% discount on any further purchases, which is good for bridesmaids gifts and jewellery. I would recommend them to everyone!”

I was interested to find out why Barry and Rosa had chosen Archibald Photography as their photographers.  Rosa said “I first saw your photographs when I searched for wedding photographers online and I knew Marks images were just the style we wanted. After visiting your studio and meeting you both we were certain that you would produce the type/style of album we wanted.  I love the images of Barry and I walking down the drive with the trees behind us. They are just beautiful, I still can’t believe its us in the pictures!”

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

For Barry and Rosa, the best thing about the day (other than the marriage ceremony) was having all their friends and family together in one place at one time.  As Rosa pointed out “it’s not likely to happen again anytime soon and so really does make the day extra special.”  Barry sums up the day as “awesome!”

On any wedding day, there is usually something funny that happens or doesn’t go as planned.  For Rosa and Barry, it was the cutting of their wedding cake.  According to Rosa “we did under estimate how hard it would be to cut the cake – that was quite funny and made some pretty good photos!”

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

From our point of view, we loved watching the slideshow for the first time with Rosa and Barry.  The sequence of images from their speeches had us all in fits of giggles and we hope their images will provide them with a fantastic lasting record of a fabulous day.

Wedding photography at Glenbervie House Hotel

Here’s a slideshow of our favourite images from their day (turn off the volume if at work!):

Laura & James’ Vintage Style Wedding | Glasgow University Chapel | 29 Royal Exchange Square

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

A few weeks ago, Mark was at the wedding of Laura and James for their ceremony at the University of Glasgow Chapel followed by a reception at the stylish 29 Royal Exchange Square.  Laura and James met when she was just 17 and James 18 through a friend while at a gig. James proposed to Laura on their 5th anniversary of dating. He hired a suite at the Golf Hotel in St Andrews, which is a place with special meaning to the couple. James proposed with a plastic cat ring on top of a cupcake and they went to pick the real ring the next day!

Laura has a figure to die for and choose a gorgeous vintage style dress by Suzanne Neville.  Laura wore Mirabeau by Suzanne Neville, a designer at the forefront of British couture wedding design.  Her dresses are well known for their perfectly structured bodices and Laura’s choice of dress had an elegant style reminiscent of vintage French cafe society in the 1950s.

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Laura had a vintage style headpiece made for her by William Chambers Millinery who have just been nominated as Accessory Designer of the Year in the Scottish Fashion Awards for the third year running.

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Other suppliers worthy of note were:

Rings – Laings

Bridal Shoes – Irregular Choice

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Bridal Accessories – Laura’s gloves were vintage, her earrings and garter were from Etsy and a feather shrug was purchased from Ebay

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Hair – by Mark at Graeme Reid Hair

Groomswear – Slaters

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Wedding Cake – Special Days Cakes

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Flowers – Ruby Flowers

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Bridesmaid dresses – Karen Millen

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Evening Entertainment – Fat Sam’s Band who Laura said “were absolutely fantastic!” As Laura told us “my different groups of friends all bonded over dancing manically to the swing music”  Laura and James danced their first dance to ‘Kiss’  by Dean Martin because it “felt just right and had a classic old feel”.

Wedding photography at University of Glasgow Chapel and 29 Royal Exchange Square

Laura told us that she chose Archibald Photography because “the quality of photographs was very high, I really loved the reportage sort of style, and we both felt really comfortable with Mark and that we clicked with him.”

Laura had many favourite parts of the day.  As she told us “I really enjoyed getting ready with the girls in the hotel. My own speech was impromptu and I’m glad I did it. The band were absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed seeing all my different groups of friends get on really well; here was a really laid back atmosphere all day. We weren’t allowed confetti at the church, but my family surprised us with it as we left the reception at night! I really enjoyed spending a short amount of time alone with James in the car after the ceremony, as it went down Kelvin Way on a sunny day with some champagne and my bridesmaids also surprised me with candles and rose petals in the hotel room at night. Walking down the aisle was so nerve-racking at the rehearsal, but lovely and exciting on the day.”

Laura and James’ day went very much as planned but amusingly, as the car was open topped and the couple had to go through the centre of Glasgow (down Argyle Street and up Queen Street), they got a lot of clapping and cheering.  As Laura recalled “one particularly memorable drunk shouted ‘quality’ at us.  Then on the way home, the car had to move up the street a bit whilst waiting for us because some drunks tried to get in it – I’d probably pick a more discreet car for going home if I was to change anything! My dress also was completely filthy at the end of the day, but that was OK. I lost my gloves, feather shrug, and one stocking by the end of the night!”

Laura would sum up the whole experience as “just exactly as I had imagined it would be. It was remarkably stress free, and I felt so comfortable leaving Mark alone to do his thing with the photos because I knew they’d be great, and they were. Really lovely and happy.”

Here are some of our favourite images of their day:

Wedding Photography Image of the Week 04

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

The weather on this day at the Forest Hills Hotel was very wet. However like most of the couples I photograph this didn’t faze them. They kept dry under their brollies and I took a soaking (but who cares…I’m waterproof).

I’ve photographed at this venue many times and I can honestly say that these were the ideal weather conditions to show the drama of the loch. This photograph is often a favourite when I show it to couples about to tie the knot. Everyone tells you to pray for good weather on your wedding day. I suppose it depends on how you look at it. For me this was good weather because it gave me the light to make a beautiful image. No two days are ever the same in Scotland. What a boon to have the fortune to be a photographer here. This photograph is a moment which could never be replicated. It makes me happy I pressed the shutter when I did.

Wedding Photography at Forest Hills Hotel

Sam and Marty’s wedding album; Malmaison Hotel, Glasgow

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

Everything about Sam and Marty’s wedding, from the start, was plain cool – from Sam’s vintage style wedding dress and bespoke fascinator to Marty’s genuine Stetson fedora hat and pocket watch.  They were married in the luxury boutique hotel Malmaison Glasgow, a one time Episcopal Church and you can read the full story of their day here.

They have opted for a black leather understated but fantastically timeless wedding album to display their favourite shots from their wedding day and below is the finished story of their day:

Vintage style wedding photography at Malmaison Hotel, Glasgow

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Some of you may have already seen the wedding of Sam and Martin featured on Annabel’s excellent blog LoveMyDress; a style diary related to weddings, art and fashion.  We also wanted to share it with you here as Mark loved photographing Sam and Martin’s vintage inspired wedding.

Sam and Martin met in the early 90s on a night out at the cinema with mutual friends.  Sam was only 14 and Martin was 16.  They liked each other but didn’t get until together a few years later (after lots of flirting and parties) at Sam’s 17th birthday party, where she rather unromantically and drunkenly attached herself to Martin for the evening! After that the couple were just inseparable and got married shortly before their 15th anniversary as a couple.

Martin and Sam got engaged whilst sitting in a quiet corner of the Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.  They had gone on holiday for Sam’s 30th so it ended up being a double celebration in the end!  Martin didn’t say anything, he just took the ring out of his pocket and put it on Sam’s finger.  Sam told us “he was super cool about it – I was very emotional and had to run into the loos in the Rockefeller Centre to fix my make up!”

The couple chose the Malmaison at the very last minute after the venue they had originally booked went into administration and cancelled their wedding with 4 weeks to go!  Sam had been to Malmaison for a business meeting and thought it was a cool venue and well suited to their small wedding, so they went to visit and booked it on the spot.  As Sam said “the style of the building and sumptuous decor was perfect, and looking back we were much happier with it as a venue and wished we had booked it from the beginning.”

Malmaison Hotel, Glasgow

Malmaison Hotel, Glasgow

Sam and Martin’s day was a huge success and they couldn’t have asked for more.  As they told us “the rooms were set up exactly to our specifications, and the staff were attentive and efficient with our guests.  We dealt with Marie Kelly who was just fabulous – she tailored the event exactly as we wanted, and suggested a great menu.”

Sam’s hair was by Debbie at Taylor Jax in Paisley – Sam simply showed her some images she had found online and she did the rest.  According to Sam “I never thought I could do ‘big hair’ but she did an amazing job.  I did my own make-up as I knew exactly what I wanted (and it gave me a reason to run amok in Fraser’s cosmetics department!).”

Vintage inspired bride

Vintage inspired bride

Sam wore a Benjamin Roberts gown from Diane Honeyman in Ayr. “They were so helpful and really know their stuff in terms of finding a dress to suit the bride’s body shape. They let me try on a ridiculous number of gowns before I came back to the one they had picked out for me in the first place!” Sam recalled.

Sam’s main accessory was a satin, tulle and wire head piece from Trina at Baba C Designs.  Trina did a bespoke design for Sam which she was absolutely over the moon with – it was a real ’statement’ piece’!  Sam also had a really nice bespoke touch on her shoes which was a stamp showing the wedding date on the sole.  The shoes were Diane Hassall, bought from The Accessory Boutique.

The gorgeous bride

The gorgeous bride

Martin was a very cool groom wearing a fedora hat – it was a genuine Stetson, bought online from Village Hats and he looked super smooth!

Wedding Fedora Hat

Wedding Fedora Hat

Sam chose Flowers by Cherry Blossom as the florist and found them really enthusiastic and “totally up for providing the unusual flowers I wanted”.  Sam told us “the bouquet and arrangements were unstructured looking, just as we wanted, and complimented the style of the wedding perfectly.

Wedding flowers

Wedding flowers

Martin and Sam had a beautiful chocolate cake from Rainbow Sugarcraft in Peebles and apparently the unusual spiky design has become legendary; their guests can’t stop talking about it. Sam also said “it tasted as great as it looked!”

Wedding cake

Wedding cake

There was no dancing at Sam and Martin’s wedding, just a meal as they were having a very small wedding.  They did, however, make up a playlist for the ipod of lots of songs that bring back memories of all the years they’ve been together.

Sam also commented that they were very pleased with their car. “We wanted a non traditional car so we hired a Maserati Quattroporte from Maserati Chauffuer Drive.   The driver was a lovely chap and even got me to the venue early!”

Bride's arrival

Bride's arrival

On booking Archibald Photography, Sam told us “we saw some of Mark’s work featured in Real Life Weddings magazine and just thought his style was very strong and very much the informal type of images we were looking for.  I had a chat with Mark on the phone and could tell he completely understood what we were looking for, so there was no decision to make really, we didn’t need to look any further.  On the day we had an absolute ball, doing the photos was effortless and Mark was so easy going throughout.  Our guests all commented on the fact he wasn’t telling us what to do or where to stand etc and they thought that was very refreshing to see.

When the photos were ready for viewing we also thought it was really good to come to Mark’s studio and see them on the big screen.  The personal service has really made it ‘an experience’ for us and we can’t wait to do the next bit of choosing photos for our storybook.”

Sam and Martin’s favourite image is one of them looking at each other on the stairs.  As they told us “it’s really different as a ‘wedding shot’ but just captures a nice moment between us, and epitomises the reason we wanted Mark to photograph the wedding – just capturing the moment.”

Wedding Photography Glasgow

Wedding Photography Glasgow

The couple found it hard to decide on one best thing about their day, but in general felt that their ‘fast and loose’ approach to the day was what made it great! As Sam said “we didn’t plan it like a military operation or schedule anything too tightly, and we were able to just go with the flow and enjoy the day as it came.  As a result there was no stress or rushing to keep up and we were able to enjoy every minute of it. We loved our Humanist ceremony.  It was very informal and the celebrant had written a lovely piece describing our relationship over the years.  Some of it was even quite amusing -  it was just really great for the ceremony to be relaxed and informal.  Both of us (well, mainly me!) were grinning from ear to ear for the duration of the ceremony.”

Just married kiss

Just married kiss

There always something on a wedding day that happens that you don’t expect and for Sam it was when she stepped out of the car. A huge gust of wind blew the train of her dress right underneath the car and pulled out the pin that was holding the front of my hair in place.  Sam told us “my dress ended up with a huge black mark on it but I thought ‘to hell with it, no point letting it spoil my fun!” and of course my mum was on hand to fix my hair!”

Overall, Sam and Martin would sum up their day as “just the best fun ever!  Everything we hoped for and more!”

Here’s our favourite images of their day:

Multi image frame from images captured at a wedding

Friday, December 4th, 2009

We were recently commissioned by a guest at a client’s wedding to put together 5 images taken of his baby daughter as a composite frame.  This was a surprise gift for his wife.

We offer a service where a list of favourite images can be emailed to us and we will produce a draft layout showing how we would frame the images together.  We also offer a choice of different frame mouldings to complement the selection including silver, gold, black, wood and bronze.

With this order, five black and white images were put together in a composite layout as below, framed in a premium silver frame moulding and the finished presentation was couriered down to London:

Composite frame produced from wedding images

Composite frame produced from wedding images

Our customer was delighted with the finished result and emailed to say “Thanks for an excellent service”.

Alison and Paul’s Wedding Photography at Lochside Hotel, New Cumnock

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Alison and Paul first met briefly, 10 years ago.  Alison was out on a girlie day with her sister and friends and saw Paul with his friends in a local pub.  She asked her sister if she knew him and was told Paul was too young for her!  About 4 years later on New Year’s Day 2003, Alison was out with her girlfriend Kimberley and got talking to Paul!  They hit it off and went on their first date a couple of weeks later.  From then on, they were inseparable, until, 6 months later, Paul graduated from University and got his first Quantity Surveying job on the Isle of Man.  They then pursued a long distance romance for the next year and a half!  When Paul finally came home to a job in Glasgow, they made plans and bought their first house together that same year, 2005.

Wedding_Photography_Lochside_Hotel_1

Paul proposed to Alison in Barcelona on 6th of August 2006.  It was a total surprise for Alison and she thought initially he was joking.  They had been on some amazing holidays to Singapore, Las Vegas, Paris and Rome, and each time they went on holiday, all the family would be thinking Paul was going to propose.  When Alison booked a quiet weekend in Barcelona no-one expected anything exciting to happen.  Paul caught everyone out.  They had been for a lovely dinner in an idyllic square overlooking a stunning fountain.  As they walked around the square after their meal, Paul stopped and produced a beautiful ring and Alison was stuck for words.   Of course she said ‘yes’.

Wedding_Photography_Lochside_Hotel_3

Paul and Alison wanted their wedding venue to be fairly local and easy for their guests to travel to, so they looked at about five venues in Ayrshire and finally opted for Lochside House Hotel near New Cumnock. The staff were very accommodating and the venue itself stunning.  The hotel has two beautiful suites, one which the couple had their wedding breakfast in and the other to host the evening reception.  Alison said “the personal service offered by the hotel made our day so relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable” 

Wedding_Photography_Lochside_Hotel_4

Alison got her dress from By Storm in Bearsden, Glasgow.  The designer Joyce Young has fabulous collections which are all made to measure.  It was Alison’s mum who suggested looking there as they also do Mother of the Bride outfits (she had hers made there for Alison’s sister’s wedding 6 years before).  Alison also got her veil and tiara from By Storm.  Shoes were bought from the Westend Wedding Boutique.  They had a great range in stock and also offered a shoe dying service to match a shoe to a dress for the bridesmaids.
Alison and Paul’s flowers were from Allison’s Flowers in Stonehouse.  The owner Allison Walker dealt with Alison directly and offered a lot of helpful advice on what flowers were available at that time of year.  She discussed design, style, shape and even added diamantes and sparkle to the flowers.   All bridesmaid bouquets and buttonholes were supplied by Allison’s Flowers

Wedding_Photography_Lochside_Hotel_5

Paul and Alison met Mark and Donna of Archibald Photography at the SECC Wedding Fair and as Alsion said “immediately felt that this was the kind of photography they were looking for.  We were looking for more of a storybook idea which captures the mood of our day rather than very formal pictures.  Mark and Donna spent a lot of time showing us the different layouts available and how they work on the actual wedding day.  It was important to us that we were not taken away from our wedding guests for too long and on the day Mark was really good at taking great pictures quickly and without obtrusion.  We were really impressed and satisfied with the service both in the run up to the wedding and afterwards.”

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Other notable suppliers for Alison and Paul included their wedding video by Hart Video, Cars were from NIL WEdding Cars , their band was the James Honey Band – a 9 piece band with a great repertoire.  (Contact Gordon Pollock gordon_pollock@hotmail.com) and Alison got her flowergirl’s wand and little teddy with Swarovski crystals from Louise Graham at  www.weddingandbaby.co.uk

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The best thing about the day for Alison and Paul was the smooth running of it.  From the moment Alison entered the church the day just flowed seamlessly.  Also, having a winter wedding they were not sure what kind of day it would be weather wise.  It turned out to be a beautiful sunny and frosty day.  In addition, the wedding ceremony was very personal to them both as Alison, who is a music teacher had her colleagues there to play the organ and trumpet and her school choir sang a blessing after the vows. Paul also had a Priest friend of the family give a blessing too.  Friends of them or their family had made the stationary, the cake, the video and Alison knew the band personally.  It really added to the intimacy of the whole day. 

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The funniest moment for the couple was during the cutting of the cake, as everyone was quiet, when their little nephew shouted out at the top of his voice that he needed the toilet.  It was all caught on the wedding video. 

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