A lovely moment – Kimberley had just come down the stairs and her Dad saw her in her dress for the first time.
Posts Tagged ‘scottish wedding photographer’
Theo and Kimberley | New Lanark Mill | Wedding Photography
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011Leigh and Chris’s wedding photography | Cornhill House | Lanarkshire
Sunday, March 13th, 2011Leigh and Chris met when they decided to take part in Camp America during Leigh’s third year of university. As she told us “I was sent to a children’s summer camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Chris was the surf instructor and we got together within the first week…he loved my accent! At the end of the summer we weren’t sure if we’d stay together because we lived so far apart but as soon as we were apart we realised how much we missed each other and decided to give it a go…four years later we got engaged!”
Chris proposed to Leigh in Venice, Italy. Leigh said, “ He’d taken me there for my birthday. He proposed on a water taxi between Venice and Murano…I cried, then said yes”.
Leigh and Chris chose Cornhill House because they’d visited it during one of Chris’s visits to Scotland and felt that it “perfectly embodied what we were looking for in a ‘Scottish’ venue…beautiful scenery, and classic decor. We were so glad we chose Cornhill, Mae Fraoli (the owner) was absolutely wonderful, she took care of every detail and I never felt like I had to worry about anything-she totally had it under control.”
Leigh and her bridemaid’s make up was done by Alex from Healing Hands in Lanark. Peter from The Directors Box, also in Lanark did Leigh’s hair.
Leigh told us, “My dress was a Benjamin Roberts dress from Anne Priscilla in Glasgow which I’d seen in a magazine and knew was ‘the one’, I also got my shoes from there. My jewellery came from Mica, also in Glasgow. I wore my grandmothers pearl earrings which now belong to my mother as my something old and borrowed.”
The flowers were done by Floral n’ Hardy in Lanark and the cake was supplied by Special Days.
According to Leigh & Chris, “Our minister Melville Schofield was wonderful and everyone enjoyed our service along with the Cairn String Quartet who played during the ceremony and immediately after.” Leigh told us, “I walked down the aisle to ‘Falling Slowly‘ from the movie ‘Once’ which the string quartet played beautifully…I believe quite a few people cried! We both have a huge love for movies and that one is particularly special to both of us. For our first dance we’d taken classes and had a whole choreographed routine which was so fun to do. I got to live out my ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ fantasy.”
Chris and Leigh explained that, “We had a ‘modern’ ceilidh, provided by The Tatties. It was amazing! We were so impressed by how much our American guests really got into the spirit of it and gave everything a go. I even managed to dance in my dress…which I never thought I could have! Our favourite moment was probably during the final 12 minute ‘Strip the Willows’ (yes, that’s 12 minutes!) when the band worked in The White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’”.
For photography Leigh and Chris chose Archibald Photography because Leigh remembered meeting Mark at a wedding fair quite a few years before when she was working for her Dad. As she told us “his style was exactly what we were looking for, informal and modern but also very beautiful. We were thrilled with our photographs and we both cried when we saw them for the first time.”
“It’s so hard to choose a favourite image”, confessed Leigh, “I love the one of us laughing together in the line-up, to me it really sums up our relationship and how fun the day was but I also love the one of us in front on the Cornhill which we actually have blown up in our living room.”
The best bit of the wedding day for Leigh and Chris was, “having all the people we loved with us. Our relationship has been a crazy ride and the whole visa process for me to live in the US took so long, it was just wonderful to know that it was over and we were finally together for good”.
Chris and Leigh put it simply by telling us it was, “The best day of our lives! Totally cheesy…but absolutely true”.
Jan and Adam’s Wedding Photography | Mansfield Traquair Edinburgh
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011Jan and Adam met at university in 1999 and have been together since 2000. Jan told us, “I proposed to Adam during the 2009 Edinburgh Marathon by writing ‘will you marry me Adam?’ on the back of my running vest (he was spectating). Apparently he had been planning a proposal for some months but the weather had scuppered his plans and he was waiting until we went on summer holiday.
Jan said, “We both chose the location based on the potential for bad weather and our wish to have a beautiful setting for our pictures and our guests. It was a stunning backdrop and the staff made sure everything was perfect”. Jan and Adam selected the stunningly gorgeous Mansfield Traquair for their wedding; sometimes known as Edinburgh’s sistine chapel.
Jan shared with us, “I walked down the aisle to the theme from Cinema Paradiso, a film that both Adam and I really like. It was played on the harp by Cheyenne from Cello Harp. I am trying to get a copy of it on CD as those moments passed in a bit of a daze, since the walk down to the front of Mansfield Traquair is pretty long. My brother played guitar and sang during the service, and later we had a ceilidh band and music from an iPod”.
About her dress, Jan told us, “I wore the Maggie Sottero Zuri dress, which is fitted to the hip and made of ivory chiffon. I thought it was a beautiful dress that didn’t ‘wear me’ or prevent me from getting stuck into the dancing freely! I bought it from Emma Roy and had all my fittings there.”
Helen from City Brides did Jan and her bridesmaids’ hair, the orchids were from Gloriosa florists (who did the bouquets and centrepieces) to set off the style. Jan explained, “Gloriosa chose the flowers as I only knew that I wanted simple, unfussy flowers to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. The actual blooms were a big surprise and really looked beautiful”.
The cake (cheese) came from The Fine Cheese Company, based in Bath. Jan and Adam told us “we thought the prices quoted for wedding cakes were pretty steep, given that cake is pretty commonplace. So we decided instead on tiers of cheese, crackers and chutney, washed down with Port.”
Jan had ivory satin boots made to measure from Elegant Wedding Shoes, an online bespoke shoemaker. As she told us “they were beautiful and comfortable, and I’m planning to have them dyed for everyday wear so I can be reminded of my wedding as I walk to work”.
Jan told us, “It’s impossible to choose a favourite picture, as we are so grateful for the choice of stunning images, even though it took weeks to decide on the ones we would keep in our album. I do love the shot taken from the gallery above, which includes just about every guest and ourselves. Exactly what we had in mind for our mementoes from the day. Archibald Photography was recommended to us by another photographer based in Edinburgh who said Mark was excellent but that we’d probably not manage to get a booking, as he’s also very much in demand! Luckily there had been a cancellation, if I remember correctly. I can’t imagine I would have been so pleased with pictures from anybody else – the colours are beautiful”.
Jan recalled, “We didn’t have any mishaps on the day, fortunately. Two of our guests had mistakenly gone to the church the day before, though. They finally realised they were at the wrong wedding after no seeing familiar faces and scurried out of the hall as fast as they could!”
Jan and Adam felt that the best part of the day was “having pretty much all our closest friends and family in one place and sharing the day with them. Everyone was in fine form and we had a great day”.
Here’s a link to an engagement shoot Mark did for Jan and Adam last year. As always, leave a comment and let us know what you think of the images.
Paul and Pamela’s Wedding Photography | Motherwell Cathedral & Dunblane Hydro
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011Paul and Pamela met through a mutual friend at school about 10 years ago. Paul proposed to Pamela in the perfect setting; on top of the Eiffel Tower when they went Christmas Shopping in Paris.
When Pamela was a child she visited Dunblane and it held great memories for her. As they wanted a large venue where their guest could do their own thing, Dunblane Hydro was the perfect setting and as Pamela said “the tall ceilings and the gardens at the venue were a plus”. Motherwell Cathedral provided the dramatic backdrop for their ceremony.
Pamela bought a Suzanne Neville dress from Eleganza Sponza in Glasgow, she worked with the seamstress and added her own details to make it the dress she always dreamed of, Pamela said, “it was simply and classy”. Pamela accompanied the dress with the most sparkly Jimmy Choos she could find, “they were stunning” Pamela said. “they were a great alternative to the usual satin wedding shoe”.
Floral and Hardy in Lanark supplied the orchids in Pamela’s feminine flower bouquet. Pamela confessed to us that “the flowers at the venue were a big expense but what an impact they made”. The following day at lunch Pamela gifted the flowers to all her Aunties. Not forgetting Paul’s button hole which was lovely against his black kilt jacket.
For Mark, Pamela and Paul’s wedding was great to photograph; the weather was stunning and the couple had booked two dramatic venues by choosing Dunblane Hydro and Motherwell Cathedral. Probably the only challenge of the day was coping with just how bright and sunny it was!
Paul wore the Black Island Tartan Kilt, “he wasn’t too sure at first”, Pamela said “but as soon as he tried the whole outfit on he loved it”.
Paul and Pamela told us they chose Archibald Photography as Mark’s style was very relaxed. The couple don’t like having their photographs taken but said “when we came for our preview we couldn’t even remember Mark taking some of the pictures”.
The cars; “I loved our cars”, said Pamela, “we had a Rolls Royce along with two Bentleys” provided by Sinclair Cars in Uddingston. “The drivers were fantastic and kept me very calm”, said Pamela.
Pamela wanted a simple but classy cake, Special Days Cakes in Uddingston made the four tier cake decorated with orchids, “I loved it”, said Pamela and “it all tied in very well”.
The evening entertainment was supplied by Big Night Out Band. They were fantastic and did a mixture of music, “We were on our feet all night”, said Paul and Pamela.
Pamela said “The whole day was amazing from start to finish ……. I loved every minute!!”. Everything went as it should have ……”well actually”, Pamela told us, “Paul decided to tell me that his wedding ring didn’t fit and forgot he was all miked up for the video!”.
Simply put by Paul and Pamela “It was the best day of our lives we just smiled and laughed the whole day. Thanks to Archibald Photography for the memories you have captured from our wonderful day!”
What a location! | Eilean Donan Castle | Scottish Landscape Photography
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010What an incredible location …. Eilean Donan Castle. Well, actually, we knew it was breathtaking but had just forgotten how amazing it is – just have a look at these images and imagine getting married here. These images all come from just before the wedding of Hannah and David Bruntnell – more of their actual wedding to come later.
The winner of the 2009 VOWS Photography Award for Outstanding Service in the Wedding Industry is …..
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009ARCHIBALD PHOTOGRAPHY!!!!
Mark and I were stunned and honoured to be announced on Monday night as the 2009 winner of the Photography Category of the VOWS Awards which recognises outstanding service in the wedding industry. We would like to wholeheartedly thank our clients for voting for us and for making this happen. We are lucky to book such lovely people as customers!
Monday night’s VOWS gala dinner was a glittering affair with superb entertainment by way of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Singing Waiters and comedienne Craig Hill. We literally nearly fell off our chairs when our names were announced as the winners.
The VOWS Awards are independently run and are funded by sponsorship from a range of prestigious companies (www.vowsawards.co.uk). The aim of the VOWS Awards is to inform couples planning their wedding of the companies offering the best in service in the industry. One lucky couple who voted for their favourite suppliers also won a second honeymoon courtesy of Sandals. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of our clients whose name was drawn this time.
2009 Winner of VOWS Photography Award
We have been receiving lovely messages of congratulations from our clients since our win was announced. Here are but a few:
“Congratulations to you both, It really couldn’t have happened to two nicer people. It is well deserved and shows the amount of hard work and dedication to what you do is paying of in dividends. Well done and keep up the good work. Speak to you both soon.”
Ian & Maria
“Congratulations on your VOWS Awards win. Of course I was rooting for you all the way so am delighted to hear you got the recognition you deserve! I am really looking forward to working with you both in the run up to our wedding, and allowing both of you to do what you do best – produce stunning work. Once again, congratulations – roll on the 2010 awards and see if you can make it 2 years running!.”
Lindsay
“Wow what fab news and very well deserved. I often delve into your site and your wedding photos are fab. Well deserved accolade for all your hard work. Bring on 2010!!“
Mary
“I couldn’t imagine you guys not winning it!“
Sue
“So chuffed for you both! Heard the news on Twitter on Monday. Totally brilliant and well deserved! No doubt you will now be even busier than ever!!! Roll on next year for a repeat performance!“
Jenny
“Just wanted to congratulate you on your success at the VOWS awards. You both thoroughly deserve the award and we both wish you every success in the future. We would certainly recommend you to anyone looking for stunning photography and excellent service. Well done again.”
Nicola & Ian
“That is fantastic news Donna, very well done and very well deserved. I still have people complimenting me on our wedding photos and how natural they are. Great news – I’m delighted for you both.“
Carol
“Congratulations, I must say I am not surprised though. We looked at over 25 photographers before going with Mark. He was by far the best.“
Nadeem
Laura & Barry’s wedding at House for an Art Lover
Saturday, August 8th, 2009Laura and Barry first met in the Tunnel Night Club in Glasgow and were together for 8 years before they got married. Barry proposed to Laura when they were on holiday in Malta, summer 2008.
When they were planning their wedding, they decided they wanted somewhere that was in Glasgow with good access for guests and good food. House for an Art Lover came out as top choice; this fantastic venue , designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh, is situated within the vast acres of Bellahouston Park but is easily accessible for all transport links. As Laura told us “the staff were very good and made sure everything ran smoothly. They made the wedding easy to organise as we had to do most of it over the phone. House for an Art Lover is such a nice venue and has a lovely interior unlike a lot of places that look lovely outside but could be anywhere inside. We liked the contrast of the dark panelled room where the ceremony was and the bright piano room where the meal was held.”
Laura got her dress and veil from Pronovias in London. Laura told us that the staff were lovely and had an amazing selection of dresses but it was a bit of a challenge getting her dress back to Glasgow on the train!
Flowers were organised through David Austin Roses and as Laura said “Jane at David Austin was great; she totally understood the look I wanted and gave me beautiful roses that also smelled wonderful.”
Laura and Barry chose to have a Humanist ceremony. They said Gerrie Douglas-Scott was great. The ceremony was made really special by Gerrie helping them write their own individual vows. A hilarious moment occurred during the ceremony as Ross, the best man, had put the rings on his fingers before the ceremony so he didn’t lose them. But as he has quite large hands, he struggled to get them off his fingers – luckily he succeeded!
Archibald Photography were selected as photographers for the day as Laura and Barry had seen some of Mark’s photographs in magazines. They liked Mark’s style and wanted photos that were natural and weren’t too cheesy. Laura and Barry told us that they loved their photos and “Mark was lovely at the wedding and not bossy! This made us feel good and relaxed in the photos and think he really captured our wedding day.”
The best bit of the day for the couple was seeing each other for the first time and having their fab photos to look back on. Laura said “seeing each other for the first time was a really special moment and having all our friends and family there made our day even more special.”
The evening’s entertainment was provided by Laura’s brother and his friend. However, the bridesmaids through the music wasn’t ‘cheesy’ enough for their liking which led to the funniest moment in the day. The bridesmaids hijacked the PA system and put on their own music with their iPods!
When we asked Laura and Barry how they would you sum up the whole experience of their wedding day, they said “the most amazing day”! You can’t ask for more than that.
Here’s some more of our favourite images of the day:
Lorna & Declan’s Wedding at Comlongon Castle
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
Lorna and Declan are both professional violinists; Lorna is from Ayrshire in Scotland and Declan from Monaghan, Ireland. They first met in September 2006 on tour in Cyprus with an orchestra. Declan saw an opportunity in an empty seat on the tour bus next to the lovely Scottish girl and they got chatting…. That night in the hotel bar while they were having a few whiskies, the fiddles were taken out and they enjoyed a wonderful night of tunes and songs. They recognised a ‘kindred spirit’ in each other and just over a year later they were engaged, then they were married the following May in 2008.
The way Declan proposed was very romantic – the couple were on a 3 week trip around India and Declan waited until the day they got to Agra, and had timed their arrival so that they arrived at the Moon Gardens across the river from the Taj Mahal just in time to see the sunset. He took Lorna’s hand, led her over towards the riverbank where he got down on one knee…
Lorna and Declan had a really amazing day with all their loved ones around them in a magical venue – the day really exceeded all their expectations of what they hoped for their day. They felt (www.comlongon.com) near Clarencefield, Dumfries & Galloway had everything: an ancient Castle Keep to be filled with candles and a huge fire in the fireplace for an intimate and atmospheric ceremony, then photographs in the beautiful grounds and a delicious banquet in a cosy wood-panelled dining room. The castle also has a resident ceilidh band who put on some fabulous dancing for all their guests after dinner giving the men a chance to show off their kilts!
Lorna’s dress came from the Spanish company Pronovias and she found it in the store in New Bond Street; it was only the second dress she tried on! Declan and Lorna’s florist was Kirsty at Kirstie’s Flowers in Troon, who provided the beautiful bouquets, buttonholes and corsages.
Lorna and Declan found Archibald Photography on the internet and said they were “struck straight away by Mark’s stunning images. His enthusiasm and energy along with his talent and skill as a photographer were captivating. We couldn’t be happier with the experience and the outcome!”
The couple felt everything about their day was amazing in its own way. The ceremony was very special – they were overwhelmed right from the point where the piper struck up to lead their guests over to the Great Hall, to the beautiful readings and music from their friends and family. They felt the minister gave just the right tone to the ceremony, incorporating ancient Celtic blessings into the service to reflect both the medieval Scottish surroundings and their Celtic roots.
Lorna & Declan we amazed that everything went to plan and there were no unpleasant surprises – they felt Comlongon Castle had everything under control! There were some rainy spells on the day but Lorna felt afterwards that the lack of sun was a blessing in disguise since she didn’t have to screw up her face for the photos!!
When asked what the funniest part of the day was, the couple said “our two kilted ushers leaping courageously (or just drunkenly?) around in the sword-dancing competition later in the evening. We had to award them the prize for the most ridiculous spectacle of the day!”
Mark’s memory of the day is how well he got on with Lorna and Declan and how good the music was throughout the day (but I suppose that should be expected from the marriage of two professional musicians!). We still cherish the lovely comment they emailed to us after the wedding:
“Mark Archibald stood out for his exceptional talent for his craft, his enthusiasm, his natural and personable style of working, and his ability to capture perfectly the most touching and special moments of our day. His outstanding photographs speak for themselves and he evidently gets great joy from his work. We were delighted with his professionalism combined with a totally personal approach: he made us feel fantastic on the day and as relaxed as it is possible to be at such a time! Many of our guests commented afterwards on what a brilliant photographer he was. Archibald Photography vastly exceeded all expectations. We love you, Mark and Donna! Thank you for our amazing photographs xxxx”
Pamela & Steven’s Wedding Photography in Girona, Spain
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009Pamela and Steven got in touch this week to say their wedding album had arrived safely. Pamela and Steven selected an A3 size album from our Digital Artbook range to tell the full story of their fantastic wedding day.
Pamela emailled to say “Our album has arrived – yippee! It’s just breathtaking. Thank you so much! I can’t believe how much better the photos look. Its one thing to see them on the computer, but it’s quite another to see them printed so beautifully on the book – just gorgeous. It’s absolutely stunning and we really can’t wait until the weekend to show it off! The perfect keepsake of such an emotional and beautiful time in our lives, we will treasure it forever. Thank you so much!”
Pamela and Steven have been together since 1996 when she was 16 and he was 19. They met in the local bar in Motherwell and then spoke outside the chip shop – high romance indeed! Pamela thought Steven looked like he could be in Oasis so she fancied him rotten! Since 1996 they have been together through all Steven’s studies – he did 8 years at Uni including 6 months at Stanford University in the US and Pamela’s work in London as a dancer. As they had been partners and best friends for 12 years, there were no wedding nerves, Pamela said she couldn’t wait to get married to Steven!
The planning was easy and Steven let Pamela design the whole day. But the language barriers to organizing a wedding in Girona, Spain sometimes proved funny. One day Pamela went alone to the Barcelona Bridal event without realizing it is really for fashion buyers while she thought it was a wedding fair! It’s one of the biggest Bridal fashion shows in the world and she just walked about in heaven looking at all the dresses and the catwalk shows. Karl Lagerfeld (whom Pamela adores) was there with Rosa Clara. They also found it very difficult to make some of the wedding arrangements as the Spanish are so laid back! A lot of things were left very last minute (i.e. a few days beforehand!) but Steven was a great help with this. He would be on the phone constantly trying to make arrangements happen on time and finalize them – a lot of patience was required! Booking Girona Cathedral wasn’t too tricky as they went about 14 months in advance and asked when they were free. Pamela & Steven had a Scottish priest flown over to Girona but the choir were all Catalan and so a few things went wrong (like when they were going to sign the register and the choir started singing one of the hymns. When they finally started the hymn, they added a long intro so the poor priest started and then had to start again. The hymn was sung so slow that Pamela & Steven were in stitches!)
Every time Pamela bought a Spanish magazine, she was always drawn to Rosa Clara dresses. She felt they were very distinct in their style – either clean, contemporary lines with a fashion edge or traditional Spanish made from beautiful lace. When she opted for a Rosa Clara, she chose a modern design that she had seen in Hola magazine – cotton and taffeta with a low waist. Pamela changed the dress a little to suit her body shape and Rosa Clara were very helpful; she was absolutely delighted with the result.
Pamela also had a bespoke fascinator from Beth Morgan (www.bethmorgan.co.uk). She saw one of Beth’s designs in Brides Magazine and had put it into her ideas/look book. When Pamela contacted Beth, she gave her great ideas and designed a fascinator to go with her dress. Pamela found buying from abroad quite nerve wracking as she wasn’t able to try things on. But again she was absolutely delighted with the fascinator and all the work that had gone into it.
The restaurant who catered for the wedding were El Cellar de can Roca who have 2 Michelin Stars (www.cellercanroca.com) It’s very distinct as it is a very traditional Catalan house with beautiful gardens but inside it’s completely modern (black and white with huge light panels on the walls). The restaurant’s theme went perfectly with Pamela’s wedding theme of contemporary/art deco/black and white. Plus the food is famous, and was amazing!! The restaurant was quite difficult to organize and in the end they got married on a Sunday to accommodate them. The Church were very helpful, even though it’s quite unusual to get married at 5pm on a Sunday.
Mark was asked to provide the photography as one of Pamela’s best friends had used us before and she loved the natural but arty, contemporary results. Mark has said “I had a great time walking around the streets of Girona with Pamela and Steven, making the most of the great architecture and natural light. Pamela and Steven are really into photography which made them easy to photograph. After a summer of photographing in Scotland, it was nice that it wasn’t raining!”
When asked about her favorite part of the day, Pamela said “aside from the service and actually being married, my favorite part was when we entered the restaurant to Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ and everyone was standing waving their napkins wildly propeller-style in the air as is the tradition in Catalan. Amazing!!!!”
