The blog of award winning scottish photographers, Archibald Photography. Real life wedding photography stories and recommended suppliers from weddings in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scotland and destinations overseas.
Mark loves to photograph an wedding elopement – so intimate and romantic! Katharine and Guy got in touch with us and asked Mark to photograph their day- they live in Australia and chose Scotland for their elopement because the wedding would still be legal back home. Apart from Guy and Katharine, the only other people involved in their day were the minister, two witnesses, Mark and two cab drivers.
Katharine’s dress & shoes were Wayne Cooper (an Australian designer). Katharine told us “it was nerve wracking traveling with them although I had chosen a dress designed to be crushed. I couldn’t pack it in my carry on because it was 5% metal – so I just had to hope the luggage didn’t get lost!”
Guy and Katharine emailed a few different churches and said “the people at St Cuthbert’s were just so lovely and welcoming and made everything so easy for us that it was easy to choose them!”
These guys loved the weather; it was raining and really foggy and according to them”so exotic” (think they could teach us Scots a few things on thinking positively about our climate!) For them, they come from years and years of drought so having wet weather was “really special but also made the wedding really feel Scottish; if we’d wanted sunshine and dry weather we would have stayed in Australia”.
Katharine told us after that it was great going round Edinburgh with Mark. She said “the photos were amazing but having him tell us all about the places we were seeing was like having a personal tour of the city as well. My shoes were impossibly high which meant Guy and I were holding hands in almost every shot (very romantic) but walking on the cobbles was challenging! One of my favourite moments was when, coming down from the Royal Mile, I took a few steps with my shoes off – the cold wet cobbles felt so good! We had a fabulous day exploring Edinburgh and we wanted to get funky shots of us all over Edinburgh (and that’s exactly what we got)!
Leigh 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.”
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”.
In December 2010, Scotland experienced crazy winter weather – airports were closed and hundreds of motorists were stranded overnight in cars. Sue and Chris’s wedding was scheduled for the 4th of December at the stunning Lennoxlove House. I won’t pretend Mark was not a little concerned about getting to East Lothian with several feet of snow on the ground but we kept in touch with the staff at Lennoxlove and they had done a fantastic job of clearing the grounds and access roads to the house.
Lennoxlove House has recently (and unsurprisingly) retained it’s 5 star status awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board. The house provides luxurious accommodation available for exclusive hire. With gorgeous grounds and beautiful interiors, it’s one of Mark’s favourite wedding venues. Sue and Chris opted for the amazing floral designers, Planet Flowers, to dress the venue. Planet Flowers are always guaranteed to come up with something dramatic and different from the norm – read our feature Planet Flowers here. Charlotte from Heritage Portfolio provided all of the event design for the wedding including linens, glassware, cutlery, menu planning, wines, menu cards etc (apart from flowers, which Planet Flowers executed perfectly). Heritage Portfolio also ran the wedding reception at Lennoxlove House.
Mark has never met a couple who have laughed so much as Sue and Chris on their wedding day – it was completely infectious and the couple, their guests and Mark just giggled all day long. You can see some of our favourite images in the slideshow below (turn down the volume if you are at work!).
Chris and Sue – we have loved being involved in your wedding and can’t wait to produce an amazing album of your favourite images. Mark would also like to say that he loved watching your guests who had never ceilidh danced before making a great attempt!
Earlier this year Mark had the pleasure of photographing Heather and Arron’s wedding at the lovely Balbirnie House Hotel, a privately owned luxury country house hotel in Fife.
The couple met when they both finished University and were working in Debenhams in Dundee together. When Heather and Arron were in their last week of a year long travelling stint around the world in 2008, Arron asked Heather to marry him. He surprised her under the Christmas tree at the Rockerfella Centre in New York on bended knee.
Heather and Arron chose Balbirnie House Hotel as they did not want a church wedding being non-religious but didn’t want a registry office. As Heather told us “Balbirnie had a feeling of grandure, nice architecture and was a place for our guests to relax all day. The service was excellent and the food was top class.”
The wedding band was called Athens and Heather says “they were amazing, and we found them on Music for Scotland website”
A local florist in their hometown of Carnoustie called Olives provided the wedding flowers. Heather mentioned that the florist was “an old family friend so it was a personal touch”
Heather’s dress was Benjamin Adams from Bows and Bells in Dundee
Arron’s kilt was from Keith Scott and was made in Rangers tartan.
Heather and Arron also found Archibald Photography with an online search and loved Mark’s images. As Heather told us “they were the look that we wanted for our day and we weren’t disappointed.”
As we have been finalising the album from Lynne and Paul’s wedding at Dunblane Cathedral and Glenbervie House Hotel, I was reminded of how much the images from their wedding speeches make us laugh. Mark tells me the speeches were a riot and Lynne and Paul’s reactions make me smile every time I look at them. There’s nothing quite like just pressing the shutter at the right time to capture laughter and emotion. I hope Lynne and Paul will also smile and remember good times when they look at these images in years to come.
Becky and Godfrey met each other 7 years ago. Becky had just started at GB Airways as cabin crew and Godfrey was First Officer on the day of her first flight. He proposed to her on one knee on the Bow Bridge in Central Park on a surprise trip to Manhattan.
The couple kept every detail of their wedding secret from their 7 guests. All they were told was they were flying into Glasgow. A coach met their guests and transported them to the exclusive Glenapp Castle – at which point the couple could hear their guests gasp. The day started with clay pigeon shooting before the couple got ready for their beautiful ceremony in the intimate Glenapp Church.
In choosing their venue, the couple felt as though they had visited every castle in Scotland and Glenapp Castle was the last venue for them to see before heading back to West Sussex. As Becky told us “It was superior in every respect. Unique in terms of the incredible location and stunning, sympathetic restoration by Graham and Fay it ticked all the boxes for us. It was also the most accessible which was important because one or two of our guests have mobility problems (there is a lift in one of the turrets!) We were very impressed by John Orr’s knowledge, confidence and expertise regarding exclusive use weddings at the castle, and the various options open to us when entertaining our guests. Because we had very few guests this meant we had more choice, we chose to have clay pigeon shooting in the morning (the ceremony was at 3pm) and an interactive falconry display after the ceremony whilst we were with Mark, our photographer. After a fabulous five course wedding breakfast, we finished our special day off with a spectacular fireworks display. All the activities were provided by companies that were recommended to us by John, who took care of all the arrangements. Glenapp only recommend suppliers/companies who’ve been to the castle many times before and consistently do a great job.”
Becky’s dress was by Vera Wang found in the Wedding Shop at Selfridges. It was an ivory v-neck bias cut sheath dress of satin back crepe, with picot edged drapes and jewelled straps. Becky saw it on the hanger and got very excited, when she tried it on she jumped up and down! As she told us “I ordered one there and then, who wouldn’t? Kiko, the very kind and warm gentleman who fitted my gown, made me feel ten feet tall. I knew it was the one, a vintage circa 1930s/40s design and not the typical princess cut. I was looking at dresses with a very specific idea of what I wanted, luckily found it after trying on only two dresses elsewhere.”
Becky also had a very long veil of ivory silk tulle which also came from Vera Wang. Becky said “I wanted to be quite old fashioned with the veil so I wore the blush over my face, which my dad then lifted at the altar. The length of the veil only added to the shape of the dress. I had a small crystal and pearl comb in my hair (which was in a low bun) that complimented the jewelled straps on the dress. My shoes were dove grey/ silver satin round toe court shoes from LK Bennett. I think the heels were approx three inches. Beautiful!”
Becky did her own makeup as she wanted to look like herself and her hairdresser Jeanna Hyslop (recommended by Glenapp Castle) did a beautiful job of her hair – a low bun with a little softness and body.
Becky travelled to the wedding ceremony in a vintage 1954 Riley which is owned and has been lovingly restored by Graham Cowan (one of the owners of Glenapp Castle)
Sam Murdoch is the florist for Glenapp Castle and he did all the couple’s floral arrangements. The couple had a theme of the same blooms in all the decorations, shades of purple/blue, small white roses and thistles. Becky’s bouquet also included some loops of Douglas Modern tartan ribbon interspersed among the blooms to match the groom’s kilt and plaid. The ladies all had corsages featuring a white rose and a purple spray flower. The men’s buttonholes featured a thistle, the purple spray and a little greenery. Godfrey and Becky had only seven guests so this was a nice touch.
Becky and her Dad were piped into Glenapp Church by a piper playing Highland Cathedral and according to Becky “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. That piece of music always makes me feel quite emotional and hearing it on the bagpipes is just a little bit of magic.”
Godfrey looked incredibly handsome on the day and wore a gorgeous Douglas Modern tartan kilt and plaid with a navy blue Prince Charlie jacket, black dress sporran, finished with a decorative plaid brooch, kilt pin and a ‘sgian dubh’ (Scottish ceremonial knife). Godfrey’s best man wore the same kilt without the shoulder plaid.
We asked the couple why they chose Archibald Photography. “We felt that Mark’s work had a superior quality to it, we researched many other wedding photographers and their work but kept coming back to Archibald Photography. Mark was the only one we both agreed on. Godfrey and I both liked the inclusion of elements of architecture and the story-telling style of his work. Godfrey also had the opportunity to travel up to Scotland and meet Mark a few weeks beforehand, they got on very well. When I met him on the day of the wedding, he helped me to feel at ease very quickly and comfortable in front of the camera. I felt like a model for the day!”
Becky made the most stunning bride – elegant, serene and wholly beautiful. Her choice of this 1940s vintage inspired Vera Wang gown was perfect – how gorgeous does she look?
The best bit for Becky was that the day was “all about us, and a celebration of everything we’ve been through together in the seven years we’ve known each other. Aside from a couple of minor deviations from the plans, it was the most wonderful, emotional and fun day.” For Godfrey, it was when he saw Becky walking down the aisle.
The couple’s cake came from Sugar and Spice and according to Becky was “very delicious”. Becky chose their ‘Highland Dreams’ design consisting of two tiers, one fruit cake and the other vanilla sponge. They chose this design because the sugar craft was so delicate and intricate. The colours of the flowers can be changed to suit a theme. For favours, the couple chose small pearlised ivory boxes finished with ivory ribbon which were placed on the dinner table filled with the traditional five sugared almonds.
There’s always something unplanned that happens on a wedding day. As Becky recalled “We did some clay pigeon shooting on the morning of the wedding, when it came to my dad’s turn he managed to shoot the machine! Every single clay was broken and the machine had a rather large dent in it. We were all laughing so hard that no-one could speak for several minutes!”
Looking back, Becky would say “it was an incredible day that I will never forget. Plus I got to marry my best pal, how many people can say that.” And her advice to others would be “Take a few moments out to savour the experiences of the day. Just stop and appreciate all the hard work and organisation that has gone into your day because it will go past in a blur.”
Most brides, after their wedding day, have their dress carefully cleaned and then packed away in tissue never to be seen again. Rather than being left with an expensive frock that you only wear once, some couples are choosing to organise a photoshoot where they ‘rock the frock’ or ‘cherish the dress’. The start of a trend called ‘trash the dress’ is credited to John Michael Cooper, a Las Vegas photographer who has been taking what he refers to as ‘antibridal’ images since 2000 and there are entire websites dedicated to brides who opt to ‘trash’ their dresses. To be honest, we’d be kinda horrified if we ‘trashed’ someone’s dress but it’s great fun to get a couple on their own after a wedding day where they are relaxed and not having to worry if their guests are being looked after.
We recently shot a post wedding photoshoot for Lisa and Michael around some of their favourite parts of Ayrshire. The weather on Lisa and Michael’s actual wedding day had been horrendous so this ‘rock the frock’ photoshoot gave them a chance to get some gorgeous relaxed shots of the two of them outdoors with some of their favourite backdrops. As Lisa told us “The photographs took my breath away. I had imagined beautiful pictures by the sea and castle but was blown away by how natural and unique the images were! The colours and textures are incredible – Mark totally captured the magic of the day. We couldn’t ask for more.”
Lisa’s wedding dress was ‘Serena’ by Alan Hannah, hair by Volume Hair and makeup by Looking Good. The images were taken at Culzean Castle and at a local beach location. Here are some of our favourite shots from the shoot:
If you are planning your wedding and are looking for amazing flowers, I would say look no further than Planet Flowers. We love when our couples have chosen to work with Planet Flowers because you can be guaranteed that their floral art will be dramatic, classy or a little different from the norm.
Planet Flowers are a mother and daughter team who have always had flowers in their lives. Mum Rachel had been involved with flowers from a young age as her father was a keen gardener which progressed to her training in flower shops in Australia. Gemma, her daughter, always went along with her Mum to work and so it seemed like a natural progression to also start working in the flower business. After Gemma left school, she trained in Holland and received a Dutch Masters Diploma in floral art and shortly after began work with her Mum, Rachel.
Planet Flowers has now been trading for just over 12 years. After Rachel gained a wealth of experience managing flower shops over 25 years, she decided to start an Event Floristry business that would specialise in event, wedding and hospitality flowers only. Planet Flowers offers a team of highly trained florists that strive to deliver the highest quality of flowers and design without compromising traditional floristry skills. As Gemma told me “We think outside the box and constantly try to inspire our clients to move on with floral design and try something different. We want each and every wedding to have a different look and feel. Each wedding should be unique to each bride and groom – it is their special day so the flower design should be designed just for them. No matter whether it is designing or executing the design we are passionate about our work and we think this shows through to our clients.”
I wondered what their favourite arrangement or event had been. Gemma said “This is such a hard question! There are so many memorable events for all different reasons! One of the most amazing experiences was designing and executing a wedding at Hotel de Paris, Monaco back in 2008. It was a lifetime experience that we will never forget. More recently we designed the flowers for a wedding at the stunning venue Mansfield Traquair in Edinburgh. It was a truly magnificent wedding – it was such a modern, sleek design. For the last five years we have also supplied the flowers for the Queens Summer Party at Holyrood Palace – which we are very proud about – sadly we have never seen a Corgi in the grounds… maybe this year!”
So what do Planet Flowers foresee for the next few years? They plan on continuing to provide the very best in Event and Corporate floristry. They would also love to continue traveling further afield to experience the rewards of tackling the most challenging work. Check out some of their stunning designs on their blog.
One of our favourite couples from last year (Jen and Derek) chose Planet Flowers to provide gorgeous arrangements on their wedding day.
A great wedding image should be one that captures a moment, summons emotion and makes you feel that you are there too. Many clients who come to see us say they feel very emotional looking at our wedding albums without even knowing the couples involved. I love this image of Heather and Arron’s wedding at Balbirnie House – it’s emotional, romantic, intimate and very real.
Working in the wedding industry, we get to work with some great suppliers on a wedding day. One of our favourite makeup artists to work with is Ainsley of Ainsley M Makeup. As a professional make-up artist, specialising in bridal make-up, Ainsley is a master of making brides look radiant, natural and beautiful on their wedding day. As well as coming out on a wedding day to do bridal makeup and makeup for others in the wedding party, such as, bridesmaids and the mother of the bride, Ainsley M also offers makeup lessons for those wishing to do their own makeup either on a wedding day or just to improve makeup application for every day wear. Ainsley has been responsible for the vintage makeup looks for some recent fashion shoots which Mark has photographed – an image from which went on to win him Scottish Fashion Photographer of the Year recently.
Ainsley M is currently running a special offer on makeup lessons. If you visit her Facebook page and click ‘Like’ you will be entitled to a 20% discount on a one-to-one makeup lesson. Ainsley is based on the south side of Glasgow and you can visit her home studio to be shown the art of perfect makeup application.
Ainsley M trained at London College of Fashion in 2002 when she lived in London. She knew from the first day on the course that this was what she wanted to do and so after returning to Glasgow, she started ‘Ainsley M‘ in 2003.
I asked Ainsley what her favourite look is to provide someone with and she told me “I really love a 40′s look, alabaster skin, dark brows and red lips. I think pale skin is so beautiful and such a welcome relief from oversprayed brides.”
I was interested to know what sets Ainsley M apart from her competition. She graciously said “I have quite a few friends who are ‘the competition’ so need to be careful here! The majority of my work now is word of mouth as opposed to advertising. I absolutely love my job and get very passionate about it, I think my brides like that. Winning two VOWS Awards (2007 and 2008) has helped too as it demonstrates great customer service plus someone they can trust to turn up on time and do a great job.”
So where will Ainsley M be in 5 years time? “Doing exactly what I’m doing now. Making women beautiful and loving every minute of it.”
Make sure you visit her Facebook page to take advantage of the 20% off a makeup lesson offer.
Here’s an image of the gorgeous Lisa on her wedding day having had her makeup perfected by Ainsley:
Phew! Just coming down to earth from last night’s Scottish Master Photographer Awards held at Dunblane Hydro. Mark was bobbing up and down out of his seat receiving 4 Certificates of Merit (in Contemporary Wedding, Monochrome and Fashion categories) , one Award of Excellence (in Fashion category) and the prestigious overall title of Scottish Fashion Photographer of the Year 2010. Just think of the studio space required for another 6 certificates and a trophy! Here’s the images and the awards they were given:
This image awarded Mark Scottish Fashion Photographer of the Year 2010
This image was from a fashion shoot carried out for Lindsay Fleming Couture showing the new additions to their range of 1920s vintage inspired wedding dresses ‘All That Jazz’. The vintage style makeup was provided by Ainsley M, vintage hair styling by Volume Hair and the gorgeous accompanying headpieces by Baba-C Designs.
This image won Award of Excellence in the Monochrome Category
This image won a Certificate of Merit in the Fashion Category
This image won a Certificate of Merit in the Fashion Category
This image won a Certificate of Merit in the Contemporary Wedding Category
This image won a Certificate of Merit in the Monochrome Category
In the Autumn of 2009, Mark was at Airth Castle in Falkirk for the wedding of Pamela and Ross.
Ross and Pamela met in a pub in Sauchiehall Street on Christmas Eve which Pamela says is “not the most romantic story I guess!” Pamela told us that Ross would quite frequently tease her by pretending he was going to propose, getting down on one knee and then asking if she’d him the honour of holding his coat while he tied his shoe! So Pamela was surprised after 3 years when he actually did propose when they were on holiday in New York. The couple had a perfect day out on a row boat on Central Park and then Ross took Pamela to Tiffanys and proposed.
They both liked Airth Castle as soon as they saw it and thought that would be the perfect location for their wedding.
The couple had some favourite suppliers on the day including the MC at Airth Castle and the piper from Scotia Pipers. Flowers were provided by Grace Flowers on Byres Road.
Pamela and Ross have lots of favourite images and thought Mark did a really good job of capturing the day. They particularly liked the images of them both immediately after the ceremony, the shots of Pamela’s veil blowing in the wind and all the men in kilts walking across the lawn. The couple chose Archibald Photography because “we liked Mark’s style looking at his previous work. And he came to our flat to visit and show us his work and meet him beforehand which was great.”
In summary, the couple felt they had a “brilliant day”. They were really laid back about it and didn’t try the food or taste the wine or anything until the day but were happy with everything. The only thing Pamela thinks they should have done is learn to dance! She laughed as she told us “that was a bit embarrassing”. Pamela and Ross’s first dance track was You and Me Song by The Wannadies.
Here are some of our favourite images of their wedding:
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.
A landrover took us to the top of the hill overlooking the Groom’s family home. The wind was extreme. So much so that a few shots later Aika’s veil flew off her head only to be retrieved by a stealthy dash from David. This view meant a lot to the couple and added something really special to their day. A few minutes after this picture was taken the rain arrived and pushed us all indoors…but it was too late…we had the shots.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!”
We recently added a business entry to Linkedin; a business orientated social networking site. You can view our Linkedin profile here.
We were thrilled to receive an absolutely glowing recommendation from Tacye whose wedding Mark photographed at Linlithgow Palace back in 2006. She said “I would absolutely recommend Mark to anyone looking for a photographer! My husband and I were living in the US, but decided to marry in Scotland (2006). I found Mark over the internet and was impressed by the sample photographs on his site. We conversed mostly via email and were happy with what he offered and his pricing.
On the wedding day, he was prompt, timely and professional. And he was so unobtrusive during the ceremony and reception, I wasn’t even aware that he was there. Then when I went through the pictures for the first time on the internet site, not only was I amazed at how phenomenal he made us look, but I felt like I was reliving the whole day. He managed to capture us in all the emotional and funny moments so even now when I look at the pictures I feel like I’m still right there in the moment. I even had a friend who wasn’t able to attend say she had tears in her eyes going through the pictures because she really felt like she was there.
Another reason I love my wedding pictures is that they aren’t posed or ‘standard’ wedding pictures – rather they look like something out of a bridal fashion magazine. And somehow he made me look more like a model than an ordinary person!
As you can see, I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Mark! I’d be happy to talk to anyone who is considering using Mark and has any questions”
Wow! What an amazing comment to read about your own business! It got us thinking about Tacye and Chad’s wedding and although it was 3.5 years ago, it has always been a bit of a favourite! Tacye and Chad came over from the US to get married at Linlithgow Palace so their wedding only involved a small number of guests but what a laugh they had. Poor Chad was not feeling at all well on the wedding day and when the registrar said ‘you may now kiss the bride’, he kissed Tacye’s forehead so as not to pass on his bug; meaning that the couple then burst out laughing.
Ben and Lauren originally met in Liverpool where they were both working in a hospital. Apparently they fell in love over a ping-pong table but Ben likes to point out that he won the game! Their first kiss was on a Friday the 13th and the couple celebrate every Friday the 13th as a little mini-anniversary with good food and wine! They had been together for 4 happy years before finally getting hitched (despite numerous and regular hints by Lauren).
Ben took Lauren on a surprise weekend trip to stay at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons in Oxford on a Friday the 13th. The couple stayed in the stunning Opium suite and during the tasting menu (course 8 of 10) Ben came round to Lauren’s seat and asked her to marry him in Hebrew (which he had specially learned for the occasion, Lauren being born in Israel). Lauren says she can’t remember any of the food from the last two courses!
Lauren and Ben chose House For An Art Lover as it had such an intimate, special and unique atmosphere that really sets it apart as a venue from the many others they had seen. As soon as they saw it the couple knew it was the right place for their wedding; and as they told us afterwards “it totally lived up to our expectations on the day!”
House for an Art Lover Wedding Photography
Lauren did her own make-up after a trial/lesson with “the amazing Stacey” from Mac Make-up in SoHo. Hair was by Douglas from Douglas & Lee hairdressers, Bath Street, Glasgow and Lauren told us that “he was highly recommended to me by my great friend Mel who has been going to him for over a decade!”
Lauren’s dress was a bespoke version of ‘Beauty’ with ‘Calypso’ veil by Caroline Castigliano, Knightsbridge, shoes were Jimmy Choo and her jewellery was by Mikomoto, Bond Street.
Dress and veil by Caroline Castigliano
Jimmy Choos Wedding Shoes
Flowers for the day where done by Glasgow City Flowers (part of Glasgow City Council) and Lauren told us that “their head florist was so great that when I decided to change the colour of the pink rose a week before the day they didn’t complain and managed to make the last minute changes look fantastic”.
The couple bought their cake from Waitrose and had it decorated by their florist. Lauren told us “we chose an orchid to decorate the cake in memory of my Nana who was dearly loved by everyone and greatly missed on the day”.
Wedding Cake
A ceilidh on the evening of the wedding was provided by The Hebrideans which was thoroughly enjoyed, especially by the English guests! The couple also had a DJ friend (Rich Beats) whom they trusted to play music from Ben’s extensive vinyl collection of jazz & world music.
Lauren and Ben also loved “the fantastic” Rose Street Quartet from Edinburgh who played during their ceremony. As Lauren told us “they were wonderful, played so beautifully and as a special surprise I had arranged for then to play the Star Wars theme tune for Ben whilst he was awaiting my arrival!! This was much appreciated by Ben and indeed much of the congregation that are aware of his passion for everything Star Wars related!”
The couple’s videographer was Vince McDonald and their transport was a gorgeous silver Beauford that Lauren’s mum booked for them.
Wedding car
Ben and Lauren told us they were impressed from the very beginning with Archibald Photography‘s “professional website which hosts such wonderful photographs”. As they told us “we had nothing but friendly communication with Donna and Mark, confirmed as soon as we came to meet Mark when we knew we had met someone who we would trust completely on the day but also someone we would love to have had a pint or two with!! Looking through the “back-catalogue” of his wedding albums we really were blown away with the quality. This was all before the wedding day itself! On the day it felt like we had invited a friend, we were completely relaxed and had such fun having our photographs taken. We genuinely wished he could have stayed to party on after the job was done, all our family and friends thought he was an absolute star!! We have all attended many weddings when we wished the photographer would hurry up and leave so that we can relax and enjoy the occasion, the total opposite of how we felt about Mark and were actually really sad when the time came for him to leave. What’s left to say but thank you, thank you, thank you, you really deserve winning the VOWS Award and our photographs are totally stunning!!”
Lauren and Ben said that their favourite image changes daily but is currently the one in which we share a kiss with the dark wooden background drinking champagne.
Wedding Photography at House for an Art Lover
Ben and Lauren’s day had all the ingredients of an unforgettable experience – “we had our close family and friends there, our special music, fab food and a unique venue. The couple also had two pregnant bridesmaids (both choosing to tell Lauren during the same weekend without knowing each other!!) so as Lauren said “there for four for the price of two; such a bonus!”
Bridal preparations
The couple chose five readings to have during the ceremony which Lauren told us “were particularly amazing, especially given the heartfelt and emotional response from our friends and family that read them!” And for Lauren, the best thing about the day was “marrying my best friend”.
It’s great to shoot a wedding when there is lovely natural light, perfect weather conditions and loads of time to spend wandering outside taking beautiful images. What to do, then, when it is dark outside, the ceremony is in an ancient Bastle House (that the couple call “the cave”) with virtually no natural light and the wind and rain are conspiring to snap umbrellas in two? Welcome to the world of the Scottish wedding photographer!
For me the answer is simple…don’t fight the weather…work with it. In bad weather I love to photograph inside-out umbrellas and capture the power of the elements. One thing I’ve learned after all these years is that really bad weather on a wedding day leaves a strong memory with the guests and they are guaranteed not to forget the day!
November 2009 was the wettest November for Scotland on record. Storms and rain caused major flooding and disruption. The day before Rachael and Chris’s wedding, I drove over to Carmichael to see what the road conditions were like. The road to Rachael’s parents house appeared impassable but a local farmer convinced me it was alright to drive on through. Rachael told us that night that the rain had flooded the room in which the ceremony was to take place but things would proceed with a soggy carpet!
Look at the crazy weather!
Rachael arrives looking beautiful
Rachael and Chris originally met at a party in Chris’s brother’s flat in Edinburgh. After too much wine and a story about mushy peas, Rachael was apparently smitten!
The couple decided to hold their wedding ceremony in Rachael’s parents’ house where she had grown up. Rachael’s parents house is particularly special as they own a Bastle House. For those who have never heard of a bastle house (and I had to look it up on Wikipedia), they are found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by Border Reivers. They are farmhouses, characterised by elaborate security measures against raids.
The characteristics of the classic bastle house are extremely thick stone walls (1 meter or so), with the ground floor devoted to stable-space for the most valuable animals, and usually a stone vault between it and the first floor. The family’s living quarters were on the floor above the ground, and during the times prior to the suppression of the Reivers, were only reachable by a ladder which was pulled up from the inside at night. The only windows were narrow arrow slits and the roofs were usually made of stone slate to improve the bastle’s fire-resistance. (Source – http://www.wikipedia.org/)
Rachael and Chris were both away from Scotland for a few years before the wedding which made a ceremony in her parents house surrounded by friends and family even more intimate. Their evening reception was held at New Lanark which Rachael also loved – she said she could have danced all night.
Rachael had a designer in Napier, New Zealand make her dress; Rowan McLellan. Rachael told us “I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to order it when I got back to the UK four months before the wedding so I had it made out there. She made my bridesmaids dresses too and they were fantastic. I had been to lots of shops and tried things on but nothing really made me feel special. It was really fun being involved in the design process and tweaking things as we went. I loved the dress I got married in and am only sad I can’t wear it again!” In fact, one of the couple’s funny moments from the wedding was when Rachael’s Dad stepped on her dress walking down the aisle and by the end of the night the dress had huge holes in it!
Dress by Rowan McLellan
Rachael and Chris followed their religious ceremony with a handfasting ritual. Handfasting predates other forms of marriage and comes from an Old Norse term ‘hand-festa’. It is an ancient and very romantic commitment ceremony and usually involves binding together of the hands of the couple.
Wrists are bound together during the handfasting ceremony
Rachael also told us that her florist was amazing. “She is a friend of my mums, Elizabeth Paterson and is a genius! I know nothing about flowers and just told her I wanted it laid back and pretty and she came up with the most beautiful arrangements and bouquets.” Rachael and Chris’s mums made the cakes and favours and the couple had many enjoyable months of tasting and testing!
The wedding reception at New Lanark was organised by Helen O’Hara who Rachael said “couldn’t have done more for us”. She told us “the food, service and flexibility were great. We had such a fun day and there was nothing stressful about it because Helen took care of it all.”
The private wedding dance
We loved Rachael's stylish dress and accessories
Having a laugh
Normally, we invite couples to our studio after their images are ready for a first initial preview on the big screen to music. However, as Rachael and Chris live in Aviemore they were somewhat snowed in! We organised an online preview for the couple and they got in touch to say “Just a quick email to let you know we LOVE the photos! …. Thank you so much – I’m truly taken back at how lovely the pictures are!”
Rachael’s Mum also emailed to say “I’ve had a sneak preview and they are GORGEOUS!! I was worried that with no outdoor photos it wouldn’t work but they are stunning, especially those in the River Room in the Institute with Rach & Chris dancing – they didnt know Mark was there and are over the moon!!”
Getting ready on the wedding day
Handfasting ceremony
Rachael getting ready
Wedding shoes
The gorgeous bride in her wedding dress
Dress by Rowan McLellan
The bride with the girls
Having a giggle
Rachael looking stunning
Waiting for the wedding guests in the rain
Look at the crazy weather!
Rachael arrives looking beautiful
The wedding ceremony in “the cave”
Wedding ceremony giggles
The wedding kiss
Wrists are bound together during the handfasting ceremony
Nicola and Liam met at a birthday party for Liam’s brother Calum; Nicola’s friend was friends with Calum’s wife. They were together for four and a half years before they got married having lived together for two and a half of those years.
Liam proposed to Nicola on a secluded beach called Ardban near Applecross. He was very romantic and had hidden a note in the picnic blanket then he went down on one knee. The couple had champagne and corn beef sandwiches for their picnic and the ring was a £5 ring from Argos which Nicola wore until they went to buy the real thing!
Liam and Nicola decided to get married at the Western House Hotel in Ayr as it was near Troon where Nicola was originally from and meant she could leave from her mum and dad’s house (the couple now live in Aberdeen). They picked Western House Hotel as it has a good reputation (Winner of Scottish Hotel of the Year 2009 and Scottish Wedding Venue of the Year 2007, 2008 & 2009), it had accommodation for all their guests (most of whom had to travel to the wedding) and because it had a big enough dance floor. Nicola told us that “Jean Kerr the wedding co-coordinator was great in helping us plan the big day.”
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
No wonder Nicola is still so keen on Troon – check out this gorgeous beach shot that Mark captured just before arriving at Nicola’s parents house:
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Nicola had her hair done by Joe at Capello in Troon. Joe was Nicola’s hairdresser when she lived in Troon and her Mum still goes there. Nicola told us “it was lovely to have my hair done by someone that knows me and the family so well and was able to provide a much needed glass of wine! We then went next door to The Powder Room to get our makeup done.”
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Nicola’s dress was by Ellis Bridals and she got it in Cuco Bridalwear, a lovely wedding shop in Troon. Nicola said “The staff there made choosing my dress a really lovely experience and even though I went to quite a few places in Aberdeen none came close to the one in Troon.” Nicola bought her veil online at The Wedding Veil Shop which she found great value for money. She also chose her tiara online – handmade by East Beach Design.
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Flowers for the day came from Kirstie’s in Troon; again a family friend. Nicola told us “Kirstie did a wonderful job and again having someone you know doing it really brought a personal touch.” Nicola’s Aunt very kindly bought their cake for them from Sugar and Spice. As it was also Nicola’s Mum and Dad’s 40th Wedding Anniversary, the couple also bought them a cake from Sugar and Spice and thought both were great.
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Cars for the big occasion from Waterside Cars and what a fantastic car they chose. Apparently Liam was in heaven when they went to visit the showroom as there were so many fantastic old cars to look at.
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
The couple were aware that choosing a photographer that they both felt comfortable with was going to be really important to them. They told us “we followed our hearts when we chose Mark at Archibald Photography. He was great on the day, he really understood what we were looking for and that helped to put us at ease on the day. My mum hasn’t stopped going on about how great he was!”
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
The day was such a fantastic success that Nicola struggles to chose her favourite part. However, she was really pleased by the reaction from their guests when they saw the couple doing their first dance. Nicola has decided that “five weeks of classes and a couple of private lessons to learn a routine really was worth it to hear the gasps when people realised we weren’t just going to be shuffling round the floor.”
Nicola’s cousin played the piano for them during the ceremony. Nicola told us “I had wanted a grand piano but it cost too much. Thankfully though, we hired a really good digital piano and it worked really well as after the ceremony the piano was moved outside to the band stand and Gilmour played away so the guests were entertained while we were getting our photo’s done. We hadn’t planned it but it was a really nice touch!”
Nicola & Liam’s evening entertainment was provided by a band called Fudge Machine, who were, again, chosen via an internet search. They told us “we could not have been happier with them – they did a great job, my guests raved about them and the dance floor was never empty!”
There were plenty of laughter going on at the wedding. Nicola recalls “we definitely had a bit of a giggle when my garter fell down – thankfully not during the ceremony. There were a couple of hiccups on the day like one of the ovens being broken but nothing major and nothing that spoiled it for us.”
Wedding Photography in Ayrshire
In summary, the couple felt they “had an amazing day, the sun was out and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Only wish it could have lasted longer.”
Here’s a small gallery of some of our favourite images from their day. Please feel free to tag yourself in these images via our Facebook page :
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
Our customer was delighted with the finished result and emailed to say “Thanks for an excellent service”.
