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.
We often talk to our customers about the longevity of excellent photography; it’s not just for now or for this year, you still need to love your wedding images in decades to come. We want you to have an album that you will love and can pass down to future generations as the complete story of your day. If you make a good choice when selecting a photographer then images will become more important as the years pass. How awful would it be after a fantastic wedding day to have regrets about your photography.
There are two photographs in my possession which are incredibly important to me. One is my parents wedding photograph from 1970 (a relaxed image) and the other is my Nana and Papa’s wedding photograph from 1942 (a stiff, formal studio shot!). I wish there were more – an album of the day would be incredible.
Donna
My Mum and Dad's Wedding Photograph from 1970
It’s great when the barrier between subject and photographer has been demolished and the presence of the camera has been completely forgotten. I need that to happen for my work to be successful. Natural emotions cannot be posed. They just look false. I’m more interested in a photograph capturing a perfect moment between people than I am in spending hours getting every crease out of a dress. I love this photograph because it conveys a real sense of the relationship between the couple and how much fun they were having.
Photography by Archibald Photography Ltd
Taken at Fernie Castle, Fife
Dress from The Bride in Broughty Ferry
Read Anna & Kev’s real life wedding story here
We have been completely thrilled to see some of Mark’s images appear on some of the most popular wedding blogs around recently. One of our favourites is the blog of Annabel Beeforth at LoveMyDress.
Annabel tied the knot herself in 2009 and in planning her own wedding, discovered a new passion – seeking out inspirational wedding and fashion photography; hence her LoveMyDress blog was born. LoveMyDress is a style diary of Annabel’s fabulous inspirational finds. As Annabel says herself, she is “passionate about all things glamorous and extremely sexy gorgeous”.
Make sure you stop by LoveMyDress regularly for ideas when planning your wedding day, especially if you have a love of all things vintage.
You can read some of Annabel’s entries featuring Mark’s photography work here, here and here
This bridal portrait is a favourite of mine on so many different levels. In the chaos of the bridal preparations, it represents an oasis of calm. The light in the room was really quite exquisite, I loved her veil and Lorna was perfectly beautiful.
Photography by Archibald Photography
Taken at Comlongon Castle
Dress by Pronovias
As you may have read in an earlier post, Archibald Photography were recently asked to photograph the new collection of 20s inspired wedding dresses from Lindsay Fleming Couture called ‘All That Jazz‘. Lindsay Fleming Couture are award winning bridal designers based in Scotland. Each of their vintage gowns are made to measure at their studio in Scotland and for many years clients who could not visit them in person have used their highly successful mail order service.
Lindsay Fleming Couture have decided this year to make it even easier for brides to have a face to face consultation with a designer and to see first hand the dresses, quality of fabric and workmanship. They have arranged the first in a series of visits to Central London where private consultations and fittings can be offered to clients without travel to Scotland. Their first visit will be on 26th, 27th and 28th March 2010 with further visits planned every eight weeks. The venue for these consultations will be Dolphin House Apartments, Chichester Street, Pimlico, London, SW1V 3LX and appointments can be arranged by contacting Lindsay Fleming on 01864 502522 or by email bridal@lindsayfleming.com . In addition to their 20s inspired collection ‘All That Jazz’, they will also be displaying their celtic and medieval inspired gowns; the ‘Celtic Spirit Collection‘.
Here’s some of our favourite images from the All That Jazz photoshoot (turn down the volume if you are at work!):
Photography by Archibald Photography Ltd
Dresses by Lindsay Fleming from their All That Jazz collection
Modelled by Lauren Tempany @ The Look
Head pieces by Baba-C
Make-up by Ainsley M
Hair by Volume Hair
Location – House for an Art Lover
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.
Here’s some of our favourite images of their day:
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”.
The Wedding Kiss
Was there anything that didn’t go to plan? Lauren’s left false eyelash let her down but everything else was “perfect”. The couple would sum up the whole experience as “Barcarolle’ from the Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach.
Here’s a slideshow of some of our favourites of the day:
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!!”
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 :
Elisa & Ian met at work when Elisa took over Ian’s job as he got promoted. The couple were friends for a while before they started going out and both resisted for as long as they could before the inevitable happened! They were together for 10 years before they got married.
Ian proposed to Elisa in Japan on a holiday of a lifetime that the couple took to celebrate Ian’s 40th birthday. On the last day of the holiday, to Elisa’s surprise, Ian proposed. It had been a long day and they were in a restaurant sat side by side; they hadn’t eaten all day so Elisa was quite hungry. As Elisa told us “Ian kept trying to tell me something and I carried on eating saying “I’m listening, go on” but he wouldn’t say anything. Then he got impatient and said “… will you stop eating, I’m trying to tell you something!!”. I remember thinking “Oh, this had better be good” and turned to face him, then he proposed. So it was worth interrupting my dinner for!”
The couple decided early on that they wanted a really intimate wedding with immediate family only, and that they wanted to make an occasion of it for everyone. After discounting locations like New York (“too conveyor-like”) and Mexico (“too much preparation eg chest x-rays etc required!”), they decided on Scotland because they both love it. As Elisa’s parents live in Chile, they wanted somewhere with a bit of history. They both liked the idea of splendid isolation, but needed to be reasonably near an airport to get everyone there in one piece. In the end, they settled on Shieldhill Castle Hotel. They were greeted warmly and instantly liked the history (including alleged ghost), the setting and the owner’s dog Muttley! As they settled on a midweek wedding, the couple virtually had the place to themselves and it was pretty much exactly as they planned it.
Wedding Photography at Shieldhill Castle, Biggar
Elisa was willing to spend up to £500 on her perfect dress but was resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t get much choice and that the dress would likely cost her much more. Then she found the “near-perfect” dress in Pronuptia at a fraction of what what she was willing to pay. As they were having a small wedding, Elisa wanted a tea length dress but one that felt like a wedding dress and not an ivory bridesmaids dress; she told us “I thought I’d be over the top in a huge meringue!”. Flowers for the day were provided by The Flower Shop in Biggar.
Wedding Photography at Shieldhill Castle, Biggar
Wedding Photography at Shieldhill Castle, Biggar
Elisa and Ian found Archibald Photography via a Google search and instantly liked Mark’s eye for pictures. She told us “his casual yet artistic style was exactly what we wanted and we were very pleased with the service.”Elisa and Ian had us design a 14″ x 10″ magazine style album as their main album and a raspberry silk bound smaller album for family.
The best thing about Elisa & Ian’s day was the emotion you get with a small, intimate wedding. Elisa told us “there were lots of tears (of joy of course!), we didn’t stop laughing the whole day through and it felt more like the union of two families rather than just our wedding because everyone already knew how Ian and I felt about each other. We only invited mum, dad and sibling on each side and that was the best thing – no arguments about people we didn’t know, no drunken fights etc”.
Wedding Photography at Shieldhill Castle, Biggar
We asked Elisa and Ian what the funniest part of their day was and Elisa recalled “as I was walking with my dad to the chapel at the back of the hotel I realised my garter was sliding down my leg and was down by my knee. Vicki (Ian’s sister and my bridesmaid) quickly pulled it back up, but not before we got a fit of the giggles! Unfortunately Mark was in the chapel and didn’t catch it on camera but he tried!”
Here’s some more of our favourite images of their day. Elisa and Ian were great for Mark to photograph because they were so happy they just laughed and danced all 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”.
At this time of year, we are frantically busy fulfilling all the album orders in time for Christmas. We live, sleep and dream wedding album design and manufacture.
Vicky and David were married this year at Cornhill House outside Biggar and opted for a gorgeous 14 x 10 landscape format album covered with iron contemporary leather with their names blind embossed. All our album formats and designs are completely bespoke to any client. We loved this album so much, we found it quite hard to hand over to the couple!
Vicky emailed this morning to say “We absolutely love it – can’t stop looking at it! Thanks a million for all your help – it’s outstanding.”
Here’s a link to a slideshow of their stunning wedding album which we hope Vicky and David will love forever:
As a little update we have just opened this morning’s mail to find the most lovely thank you card from David & Vicky. It has made our day!
“We just wanted to say a massive thank you for our wedding album. It is the most amazing present we have ever given ourselves and we will be able to enjoy it for the rest of our lives. The time, care and effort taken by you both to ensure that our day was captured perfectly on film and to print was nothing short of amazing. You go above and beyond to ensure everyone is happy! We have loved working with you both and are sad now it’s ended – we feel like we have gained new friends for life. We’ll be back in touch in the New Year to get some framed pictures and til then, don’t go changing!”
I think this just sums up why we love our work as wedding photographers; the ability to make our clients so happy is unbelievable. Hopefully David & Vicky won’t be strangers – we like to continue our relationship with our clients by shooting special family occasions or new arrivals to families.
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
Lindsay and Niall originally met on a fish farm where Niall was the manager but then met again 3 years later when Lindsay started taking karate lessons at Niall’s class. The couple were together for around 6 years before they got married. Niall proposed to Lindsay on her birthday – in the pouring rain at the Pitlochry salmon ladder (We should point out that they work in the line of fish farms and don’t just have some random fish fixation!!)
Lindsay and Niall chose Doune Castle and then a reception at Dunblane Hydro. They had always wanted to have a castle wedding but found authenticity and capacity difficult to come by in the same place. The couple chose Doune Castle for the setting, hired in chairs and dressed the venue with beautiful flowers and candles. And as Lindsay told us “the reception at Dunblane Hydro was great. Really nice food, good service. and plenty capacity for guests staying over. The function room was just what we wanted, large dancefloor and self contained bar and had recently been refurbished.”
Lindsay and her bridesmaids had their hair done at Lindsay Murray in Stirling and then did their make up themselves. Sassi Holford was the dress designer of choice for Lindsay and her dress and shrug were supplied by Charlotte Grace in Doune. Lindsay sister was her bridesmaid and her dress was by Watters also from Charlotte Grace in Doune. Lindsay commented “I would highly recommend the dress shop”.
The couple chose a local florist called Judi Paterson of Floral Gems. According to Lindsay “the flowers were great and she moved them so we could use them at the castle and the reception. We gave the flowers away to friends at the end of the night and they loved them.” The couple’s cake was by M & S and their florist made a cake topper of rose and thistle.
Lindsay and Niall hired a local Stirlingshire ceilidh band called Skelpit Lug. Lindsay said “They got a great atmosphere going and kept people dancing all night. And they provided a caller so even if you didn’t know the dances, you could join in.” Lindsay’s dad’s Rolls Royce was used as the car to transport the couple to the castle and back which Lindsay thinks made her Dad “secretly quite chuffed”.
On why Lindsay and Niall chose Archibald Photography, they told us “we wanted someone to capture the day in a nice relaxed way and we chose Mark as we liked what he had done at other weddings. We were thrilled with the photos. There are so many great shots to choose from and loads that we’ll look back on that really caught people just as how we remember them. My favourite image was the one with the deerhounds. We never knew that there would be 100 or so Deerhounds and their owners staying at the hotel over the weekend until the week before the wedding, but it turned out to be a great laugh. I think the photo just captures the sprit of the day. I also love any of the black and white ones in the castle and the ones taken in the castle grounds. The Gran of the Bride one also makes me laugh. My gran has an obsession with balloons for birthdays etc and despite being cheesy in the extreme, we thought she’d love it (and she did!).”
When we asked Lindsay if there was anything that didn’t work out as planned, she told us “definately the deerhounds but it was a hoot. We had a great day. All the pre-wedding planning paid off and we enjoyed every minute. We had a great day getting friends and family together. A lot of people hadnt seen each other for years and all the catching up made for a great atmosphere.”
Here’s some of our favourite images from their day:
Chris and Ashleigh originally met when they were very junior doctors. They were colleagues and then friends for a few years until they got together around January 2007. Chris proposed to Ashleigh when they were on holiday in Cuba May 2008 – Ashleigh thought it was about time! They were in the Hotel National in Havana being serenaded by a Cuban band – how lovely!
Chris and Ashleigh looked at quite a few venues initially. Ashleigh was keen on a weekend type wedding since lots of Chris’ family were travelling from England and would need accommodation. Then Ashleigh found the baronial style Dalmunzie Castle‘s website and could hardly sleep that night she was so excited! As Ashleigh told us “Dalmunzie Castle offered everything I was looking for in an amazing setting. In addition the food is a very high standard which was also very important to us. The staff were excellent throughout – Emma and the team went out of their way at all times to ensure everything went smoothly. I really loved the extent to which we got to really personalise everything about our day, and at the same time felt really looked after. The exclusive use aspect of the hotel meant that we felt really special and felt that the staff got to know us and our guests during our stay.”
The hotel is situated in Highland Perthshire in a 6500 acre estate dating back to 1510. It is apparently the highest hotel in Britain and is described as “hidden in the heart of Scotland”.
The ceremony was held in the nearby and unbelievably picturesque historic Spittal of Glenshee Church. Nestling in the dramatic hills of the Scottish Highlands, this church is ideal for couples wishing a Highland wedding. The name Glenshee comes from a gaelic word which signifies fairies and also means peace.
Ashleigh’s hair and make-up was done by Julie Sangster at Riah Hair Design in Banchory. Julie and her assistants came up to the hotel on the wedding morning so there was minimal rushing around and they were really pleased with the results.
Ashleigh’s dress was Aurelie by Maggie Sottero. Asheigh told us “I tried many dresses, but had seen this one in a magazine first and really loved it. It took a while to find a shop which stocked it – Roberta Buchan in Glasgow seemed to be the only one in Scotland. It was worth the wait! I absolutely loved my dress. I am really proud that I managed to wear it all day and evening especially since there was no time to loosen the lace up back before (or after) the meal!
My biggest extravagance was probably my shoes – I went for sparkly gold Ginas that I really enjoyed wearing on honeymoon too. I also liked my garter which was in Hunting Pride tartan to match my grooms kilt from McCalls.”
Butterflies of Blairgowrie was the florist for the wedding and according to Ashleigh “the white hydrangias of the table decorations were amazing. Beatrice also decorated my cake with fresh flowers – peach roses and hydrangea to match my theme.
The cake was from our home town, Robertsons the baker of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. I was delighted with the cake. I bought lace and pearls to match the vintage theme and the baker iced them on.”
The couple’s band were Kilter and they were “excellent”. One of the band members did the ceremony piping too. Asheligh told us “they did a brilliant ceilidh with a disco later on. Our guests loved the band! Even guests from England managed the dancing thanks to the calling from the band. We were really grateful to them for playing into the evening later than planned too!”
Ashleigh and Chris were also really pleased with their wedding car, which was a 1948 Bentley from Alyth Classic Restorations.
Chris and Ashleigh looked at quite a few photographers but were impressed by the images on the Archibald Photography website. Ashleigh told us that after they met Mark for the first time, they felt “confident that we had made the right choice, as he really listened to what we wanted. On the day itself Mark was great. He was unobtrusive, easy to be around and really added to the fun of the day. We are delighted with all our photos. It’s hard to choose just one favourite. I think it would have to be the ones of us walking up the glen from a distance though – it makes me laugh as I remember how stunned we were when Mark suddenly scrambled on top of the roof of his own car just to get a good shot! I don’t believe we could have chosen a better photographer to share our day.”
The couple had a BBQ on the Friday night, and having already met and greeted their guests made the day itself much less stressful for them. It still all passed too quickly for them though! But overall they had the most amazing day …..”the best of our lives”.
Here’s a short video showing our favourite images from their day:
Anna & Kev first met in a hotel in Maidenhead. Being in retail at the time, they had the same job in different areas of the country and met while on a management training course. Anna was living and working in Dundee and Kev in Sheffield. Through the wonders of mobile telephones they kept in daily contact for about a month and then Anna went down to see Kev about a month later and that was that! The couple did long distance for 6 months and then Kev moved up to Scotland. They’ve been together 3 years now.
Kev proposed to Anna. As Anna told us “it was on Christmas morning, just us in our little flat under the christmas tree. I had no idea and the ring was disguised in a big box under the tree that I had been shaking and trying to figure out for about 3 weeks!”
For the location of the wedding Anna & Kev wanted somewhere close. Although Anna has lived in Dundee most of her adult life, she was born and brought up in Fife and so started looking there. Anna told us “I fell in love with Fernie Castle, not too over the top despite being classed as a castle, really cute and Scottish and we could get married outside which was something I always wanted. I felt it was very successful, everything we requested was done, no dramas or incidents leading up to the wedding and the day ran smoothly thanks to Ashley the manager.”
Anna’s hair was done at her hairdresser in Dundee; Saks and makeup for Anna, bridesmaids and MOB was done by Eye Candy Scotland run by a very lovely and professional lady called Lynne Mills.
Anna’s gorgeous dress was from a shop called The Bride in Broughty Ferry. Anna told us it was “the best bridalwear store for service I visited by a million miles and I did venture to quite a number! Elaine who owns and runs the store is brilliant!!” Anna also wore a necklace that was hand made for her by a jewellers called Number 5 in Cupar.
Cake and mini cakes were provided by Macmocakes and according to Anna “again, brilliant service and one of the most delicious cakes i’ve ever tasted (chocolate) Couldn’t bring myself to eat my lemon mini mo as they were just too cute.”
Another supplier considered worth a mention by Anna would be Finishing Touches by Adele in Kirkcaldy. “The room was done up beautifully by her, Adele actually comes herself and irons and dresses everything herself. Excellent service and can provide pretty much everything you could need for your tables. Having visited her shop although she didn’t provide my stationary the stuff she has in her store is gorgeous and I probably would have gone with her if I hadn’t already organised it before meeting her.”
Anna & Kev’s photography search started through the Scottish Wedding Directory where they basically googled all the adverts that they liked. Anna told us that Archibald Photography “was one of the first I really liked the look of. Marks style was the kind of thing I was looking for and after meeting with him our decision was made. I was more than happy with the service, especially on the big day!”
She continued “Our favourite image is too tough to pick! The one on the front of our proofbook is one of my favourites whilst Kev’s are the 2 sepia ones in front of the turrett. I also love the ones of me and my bridesmaids laughing, we all look fab! Lots of the first dance ones too, theres just too many amazing ones!”
The couple’s evening entertainment was a band called Real Easy from Glasgow. As Anna told us “I think they were one of the highlights of the day, absolutely brilliant! People were dancing from the minute they started right up until the end of the night. The dance floor was packed! Everybody commented on how good they were and I would recommend them to everyone who wants a good mix of old and new music that people will want to boogie to.”
The best thing about Anna & Kev’s day was “the actual getting married of course!” Although it all flew by in a bit of a blur for them, saying their vows and being told they were now husband and wife was “amazing!”. The only bit that didn’t go to plan was the couple’s florist arrangements which unfortunately actually caused delays to their day.
The whole day was special for the couple. As Anna said “I think we managed to plan and organise it perfectly for us exactly how we wanted it! Don’t think it was anything specific we did, we just brought the right people and elements together to make it how we wanted it. I would sum up the whole experience as amazing amazing amazing! I want to do it all over again, it really was the best day ever and I can’t believe its all over!”
Here’s more of our favourites from the day:
What a cheeky look!
Received an amazingly lovely email from Kev and Anna after we met up with them for their wedding photography preview on Friday night. I think it’s fair to say they are pretty pleased with their images. Thanks guys for the lovely email! Our favourite images from their wedding to be posted on the blog soon.
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Subject: Our photos….AMAZING!!!!!
Hi,
Just wanted to say thanks you soooo much!!! just watched the photos again for the 4th or 5th time since last night and they get even better each time we look at them, I have too many favourites already…….!!!. Cant stress how fantastic they are and how mark captured everything perfectly!!
Thank you so much will speak soon
Kev & Anna xx
What do you do as a photographer when it really pours with rain? Hide in the corner with your head in your hands? NO! (OK, maybe for a second when nobody is looking) At Anne and Allan’s wedding in Stirling on Friday we detoured to Cambuskenneth Abbey for some cool architecturally inspired shots. The rain and wind were trying to outdo each other in the “most annoying element” stakes. No problem. Inside the belltower of the abbey it was very dark but had the most amazing pockets of light created by the tiny windows. We got some incredible stuff in there.
Would we have had such fun if the rain hadn’t helped us look beyond the obvious? Before we knew it the rain was off and we had the best of both worlds.
Thank you Scottish weather. You are always on our side if we think about it enough!
Thanks to Louise & Neil for their lovely email received this week:
“Just to let you know we have received our photo album and we are absolutely thrilled with it. The quality is amazing. I will be recommending you to friends and family. Thanks again for such wonderful service.” Louise & Neil
Louise & Neil were married at Inverness Cathedral & the Drumossie Hotel last year with their gorgeous little daughter in attendance as a flowergirl. The process of finalising their album was delayed a bit by their move to United Arab Emirates after the wedding but glad we could tie in with their recent visit home and have them so happy with the finished results.
Here’s some of our favourite images from their wedding:
