A first with Linda and Rich

I had the honour of capturing the wedding of the stunning Richard and Linda at the most awesome, breathtaking, spectacular and amazing Drummond castle yesterday. It was especially special as it was the first wedding to EVER be held at Drummond Castle in Crieff, Scotland. How cool is that!!! It is the summer home of the Queens cousin and is quite something. Must have the most amazing gardens I have ever seen. I almost expected the Queen herself to pop her head out one of the windows to say hello!

Here is a taster of the day. The rest to follow....

A Day with Amy and Will

I had an absolute blast shooting the wedding af Amy and Will in Edinburgh yesterday. Here is a quick taster of some of the awesome shots taken in the Lobby of the Atrium and on the walk through Edinburgh. The rest to follow soon....

Thanks to Chris for assisting!

Season time out

As we approach the end of the busy Summer season we would like to thank all our friends for the wonderful times we have been able to share with you, thanks for choosing us to capture your memories.

I came across this video last night and it reminds me of not only a great film but also of the special moments between our couples this year.. aah romance, nothing like it!

Emma and Nick - The day before!!

I had a great time getting to know Emma and Nick a little better on the beach the day before their wedding in Aberdour. Thanks for the enthusiasm guys. it was great fun!! Look how relaxed you both look...real professionals!

The Wedding of Emma and Nick

It was off to Aberdour castle again today which is one of our favourite venues to share the day before for the engagement session on the beach, so it was time to put all the practice in action.

Charmaine was off to capture the mornings excitement and captured some great shots of the girls and I was in Aberdour with a very regal looking bunch of officers and I must way that the uniforms look great in the shots. 

Emma and her bridesmaids arrived looking gorgeous and ready to get down to business. The service was lovely in the castle as always and there was even a stunning vocal sung by one of Emma's friends from Australia.

The weather held back and we spent some time in the gardens of the castle after the service capturing some stunning images. I must say a special thanks to the RSM who helped gather folk for the pics, the job offer is still on the table RSM!!

There was lots of time at the castle after the service for the guests to relax and enjoy a glass or two of champagne and the sunshine so everyone was chilled out!

The evening was held in a beautifully decorated marques at Nicks parents home in Burntisland where the couple and guests had a fabulous celebration of Emma and Nick's wedding.  The speeches were awesome and we especially loved Nick's drawings done a long time ago. Emma your Mum and Dads speeches were especially moving.

It was such a great collection of people from the UK and Australia and I especially enjoyed the rugby jibes.

It was truly a stylish and lovely affair and we were delighted to be able to share the day with you guys. You are so in love and we wish you both a wonderful life together. 

See you soon.

Stefan and Charmaine

The Wedding of Amie and Mark

Following a great day with Jo and Colin we arrived back home, cleaned the kit and prepared to share a special day with Mark and Amie. We first met Mark and Amy over a year ago and have already had the opportunity of doing a studio session with the kiddies Liam and Sophie. Today was your chance to be in front of the camera folks.

Charmaine started the day at Amie's home catching all the morning excitement and I was of to Marks to get the boys in action. Mark was rather nervous but so willing to do some serious posing for the shots. Thanks Mark, you are always the gentleman.

Charmaine was able to capture some great moments in the morning and there are some great shots of little Liam in his suit. Little Sophie looked so pretty in her finery and boy did she like looking like a princess!!

The ceremony was held in St Thomas's church in Costorphine and was an awesome union of two of the most wonderful people we have met in a long time. It was then off to the Kaim Park for the evenings festivities and photography. It was great seeing the kids getting down to the boogie once the music started. 

It was a great day overall and we were honoured to share the day with you Amie and Mark. You are a fantastic couple and we wish you a wonderful life together full of happiness and joy.

 

Thanks for inviting our little girl Summer to the wedding, she loved watching all the dancing and loves the toys that you bought for her.

See you soon.

Stefan and Charmaine

The Wedding of Jo and Colin

Morning broke and after we packed the cars with our gear, we rushed out the house to spend the day with Jo and Colin. Charmaine went to catch all the morning prep with Jo and her crew and I had the pleasure of catching the boys and even got to use a stunning red Triumph convertable as a prop. The boys looked very dapper in their finest.

It was then off to the beautiful historic Torphican Kirk for the ceremony which provided the perfect backdrop to the service. Jo arrived looking absolutely stunning and we could see that Colin lost a breath or two when he saw his beautiful bride. Jo and Colin looked so excited and in love and the service was one of the best we have been to - Cliff the minister has a great sense of humour.  Eli and Alice, Jo's daughters looked gorgeous and delivered the most amazing readings that brought a tear to most.

After we had the chance to spend some time outside the Kirk taking photographs we were of to Grange Manor Hotel where the reception was being held. It proved to be the perfect venue and the guys at the Grange Manor did a stirling job making sure that everything ran smoothly and that Jo and Colin had the perfect day. The room itself was decorated beautifully and the table decorations really added to the the theme of the day. 

I must mention the speeches that involved an hysterical slideshow by Colin's brother with some great shots of you Colin and a touching speech by Jo's brother James. 

My highlight was Jo's determined efforts to get us a piece of the fabulous wedding cake after we had mentioned that we never seem to get any cake...Jo it was awesome and thank you for taking the "Get some cake for Stefan mission" so seriously.

It was a cracking day and we were delighted to be able to share it with Jo and Colin. We wish you guys a fantastic life together as a new family.

Thanks also to Chris Crawford for assisting us on the day.

See you soon.

Stefan and Charmaine

The Wedding of Gwen and Craig

The weather forecast was for heavy thunder showers all day and we were keeping our fingers crossed that it would clear up so that we could celebrate Gwen and Craig’s wedding at the Dalmahoy in style.
We were lucky as the weather held beautifully and we were able to capture some truly magnificent pictures of a truly regal couple.

In the morning we arrived at the Dalmahoy to capture some shots of the bride and her bridesmaids getting ready and everything was going according to schedule. Gwen was looking very elegant with her hair pulled up and her make-up being done professionally. Eleonor, her sister and Lynne, a close friend were on hand to help the bride make the finishing touches.

From there we travelled across Edinburgh to the Methodist Church in Nicolson Square and enjoyed a beautiful service with the bridal party and their guests. Gwen’s brother in law sang a beautiful solo with Eleanor accompanying him on the violin. It was a very romantic and touching service.

Once the bridal couple had a chance to greet all the guests outside the church we made our way up to Arthur’s seat to capture some shots with this Scottish landmark in the background. The sky had opened up beautifully and was blue with the sun shining through. We then went back to the Dalmahoy to share the rest of the day with Gwen and Craig.

The couple were greeted by a hundred guests and after taking a number of formal shots we were able to spend some time with Gwen and her husband Craig getting those very important portrait pictures. The backdrop was stunning with the beautiful hotel in the background and the greens of the golf course. We were able to capture some fantastic shots of a couple who were more than willing to please.

We also admired all the beautiful decorations in the Dalmahoy Suite where the reception was being held. In particular, the stunning wedding cake with its delicate flowers which was especially made for Gwen, by her mom, Brenda.

Craig and Gwen, you were fantastic to work with and we loved spending the day with you. Thank you also for the fabulous meal you offered us, it was delicious and certainly gave us the extra strength to finish up the pictures for the rest of the evening. We hope you have a great honeymoon in Brazil and we’ll catch up when you get back.

The Wedding of Catherine and Dougie

Think of a castle, a prince and princess and you will sum up the wedding of Catherine and Dougie perfectly.

The 26th July dawned bright and beautiful and we knew we were going to have a sweltering day as we made our way across town to Oxenfoord Castle to celebrate their wedding.

On arrival we could hear the chatter and laughter of the bridesmaids who were having a ball getting ready and catching up. Catherine arrived and after putting the final touches to her make-up and hair, she slipped on what can only be described as the perfect wedding gown for her. She looked magical…..

Dougie was waiting patiently at the chapel and very soon Catherine make her entrance walking up through the beautiful gardens to walk down the aisle. All the bridesmaids in their finery were on hand to assist Catherine as she made her way up. The ceremony itself was beautiful and emotional and both Catherine and Dougie looked the picture of happiness when they finally exchanged rings and sealed it with a kiss.

From there it was signing of the register and a slow march back down to the castle to enjoy a champagne reception, dinner and finally the festivities for the evening.We had a superb time photographing the couple not only because they looked like to gorgeous models from Vogue but because of their patience, elegance and enduring charm. They were eager to do all the posing we wanted and managed to paint smiles on their faces throughout. How they put up with us, we’ll never know!!
Catherine and Dougie, we had a great time sharing your wedding day with you and hope you are having a ball during your five week honeymoon across the globe. We look forward to catching up with you when you get back to go through the pictures which we believe are truly fantastic. We wish you much happiness and joy in your marriage going forward.

The Wedding of Kim and Darren

The 28th June was a beautiful day with barely a cloud in the sky and we were lucky enough to be making our way up to Aberfoyle for Kim and Darren’s wedding at Forest Hills. For those of you that haven’t been there before, it’s the most beautiful setting for a wedding and we were delighted to be able to take photographs there and spend such a glorious day with married couple to be.

Darren arrived nice and early for the 2pm ceremony looking very dapper in his Welsh kilt and not too long thereafter Kim arrived in an old fashioned Bentley. The bridesmaids and flower girl arrived a few minutes before looking elegant in purple and cream. Kim stepped out the car and we all gasped as we saw how beautiful she looked – she reminded us of Elizabeth Shue, the actress who starred with Tom Cruise in Cocktail many moons ago (I know, we are showing our age!!!), totally stunning.

The dress was a lovely creation in gold with pearl beading and it suited Kim really well. Although extremely nervous leading up to the walk down the aisle, Kim managed to hold it together for the rest of the ceremony and thoroughly enjoying the welcome glass of champagne afterwards.

The pictures were easy to do as both Darren and Kim were more than happy to “trepse” alone the stony paths and wet grass to the best locations. We captured them from across the pond, at the waterfall and at the little bridge and the pictures did not disappoint.

Everyone present were great sports and a big thank you to Greg for doing all the “shouting” when we needed to get the relevant bridal groups together. Greg, you were a great help!

From the photographs to the reception, good fun was had by all at what can only be considered a very stylish elegant affair. We loved the day, guys and hope you had a superb honeymoon. I’m sure we’ll hear all about it when you get back and all the best to you both.

The Wedding of Kerry and Andy

All I can say about Kerry and Andy's wedding is ..Wow!! A stunning Church, an incredible spread at the Hilton Grosvenor, a band that had the folk getting down until the early hours of the morning and a couple that were an absolute pleasure to be around.

The Old Parish Church in Costorphine was perhaps one of the most beautiful churches I have seen in years. We took our position for the service at the back of the church overlooking the ceremony. The fun part was that we has to squeeze up a very tiny and dusty staircase, dating back a few hundred years. (I'm sure folk were smaller back then as there is no way that you could climb those stairs in a hurry).

Kerry arrived with her bridesmaids looking stunning and quite relaxed. Andy too was as cool as a cucumber as he waited for his bride looking very dashing in his finest.

The service ended with a very "happy" version of "He's got the whole world in his hands", which was ended with a round of applause. Great Fun!

It was then off to the Hilton and some time in the gardens at the end of the street for some photography. Kerry's best pals provided the song and dance, much to the surprise of the neighbours around:) What a laugh that was. The bridesmaids made the garden session even better as they were all too willing to do some serious posing without any prompting - Cosmopolitan will be calling gals, you were great.

Once we had the photos we needed it was back to the Hilton for a cracking evening's entertainment highlighted by the Soul Kings, who were fantastic.

A great day in Edinburgh and a fantastic couple. We wish you all the best guys and thanks for inviting us to your celebration!!

The Wedding of Louise & Alan

Louise and Alan were married in the East Larbert Church in Larbert on 14 June 2008. Arriving at Louise’s mum’s house to capture pictures of the bride getting ready it was pleasing to see how very calm and excited everyone was.
Louise already appeared to be having such a good time and when the bridesmaids appeared in their beautiful lime green dresses, it was evident the pictures were going to turn out great with the contrasting colours. Louise looked like a fairy tale princess, her dress was simply beautiful, a stylish romantic affair which added to the beauty of the pictures.

From the church everyone moved onto the reception venue, the Three Kings in Falkirk where the rest of the wedding was held. Everyone was so friendly and engaging and taking photo’s of the bridal party was an absolute pleasure. Louise and Alan in particular were great at posing and doing what we wanted without a single complaint, even though we’re sure we wrecked your shoes, Louise!!!! During the photo session, the weather took a turn for the worse and the rain came pelting down so it was a frantic run for the trees in order to get good cover but this certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits and it added some drama to the day.

Both Alan and Louise were outstanding throughout which made our jobs really easy. Louise and Alan, we had a great time on your big day and want to thank you both for being such a great and engaging couple. This truly makes what we do such a pleasure and it shows in your pictures which are simply stunning, even if we do say so ourselves (ha! ha!)….

It’s been a while…..

Feels like ages since we last posted a blog but it’s been one heck of a time. With our wedding season jam packed, portraiture sessions in full swing and a long awaited adoption over, we are finally getting back to our usual day to day activities.
Yes, after 3 very long years we have welcomed a new arrival to our family, a beautiful 13 month old baby girl called Summer Riley and she has certainly turned out to be a ray of sunshine in our lives.
Summer arrived on the 5th June and we are enjoying every spare minute we have with her. She is as cute as a button – well that’s what everyone tells us when they meet her and she’s learning new things every day.

To add to this, we are certainly getting in lots of practice on the photography side as little Summer is being snapped on a daily basis….we just can’t help ourselves!!!

The Wedding of Jayne and Dave

Jayne and David’s wedding was certainly something to be remembered. Arriving at their home in the morning to take shots of the bride, it was great to see the sun streaming across a beautiful blue sky. Jayne was in fine spirits and was aptly assisted by her Mum and two bridesmaids in getting ready.

The wedding dress was magical, metres of material in a rich champagne shade with bits of sparkle scattered here and there. Adding to the beauty of the dress was when Jayne stepped into it and all the straps across the back had been tied.

From the brides home the bridal party made its way down to Aberdour Castle to celebrate the union of Jayne and David. The service was touching and humorous at the same time with the minister having some interesting moments…Jayne and David’s vows were completed. We were eager to get some formal shots whilst the weather was holding up and we certainly couldn’t have asked for a better day – the sun was beaming!

With the backdrop of the castle we were able to capture stunning shots of the couple and bridal party. Jayne and David were so patient during our time together and this certainly showed throughout the photo’s. They both looked so happy and were certainly having a fun time.
Once the photo’s were completed, everyone made their way across the Forth Road Bridge to continue the festivities at Orocco Pier. With the Forth Road Bridge in the background, it was the perfect backdrop to the day. It was an awesome experience working with Jayne and David and we enjoyed every minute and can only say they were great fun and professional throughout the day. A big thanks from us for letting us share your day with you both…..

Kerry and Andy's Engagement Session - Saughton Park

This morning I had the pleasure of sharing the company of Kerry and Andy and to shoot the pre wedding "E" Session. It was great to get to bond with the fab couple who tie the knot in a few weeks at the Costorphine Old Parish Church, followed by a huge reception at the Grosvenor Hilton Hotel in Edinburgh.

We are really looking forward to your big day folks and thanks for this morning, it was great fun.

Stefan

Linda and Aaron do Norton House with style!!

Saturday, 10th May 2008 dawned a bright and beautiful day. It started off a real “swealter” and by the time we arrived at Norton House Hotel for Aaron and Linda’s wedding, the day looked glorious. It was good to see the enthusiasm from Aaron who was literally dressed and ready way ahead of schedule. Aaron and his best man, Liam were soon “downing” the beers to keep the heat at bay and to help with the nerves, I suspect.

A couple of casual shots of the two blokes turned out great and who said women were the “posers” – these two did themselves proud and we captured some great shots in a matter of minutes.
Linda arrived at about 1pm and was soon in the bridal suite putting the finishing touches to her make-up and getting her dress on. Both her Mum and Tracey, the maid of honour were on hand to help Linda who was in fine spirits and to say the very least, the most relaxed bride to be we have ever seen.

The ceremony kicked off with Linda on the arm of her Dad walking down the red carpet in the Norton House Ballroom with all the guests eagerly appraising this stunning bride. Linda was beautiful with her long dark hair and her fairy tale princess dress. It was beautiful – all white and sparkly. And soon the couple were saying their vows which was hugely emotional and not a dry eye was left in the house as Aaron showed his softer side with a few tears escaping…. and more!!!

That said, the ceremony was soon over and it was time for the pictures. And being in Scotland the sun wasn’t going to stay, not a chance as very soon the rain started pelting down. We did our best with the formals in doors and made the most of the beautiful backdrops – the staircase and entrance to the hotel. Linda and Aaron were the perfect customers as they were so helpful and eager to get those perfect shots.

We can only say a huge thanks to the most patient and engaging couple we have ever met. They were utterly charming and the fabulous shots we got of them together proved that all the hard work was certainly worth it in the end.

Aaron and Linda, thank you for being perfect on the day. We thoroughly enjoyed spending the time with you and wish you much happiness, love and joy for the rest of your lives together.

The stunning flowers of the day were provided by Lilium of Edinburgh and the fabulous cake by Sucre Coeur.