Wedding Photography by Silver Photography

My New Studio Matted Album

2012-01-27T15:10:00.000Z

For quite some time now I have wanted to introduce a more affordable matted album to the line-up of packages I offer to my clients as, over the last couple of years, I have noticed a definite swing towards the slightly more classic look that matted albums can provide. Well, I finally found a break between shooting and editing weddings and have managed to put one together to be included in my new price list.

Firstly, for those who don't know, I use the term 'matted' to describe the way the photographs are presented within the album itself. The photographs are displayed behind a piece of thick card (called a matt or overlay) which in turn has an aperture cut into it to effectively frame the pictures. Each photograph has its own aperture and there can be several of these per page. You can read little bit more about this here.

The other matted albums I have always offered, the Bespoke Matted albums, are very beautifully constructed and offer a huge range of customising options, but sadly have been out of the price range for some clients. This is where the new Studio Matted albums fit in. They are made by the same Australian company that produce all of my albums, Jorgensen, and are constructed to their usual exacting high standards but they differ in just a couple of small details.

The differences between the Studio Matted albums and the Bespoke Matted albums are that the Studio albums are always square and have either a black or a white cover. The cover and overall size of the album is 12"x12" and the largest size photograph that will be inside is a generous 10"x10". The albums come in different capacities of 30 and 40 pages, holding 50 and 70 photographs respectively, and can be upgraded by adding 10 pages at a time up to a maximum of 60 pages in total.

The sample album I have produced here has a black cover with black pages but, to make it a little more interesting, I have used white matts (the card overlays that sit on top of the photographs). The album can also come with black matts.

As with all of the albums I use they are designed specifically for you and will fit your choices of photographs perfectly. You will be asked, some time after the wedding, to choose the pictures you want included in the album. I then take that information to produce a layout, based on your image choices, and show it to you online. You can then make changes if you need to. This design process ensures that the album is only produced when you are completely satisfied with the way it looks.

Useful Links:
What is the Difference between a Matted and a Storybook Album?
Wedding Packages
Studio Storybook Style Album
Gallery showing the differences between all of the albums I offer.

Lee and Aitor's Wedding at the Brig o' Doon Hotel in Alloway.

2012-01-27T12:30:00.000Z

My last wedding of 2011 was a great way to finish the year for me and proved just how nice a wedding in the middle of the winter can be. The day didn't start so well, for me at least, as I found myself battling westwards along the A77 in blizzard conditions the day after hurricane Bawbag had swept through the country. I was having serious doubts about continuing but as soon as I approached the coast at Ayr the snow stopped and the sun came out. Incidentally, there was originally a good chance that the wedding was going to be held a day earlier, on the day of the hurricane itself, so that was a stroke of luck!

I was on my way to the Brigodoon Hotel in Alloway for another friend's wedding - this time it was fellow Spanish nightclass attendee Lee and her Basque partner Aitor. As I mentioned in my last post, I do try and avoid covering the weddings of friends but Lee is so lovely that I knew the day would be a great one and I didn't want to pass it by. She arranged a lovely meal for me too!

I have, over the years, photographed many weddings at the Brigodoon but it was almost exactly a year since my list visit and I was struck with this incredible sense of deja vu when I arrived and found fabulous make-up artist Ainsley working in exactly the same room, in exactly the same position as when I last met her.

Lee's beautiful dress, and I seem to recall, the bridesmaid's dresses and the mother of the bride's too, were all handmade by Elspeth Kerr and were all absolutely fantastic, as you can clearly see! Once everybody was ready we all went downstairs for a wonderful multi-national ceremony. The service was a straightforward civil ceremony but with a few extra additions. The vows were translated into Basque, by Aitor's brother and best man, for all of Aitor's family that had travelled up from Spain to freeze in Scotland. There were a couple of readings and also a surprise song about the day, sung in Basque by one of Lee and Aitor's guests.

We couldn't pass by the opportunity to go outside for a few quick pictures as it was about the only dry, sunny day we'd had for weeks so out we went - it was hardly warm, I'll admit, but it was lovely all the same and gave us the chance to take some lovely pictures in the fading winter light. I started with a group shot of all of the guests, taken from the balcony, and then did a few family shots before taking the happy bride and groom up onto the famous bridge for a few more shots. A rainbow even appeared just to add a bit of kitsch to the day.

I was assured that this is traditional in the Basque part of Spain...

After photographing the speeches against the crazy, slightly distracting, floral prints of the curtains (why do hotels always have curtains like this - what's wrong with plain fabric?) the room was changed around and the evening entertainments began. To get everybody warmed up the first part of the evening was a disco with a retro vibe (I thought this was excellent and the DJ, Divine, definitely deserves a mention). Following the disco was a traditional Scottish ceilidh performed by Jiggered and, as you'll see from the photographs, the Basque contingent certainly enjoyed a bit of Scottish tradition.

Lee kindly sent me through this list of her suppliers:

Brig o' Doon Hotel - http://www.brigodoonhouse.com/

Stationery : eyilove http://www.eyilove.com

Makeup : Ainsley M http://www.ainsleym.co.uk/

Hairdresser : Louise at Rainbow Room Clarkston

Flowers : Lotte & Bloom http://www.lotteandbloom.co.uk

Dress : Elspeth Ker - Mrs Kerfuffle http://www.kerfuffle.biz

Piper : Caitlin MacDonald
Pianist : Alex Graham http://www.alexgrahampiano.co.uk

Ceilidh : Jiggered http://www.jiggered.com

Dj : Divine http://www.andrewdivine.com

Amanda and Allan's Wedding at the Art Club in Glasgow

2012-01-19T10:49:00.000Z

As a wedding photographer I try to avoid photographing friend's weddings as often as possible. There is a huge amount of work to do on the day and the chances of having a conversation with someone, or getting hold of the elusive glasses of champagne, are slim. You can be taking a short rest only have to break off and start photographing again because a bunch of guests have started to dance around with napkins on their heads, for example. You can't be a guest at a wedding and cover the day professionally as well - it just doesn't work.

However, there are always exceptions to the rule and when I was asked to photograph the wedding of my old friend Amanda, and her partner Allan, back at the end of August last year I couldn't refuse as I knew it would be a great day. Amanda and I met about 14 years ago when we were both working in Jessop's camera shop. I started work there in the first year of setting up my business, mainly to take advantage of the staff discounts so that I could build up my stocks of equipment but also to prove to myself that I would never want to work there again.

Typically, for Amanda, the wedding was a little complicated. We started at Douglas and Lee hairdressing on Bath street where Amanda sat and continued her last-minute wedding planning whilst having her hair done at the same time. Unfortunately, as you would expect in Glasgow, it started to rain while we were in there but, as we left, a kind customer donated her umbrella to the bride - very kind! We then moved a few doors up the road to a make-up studio above Eleganza Sposa and then, after that, even further up the hill to Malmaison for the final finishing and dressing.

Amanda and Allen had chosen the beautiful setting of St. Mungo Museum of Religious Art for their ceremony and their minister was kind enough to give me a free reign to take pictures which was great. There was plenty of light in there anyway so I didn't need to use a flash and so could remain fairly hidden.

After a few photographs in the grounds of the museum we all headed back up to Bath street again, this time to the Glasgow Art Club - a very old institution that was regularly visited by Amanda's father. I had been there before several times - for burlesque and cabaret shows - but never before for a wedding.

The mother of the bride meeting some of the friendly locals.

Like myself (but obviously not as good) Amanda is a keen photographer and did all of her own stationery and table settings, much of which were based on her own photographs taken around her current home on the island of Coll. The beautiful flowers are also worth a mention and they were displayed by Little Botanica.

Cam and Steph's Wedding at Oran Mor in Glasgow

2011-12-13T15:41:00.000Z

At the end of October I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding Cam and Steph at Oran Mor, at the top of Byres Road in Glasgow's West End. The weather, typically for this year, wasn't great but the Oran Mor is very much an indoors venue anyway so I knew it wouldn't matter too much.

I did, however, know about the secret mode of transport that Cam had arranged for Steph - she was to be whisked, in a circuitous route, from the Grosvenor Hotel to Oran Mor in a bicycle rickshaw pedalled by one of their running friends. Given that it was a bit drizzly, and about 7ºC, I was a little apprehensive on Steph's behalf, as most of my past brides would have politely declined the open-fronted tricycle before demanding a warm taxi, but then I found out the she likes to go wild swimming in the sea in Scotland so I knew she wouldn't mind at all.

When everybody had made it safely from one side of Byres Road to the other, by whatever means, we were treated to a very lovely humanist ceremony with candle lighting and some interesting and personal vows from Steph and Cam.

I have worked at Oran Mor many times in the past and at all times of the year and I always find it a rewarding but challenging place to photograph. It is a beautiful building inside with fantastic colourful art by famous Glaswegian artist Alasdair Gray lining the walls and ceiling. From a purely photographic point of view it is trickier than many places because it is lit almost entirely with strongly coloured lights of various colours - this undoubtedly looks lovely but when, like me, you like to photograph the ceremony without a distracting flash, you have to keep your eye on the colours!

When the ceremony had finished the drizzle had stopped and we managed to even get some photographs outside. After a few family shots on the steps by the main door Steph, Cam and I walked across the road to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. The gardens looked great and offered some lovely autumnal colours as well as the iconic outline of the Kibble Palace. As it was pretty wintry we almost had the place to ourselves as well - it made a nice change from a recent summer visit when there were half a dozen brides vying for attention.

One of the bridesmaids practising her speech to an otherwise bored member of staff.

I wanted to give a special mention to the florist for the wedding, Sparrow and Rose, as I thought that the abundant displays of flowers around Oran Mor were superb. As a keen gardener myself I really appreciated that they weren't just the usual types of flowers but, instead, there were many different and unusual varieties. You can actually see many of the photographs of the flower displays on their own blog here: http://sparrowandrose.blogspot.com/2011/12/stephs-beautiful-wedding-at-oran.html

After the cutting of the cheese cake - real cheeses stacked up in tiers like a normal wedding cake - and the speeches were out of the way Steph decided that she was going to throw her bouquet. After witnessing a lot of discussion amongst the girls about the best distance to be from Steph to ensure that they were in the best spot (and, I have to admit it, a few threats to ward off the competition) everybody lined up in preparation. Steph then threw the flowers high in the air, way out of range of my camera, and all of the awaiting single ladies, whereupon they landed unceremoniously on the floor behind everybody. Someone picked the bouquet up and claimed it for themselves but there was further discussion about whether that broke the rules and should be counted as a disqualification.

We were then treated to an excellent Ceilidh band that included one of Steph's friends, Anna, and was called Point Five.

Useful Links:
Oran Mor http://www.oran-mor.co.uk/Hilton Grosvenor Hotel http://www.hilton.co.uk/glasgowgrosvenor
Bicycle Rickshaws http://www.glasgowpedicabs.co.uk/
Sparrow and Rose Flowers http://www.sparrowandrose.com/
Point Five Ceilidh Band http://www.myspace.com/pointfiveinfo

Saffron and Tom's Wedding Photographs at The Lodge on Loch Goil.

2011-11-25T14:27:00.001Z

I've skipped a whole load of this year's weddings as I just fancied showing this one that I shot on the 5th November whilst it was fresh in my mind - I'll go back to the others though when I have more time in the quieter winter months!

Saffron and Tom booked me a bit later than usual, in September in fact, but luckily for me the date was free and I jumped at the chance for the opportunity to photograph yet another wedding at one of my very favourite locations, the Lodge on Loch Goil. In the winter, in Scotland, I dream of getting a bright, sunny and dry day and I was not sure whether this day would be the one as I awoke to think fog. The fog, in fact, continued all the way alongside Loch Lomond and only dissipated when I reached the summit of the Rest and Be Thankful, at which point the sun broke through the damp misty air and I descended down the windy road to the head of Loch Goil.

After the usual warm greeting from Alice and Kelly at the Lodge I was introduced, for the first time, to Tom and Saffron and their friends and families who made my day so enjoyable. I hadn't actually met either the bride or groom before but that didn't matter at all. In fact I am finding that pre-wedding meetings are, for me, at least, becoming less and less normal and I often don't meet the happy couple until the day itself. Saffron and I had spoken about the day over the telephone though so I still had a good idea of the coverage she and Craig wanted.

Unlike the other weddings I had photographed at the Lodge this year the wedding ceremony was to be held in the Arts and Crafts room inside the main Lodge itself (the others were all in the treehouse). It was a great room for a ceremony with natural light streaming through the big bay windows at the far end and a log fire to keep everything cosy. The civil ceremony was interspersed with a couple of lovely readings, a song and some unintended humour when the registrar (and then Craig himself) mispronounced his wife's surname, Sabine.

After the ceremony we all popped outside for a few formal pictures, a big shot of everybody taken from a balcony above and just a few pictures of Tom and Saffron themselves at various points around the gardens. With such a magical setting it would be a shame not to make the most of it! Whilst it stayed dry for the whole afternoon the sun had, by this time, slipped just over the hill behind us and there was definitely a wee nip in the air so it was time to retreat back inside to get cosy next to one of the fires again.

Most, if not all, of the weddings I have been to are based around a set format - ceremony, drinks reception, dinner and then some dancing. Today, however, was different and Tom and Saffron had organised an afternoon ceilidh courtesy of the fantastic Canned Haggis band. Personally I thought it was an excellent idea and the guests certainly seemed to have a whale of a time. I only witnessed one minor accident so it went pretty well.

When everyone had worked up an appetite all the guests, and the bride and groom, were led by two fiddlers from the band into the large conservatory for dinner. As usual (at The Lodge, at least) I was fed and can say that the food really was top notch and I could recommend the venue on that point alone! After dinner there were the usual speeches although I think special mention should go to Tom's young son, and best-man, who read his amusing speech very well indeed.

Gillian and Scott's Wedding at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden.

2011-11-04T11:46:00.000Z

On the same day as the 'other' Edinburgh wedding of Zara Phillips, at the end of July, I visited the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens for the second time that year. The last time I was here was in early February and, although the format of the day was not too dissimilar, the weather couldn't have been more different. The last time I was here, for Allyson and Martyn's wedding, it was, quite literally, barely above freezing. This time, however, I was wishing I had worn my shorts. Could I get away with that, working at a wedding? I doubt it...

Gillian wasn't bothered about having any pictures taken of her beforehand so I started my day at the gardens themselves (rather, in one of the cafes in the gardens - I had to prepare for a busy afternoon). I was there very early to take a few scenic shots and ascertain the format of the day by speaking to the staff there but, even at that early hour, guests for the wedding were starting to arrive. The problem was that Gillian, in an effort to make sure that none of her tardy guests were too late, had not been entirely truthful about the time of the ceremony on the invites to get people to the gardens early enough. Unfortunately I don't think she guessed that many of the guests had already factored in extra time and arrived super-early. Still, wandering around some gardens in the bright sunshine wasn't much of a hardship for them.

As in February, the ceremony was outside in the fairytale setting of the John Muir Grove - a stand of magnificent giant redwood trees. Having had the pleasure of witnessing a few weddings in this spot I think it would be right at the top of my preferred places to me married (if I ever needed to think about that kind of thing again, that is). Ironically, especially as I am always harping on about the bad weather and lack of light at weddings, the ceremony was quite tricky to photograph because of the very strong sun and, subsequently, dark shadows. I can often combat this by using a little bit of my flash to fill in the shadows, or by repositioning people, but neither of these were an option for me unfortunately. The saving grace in these circumstances was that there was plenty of space around the grove for me to sneak about to try and get a good angle unnoticed.

After the ceremony Gillian and Scott were piped back up the aisle by a pair of excellent pipers who were also guests at the wedding. They played a heck of a lot more than many so-called professional wedding pipers and having the sound of two pipers was extraordinary. The drinks reception was supposed to be inside the Caledonian Hall but, because of the gorgeous weather, everybody just stayed outside and made the most of the fantastic surroundings. I spent much of the day feeling very contented that I was at a venue such as this on a sunny day rather than one of the many venues without any outdoor space!

Throughout the afternoon Gillian and Scott had arranged for a band to play on the lawn and I feel that they need special mention. I can honestly say that I do love the slightly more traditional string quartets (I actually worked with the Pleyel Quartet recently and they were brilliant!) but this band were just out of this world. They were called the Banjo Lounge Trio (even though there was 4 of them) and their style is quite hard to describe - they describe themselves as Bluegrass Lounge Pop. All I can say is, if you want to spice up your wedding afternoon then I just couldn't recommend these guys any more highly.

When we were all baked enough we began the long procession, led again by the two pipers, up to the John Hope Gateway which is the main entrance to the gardens. Upstairs they had converted the cafe into a wedding dining area and it was remarkably nice with a very woody earthy feel to it. Although I wasn't there when it was dark apparently it becomes even more spectacular as the pond and sloping gardens that face the broad decking next to the cafe are all lit up.

Book Your Wedding Photography During November and Receive a Free Parent's Album

2011-11-01T10:24:00.003Z

As this year is drawing to a close I have started a new promotional offer. If you book your wedding photography with me during the months of November or December this year you will receive, free of charge, a 10 page Parent's Album worth up to £135.

This applies to any package on any available date. Your Parent's Album will be 8"x8" in size and have ten pages holding ten photographs of your choice. You can choose between either the Storybook Style or the Matted Style of album in black or white. If you want to upgrade the album to a larger capacity then you will be very welcome to simply pay the difference in price.

For a gallery of photographs showing the lovely Jorgensen Parent's albums that I use please follow this link: http://silverphotography.co.uk/reprints/parents_albums_gallery.htm

If you have any questions, or would like to check my availability for your wedding date, please contact me here: http://silverphotography.co.uk/contact.htm or give me a call on 01505 358967.

A Bespoke Storybook Album with Black Backgrounds

2011-10-27T15:31:00.000+01:00

I have just finished putting together another beautiful 14"x10" Bespoke Storybook style album today and thought it was worth showing. Interestingly the bride and groom, Dot and Carl, chose to have the backgrounds of their album black, rather than the usual white. This is easy for me to change and gives the album a totally different look. On each page the individual images are cleanly framed with a 0.6mm white keyline to make them stand out more.

The Australian Jorgensen albums I use are hugely customisable - if you have an idea or special request for your own album then please just ask. Both the black backgrounds and the white borders can, in fact, be changed for any colour imaginable (but I would probably try and talk you out of that canary yellow shade...). I can nearly always incorporate your design ideas into your album, whatever they may be, to make it just that little bit more special.

Dot and Carl also had a PhotoCover on half of the front of their album. The image they chose was an enlarged portion of Dot's bouquet - a nice idea and one that was very successful I think.

For more information about the albums I use and how they are incorporated into my pricing schedule please have a look at these other links:

http://trevorwilsonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-different-types-of-album-styles.html

http://trevorwilsonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-studio-albums.html

http://trevorwilsonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/packages-and-prices-explained.html

Jan and John's Wedding Photographs at the Roman Camp Hotel

2011-10-21T15:31:00.000+01:00

Today's post will have to be a wee bit shorter than usual as I am in the middle of one of my busiest Octobers ever, with a couple of weddings each week still, even though it is quite late in the year. Also, as usual, many clients from throughout the year, even as far back as 2010, decide it is about time that they all submit their album orders at the same time resulting in a bit of an unavoidable backlog.

The collection of photographs here, taken back in mid-July, are just a few from the wedding of Jan and John at one of my most visited venues this year, the Roman Camp Hotel in Callander. The whole wedding was lovely but the one thing that make it particularly special for me was that they persevered and had the ceremony outside, down by the river. It is a little ironic, I think, that in one of the wettest years I can remember I have done more wedding ceremonies outside than ever before - 5 this year! Perhaps the awful weather has toughened up the brides, or perhaps they are just more persistent... The humanist ceremony, conducted by Mary Wallace, was as lovely as ever and featured a hand-fastening.

Just as the ceremony was in it's closing stages the rain started and it was a bit of a mad dash back up to the welcoming fires and champagne at the hotel. We did manage to pop in and out in between showers and even managed to get some photographs taken in the walled garden.

As I have said many times on this blog before, I think that the Roman Camp is a wonderful place to have a wedding. In fact, when Jan and John collected their album he said to me "why would you choose to get married anywhere else?". I am inclined to agree!

Bespoke Album Photo Covers

2011-10-18T12:09:00.000+01:00

Last night I met up with the lovely Gillian when she came over to collect her 14"x10" Storybook album. Gillian and Gary were married, very near to where I am based, back in July at St Columba's church in Renfrew followed by a reception at the Glynhill Hotel.

I must make a confession - I am not usually a fan of white covers on an album (maybe I am too anti-tradition!) but Gillian had chosen to have an almost full-size photocover on the front of hers and we both agreed that it looked fantastic!

For those who don't know, a photocover is an actual photograph that is printed onto special paper and then covered in the factory with a tough, but invisible, thin satin laminate. This is then bonded on to the cover of the album at the time of manufacture and the results are always very impressive. The image is, obviously, one of your choice and can cover as much of the cover as in the picture above or, if you prefer, just a half or even less. As well as the image itself it is very easy to add some text - just ask!

Karen and Matthew Wilkin's Wedding in Ayrshire

2011-09-27T10:35:00.000+01:00

Back in July I had a smashing day photographing a wedding that must surely be a hot contender for the loveliest wedding of the year. It was also in the running for the hottest wedding day of the year award too - not that I was complaining after the weeks of wet weekends. For once the lens hoods in my camera bag would actually be used for stopping glare from the sun, as they were designed to do, rather than keeping off the raindrops.

My day started at Karen's parent's house down in Dalry, in Ayrshire and I arrived right in the middle of her bridezilla moment. Resisiting the temptation to run away I stuck it out and learned that the reason for this was that the handmade pompoms (actually very impressive, and supplied by Melody's Pom Pom shop on Etsy) hadn't been hung quite right in the venue. Because the hotel didn't have a ladder, apparently. Things soon calmed down and I gave the bride and bridesmaid a lift in my car down the road to the nearby Dalgarven House Hotel.

A lot of my clients pay attention to the little details of their day, which is why I always try and photograph as many as possible as a record, but Karen (or maybe it was Matthew?) just seemed to have a real knack for it and had some beautiful features. Two things that you wouldn't really think compatible were the eating of vast quantities of Wilkin's Jam, so that the appropriately branded jars could be used for the flower vases, and, subsequently, still managing to fit into the wonderful vintage wedding dress Karen had sourced online at Vintageous.

Bunting, hand made by the bride's grannie.

After I picked the lock of the hotel room door (all part of the service) the preparations could continue and I was introduced to Wee Alan. He really was very wee indeed and it was just as well that Karen's other dress (not the vintage one, this was the very elegant daytime one from Sarah Louise Bridal) had pockets to keep him safely in as he had the important role of being the Lucky Brass Pig - borrowed from Karen's bridesmaid where he had, apparently, been bringing good fortune since her higher exams. He managed to conjure up a scorching hot day to a country largely devoid of good weather so, clearly, he must be very powerful in spite of his diminutive stature.

I was pleased to see that humanist celebrant Tim Maguire was conducting wedding the ceremony. We seem to meet up quite regularly through the year and I always look forward to seeing what he will be wearing as it is never, ever, the same thing. To me, at least, the humanist ceremony perfectly suited Karen and Matthew and had a great mix of humour and emotion - very fitting.

Next to the hotel is Dalgarven Mill and we took the opportunity to pop over to take a few pictures there. I had driven past it mill many times in the past but had never been in. It really is worth a visit - if you aren't interested in the mill itself then there is an interesting collection of costumes including, rather fittingly, an exhibition of wedding dresses from the last 100 years. If you aren't interested in that either then there is a smashing cafe to keep you occupied.

We thought we would take a quick picture at the bus stop for a bit of fun but, quite thoughtlessly, a bus stopped there just as we were ready - it did make for some amusing shots though.

The excited mill owner was keen to show us his wildflower meadow as he thought it would make a good backdrop for some pictures. The petite meadow was indeed gorgeous and made for some lovely photographs. Karen and Matt didn't like posing for the camera at all so this was great - they could run free amongst the flowers, with Wee Alan in his little pocket, whilst I took some pictures from a distance.

The wedding cake, supplied by Sugar and Spice in Troon, was topped by another Etsy find. This time they were made by BritanniaDrew - very good but, I have to say, the bride-bird looks very cross...

I have seen photo-booths at weddings before. The idea is that wedding guests can have their picture taken (sometimes a video even) as a record for the bride and groom. Karen and Matthew made one in their own unique style featuring a range of props and a picture frame. I would love to see all the results as I am sure they will be entertaining...

Not my idea - I just take the photographs...

I had a whale of a time at this wedding, and everybody else seemed to as well. I am sure that it must have taken a very long time, and a lot of effort, to source all of the little details but it was no effort at all for me to capture photographs of everyone looking happy as this wedding just seemed to ooze fun and it is one I shall remember for a very long time.

Useful Links.

Humanist Tim Maguire http://humanistweddingsinscotland.blogspot.com/

Dalgarven House Hotel http://www.dalgarven.co.uk/

Vintageous Vintage Clothes http://www.vintageous.com/

Pom Poms on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/melodywei

Dalgarven Mill http://www.dalgarvenmill.org.uk/

Sugar and Spice Cakes http://www.sugarandspicetroon.com/

Cake Toppers http://www.etsy.com/shop/BrittaniaDrew

Wedding Dress http://www.sarahlouisebridal.co.uk/

Coila Ceilidh Band http://www.coila.com/

Missy Malone Visits

2011-09-13T15:56:00.000+01:00

Just the other day a friend of ours, the famous burlesque performer and model Missy Malone, came over to model for my wife Fiona. It is lovely working with a 'proper' model as opposed to a bride and groom who have most likely never been in front of the camera - there are lot less wasted shots for start and they are just so much better at holding themselves. Of course, they should be better to photograph, it's their job! This informal portrait was one of my personal favourites of the day and was captured between shoots. Lit by nothing more than window-light too!

If I could pick just one attribute of a model to transfer to a bride and groom it would be this - if you are looking towards me then look right at the camera lens. Not my tie, over my shoulder or just above my head - look straight down the lens. The difference it makes to the picture is enormous.

And a second attribute? Be happy and enjoy yourselves on the wedding day - Missy loves her job and is always happy and it shines through in the photographs.

If you are interested in seeing some of the finished paintings from this shoot then my wife Fiona has a new show starting very soon. The opening night is on the 23rd September at 7.30pm at the Virginia Gallery, 45 Virginia Street, Glasgow, G1 1TS.The show details are on Facebook here.

Priscilla and Stewart at The Lodge on Loch Goil

2011-08-29T17:28:00.003+01:00

As I expected, a very busy wedding season had paid a toll on the regularity of my blog posts but I will do my best to keep up!

Back in June I photographed a very vibrant and fun wedding at the Lodge on Loch Goil. A venue I had been to several times in the past but one which still never fails to impress me with it's incredibly beautiful location, offering a multitude of photographic opportunities, and the facilities it offers. I can also testify that the food is some of the best I have ever had at any wedding! If you are looking for a lochside venue then I really do believe that you'd be hard pushed to beat this place.

The first interesting thing I couldn't help noticing when I arrived was the very colourful Rangoli sat on a table. One of Priscilla and Stewart's guests had made it on-site just the day before and it was quite amazing. The problem was, it was quite large, was based upon two pieces of cardboard and had to be moved outside to the front of the Lodge. It was also raining a little bit (no surprise there then) and it certainly couldn't get wet! The manouvres were very entertaining, from where I was stood at least, but it made it safely into it's final resting place on the front lawn.

Priscilla was justifiably very excited about her dress and nobody (except me, of course) was allowed to see it until just before the ceremony. It had been especially made for her by the very talented seamstress Sharon Alexander (07558 232033) and was, I have to say, absolutely amazing. If, like me, you are thinking that you couldn't possibly afford a bespoke dress then think again. I was very surprised when I found out the cost. Although the dress was undeniably very nice it was the after-sales care that really was the icing on the cake. All too often I witness bridesmaids struggling with complicated lacing-up of dresses and generally making a real mince of dressing the bride - Sharon herself was the one to dress Priscilla. Who better to fit the dress to the bride than the very person who made it in the first place!

I would have given Priscilla a rating of only 2 out of 5 on the Bridezilla scale but she was keen on one thing in particular - the ceremony had to be outside. It was raining a bit in the morning but the forecast was predicting a miraculous break in the weather just in time for the ceremony. Having been photographing weddings in Scotland for over ten years I was very sceptical myself but, perhaps because of the lucky Rangoli, it did stop raining almost exactly when it was supposed to.

Of course, once the rain stopped on this warm, humid Scottish June day a whole load of other guests arrived just in time for the ceremony. A few million in fact. Luckily I keep a little can of Jungle Formula in the car for such occasions and escaped relatively unscathed but most of the other guests had to make room for the midges while the ceremony was conducted. Nobody seemed to mind too much as it was a small price to pay to stand under the magnificent copper beech tree literally a few meters from the shore of the loch in the Scottish mountains watching a very nice wedding service indeed.

One of the features of the Lodge is the large tree-house - albeit a very luxurious one. Not like the ones I used to build myself out of an old pallet and some string. This one even has a wood-burning stove in the corner. Some of the weddings I have photographed here in the past have been a bit smaller and the actual ceremonies have been held up in the branches of a tree but, today, we used it for the signing of the register.

The dressmaker's feet. Great dresses, unusual choice of footwear.

After a very tasty dinner courtesy of the bride and groom (thanks again guys!), which included space-dust ice-cream, the evening began with the first dance. After the usual romantic, but, let's face it, not hugely exciting, first dance I witnessed the best coreographed Scottish Bhangra Bollywood fusion dance I had ever seen. I had heard rumours that some of the guests had been practicing since as far back as the day before and the dancing skills witnessed were just phenomenal. Well done guys! Of course, not everybody could join in as some were simply too exhausted.

Write-up of one of my weddings on another blog

2011-08-10T15:53:00.000+01:00

Back in April I photographed the wedding of Gillian and Gavin at Glenbervie House Hotel. My own post about it is here: http://trevorwilsonphotography.blogspot.com/2011/06/gillian-and-gavins-wedding-at.html

The Humanist Celebrant, Tim Maguire, has written a post about it for his own blog and you can read all about it here: http://humanistweddingsinscotland.blogspot.com/2011/08/gillian-gavins-humanist-wedding-at.html

Wedding Featured on Another Blog

2011-07-27T15:42:00.001+01:00

As a photographer I love it when my work is seen by as many people as possible and I was delighted today to see that one of my weddings has been featured on the Whimsical Wonderland Weddings blog. It is an interesting read, in particular because it is purely from the bride and groom's perspectives rather than mine!

Here is a link to the article: http://www.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/2011/07/a-yellow-vintage-travel-themed-wedding-2.html

James and Laura's Wedding Photographs at Hotel du Vin, Glasgow

2011-07-22T11:33:00.002+01:00

To continue the theme of 2011 my next June wedding was also in the rain. Although, to be fair, this was pretty impressive rain and I was pleased to have developed my 'taking photographs whilst holding an umbrella under one arm' skills to such a level by now that I could still dash out and take pictures whilst remaining fairly dry.

The day actually started very nearby to my house at the Houston and Killellan Kirk (unusually, for a church, it has a quite impressive website http://www.houstonkirk.org/) as Laura preferred me to begin there rather than taking photographs at her house (I hadn't written my persuasive blog post about this back then).

Laura arrived in a wonderful old Jaguar looking beautiful in her vintage-style dress and a lovely french veil (apologies for any fashion-description errors - I am a wedding photographer but I am still only a man after all) and made a dash for the church. I have met the Rev. Donald Campbell a few times and remembered that he had a very relaxed approach to photographers so I managed to get shots from both the front of the church, to capture a little of the anticipation, and also Laura walking up the aisle with her father, and then also from a point up in the gallery at the back of the church. As I have said many times before, remaining unobtrusive in the church is of paramount concern to me and being able to shoot from a spot hidden away like I did is very useful.

Unfortunately there wasn't really any opportunity for photographs outside the church so everybody bundled back into the bus and made the short trip to Hotel du Vin (or One Devonshire Gardens as most people remember it) in the West end of Glasgow.

I have worked at One Devonshire many times in the past and I always look forward to returning there. If you are having a smaller wedding (about 50 - 70 guests) I think there are few better places in the city centre of Glasgow to have a wedding reception. It is run extremely well (something you notice more as a photographer) and offers a surprising amount of opportunities for photographs. Even in the rain we managed to shoot a few family pictures on the front steps - obviously if you wanted large groups of 10 people then this wouldn't have worked but, for us that day, it was ideal. If you are wondering why I didn't just shoot them indoors then it is just because of the light. I can, and on many occasions have, shot everything inside here but the groups have to be lit with a camera flash. This is perfectly fine, if a little trickier, but if you can get outside, even on an overcast day, the natural lighting is so much better.

The cutting of the cake is usually done the same way at One Devonshire (or Hotel du Vin...) and, I think, it is quite a good plan. The cake is placed at the top of the stairs during the day so that people can admire it and take pictures. This cake really was impressive and I am pretty sure I remember that the little fairy cakes were made by their friends (I'll try and get confirmation of this). Because of the placement of the cake I can usually get pretty good shots of the cake cutting - compare this to a lot of other venues who put the cake in front of a big window, fire exit or, horror of horrors, a mirror! After the cake is cut you can then very quickly do a group picture of all of the guests. They are already gathered around the bottom of the stairs so the hard work is done!

Shen and Calum's Wedding at Fingask Castle

2011-07-20T14:27:00.004+01:00

Just a week after shooting a wedding at Fingask Castle I was back there again for another! As often happens, wedding venues pop up like busses. I can go months without visiting a certain venue and then I get to go twice in two weeks! From the moment I left home in Glasgow in the rain I knew that, compared to the last wedding, however, it was going to be rather wet and the sun failed to make an appearance all day. Usually this is just an 'Oh well, it is Scotland after all' minor irritation but I arrived at the castle to witness some major restructuring of the day as, unfortunately for Shen and Calum, the ceremony was due to be held outside and many of their plans for the day were based around this. The Long Gallery in the castle that was used instead, although certainly very lovely, clearly didn't offer quite as much room as the gardens in front of the castle!

After the quick reshuffle the stage was set for one of the most interesting ceremonies I have witnessed. To begin with there was a lovely ceremony by interfaith minister Caroline Cormack but then, after that part, there followed a Tibetan blessing performed by Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche, founder of Samye Ling Monestary in Dumfrieshire and founder of Rokpa NGO who Shen works with.

As a photographer I am accustomed to slinking around in the shadows to photograph wedding ceremonies - I strongly believe that the way I photograph a wedding ceremony should have no impact on the proceedings and I always hope that nobody is even aware of my presence. This was, however, a trickier wedding to photograph. Shen and Calum were very keen for photographs but there was very little space and they had a beautiful, but large, archway of flowers to negotiate with the camera. Luckily the minister was very relaxed about the whole thing and I actually took the unusual step of grabbing a seat in the audience that gave me an excellent view. I then moved up to behind the archway to try and grab a few shots of the Buddist portion of the ceremony - not an easy job as Shen and Calum had their backs to the rest of the room. One thing I remember vividly was that the room was very warm and, unfortunately for me, in my haste I had chosen a place to stand that was directly next to a radiator...

After the ceremony, whilst the majority of the guests milled around in the rooms downstairs, we took advantage of a short break in the heavy rain to nip outside quickly with umbrellas for a few photographs of the bride and groom and then some simple family pictures.

Emma and David's Wedding Photographs at Fingask Castle

2011-07-05T10:26:00.004+01:00

There are few wedding venues that I look forward to visiting as much as Fingask Castle. It is located about halfway between Perth and Dundee, nestled into the side of a hill in amongst ancient trees. The long, meandering, driveway just adds to the sense of expectation and you pop out at the end into a wide lawn filled with pretty interesting topiary and the sort of castle that you would hope to find in Scotland. Sadly, I quite often meet clients who visited it as a potential venue and decided to book somewhere else either because of the eccentricity of the venue or because they met the charming, but equally eccentric, owners. Having had the opportunity to work at a great many wedding venues in Scotland I would say that this is one of the very best, especially for a larger wedding party, so try not to be put off. My top tip? Ask to have an appointment with Renton Leadbeater, the amazingly efficient and knowledgeable chap who actually runs the weddings - I am sure he'll put you at ease.

I was here to photograph the wedding of Emma and David Linton at the very end of May. For the first time (for me) the ceremony wasn't to be held at the castle, but they were still getting ready there first in the one of the many cottages spread around the estate. I started with the groom and ushers in their cottage before moving over to the bride and bridesmaids in their cottage before finishing in the castle for the final 'dressing of the bride'!

When everybody was ready we all moved to the parish church in the nearby village of Errol for the wedding ceremony itself. I managed to get a good view from one of the upper galleries so that I could photograph the ceremony without being noticeable.

As a surprise for the bride and groom there was a 'guard of honour' by David's curling team when they exited the church before moving back up to the castle to have drinks and canapes in the castle grounds.

Looks posed but it was actually Emma waiting for David to come for dinner!

Emma's sister Claire made the wedding cake and the fudge for the favours. The fudge had Old Pulteney whiskey in it - distilled in their home town of Wick. I felt that it was an important part of my job to try a bit and, I have to say, it was very nice indeed. Judging by the amusing antics during dinner I suspect that a few of the guests ate a wee bit too much fudge perhaps...

Two weeks after this wedding I had another at Fingask - keep your eyes peeled for the update!

Kellyann and David' s Wedding Photographs at Pollok House

2011-06-30T10:31:00.001+01:00

Pollok House, highland cows, non-stop torrential rain, a barbecue and a red-headed (ginger) bride set the scene for a lovely wedding that was surely about as Scottish as a wedding could be.

As an experiment, rather than choosing all the photographs from a wedding myself I thought it might be interesting to see what Kellyann and David would choose themselves so I asked them to pick their 20 favourite shots. As a photographer I might choose pictures that were perhaps technically successful or nice in a purely aesthetic way, but I have long been aware that clients often choose different pictures to me, which is why I offer couples over 200 pictures to choose from. I find it interesting that brides and grooms often focus on pictures that aren't necessarily the most exciting, dynamic or artistic choice and instead sway towards shots that simply include their close friends and family.

Asking Kellyann to choose just 20 pictures was, perhaps, slightly unfair. There were 270 to pick from and I know she liked a lot more than this selection as she decided to upgrade her 40 page album to a 50 page version to fit in the 80 pictures she'd selected.

Here are the shots that Kellyann and David chose.

I had been to Pollok House only a few weeks before this visit (you can see that post here) and I was really looking forward to returning. This was also due, in part, to knowing that Kellyann would be a great bride to work with as, from reading her daily wedding build-up on Facebook, she was very excited about her big day.

I started, as usual, at Kellyann and David's house which wasn't too far from Pollok House, to capture some of the action before the wedding. It was all very relaxed but when the two beautiful wedding cars arrived everything stepped up a gear and it all got a bit more frenetic.

I left ahead of Kellyann and the bridesmaids to go up to Pollok house to capture a few shots of whatever was happening up there and was surprised to see some of the bridesmaids arrive just after I did, but in one of the guest's cars. It turns out that the very Glaswegian weather had made one of the poor old wedding cars chug to a halt at the side of the road. However, as luck would have it, one of the wedding guests was driving along the same road at just the right time and, after a quick transfer of the bridal party members they were en route again.

The Humanist ceremony (not all weddings in Scotland are Humanist - it is just beginning to seem that way!) was conducted by Leslie Mitchell in the library. As with all the Humanist celebrants I have ever worked with they are very relaxed about photography and I was, more or less, allowed to take whatever shots I wanted as long as I was as unobtrusive as possible.

After the ceremony I was expecting to be staying indoors as it couldn't have been raining any harder outside but Kellyann was undeterred and out we went with umbrellas in hand. With all the rain recently I have been getting quite adept at propping my own umbrella under one are whilst taking photographs... We managed to get some nice shots with the one remaining wedding car and then we even went into the gardens. I take my hat off to Kellyanns resilience!

Here's what Kellyann and David had to say:

"It was lovely being able to see our wedding photos when we were on honeymoon in London. We are just over the moon with them. They were exactly what we wanted them to be so thank you. All of our guests commented that they didn't even notice you were there especially our parents who are very camera shy. Everyone who chatted to you commented after that you were a lovely man who made them feel very at ease. Its just a pity you were away at the time I got a dance from the guys in their 'See You Jimmy' hats. [This is a picture I would have loved to have taken - unfortunately somebody forgot to bring them to the wedding and had to go back for them...] We've had so many lovely comments from people about the photos, everyone loves them!

Despite worrying about the weather in the week leading up to the wedding when the day finally came we never gave it a second thought. We were just so excited about the whole thing and couldn't wait to see each other. So many people had told us that the day flies by, so we were expecting that. Time seemed to stop for us though and we were able to take it all in and enjoy it. We honestly had the best day ever!

Tried my best with the photos but found it really hard, feel as if I've left out loads of favourites!!..."

And, of course, I couldn't resist adding a few pictures that they didn't pick themselves.

It's Not About Photographs of You in Your Knickers.

2011-06-21T10:16:00.003+01:00

[All of the photographs here were taken before the wedding ceremony.]

Only a couple of years ago all my brides would insist upon having me at the house or hotel an hour before the wedding ceremony to take pictures of the final preparations. I didn't have a choice and I would take pictures before the wedding ceremony every time. I never minded, I think it is a great idea and can be an integral part of recording your wedding day. Not only do you get photographs of the start of your day, a nice addition to your wedding album, it is also a good chance for me to have a chat with you and the rest of the bridal party so that you feel more at ease with me and the camera before arriving for the ceremony later in the day.

I am feeling the need to write a bit more about what might happen at this stage in the day because I am noticing recently that more and more brides are asking me to start at the ceremony missing out on potentially interesting pictures of the morning. My biggest concern is that people have misconceptions about whole thing...

Having met a great number of brides-to-be and chatted about their expectations for the day it turns out that the same worries about pre-ceremony photography emerge:

The house is too messy.
Their friend's photographer wanted shots of them in their underwear.
There won't be room.
I will miss out on shots at the church.
I will take too long taking pictures, holding things up.
(Usually after the wedding) I didn't realise you wouldn't mind, I thought it would be a pain.

Now, I can assure you that none of the things listed above should worry you at all. Firstly, I have never suggested to a bride that she has pictures in her underwear / in the bath / sauna etc. It isn't the reason I am at the house in the morning and I think that that type of photography is insensitive and overly obtrusive. Unfortunately I too have heard horror stories from friends and past-clients and can fully understand why you might be more than a little concerned. Generally speaking I will take photographs whilst the bride and bridesmaids are getting their hair and make-up done and then leave the room whilst everyone gets dressed. I then like to come back in once everybody is fully-clothed. Having said that, shots of the dress being laced up at the back can be lovely, but there is no reason for these shots to be inappropriate.

A few people are concerned about the house being a mess or the room being too small for photographs. This really shouldn't worry you in the slightest. On the morning of a wedding everybody's house is a mess and I am used to it. If there is too much clutter about the place then I will be sure to frame the pictures so it isn't too obvious. As a reportage photographer my skill lies in trying to produce an interesting picture in any environment by changing my technique to suit. I can shoot with a tighter frame, isolating the brides face or the back of a wedding dress, or I can use a wider crop to include more of the room if it is appropriate. Please understand one thing - I am certainly not expecting your house or hotel room to be like a lovely photographic studio.

Sometimes I am asked not to come to the house because there is a concern that I will delay everything and the bride will be late for the ceremony. Unfortunately, as with the underwear issue, this is usually brought about by other people's experiences with other photographers. I am only there to photograph whatever is happening. Sure, I might ask to take a quick picture of the bride and bridesmaids or the bride and her father if there is time but the vast majority of my work is done unobtrusively and in real-time. I won't ask you to stop or change what you are doing at any point.I can say with all honesty that if I turn up and everything is total chaos I would rather leave and go to the ceremony empty-handed than make the situation worse.

The last of the common misconceptions is that by being at the house before the ceremony I will be missing out on the action at the other end. What many people don't realise is that usually very little of any great interest happens at the church or hotel until 30 minutes or so before the ceremony, and by that time I will be there anyway! If you are getting ready in the same place as the ceremony then I usually run around looking for photographs whilst you are getting dressed (I don't just stand outside the bedroom door waiting patiently...). In every case I will be leaving you to move on to the ceremony at least 20 minutes before you are due to leave yourself. This gives me time to park my car, chat to the person conducting the ceremony, take some pictures of the groom looking nervous, capture shots of guests arriving (most don't arrive until 15 minutes beforehand anyway) and then still be in a good position to take photographs you you when you arrive. Depending upon the distance between your house and the ceremony venue I might even be able to squeeze in time for a sandwich whilst sat at traffic lights.

With a bit of luck you will be able to see from these photographs that it is worthwhile having me take pictures of your preparations and that it is more than just hair and make-up. There is a wide range of subject matter for me to photograph and most people find that a little selection of these pictures can be a great start to the wedding album. Even if you only choose one or two then you've not missed out on anything.

One point that is perhaps worth mentioning is that you may have noticed that there are a few shots here of the groom and ushers getting ready too. Normally the focus of attention is on the bride but if I can take photographs of both parties I will do so. This is usually the case if both the bride and groom are getting ready in the same hotel - I will flit between the rooms at appropriate times to get some pictures from both sides.

Even if, after reading this, you have decided that don't want me to take any getting-ready photographs then I really don't mind. Just be sure that it is for the right reasons and, if you have niggling doubts just give me a call! More than one bride has come to me after the wedding day with serious regrets about not asking me to her house.

My own rule is that I would rather take the photographs and then you can decide later not to use them. I promise I won't be offended in the slightest!

Erika and Edward's Wedding at the House for an Art Lover

2011-06-20T14:59:00.003+01:00

On a lovely sunny day in May I photographed the wedding of Erika and Edward at the House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. I have found over the years that I will be asked to work at a venue several times in one year but then not again for two or three years by which time I will be there several times again. The House for an Art Lover, however, is somewhere I am asked to work at consistently often year after year. It's popularity is understandable - it is a very beautiful building, designed by famous Glaswegian architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, just outside the centre of the city, there is ample parking (always a bonus for a photographer!), a beautiful walled garden and it is run very efficiently.

Erika arrived in a beautiful Bentley, which belonged to a member of their family, and was a great personal touch. The ceremony that followed was a Humanist ceremony and I was very pleased to get to meet Humanist celebrant Mary Wallace again, somebody I have worked with a great many times over the past few years. It is always nice to be met at a wedding with a cheerful hug as opposed to the frosty response that photographers are often greeted with!

Erika and her father chose to enter by the stairwell, rather than the usual front door, which made a nice change for me and gives the bride a chance to have a slightly longer entrance to the room. The room itself is, I think, great for photography. There are huge windows all along one side giving ample natural light, even in the winter, and the room isn't very long enabling me to stand at the end of the aisle and still be close enough to capture some good shots.

After the ceremony, as often happens at this venue (weather permitting), all the guests were then invited outside for a group shot of everybody. It is a good opportunity to get a shot like this as I can arrange everybody into a tight(ish) bunch of people and then quickly sprint through the shop and up the stairs to the balcony viewpoint above. Whist this is happening the staff in the venue can move all the chairs from the ceremony so that when the guests return the rooms are all ready for them.

After a few family groups in the gardens, and one or two shots of Erika and Edward, it was back inside for the drinks reception. They were using the rooms available in a less-typical way with the drinks and canapes in the light and airy music room (great for photography) and the dinner was then in the main hall. It made a nice change for me to be able to shoot the speeches using just natural light - not something I have much opportunity for!

I am now looking forward to my next wedding there, on Friday, and then again in just three weeks time. Watch this space for those weddings!

Gillian and Gavin's Wedding at Glenbervie

2011-06-09T10:37:00.005+01:00

Before my future brides start to get worried, the cartwheels are not standard practice when working with me. These were spontaneous and were brought about by the late arrival of the sunshine in an otherwise very rainy day! Please notice that the shoes were removed for Health and Safety reasons.

Just before I went to France on holiday at the end of April I had the pleasure of photographing Gillian and Gavin's wedding at Glenbervie House Hotel in Larbert. Although I have worked at Glenbervie a few times before it isn't somewhere I have been to a lot compared to, say, the House for an Art Lover in Glasgow or the Roman Camp in Callander, and I had forgotten quite how nice it was there. Just recently, in fact, they were awarded an extra star by VisitScotland and became a five-star hotel! I will look forward to returning as soon as I get the chance.

I know I am always mentioning the weather (maybe as a photographer I pay more attention to is as it has a significant effect on the way my day might unfold) but a lot of my clients don't give it a second thought. Except, when I spoke to Gillian just a few days before the date of her wedding, the weather forecast for Saturday was fantastic. This was lucky as Gillian seemed to be particularly keen on a lovely sunny day. However, on the morning of the wedding I awoke to monsoon-like weather and, despite the optimism of the staff at Glenbervie, it didn't stop before Gillian arrived.

In spite of the rain Gillian arrived with her father in a very chirpy mood and didn't seem too bothered by it after all. Gavin and Gillian had chosen a humanist wedding ceremony and I was delighted to see celebrant Tim Maguire again conducting a wonderful ceremony so soon after working together at another wedding just a few weeks earlier.

Unfortunately it still hadn't stopped raining after the ceremony so we decided to take a few quick pictures inside the hotel itself. It is such a lovely venue that there is no shortage of places to get some nice natural light and, as I have mentioned before, as a wedding photographer in Scotland you get quite good at working indoors (if I ever moved my business to California I don't know how I would cope with the all the sunshine...). With the ubiquitous white umbrella in hand we even ventured outside for a couple of shots. No umbrella for me though - I just had to get wet.


Family photograph included just to prove to mothers-of-the-bride that I do take shots like this as well!

Well, I kept taking informal shots of the guests enjoying their wine and canapes inside, waiting as long as I could for the sun to come out so that we could do some family photographs outside but it wasn't looking hopeful. Eventually we made the decision to get them done inside. However, true to form, we had literally just taken the very last of the family pictures, and the sun came out. Needless to say that, apart from the speeches and dinner, no time was wasted indoors and I was taking photographs outside until the sun just dipped below the horizon (where, it turns out, it seems to have stayed ever since).

This cake was amazing and was supplied by the masters of tights, slippers and wedding cakes, Marks and Spencer.
The whole room smelled of chocolate - yum!

Champagne-induced catalogue pose.

Rebecca and Michael's Wedding at Pollok House

2011-06-01T17:41:00.002+01:00

Chronologically this wedding is a little out of order, but not by too much! Back at the beginning of April I photographed the wedding Rebecca and Michael at the lovely Pollok House in Glasgow. The weather had been terrible in the few days preceeding the wedding date and so you can imagine how happy I was to wake up that morning with the sunshine streaming through my window at the start of what was to be a beautiful day!

I had been to Pollok House a few times in the past for other weddings, but not for a little while. I remembered that it was very nice but I had forgotten quite what a fantastic setting it is for a wedding. Like most of my past clients who have been married there before, Rebecca and Michael were very keen to have as many photographs outside to make the most of the magnificent grounds. There are all sorts of little areas around the main house giving loads of scope for lovely photography. Rebecca had asked that I start at the venue, rather than her house, and after taking a few pictures of the guests arriving Rebecca's car arrived. But, before I could even think about taking the obligatory shots of her gracefully exiting the vehicle the door flew open and out she ran like a bridal whirlwind. She was evidently very keen...

Whilst Rebecca was chatting to the registrar I captured a few unscripted comedy moments as the groom and best-man (a past client of mine) awaited her arrival. Speediness was obviously going to be the theme of the day. After Rebecca and her father had skipped up the aisle she jumped straight to the kissing part of the ceremony, bypassing the usual protocol. The ceremony flew by, punctuated by a lot more kissing. I have come to notice, as a wedding photographer, that you have to suggest to some couples that they might like a little kiss whereas others, such as Rebecca and Michael, have to be torn apart from each other. Still, makes my job easier!

As it was a very bright day the light was streaming in through the door just outside the room where the ceremony was held and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make the most of it. Whilst using a flash is often a necessity indoors, especially in not-so-sunny Scotland, I do love a bit of natural light photography and my camera equipment is chosen to make the most of whatever light is available. After a couple of quick shots there Rebecca sprinted down the stairs in her billowing wedding dress into the sunshine-filled gardens.

After a fair few family pictures, and a brilliant confetti shot, I made use of the large flights of steps behind the house for a group photograph of all of the guests. Rebecca and Michael wanted to include their evening guests in more of the proceedings so, in a slight change to the norm, dinner was upstairs in the dining room but then the guests all moved down to the cafe in the 'servants quarters' for some lovely informal speeches and cake cutting. I really liked this idea. It was very relaxed and everyone seemed to be at ease. The fact that the speakers were stood together amongst their friends also gave the happy bride and groom plenty of extra opportunity for a bit more kissing too.

Kirsten and Matthew's Wedding in Edinburgh

2011-05-24T13:54:00.001+01:00

On a scorching hot spring day in April I photographed another brilliant wedding in Edinburgh. I shoot so many weddings on the east coast I have seriously been thinking about relocating - I think I would miss my garden too much though...

Kirsten's parent's house was conveniently located next to the lovely Liberton Kirk in Edinburgh and after a few shots in the house we couldn't resist nipping out into the garden in the sunshine for a few more pictures.

After the ceremony we managed to cover a lot of the more formal photography in the church grounds whilst the guests enjoyed the Prosecco that Kirsten and Matt had brought along. In fact, as the ushers were perhaps very busy elsewhere, Kirsten took the role of waitress and served the drinks too. I knew in advance that Kirsten wanted a group picture of all of the guests - a detail that I wish more people would tell me before the wedding - I had brought a tall stool along with me to give a bit of extra height for the picture!

The guests then led a procession through the cemetery and overcame their nerves (no doubt helped by a glass of fizz) to cross the busy A701 to a waiting old school bus. The bemused driver told me that he couldn't understand why they didn't want to hire one of their many luxury coaches and when I tried to explain that it might be a bit more fun on the old school bus he just tutted and walked off...

While the guests enjoyed their bus ride to the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa complete with streamers, apparently, I followed the bride and groom's car on a slightly hair-raising circuitous route to Holyrood Park, the site of Matt's propsal to Kirsten. I don't often visit a 'midway' venue specifically for photographs but I have absolutely no objection and was very happy to visit the park with them. It is a part of Edinburgh that held a special meaning for them and, equally as important, there was an ice-cream van there as well.

After Kirsten had attempted to mimic the cover of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover we thought that it would be a good idea to have an ice-cream. The queue got shorter and shorter until we were almost at the front and then, with a grinding of gears, the machine broke down right there and then... And then, just as I was leaving the park, I was collared by a park warden and asked to leave or pay a fee to keep taking pictures there - this wasn't something I was aware of so future brides, take note!

The party theme continued on at the reception too. There was a giant Connect 4 game, bags of sweets and a sweepstake on the Grand National which was running that very afternoon.

After some amusing speeches I finished my day witnessing something I have never seen before in my life, let alone a wedding. This aspect of the wedding was so critical that Kirsten and Matthew had even made an instructional video for their guests prior to the big day (I'd link to it but Kirsten would possibly kill me). So, after the touching romance of the first dance the first lyrics of Beautiful Sunday spead across the dancefloor and upwards of 30 people joined the happy couple to dance the Slosh.

Kim and Danny's Wedding at Mar Hall

2011-04-19T15:54:00.003+01:00

On the 26th March I had my first trip this year to Mar Hall in Bishopton, which happens to be only 2 minutes from my house and is therefore one of my favourite places to shoot a wedding! The only downside was that I had to drive all the way to Neilston to photograph Kim and her family getting ready just to then drive all the way back... It wasn't all bad - I managed to get lots of tips on keeping chickens from Kim's parents, which is something I've been considering doing for some time now. The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed at their house and I knew it was a sign of good things to come!

Kim and Danny had a civil ceremony and had arranged for it to be conducted by a good friend of theirs, Lynn, who had come all the way down from Aberdeen for the day. It was a lovely touch and the ceremony was certainly one of the more personal ones I had been to in the past.

After the ceremony, whilst the guests mingled in the large hallway at Mar Hall, we went for a short walk around the gardens for a few photographs. It wasn't sunny but, considering how early in the year it was, the weather was good and the soft light was very easy to work with.

The cake above deserves special mention, not least of all because I am a bit of a cake fanatic. Kim's mum made it and it consisted of one layer of courgette and nut cake, one of parsnip and white chocolate and then beetroot and chocolate on the top. I have to say that it puts many of the professionals to shame and I'll happily deliver her parent's album by hand if there is more cake in the offering...

All in all it was a brilliant wedding and one that I was very pleased to be part of. Sometimes at a wedding you are made to feel more like a guest than someone there to work and this was one of those days, so thanks very much to Kim and Danny and both their families.

Kim continued her wedding-organising skills even after she returned from hte honeymoon and put a list of her suppliers online. For anyone that is interested, here it is:

Venue planner - Anna Healy: Mar Hall - Beautiful 5 star venue with a separate function house (Morton House), ideal for weddings. Smooth planning, excellent food and seamless day with help from Anna (thanks Anna!)
Photographer - Trevor Wilson: Silver Photography - Stunning natural photographs by an extremely efficient and professional photographer (thanks Trevor!)
Registrar - Lynn Allan - Perfect registrar! Very professional at her job but more importantly, a great friend (thanks Lynn!)
Hair - Kerry Holmes - Absolutely brilliant hair stylist with a great attitude and expert skills (thanks Kerry!)
Makeup - Laura Willock - Lovely natural makeup and expert at eyebrows and eyelashes (thanks Laura!)
Flowers - Allie McCann: Lavender Blue - Excellent, friendly florist with brilliant ideas particularly with seasonal flower arrangements (thanks Allie!)
Chair Covers - Liz: Classic Wedding Events - Great colour choice and very efficient family company (thanks Liz!)
Ceremony music - Apollo String Quartet - Faultless music that brings a tear to your eye. Also play special requests with great skill (thanks Alan & the guys!)
Reception music - Northern Star - Fun, lively band with excellent sound quality for both ceilidh and rock/pop music (thanks guys!)
Cake - My Mum - Don't think she's going into the cake making business but it was amazing in both taste and looks, a 3-tier white and teal vegetable cake; Base: courgette & nuts Middle: parsnip & white chocolate Top: Beetroot and milk chocolate (thanks Mum!)
Car - Alan Ogilvie - Again don't think he's going into the business but he could be based on his chauffering skills. Very stylish burgandy Jaguar XF all dressed up for the day (thanks Alan!)

Write-up on Another Wedding Blog

2011-03-29T15:24:00.000+01:00

A little while ago I decided to sponsor a wedding blog - Whimsical Wonderland Weddings (http://www.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/) and today they published a short piece about me and my business. Might be worth a read!

http://www.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/2011/03/trevor-wilson-silver-photography-new-www-sponsor.html

It's a nice site to look through if you are planning your wedding and looking for a bit of inspiration. Just don't book one of the other photographers listed on there or I'll be very grumpy...

Martyn and Allyson's Wedding Photographs, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

2011-03-29T12:44:00.009+01:00

On the 11th March I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Martyn and Allyson at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh ( http://www.rbge.org.uk/). I must say from the outset that this was one of the loveliest weddings I have been to and I truly enjoyed being a part of it.

My day started nearby at Martyn and Allyson's flat just down the road - I was invited there to capture a bit of the action in the build-up to the ceremony. The weather was very bright and the soft natural light streaming through the windows was something I hadn't really seen since last year! Sometimes you just have to use a flash but you can't ever beat natural light.

I then took a short walk up to the gardens and had time to take in the marvellous little details that they had used to complement the already beautiful Caledonian Hall. There was a very definite theme of 'travel' throughout the wedding and this evident everywhere, but in a very tasteful way. As it was spring, and they are a favourite flower of Allyson's, there were also daffodils in abundance!

There were many differences between this wedding and others, one of which was that Allyson and Martyn wanted to meet each other just before the ceremony, which I thought was lovely. I waited for Allyson with Martyn, for quite a while as she wasn't quite on time, and was able to capture the lovely moments when they first saw each other on their wedding day. This is unfortunately something I rarely have the opportunity to see as the first time the groom normally sees the bride is when she appears next to him at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. It was a very nice touch and one that I personally would love to see more often!

It was March, during a particularly protracted and bad winter, and it was very, very cold. So cold, in fact, that I was having a spot of bother operating the camera, but Martyn and Allyson were determined to have the ceremony outside and so they did. Very near to the Caledonian Hall is a small grove of very large trees that create a natural canopy and a perfect setting for an outdoor wedding and that is where the Humanist ceremony, conducted by the ever cheerful Tim Maguire (http://humanistweddingsinscotland.blogspot.com/), was held. I had a great freedom to move around the grove unnoticeably to capture different parts of the ceremony but, eventually, huddled at the end of the aisle with the other guests in an attempt to keep warm. I was going to get a little fire going but I thought it might have been a bit distracting...

Allyson and Martyn are very regular visitors to the gardens and they wanted to capture their favourite areas in their wedding photographs. On the whole my clients choose me because they don't want too many posed pictures but I am always very happy to tailor my coverage and, on this occasion, we took a stroll together around the gardens for 30 minutes or so to capture some photographs that I hope were meaningful for them. We encountered a cat, a robin and a squirrel along the way just for good measure!

Whilst they had their dinner I made full use of the on-site cafe (a photographer's dream!) before returning to cover the speeches (again, not done in the 'usual' order but hey, who cares!) and then, shortly afterwards, the ceilidh. As the vast majority of the guests weren't Scottish and had no experience of ceilidh dancing at made for some entertaining photographs!

A few things made this wedding stand out for me. They just did it the way that they wanted to. They stuck to their guns when it came to making the decision to have the ceremony outside (I see too many couples dissuaded from an outside ceremony by their venue only to be making your vows inside whilst the sun streams through the window). But most noticeably they were just such a happy couple together. They had planned their day in advance but then afterwards they just focused on having a great day.

All in all, a great venue coupled with a very happy bride and groom made both their day and mine very enjoyable indeed.

Here's a link to the post written by Tim Maguire, also about this wedding: http://humanistweddingsinscotland.blogspot.com/2011/04/allyson-martins-humanist-wedding-in.html