Braemar Scottish Highland Elopement

It’s been a long time since my last post and anyone who knows me will be aware that I’m not very good at this kind of thing but I’ve worked on some great projects meantime and it’s about time I got some pictures online.

Lockdown wasn’t the disaster I thought it might be for wedding photography since it meant people who couldn’t wait to get hitched opted for plan B and elopements started happening. And I love elopements. When it’s just the couple and no guests to cater for, there’s no need to worry about the usual format and the day becomes unique and personal as well as a lot more interesting.

This is a wonderful elopement wedding to kick things off with, the marriage of Susan and Gary in Braemar in the Scottish Highlands.

The day started with our couple getting ready with their two children at The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar, a fantastic tradition Scottish hotel with a hunting, fishing, shooting type feel that were able to provide us with our own Ghillie to help scout possible locations for our photography the day before.

The wedding ceremony took place outdoors by a waterfall on the Mar Lodge Estate with only our couple, their two children, celebrant and the estate manager. A little rain wasn’t a problem and added some atmosphere with typically Scottish weather to complete the experience. After an intimately personal ceremony it was back to Mar Lodge where they had created a beautiful setting for a homemade lunch by the fireplace in the library.

We had time for some family photos outside the lodge before we left the kids behind to capture some portraits in the stunning scenery around Braemar.

The final stop for me was a return to the Fife Arms where the couple had their first dance watched by family and friends on Skype where I left them to enjoy the rest of their day without the cameras looking on.

If you’re planning to elope to Scotland then there’s no place more romantic than The Old Town in Edinburgh. That’s what Liz & Dougal decided on for their Scottish elopement.

I love to photograph elopements as it’s such an intimate story to tell. With the focus on the couple, each one is unique. The photography can make a great difference to the day.

Just because an elopement is a smaller wedding doesn’t mean anything else about it is any smaller. It still deserves the wedding photography to tell a proper story.

Liz & Dougal had thought some shots of the ceremony and a couple of portraits would be enough. I persuaded them we should make more of the photography and the day.

Both of them were apprehensive about being in front of the camera at first. They soon relaxed into it though, and we got some great portrait photography. Not even the poor weather got in the way.

Liz looked great in her fabulous dress, as did Dougal in his kilt. I particularly love the photo of them walking down Castle Hill as they leave the hotel. You can see how happy they are.

One of the staff at Lothian Chambers filmed the ceremony for them, as well as being a witness. I was the other. They were able to send the video to family at home in New Zealand.

We started with them getting ready in their suite at the super romantic Witchery in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, a stone’s throw from the castle. Only a few minutes stroll to Lothian Chambers for the wedding ceremony and some selfies to send back home.

We wandered The Royal Mile and other nearby parts of The Old Town for some fun portraits that kept the excitement going before we ended up at The Inn on the Mile for some bubbles where I left them to enjoy the rest of the day.

Liz & Dougal are a lovely couple who I really enjoyed photographing and I hope they make it back to Edinburgh again soon.

This was one of the last weddings I’ll get to shoot at Lothian Chambers as the building is to become Edinburgh’s French Embassy. Future civil ceremonies will take place at the nearby City Chambers or other council venues.