When Derek and Anna were looking for wedding photographers in Ayr, they wanted someone who had photographed a wedding at the Brig 0’Doon Hotel before, could fit in with their plans for the day and also shoot in a natural, relaxed style.

California Dreaming

Derek grew up in Ayrshire but had since moved to California in the US where Anna is from, so they had to do all their wedding planning remotely. The first time I got to meet them was just a week before their wedding. Having done everything online and at fairly short notice, they were a little nervous but I was soon able to put them at ease after we’d met up and discussed their plans for the day.

Beautiful Light

The day started with Anna arriving at the Brig o’Doon with her two daughters. From our chat I knew this was an important moment to capture for her. After that it was straight into the ceremony to capture her walking down the aisle with her daughters plus the arrival of the bridesmaids. As soon as the ceremony started, I was struck by the amazing light which was shining through the windows. This lit everyone’s faces beautifully and I was keen to capture this as it created a wonderful atmosphere for the ceremony.

Anna and Derek also wanted quite a few family group photos. The original plan had been to do these outside on the steps but by this point it was starting to rain so we decided to do these in the main function room. I always have contingency plans for different scenarios so as not to disrupt the day. During out meeting before the wedding we also drew up a list of all the family group photos they wanted so it was very easy to gather people for the shots.

Here Comes The Sun Again!

I’m always very keen that couples enjoy their day and don’t feel as if the photography is something they have to rush or just get through, so I suggested they have a glass of champagne and chat to their guests while I checked on the weather and the locations I was planning to use for their photoshoot. Fortunately, the weather cleared up and the sun came out again. Their wedding was in the autumn, so in the afternoon the sun is quite low and warm which creates a great atmosphere.

Witches

Derek and Anna were keen to have some shots on the famous Brig 0’Doon bridge which is where Tam O’Shanter is said to have escaped the witches in Robert Burn’s poem. After this we headed back to the gardens at the back of the hotel. I always like to get shots of couples just being themselves and enjoying the moment, so I asked them to stand on the balcony with the sun behind them while I took some shots. These were my favourites from the day.

Derek and Anna also wanted a confetti shot plus a big group photo of everyone at the wedding, so I arranged all the guests on the steps outside so they could walk down while everyone threw confetti. It made for a great shot. I also planned this so afterwards everyone would be in place for the big group shot. Originally, we’d planned to do this straight after the ceremony but the weather had prevented this.

Doing Things Differently 

Afterwards, Derek and Anna wanted to a change from the usual order of events and decided to have their first dance and cake cutting before the speeches and meal. Fortunately , the sun was still shining through the windows, so once again we had wonderful lighting for their first dance. The speeches proved to be very entertaining as well as emotional and I loved capturing everyone’s expressions.

Derk and Anna received their photos when they were back in the US and I had a lovely message back to say they were delighted with their wedding photos.

Please see below a wider selection of photos from Derek and Anna’s photography at Ayrshire wedding venue Brig 0’Doon Hotel. I usually produce about 500 photos but these have been edited to make them easier to view.