When they were looking for a photographer to photograph their wedding they also wanted someone with a relaxed, natural style who could capture the day as it happened and fit in with the general vibe of the day.
‘These are incredible. You are a real credit to photography! Thanks again for everything’
Kelly and Ross
This was my first wedding I’d photographed at Ayrshire wedding venue Kelburn Castle. I’d had a good look round on my location recce a few weeks earlier, so I had a good idea on what areas could be used for wedding photography. As a photographer I like to have plenty of options. I also plan for different types of weather so I’m not left guessing on the day.
Authenticity
The day started with Kelly and Ross getting ready in Kelburn Castle itself. Although the Castle can’t be used for the wedding ceremony, you can use it for the bridal and groom prep. One of the things I loved about it was it’s authenticity. Unlike a lot of castles or stately homes which are open to the public, where everything is pristine and roped off, this very much felt like somewhere which was still lived in (actually it is!), so you were sitting on and besides lots of genuine and probably very valuable antiques. These also made great backgrounds for close ups of Kelly’s flowers, shoes, jewellery and dress.
Missing Shirt!
The main drawing room where Kelly was getting ready was huge, so it was very easy to get candid shots of her getting ready with her bridesmaids, Mum and Ross’s Mum. Ross was getting ready in another room. I had planned to get some shots of them getting ready but here was a last minute problem with a missing shirt which meant someone had to go to the nearest town to buy one. As a result all the guys were looking a little stressed. As a wedding photographer, it’s at times like these that you need to be sensitive to the situation and not add to the stress, so I thought it was better not to do that. There would be plenty of other opportunities to get shots of the guys later on.
Campervan
One fun element of the wedding day was for Kelly to drive over to the wedding pavilion in her campervan which had been decorated for the occasion. I got some shots before heading over to the Pavilion for the ceremony.
Sand Mixing
The original plan had been to have their wedding outside but it had been raining heavily the day before and the grass was very wet. There was also a risk of rain during the day, so they decided to have it inside the pavilion. As it turned out, it was beautifully decorated and made for a very cosy atmosphere. There were lots of lovely moments to capture during the ceremony including a lovely sand mixing where Kelly and Ross’s sons helped them mix different types of sand into a vase.
As the ground was very wet outside, we decided to do the family photos in the pavilion which again for a great backdrop. I’d checked with the wedding co-ordinator from Kelburn Castle beforehand so they knew to give us space and time before they started changing the room around from the ceremony to the meal.
Enjoying The Moment
Although the grounds were too wet for group photos they were OK for Kelly and Ross so we did some shots outside the pavilion. I had some ideas for shots near the Castle but Kelly’s wedding dress was quite long and she was concerned about getting it too muddy so we decided to stay close to the pavilion. The trees and farm gates made for a great backdrop and I just encouraged them to enjoy the moment while I took some shots of them together.
There was plenty of time before the meal so I took candid shots of their guests until it was time for the speeches which like the ceremony were full of lots of fun and laughter.
View of Rothesay
The reason Kelly and Ross chose Kelburn Castle as their wedding venue was because they live on the Isle of Rothesay just across the sea from Kelburn. One shot they were particularly keen to get was a shot of them together with Rothesay in the background, so after the dinner we drove up to a viewpoint above the Pavilion where you could get a great view of the island. There was some lovely atmospheric evening light which I made use of in the shots. I just encouraged them to enjoy the moment while I took some shots and these turned out to be my favourite from the day. After that it was back to the pavilion for the dancing!
