I’d already done a recce of Balbirnie House Hotel before Emma and Stewart’s wedding but it had been a few months earlier before the autumn, so I arrived extra early in the morning to have another look round at locations. The wedding venue itself had plenty of indoor options but the lower sun in October plus the wet grass from recent rain meant the lawns and gardens weren’t practical. I therefore wanted to have a look at what the nearby woods and park had to offer. It didn’t take long to find the perfect spot, just a short walk from the venue. All we needed was for the rain to stay off!

Special Wedding Gifts

Happy, that I had all my ideas for locations in mind, I headed back to the venue to photograph Emma getting ready with her bridesmaids. When I arrived everyone was really chilled and I started by taking candid shots as well as some detail shots of Emma’s dress, shoes and flowers. One little extra thing which Emma wanted me to capture were the gifts and letters which Emma and Stewart were giving to each other before they got married.

Stewart was down in the study with his best man, so I popped down to get some shots of him reading Emma’s letter and well as her special present to him. I also did the same for Emma when she was ready in her dress in the bridal suite. These were lovely moments to capture.

Mystery Ring Bearer

The ceremony was being held in the Orangerie room downstairs. Stewart made a grand entrance with his best man and ushers before Emma arrived. There were lots of great moments to capture during the ceremony but one which especially fun was the mystery ring bearer. This is when the ring is hidden under someone’s seat and everyone has to look for it. Fortunately, Emma and Stewart had told me beforehand who’s seat this would be under, so I was prepared to get a shot when he finally found it and realised it was him!

Great Moment

Emma and Stewart wanted a confetti shot plus one of all their guests, so after the ceremony I led everyone out and arranged them in a line outside the venue.. This made for a great moment as Emma and Stewart made their way down the stairs to lots of cheers and confetti. Once everyone was there it was easy to arrange everyone on the stairs. By this time it was just starting to rain so we did the family shots inside while everyone was able to relax and have a drink.

Once we’d finished these, I let Emma and Stewart mingle with their guests while I checked on the weather. After a short while it stopped raining which gave us a window to get some shots. Although the woods weren’t far from the venue, I didn’t want Emma to get her dress muddy, so I drove her up in my car so we could park nearby.

Creating A Space

You don’t always need a bright sunny day to get great shots. In can be great with autumn colours but equally an overcast day can add lots of atmosphere and still highlight them. My approach to a couple’s photoshoot is essentially to let people be themselves. I start by suggesting a location and then let them enjoy the moment together, just occasionally guiding them on they should stand or hold each other. Emma and Stewart were so natural together that I didn’t ready need to offer much in the way or direction,  so I just create a space where they felt at ease.

Curtains Of Lights

As we were finishing it was just starting to rain again so we made it back to the venue in time for the meal. The main wedding function room at Balbirnie House is particularly nice and looked great with curtains of small lights. There was also plenty of room for me to move around and get some great shots of everyone’s expressions during the speeches.

Sparkler Arch

In the autumn and winter months it’s dark outside in the evenings so I like to do a sparkler arch which is quite fun to do. It’s a bit like a confetti line but done with sparklers instead so the couple can walk underneath.

Emma and Stewart wanted to have their cake cutting privately so I captured that for them before all their guests came in for the evening reception. The atmosphere in the function room was brilliant which made for some excellent shots of them dancing together. It was the perfect end to day with lots of special moments and memories.

Please see below a wider selection of some of Emma and Stewart’s wedding photography at Balbirnie House in Fife. I usually produce about 500 images but I’ve edited these so they are easier to view.