The MacDonald Crutherland House Hotel brings back many fond memories for me, as it’s where my wife Caroline and I had our wedding reception about 14 years ago. It hasn’t changed much in that time. For natural, candid wedding photography, it still has a great combination of open countryside nearby, an old original house and more modern facilities as well as being conveniently close for East Kilbride and Glasgow. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when Kelsey and David asked me to photograph their wedding at the venue.

Candid Photos

The day started with Kelsey getting ready with all her bridesmaids in one of the main rooms in the old part of the hotel. There was a really chilled atmosphere and I mainly took candid photographs during this party of the day. There were also quite a few children about who are always great for candid photos. They were especially fascinated by looking out of the window where they could see people arriving for the wedding, which was great for photos.

David was also getting ready in the hotel with his best man and groomsmen, so I was able to pop between the two rooms to cover them and the bridesmaids getting ready.

Outside Wedding

Kelsey and David wanted to get married outside but the weather was a little uncertain. After the hotel staff had laid out all the chairs, it started to rain but fortunately by the time of the ceremony the sun had started to come out. It was still a little windy but I was still able to get lots of natural candid photos of Kelsey and David getting married as well as shots of guests and the readings during the ceremony.

After the ceremony it was time for a few family group photos and shots of Kelsey and David together. I’d done a recce of the grounds and hotel a few weeks earlier when I’d met up with Kelsey to chat about the day. I’d spotted a nice sheltered area just opposite the hotel where we could do the group photos. I always think It’s important to try to take shots of the main wedding party close to the venue, especially when people are in high heels or if there are older people in the group.

Natural Meadow

During my recce, I thought there was a lot of possibility in using the wilder areas of the grounds which included the woods which lined the driveway and the natural meadow next to it. When it came to photographing Kelsey and David together, the sun was perfect so I asked them to walk along hand in hand through the meadow which made for some amazing shots of them together. They were such as relaxed couple that I just let them be themselves whilst taking shots, only occasionally suggesting a few things to them.

No Pressure

Once I felt I had enough shots, we headed back to the hotel where I concentrated on taking candid photographs of them with their wedding guests. When we met earlier, Kelsey and David had said that they wanted a chilled day without too much pressure to take lots of staged shots, so it was important to make sure this happened so they could enjoy the afternoon with their guests.

Amazing Light

After the speeches, (which are always great for capturing people’s emotions and reactions) and the meal there was some time for some evening shots before the first dance. I took Kelsey and David down to the woods where there was some amazing light coming through the trees. As I’d done earlier, I just encouraged both of them to be themselves and enjoy the moment while I took shots. These turned out to be some of my favourites from the day.