As well as the hotel itself, you have use of New Lanark village and the old mill buildings, which provide great backdrops for wedding photography. The hotel also has a roof garden which is unique. I can’t think of another venue in Scotland that has something like this.
There are also other outdoor options with large gardens at the front of the hotel, walks along the river and old mill water course and of course the famous Falls of Clyde themselves! The locations also offer plenty of variety throughout the year, so there’s always somewhere you can shoot, even in bad weather.
Such a huge choice means that whenever I photograph wedding there I always find something new to use as a background and Chris and Chloe’s wedding was no exception.
The day started off at Chloe’s Mum’s house where she was getting ready with her bridesmaids. It was a really chilled atmosphere with plenty of music and a few drinks. I started by saying hello to everyone and then just quietly starting taking candid photos as well as shots of Chloe’s flowers, shoes and dress. I finished by getting some shots of Chloe in her dress before heading down to the New Lanark Mill Hotel for the wedding.
Roof Garden
Chris and Chloe had decided to have their ceremony on the Hotel’s unique roof garden which I think must be one of the few if not the only wedding venue in Scotland to have one. (Please let me know if you know of another) Obviously, this is weather dependant but on this occasion were blessed by some wonderful weather.
I do love outside weddings, especially when you get blue skies as it brings out all the colours. There was also plenty of room to move around so I was able to get great shots of Chris and Chloe’s expressions during the wedding.
Fun Shots
Chris and Chloe wanted some family group photos after the ceremony but rather than rush straight into this I let them have a glass of champagne and chat to their guests while I set up a light for the photos. I mainly use natural light, especially for the couple’s shoot but on very sunny days its necessary to use a little fill flash outdoors, otherwise you get very dark shadows on peoples’ faces which isn’t very good for family photos. As well as the formal ones, I like to do a few fun ones, so I asked Chris and Chloe to walk arm in arm with their bridesmaids and best men which made for some extra fun shots.
Enjoying The Moment
As a wedding venue, the New Lanark Mill Hotel has so many options for wedding photography. The roof garden is one of them and as we were already up there I decided to start Chris and Chloe’s photoshoot there. I noticed the wonderful sunlight coming through the fountain so I asked them to stand next to it and just enjoy the moment while I took some shots. They needed very little direction for this and I just let them be themselves.
Spontaneity
After that we headed into the village for some other shots including locations I’d never used before. Generally, I don’t like doing the same shots all the time as I feel it’s important to be spontaneous and respond to what’s happening on the day. I noticed some lovely light coming through the branches of a tree so I took some shots of Chris and Chloe together there. Although I always have a plan in mind of where to go I’ll often just spot opportunities like this.
After the photoshoot it was time to head back for the meal at the hotel. As theirs wasn’t a particularly large wedding they decided to have it in one of the smaller function rooms which made for a very cosy atmosphere.
Evening Photos
On a wedding day there is usually a bit of spare time between the end of the meal and the evening reception, so I like to suggest a few evening photos. In the summer, the sun is often warmer and little lower in the sky at this time and in the autumn and winter it’s a good time to get some shots with sparklers. I therefore took Chris and Chloe for a short walk behind the New Lanark Hotel towards the Falls of Clyde which makes for a great backdrop for photos.
Chris and Chloe also wanted to get some shots with some smoke cannons, so we headed up to the roof garden and got some fun shots of everyone up there. After that it was time for the first dance and evening reception which was a perfect way to finish the day.
