Inspiration

One of my favourite things about being a wedding photographer and certainly what got me into wedding photography itself, is capturing the special moments as they happen. Being a wedding photographer means you have to be part of someone’s day from the moment they get ready at 8 or 9 in the morning, until about 8 or 9 at night. You watch them go through their nerves, looking in the mirror as they get their hair and make up done, and then try to retain all that hard work once their father sees them in the dress.

You watch the bride to be slowly meet each friend and family member, exchange special little gifts to celebrate the steps they shared together in planning such a wonderful day. You see their parents or even little kids try to hold their dress up as they get into the car and try not to be blown away by the Scottish winds, looking at the time, trying to make sure they’ve got everybody and no one was left behind.

When they arrive at the ceremony, you watch them be greeted and waited on by their uncle, and auntie; their grandfather, but most importantly the one person they love enough to have decided to spend the rest of their lives with them, and the tears filling their eyes. In moments like that, it’s not just the tears you see, but the trembling half smile underneath it, that gaze they share of mutual understanding, of all the silliness and hardships they’ve went through to get to this stage – and they made it. And they will make it. That realisation.

And then the champagne, after their father has made one of the longest and most daunting speeches, and the best man having thoroughly humiliated the groom as well as shown him what a great friend he is (amazing how they can do that), and the mutual cheers. The little neice or nephew who runs up to them in the middle of the speech, or cutting of the cake because they think it’s pretty and everyone’s laughter.

And the dancing – don’t get me started on that. My point is, all these little moments are not just the bridal party standing outside in the beautiful gardens (and believe me, some of these venues ARE beautiful, along with the natural scenery of Scotland which will forever blow me away). These are moments that you can only see and capture when there are so many people who love each other in one space. That energy, and excitement – all the history and memories that they share which brings them together in one special day filled with teary laughs and drunken, cake filled moments. That’s what I love. The detail in the little hand made card their bridesmaid decides to make for them – or the collage of photos, and polaroids on the guest book. The rings – a piece of treasure they gift to each other that comes with a little piece of themselves, that says ‘take me with you wherever you go’.

Every moment is another way of their loved ones saying to this new couple ‘We wish you the best’.

As a wedding photographer, the garden family portraits are very important! But they are only 1-2 hours of that whole day. You have to love all that crazyness, and amazingness that makes up the ingredients of the most memorable day of their life. The rest is where the magic happens, and that’s what I will never get enough of. Those are the ‘candid shots’.