Blairquhan Castle Wedding - Cherri and Tom

Blairquhan Castle Wedding

Cherri and Tom's Blairquhan Castle wedding - what a wonderful venue, wonderful lady and wonderful day. They do things a little different in Texas. So when Texan lady Cherry came to Blairquhan Castle for her Scottish wedding she brought with her EIGHT impeccably turned out bridesmen

This was my first visit to this stunning caste set down in Ayrshire. It is a huge imposing building but once inside it feels more like a cosy retreat. I loved it and as you can see it was rather photogenic. As were our lovely bride and bridesmaids (yes we still had bridesmaids too - although they were much quieter than the boys!) With over 50% of the guests hailing from the 'lone star state' this was a real mix of cultures although both the Texans and the Scots have one thing in common. They love a party !

This wedding was terrific fun and my only sadness is that with the couple living on the other side of the pond I am unlikely to run into them again in the near future. Such warmth, fun and love from everyone who attended the wedding is evident in the pictures. It was also great to be working alongside my good friend Scott of MacKenzie Wedding Films. It was a long day and a long drive home but one that I would love to repeat. I really hope I get back to Blairquhan again soon. Although any other wedding I shoot there is going to have a lot to live up to !

Lochside House Wedding - Alana and Kevin

Lochside House Wedding

Here is a wee fact for you - A Lochside House wedding was the first wedding I shot as 1500 Photography.

It is always a pleasure to travel back down to Cumnock to this great venue. It was also great to see Alana and Kevin, one of the most easy-going couples Ive photographed this year. Absolutely nothing was a bother to them.....well actually I do remember Kevin was a little tense before the wedding but as soon as he walked back down that aisle he was much more relaxed man. Yet again it was a lovely day with an absolutely beautiful bride. Alana looked stunning and was absolutely serene as the day passed by pretty much exactly as she had planned. Rarely have a met such a calm and assured bride.





Of course it helps that Lochside House run a very slick day. Its funny, you go a few years without returning to a venue and the next thing you know, you are back there 2 weeks in a row. However our next trip to Lochside would be quite different ........

 

Coats Memorial / Crutherland House Wedding - Ashley and Devin

Coats Memorial / Crutherland House Wedding

One of my favourite weddings Ive ever shot, Ashley and Devin's Crutherland House Wedding, was just a perfect wedding day for a photographer.

We started at Ashley's mums house where one of the most stunning brides we'd ever shot was getting ready. It was already a cracking day but having such a lovely spacious house to begin with before popping outside into the garden in the blazing sunshine was a bonus. Then it was onto the wonderful Coats Memorial church in Paisley, an amazing building with a huge set of stairs for brides to negotiate before entering into a beautiful interior.

[caption id="attachment_4224" align="aligncenter" width="417"] Winner or our wedding shot of the year 2013[/caption]

Then it was onto one of the most unusual locations I have ever shot at. A turf farm. Acres and acres of bowling green smooth grass laid out as far as the eye could see. All except for one tree. Ashley 'grandfathers' tree which we used to create this wonderful silhouette shot.

 

After our pictures at the farm we headed onto Crutherland House. I must say I was really impressed with Crutherland. They were brilliant. We were running approximately 30 minutes behind schedule but knowing that we still had all our formal group pictures to shoot they altered their timings to make sure that the day continued to run smoothly with the absolute minimum of fuss. It was then over the Ashley's mum who gave the father of the bride speech and Devin's brother who delivered one of the funniest best man speeches we've heard. This then gave way to some singing waiting staff and one of the busiest dance floors we've ever witnessed. You can see from the shots just how much fun the bride and groom had on the day.

I love this wedding so much that I made it our main sample album in a bid to make sure that as many as my future bride and groom have a day like Ashley and Devin's. A top couple and a top day.

Strathallen Castle Wedding - Linzi and Paul

Strathallen Castle Wedding

What another amazing day we had with Linzi and Paul's Strathallen Castle Wedding. This was our first visit to Strathallen Castle but it wasnt our first wedding with Linzi and Paul. Late last year we shot Linzi sister's wedding Stephanie who married Alvin at Cameron House. Linzi had been impressed at how we had worked on the day and chose us to photograph her wedding too. A huge compliment for which I am very grateful.





As you can see from the shots, not only was it an absolutely scorching day but the castle at Strathallen provided an incredible background to our pictures. You will also notice another castle........ a bouncy castle. Perhaps not quite as impressive as Strathallen but as the night wore on I am told more and more of the 'grown ups' had a little shot. An absolutely perfect wedding day.

 

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Mar Hall Weddings - Kerry and Ryan

Mar Hall Weddings

Mar Hall weddings are fact becoming a real favouite of mine. I love the decor of the hotel, the stunning sandstone facade and the beautiful gardens and views. However rather then me tell you about the day, here is what Kerry had to say

I got married last July at Mar Hall and Stuart from 1500 photography was my photographer. I spent a long time researching photographers and when we met with Stuart a couple of times at our venue, his passion and ability shone through from the beginning. I wanted someone with talent, who was dedicated. I knew he wasn't the cheapest option, but I also knew I had one wedding day and one wedding day alone so I wasn't going to risk a dodgy photographer.

I have to admit, I loved every second of my wedding but there were some slightly stressful moments. These were all things I hadn't anticipated. I had spent most of my time before the wedding worrying about having to have pictures taken- a task I'd normally avoid like the plague. I needn't have worried. Stuart and his partner were incredible. Within minutes I was relaxed and laughing. They managed to get photographs of both myself and my husband getting ready. They did an amazing job during the ceremony- it wasn't until the signing of the register that I even realised Stuart was there. He was so discreet.

After the ceremony though was when he really came into his own. I am so incredibly proud of those photos- if you knew me at all you'd realise how unlikely that comment is. They are artistic and different but still capture the pure happiness and joy that was our day. Every photograph in our album is one I could stare at for hours. There's one photo in particular (I don't know if you know mar hall at all) where I'm standing in front of one of the long windows leading to the garden, fanning my veil. I love it. I look at it and don't think it's really me. It makes me feel a very glamorous bride.

Stuart's passion for his photography didn't end there. When we went to pick up our album he did an amazing thing. By that point I was 7 and a half months pregnant. He offered, for free, to take some more photos. He took the same window shot, but this time with bump. It was so touching to see them side by side. It was a simple thing, but one I'm sure he'll realise I'll cherish forever.

Stuart was an integral part of the success of our day. The results were, I believe, perfect. They were even better that I envisaged. I would love to share my very positive experience with you as I know just how stressful planning a wedding can be and sometimes, as a bride, you can only take so many horror stories. I'd recommend 1500 photography and Mar Hall before anyone else. They honestly were faultless.