Dave and Christina at Smiths Hotel, Gretna Green.

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Christina first and although nervous, she was great.

Its not often I am in Gretna, but for those who ask, I can sometimes be tempted across the border to put my stamp on a nuptual. It all depends on who is doing the asking! Dave is a graphic designer and art director who had looked hard enough in google to find a gretna wedding that I had completed last year and instantly took to my style of photography as being different to all of the photographers that are online with a Gretna website.

I had some ideas for using some newer techniques and some very very old ones for this wedding and managed to get most of them done including the use of my old Lomo LC-A camera and shooting a large percentage of the wedding with the awesome Fuji x-100 camera. Both of these have a high saturation and high contrast, so obviously I was going for a look.

weddings at smiths hotel
Dave was quick to get sorted and the punk cufflinks finished off his suit nicely.
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I love this….
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Pretty brides make my day.

Sometimes an image can capture a whole range of emotions that someone is feeling at the time. Its easy for photojournalists to capture these kind of images, but harder for studio based and wedding photographers. For some reason though it is becoming easier and when I get an image like the one below, it always makes me feel happy

photographs at smiths
This image has my own recipe on it which really brings out the tones..
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The bathrooms at Smiths are cool. Shot on a lomo LCA.

Its hard enough to shoot on film for most people before you even start to get creative with it. It takes a lot of time and money spent before a film camera can become intuitive to use. If you use something with a bit of passion and a creative eye, you can get some really unique results.

Wedding photography at Smiths.
A last bit of makeup before heading out to the Blacksmiths.

 

dumfries photographers
No comment needed….

 

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This is the bit where a 7 foot tall man neatly misses your hands with a massive hammer.

 

wedding photography in the borders.
A few images from inside the marriage room at the Blacksmiths shop.

A lot of the photographers in Gretna seem to tow the line as far as standardisation goes. Lots of people want a one stop shop when it comes to the organisation of their day, so it is always refreshing when someone comes along looking for something a little different.

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This is a well used archway outside the blacksmiths. There is something quaint about it though.

 

bridal portraits, borders
Something different for a quaint old arch.

After this we headed back to Smiths Hotel for a few more images of the newlyweds before letting them head in for some food. The sky at this point was clouding in and looked very dramatic, so after some alternative shots in the hotel, we headed up onto the balcony of the suite. Smiths is a great hotel to work in and I wouldn’t mind being there more often. As with most places, you feel as though you have only just scratched the surface when you shoot there and you could always find something new to do.

Great bridal portraits.
The 5 mins that was spent planning this image out paid dividends.

 

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On the balcony the clouds were coming in.

 

Botique Gretna Green
Lave everything about this from the pose to the tone. Its a firm favourite.

 

stylish wedding photography in Gretna.
Lots to do in Smiths, I love the tables. Whoever polished it did a very good job.

 

weddings in Scotland with photographers
This bar is cool. It generally needs a bit of chair shuffling but this was shot as is.
Getting married in Gretna/
The door is closing… Quick, snog!

 

Wedding cake photograph, lakeland
The man (or woman) who thought of making a cake out of pies needs some sort of award.

 

 

 

Zoe & Donald at Friars Carse Hotel.

I have known Zoe for a few years now and was thrilled to find out that she was getting married. Her and Donalds’ whole day was at the Friars Carse which I have photographed at a few times now and I love the grounds there. When I heard that they were planning to get married by the river, my ears instantly pricked up. I know the place exactly as it is in a break in the massive trees and looks out over a bend in the river, which some mistake for a lake at first as the bend is so severe.

The wedding was in the fluke warm week that we had three weeks ago on a wednesday and I was bowled over to be driving up there in the warm sunshine. The next few days it poured down. I do photograph one or two weddings up in Dumfries in the year, mainly at Easterbrook Hall or Comlongan Castle, so to be going back to Friars Carse was a real treat.

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The boys got ready at the Station Hotel in Dumfries.

 

Oliver was chosen as best man and did a great job of winding up Donald all morning and when I arrived we had a great time photographing them getting ready and I loved the pattern on the kilts from Andersons in Dumfries. After the Station Hotel, I shot up to Friars Carse to catch Laura from Blusha Starting on Zoe’s makeup. Laura is an amazing makeup artist and I have a back catalogue of weddings that I have worked on with her and all of the brides look amazing.

Zoe was nice and relaxed when I got there with some nice calming music on and her sisters and parents dotting in and out amongst other well wishers. I love this as it allows me to blend in a little more and I got some great shots in the room.

Summer wedding in Scotland
The view from the window of the wedding location.
Scottish Wedding
Zoe once she had her Dress on from Dresses and Dreams.

With it being spring, the shadows were nice and long, so where the marriage was taking place was in the shade, this allowed me to move a bit further away than normal and it pretty much gives me free reign outdoors. Just had to get one or two of Donald before the service started in the awesome snooker room.

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Donald in the Snooker room at Friars Carse

 

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The setting for the ceremony was incredible.
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Zoe looked quite regal in this image I thought.
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What a great setting.
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The first smooch… Quite appropriate given the setting.

 

 

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Sometimes everything just falls into place.
Alternate wedding images
This shot made my day. Put through my own cross process recipe in Phase.

This was a wedding all about the details and it was obvious that in preparation for the day, a lot of time had been spent on the little things that tie it all in. Future brides will probably see more than one idea in this next image.

scottish wedding tables
Lots of bits on the tables with flashes of the tartan.

After the meal I took Zoe out and about for a wander around the hotel. There are stacks of locations at Friars Carse but I decided to go to some that I had not seen used before.

Wedding staircase image
I hung back here and snatched Zoe on her way back downstairs.
door of the scottish hotel
The entrance to the hotel is incredible.

 

 

 

Lake District Wedding Photography Cumbria

Current Offer

A full day’s wedding coverage (8hrs)

Includes a USB drive of images.

Option of a half-price photobooth (£200)

All for only: £899

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Lake District Wedding Photography, 21 Mill Road, Glasson, Cumbria, CA7 5EE [email protected]