I first met Nicola and Kenny on a cold, blustery day in the coastal town of Eyemouth for their engagement shoot. They bravely faced the elements, despite recovering from bad colds, which turned out to be excellent practise for their January wedding day!
Good old Scotland. You think you’ve dodged a bullet at a winter wedding, the first one of the year, when you wake up to a bright, dry day with a bit of sunshine predicted for the afternoon. Hooray, you think, how nice…until you see the wind speed predictions. Gale force. Wonderful. But we bravely solider on, which is exactly what Nicola and Kenny did, and what a wonderful wedding they had.
Now, I may have a slight personal bias here, as I got married in Dalhousie Castle myself, but it really is an amazing place. It includes everything you could hope for in a Scottish Castle venue: a falconry, it’s own chapel, both landscaped and wild grounds, stag heads on the walls and mini cannons on the patio. As an added bonus it also has an elegant reception room with glistening chandeliers (with my magpie tendencies, I’m always a sucker for a good light fixture), a large dancing room and a bright and airy bridal suite, which is a photographers dream. All of this within an easy drive from Edinburgh! Yep, Nicola and Kenny made an excellent choice.
When I arrived I spent some time capturing the venue before I made my way to the bridal suite. Nicola’s prep game was strong and she had put aside all of her details in advance of my arrival, so I was able to get them captured quickly. Details completed, I documented the last few hours of Nicola’s single life. Before we knew it, it was time for her to get into her dress and head down to marry Kenny. A string quartet ushered her down the aisle, and their young daughter, Orla, weaved in and out between her parents and the registrar as they were married, which was lovely to see.
After the ceremony it was time for the group formals and portraits, and by this point the winds were howling. Despite this, Nicola and Kenny gamely faced them head on and we got some beautiful shots taken outside, though we did keep things quick and simple because, as anyone who lives in Scotland can tell you, our wind has teeth. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of photos from their gorgeous day.
Vendors Featured
Venue: Dalhousie Castle
Dress: Sophia Grace Couture
Kilts: Bowdens
Flowers: Sweetpeas Floral Design
Make-Up: Aesthetica Make-Up Lounge
Music: The Quartet