Dodmoor House Winter Wedding Photography || Northampton Wedding Photography

Winter weddings can make me a little nervous (especially in Scotland) when the weather is unpredictable and light limited but when the elements come together in a beautiful harmony then the conditions can be stunning and a crisp, clear winter day is a wonderful backdrop. I had a day like this in November at Dodmoor House in Northamptonshire.

After a rocky start to their engagement (Carol was knocked unconscious on the ski slopes moments after Stefan had proposed, thus forgetting that she had just agreed to marry him!) the planning went smoothly and the day itself was very memorable and relaxed.

Dodmoor is a fantastic venue - an old barn conversion with a romantic setting around a courtyard. Carol was amazing as we spent half an hour wandering around the grounds for the couple shots - it was absolutely freezing but she smiled on throughout. She looked so gorgeous in a delicate gown with a pink feathered boa and chunky jewellery.

The guests sat down to a traditional eight course chinese meal (as did I and it was delicious).

Inshriach House Wedding || Scotland Wedding Photography

One from the archives of last summer at my favourite wedding venue in the country, Inshriach House... I'd actually had supper at Cristina's parents with Cristina and MP about 5 years previously (and now remember some serious after-dinner wii-hoola-hooping action) but funnily enough had completely forgotten about this until I turned up at the house on the morning of the wedding to photograph the bridal party getting ready.

Cristina and her bridesmaids got ready at the Aviemore house which her parents have lived in for years and I got plenty of shots of them in the garden with the cows in the fields looking on.  They chose the pretty Loch Insh Church where Cristina's parents were married 23 years earlier.

Cristina wore a Caroline Castigliano dress with a black sash which was echoed in the bridesmaids dresses which they selected themselves, and teamed with some rather fabulous Christian Louboutin's.

I was reintroduced to them after their engagement by an old friend, Walter, who ownsInshriach; an Edwardian country house in the Cairngorms National Park where the reception was to be held.  Cristina and MP were looking for a relaxed, informal local venue which would allow them to bring the Spanish influence of Cristina's family into the meal (Spanish gambas and local Scottish beef) as well as having an incredibly relaxed atmosphere.  The groom's father was one of the designated carvers as joints of beef were served at table.

An (initially!) reluctant MP was pushed into performing the Spanish tradition of retrieving the bride's garter from her leg - with his teeth.  After first going for the wrong leg he emerged triumphant.

"I saw Cristina walk across the room with a feather in her hair and knew she was the one".  MP

One Devonshire Gardens Wedding Photography || Glasgow wedding photographer

I woke up to the heaviest rain last Sunday morning - the perils of shooting weddings in Scotland and not LA I suppose.  Fortunately Lisa and Donnie had chosen to have their entire wedding within One Devonshire Gardens and so the need to dash from hotel to church to venue was avoided.  I don't mind it being grey, in fact I think the Scottish light can be quite lovely and flattering but when it is literally bucketing down the best thing is to stay inside.  Plus Lisa had to wear her dress again at their wedding party in a few weeks so I held back from thrusting an umbrella at her and suggesting we jump in puddles for 'creative effect'.  I'm thinking of getting some pink wellies to give to brides to wear for future wet weather days.  I usually suggest brides ensure they have a white parasol that matches their dress just in case.  My favourite wedding accessories shop, Melle Cloche on Byres Road in Glasgow, have a lovely range. Lisa and Donnie had chosen to have a lovely intimate gathering of about 30 close friends and family but had put in such a lot of thought into all of the wonderful details.  From the birdcage for guest messages, to the floral hankies to mop up any tears during the ceremony, the carefully prepared CD's as wedding favours and hand made and wrapped chocolates, the place was full of their personal touches.  I have to confess to making a mental note of the style of the dress which is one of my recent favourites - a lucky find on ebay.  The lovely flowers were by Sparrow and Rose.

Pimm's was served with wedding cake straight after the ceremony whilst I took Lisa and Donnie off for their couple shots around the hotel - they brought some great props with them.

They were such a cute couple - I always love listening to the speeches and hearing more about them from the viewpoint of their friends and families.  It seems poor Donnie has had to suffer no small amount of ribbing for being the younger man, including receiving colouring books as birthday presents from amused friends but there was also huge pride at his achievement of a first at his recent graduation.

And then they were off to Thailand and as I write will now be sitting on a beach reminiscing about their fabulous day.  I can't complain however as I am writing this from a gorgeously sunny Guernsey where I can see the sea from my window.

Lisa specifically requested a more 'vintage' look to the images which is why stylistically they are a little different to my usual look but I'm always happy to accommodate a bride's request.

Amy + Simon’s Wedding at Glasgow University Chapel and One Devonshire

You don’t get much grander wedding venues in Glasgow than the University Chapel – so much so that you are always guaranteed to have a gaggle of tourist to witness your wedding (and sometimes attempts to gatecrash).

I joined Amy and her bridesmaids at One Devonshire, which she had decked out beautifully with so many personal touches, from the flowers, to candy bar, homemade cup cakes and favours of lavender bags for the girls and chutney for the boys in dainty jars.

The service was punctuated with a musical rendition by Amy’s mother on piano and sister Lucy on cello instead of the usual readings.  The sun came out long enough for me to take the close family into the university quad for group photos before we all headed back to One Devonshire Gardens (where I seem to have been rather a lot this month) for the reception.

In Simon's speech he mentioned that Amy just didn't seem to realise how pretty she was - I thought she was stunning and she was such a joy to photograph.

Melle Cloche Glasgow || Wedding Accessories Shop Glasgow || Willow Tea Rooms

My flat in Glasgow was just off the main West End shopping street of Byres Road (populated it seems, mostly by cupcake shops and vintage shops) and so I was quick to spot Melle Cloche’s arrival and was probably one of the first through the door to say hello.  Melle Cloche is essentially a shop that sells everything wedding, except the dresses.  Run by two sisters, it is like a sweet shop for brides, stocked with such delicacies as parasols, headpieces, vintage style jewellery, shoes, lingerie and veils. Inspired by their stock I was keen to do a vintage style shoot and with dresses provided by Circa Vintage in Glasgow I pulled together a shoot at the elegant Willow Tea rooms(designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh) on Buchanan Street.

Our models Niahm and Misha were provided by Model Team, styling by Katy Nicholson, Make-up by Rachel Helena Imrie and hair by Alanna Lennox Coates.

You can see more of the images on Melle Cloche’s website and their marketing material.

Oxford Oratory Wedding Photography || The Old Parsonage Wedding || Gee's Restaurant, Oxford Wedding

I haven't been to Oxford for about 5 years when I went for a weekend with Sebastian and stayed at the ex-prison that is now a swanky Malmaison.  I went again this Saturday evening to step in and cover a job for my friend and fellow photographer Linda who had to go home to Italy. I haven't covered a wedding rehearsal before but it only served to make me soooo jealous that I wasn't covering the actual wedding when I saw how beautiful the Oxford Oratory was.

The rehearsal itself was pretty informal and then onto the hotel where Julie and her family were staying, the gorgeous hotel The Old Parsonage.  Julie and Neil borrowed some of their bikes to pose with.

The party moved onto Gee's restaurant and was mainly an American contingent with Neil and Julie being New Yorkers, entertainment came from 'Piano Man Tim' who they found busking on the street the week before.  It was a gorgeous event to photograph - the evening was perfect, the locations beautiful and the couple (as you can see from the pictures), utterly smiley and photogenic.  I'm sure their wedding day was wonderful.

Mark & Gemma's Ibiza Wedding

I had the pleasure of photographing at Mark and Gemma's Ibizan wedding back in June.  They met there one evening in Pacha nearly five years ago and knew immediately that they had met the one.  A courtship followed with a commute between Gemma in Wales and Mark in Surrey until they moved into a flat in Notting Hill a few years later. After an engagement in Cuba, Ibiza was decided upon as the only proper venue, and 50 friends and family gathered for a weekend long celebration.  The wedding itself was held in the evening at The Amante Beach Club, set in one of the most beautiful coves in Ibiza.  Overlooking the Sol D'en Serra bay the resort is surrounded by dramatic rocks and lush greenery.  The guest seating was laid out overlooking the sea and Gemma made her entrance down the steps wearing a beautiful Jenny Packham gown and beige Jimmy Choo heels.

Gemma had thought of every little detail and the whole day was utterly beautiful and elegant.  It was truly wonderful to watch the sun setting over the mediterranean sea as the party continued into the evening.