I’d never photographed a wedding here before and when I did my recce a week before Jenna and Casey’s wedding I was delighted at how picturesque the hotel and its gardens are with a plethora of photogenic locations I couldn’t wait to utilize. It is also close to North Queensferry pier and I knew Jenna and Casey were keen to get some photographs with the dramatic Forth Rail Bridge as a backdrop behind them. 
The photography started at Jenna’s family home in South Queensferry with some bridal and family portraits. The day had dawned sunny and warm but the forecast wasn’t too promising with rain predicted for later in the afternoon. This wouldn’t affect me getting good photographs 
but I knew Jenna and Casey had particularly set their heart on going down to the pier as both of them grew up here and the famous Forth Bridge had always been an iconic landmark throughout their lives.I took a selection of different images at the home including some bridal portraits and then some combinations with Jenna’s sisters who were bridesmaids, her parents and flower girl finishing up with a family shot of all of them. Diane and I then set off ahead of the wedding car and got to Queensferry Hotel 
about half an hour before the ceremony. I did a few pre-wedding shots with Casey and his bestman, a couple of detail shots and then had a quick word with Elaine whom I’d met on my visit last week just to double check timings and arrangements.
about half an hour before the ceremony. I did a few pre-wedding shots with Casey and his bestman, a couple of detail shots and then had a quick word with Elaine whom I’d met on my visit last week just to double check timings and arrangements. Jenna’s mother and bridesmaids arrived about ten minutes 
before the ceremony and I quickly got some pictures of them alighting from the car and then posed outside the hotel entrance adjacent to the red carpet that awaited Jenna. Jenna arrived 
ten minutes late, as was her prerogative, and I paused her and father for a photo in the back of the wedding Jaguar and then again on the red carpet at the hotel entrance after which I ran ahead of them to photograph their procession down the aisle. The celebrant was The Very Rev Kev Pearson who had stipulated no photography whatsoever during the ceremony, which would mean no pictorial record of the declarations, vows, exchanging of rings, etc. I always feel this is a shame but to be honest it usually occurs because the celebrant has had a bad experience in the past of photographers causing such a commotion and distraction during the ceremony they decide not to allow it ever again. 
There is no need for any photographer to be a distraction or take away from the dignity of such an important arrangement but sadly this is another instance of the part time Saturday photographers giving everyone a bad name. Anyway I got a nice set of three images of the two of them walking down the aisle, a wide shot of the whole room filled with all the guests as they arrived at the front, a quick grab shot inbetween of Casey and his bestman as they catch their first sight of the bride and then finally another wide shot of the whole bridal party standing at the front before retreating to the rear of the room. During the ceremony I did manage to 
sneak a couple of shots of the bride and groom from the back of the room, including the first kiss, by shooting unobtrusively from the hip with a telephoto lens without the Rev Kev noticing. Fortunately, a thunderbolt from heaven didn’t strike me down!
before the ceremony and I quickly got some pictures of them alighting from the car and then posed outside the hotel entrance adjacent to the red carpet that awaited Jenna. Jenna arrived 
ten minutes late, as was her prerogative, and I paused her and father for a photo in the back of the wedding Jaguar and then again on the red carpet at the hotel entrance after which I ran ahead of them to photograph their procession down the aisle. The celebrant was The Very Rev Kev Pearson who had stipulated no photography whatsoever during the ceremony, which would mean no pictorial record of the declarations, vows, exchanging of rings, etc. I always feel this is a shame but to be honest it usually occurs because the celebrant has had a bad experience in the past of photographers causing such a commotion and distraction during the ceremony they decide not to allow it ever again. 
There is no need for any photographer to be a distraction or take away from the dignity of such an important arrangement but sadly this is another instance of the part time Saturday photographers giving everyone a bad name. Anyway I got a nice set of three images of the two of them walking down the aisle, a wide shot of the whole room filled with all the guests as they arrived at the front, a quick grab shot inbetween of Casey and his bestman as they catch their first sight of the bride and then finally another wide shot of the whole bridal party standing at the front before retreating to the rear of the room. During the ceremony I did manage to 
sneak a couple of shots of the bride and groom from the back of the room, including the first kiss, by shooting unobtrusively from the hip with a telephoto lens without the Rev Kev noticing. Fortunately, a thunderbolt from heaven didn’t strike me down!Usually I do the group photographs shortly after the ceremony but we decided to make the most of the weather and get down to the pier with Jenna and Casey before the rain came on. This proved to be a good idea as we got not only a great set of pictures by the Forth Bridges but also a few from around the hotel gardens and grounds, too. 
The group shots I did just before the wedding breakfast inside the conservatory, by which time it had begun to rain steadily, and then following the meal came the speeches, cake cutting ceremony and first dance. All in all I got 299 photographs from the day which was very good given there’d been no ceremony photography. A few of my favourites from the bride and groom set are shown here.
The group shots I did just before the wedding breakfast inside the conservatory, by which time it had begun to rain steadily, and then following the meal came the speeches, cake cutting ceremony and first dance. All in all I got 299 photographs from the day which was very good given there’d been no ceremony photography. A few of my favourites from the bride and groom set are shown here. Queensferry Hotel website:
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