photographed more weddings here than any other wedding photographer in Edinburgh. So it’s fair to say I know the venue pretty well! lol Melville Castle have a recommended suppliers list for couples booking their wedding here, and there’s three Edinburgh wedding photographer’s on it. Well, two to be totally accurate as one of the three isn’t actually an Edinburgh wedding photographer, he’s from Glasgow, lol . However, at the beginning of the year I was in for a meeting with the wedding co-ordinator at Melville who informed me that following a meeting with the company’s senior management they had agreed that for personal recommendations they were only going to be putting my name forward to couples. Of course, I was delighted! 
So this year I will end up shooting even more weddings here than usual! Yay!So my first 2011 Melville Castle wedding was Gillian and Paul on the 20th May. The day started off rainy and miserable looking, but amazingly as you can see from the pictures it turned around and ended up being glorious blue skies and lovely sun! Melville Castle was booked for the reception with the ceremony being held at St. John’s church in nearby Dalkeith. As we were booked to start at Gillian’s parents home first it meant we got the equivalent of three different venues, which is always nice
for a great diversity of images.We arrived at 1pm and had a lovely time chatting and playing with the cats. I also took some photos too ;) Starting an hour before the ceremony, which was to be 2pm, meant Gillian was able to get a few nice pre-wedding photographs with her bridesmaids as they prepared to set off for the church. I grabbed a few last minute getting ready shots and then took them out into the garden for some portrait style photos. We did combinations including all three girls together, then one each with Gillian, and of course Gillian by herself. For every grouping I always endeavour to shoot a full length, three quarter as well as a close up. The full lengths are nice as you want to see the beautiful dresses, and then the close ups are a little bit more intimate and relaxed. I
work with a zoom lens so once I’ve posed everyone nicely I can shoot the three images within a couple of seconds without having to move and without the subjects knowing which I’m taking so no one has time to feel nervous which results in natural, relaxed photographs.We left about 1.20pm to arrive at the church for half past. I did a few quick shots with Paul and his bestman and groomsmen and then quickly went to grab a brief word with the minister, only to be told by the church officer he never turns up for weddings until the very last minute, lol. It wasn’t too long until the first car arrived with Gillian's mother and Stephanie and Debbie the two bridesmaids. I had time to pause the three of them at the church entrance for a couple of quick shots (full length and close up as before) and then I was back on the roadside awaiting the brides car which duly arrived a couple of minutes later. I paused father and bride in the back of the car as
that’s a shot I really like and it often becomes a favourite for the father, and then again I paused them in the doorway of the church shooting the full length and close up before I headed off to the front of the church to photograph them coming up the aisle.As St. John’s is a large spacious church there was plenty of room for me to move around unobtrusively behind the minister and get a variety of wide angle shots showing off the whole setting and then zooming in for the bridal party as we went through the vows and decalarations, etc. The table for the register signing was positioned next to a huge window which created some beautiful, strong side lighting. I always get the chance to set up a couple of shots after the register has been signed but the
one shown here was completely natural and shot without anyone knowing I was taking a photograph. I’ve had to do a slight amount of airbrushing as there was some church equipment encroaching into the foreground of the image which I’ve now removed.Once the ceremony was complete and all the legalities finished I ran ahead and photographed the newly weds as they made their way up the aisle and exited the church. A quick pause at the church doorway for a nice 'just married' shot and then I like to step back and just photograph all the fun as the guests come pouring out the church and congregate around the bride and groom offering their congratulations. Gillian and Paul wanted to
do a few photographs of the bridal party on the church steps before heading off back to Melville Castle where we’d do all their family group photographs on the lawn in front of the castle.Before leaving the church I had a word with the driver and arranged for him to bring the bridal car down the narrow track beside the castle upon arriving at Melville which would enable us to position the car on the south-east facing corner. This is the most dramatic setting for using the castle as a backdrop for photographs and the only location where it is possible to position a wedding car. Most times the wedding car will drop the bride and groom at the main entrance to the castle, but as this sits at the heart of the car park it is impossible to get a full shot of the castle from here. Because I’m at Melville so much they are quite happy with me bringing the car down the siding and around to the south-east corner. The car company were too when they saw the photographs afterwards!
Following the formals we did a half hour bride and groom session and then finished up with the line-up and then the speeches. Gillian and Paul have just got back from honeymoon and now are about to start selecting the photographs they want to go in their album. I spoke with Gillian earlier today and she is so delighted with her wedding photographs she wants to book me to do a photo shoot with Kaiser, her 10stone, 10ft tall, immensely hungry looking puppy! So if you never see me again...
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