Susan and Gordon's wedding, Dirleton Kirk - Greywalls

In Edinburgh, during the last few days of April we had rain every single day. On the run up to Susan and Gordon’s wedding the weather forecast each day depressingly predicted a consistent regularity of rain all the way through to the end of the month. I recall when I first started photographing weddings several years ago I would regularly check the weather forecast each day on the approach to the wedding day. Now, however, I no longer bother as it is amazing just how many times the predicted forecast will be wrong. So it proved it to be on the last Saturday of April!

The day dawned bright and sunny with lovely blue skies and the feel of approaching summer. It would last for only a day as all us wedding photographers in Edinburgh awoke to the rain again on the Sunday. If you read last weeks blog you will know that I was working inside on the Sunday so I was quite happy!

As an Edinburgh wedding photographer I am ideally based for travelling anywhere in Scotland, and even down into England too if the price is right! ;) But for Gordon and Susan who were getting married at Dirleton Kirk it was only short trip along the A1. Their ceremony was scheduled for 4pm which meant we would catch some gorgeous late afternoon light which would be ideal for photography not just at the Kirk but also back at the elegant Greywalls Hotel later.

I’d done a recce of both venues a couple of weeks earlier, but nevertheless I still left early enough to pop into Greywalls to double check my earmarked locations and ascertain how the light was going to pan out for later in the afternoon. Things were looking good! So was the coffee!

I was booked for photography coverage from the ceremony arrivals through until the wedding breakfast, which was to be around 6.30pm. I arrived at the Kirk about 3pm which gave me time to unpack my camera’s, select vantage points for both myself and Diane for the wedding ceremony and then be stood on the drive to photograph Gordon and bestman as they arrived in the wedding car. Many folk ask me at weddings why I use two camera’s and the answer is simply that each one has a different lens allowing me to get a greater range and variety of shots within a short space of time. As soon as I spotted the wedding car descending the long winding road to the Kirk I took a few shots with the telephoto lens as it approached and then switched camera’s for a wider lens allowing me to photograph the guys as they disembarked.

There was plenty time for shots of the groom, bestman and ushers and also the piper and then I kept around the periphery to take some natural, unobtrusive pictures as guests arrived and greeted Gordon and the family. The Dirleton Kirk is very spacious and also has an upper gallery at the rear so Diane went up there whilst I was to remain photographing proceedings from the floor. The minister himself was happy to allow me uninhibited freedom to photograph during the proceedings although the church officers were a little concerned about this as during the last wedding in the Kirk the photographer had caused quite a distraction as he ran around all over the place blasting and flashing away and apparently at one point sprawled himself out on the floor below the altar to get some 'unique angle' shots! No wonder they thanked me afterwards for being so inconspicuous, lol.

Following the ceremony we had arranged to do all the group photographs back in the grounds of Greywalls so as the couple exited the Kirk and were soon surrounded by congratulatory family and friends I was able to work the perimeter photo-journalistically until the newly weds climbed in the car ready for the journey to Greywalls. I grabbed a quick photograph of them in the rear of the car before heading off myself for the hotel.

On arrival at Greywalls I asked the driver to position the wedding car right in front of the main entrance and shot a quick sequence of photographs with the hotel as a backdrop and then Susan and Gordon with their elegant wedding car. Champaign soon arrived and with that we set off with the family into a quiet corner of the grounds for the family photographs.

The grounds and gardens at Greywalls are absolutely gorgeous so following the family photography I took Susan and Gordon off for a relaxing walk around the gardens for their main bride and groom session. By now the sun was beginning to drop low in the sky and we had some great golden light sweeping across the gardens casting some lovely shadows and highlighting the attractive blooming flowers.

Speaking of flowers I must give a mention to Roseparks of Edinburgh. Roseparks are of course very well known to most Edinburgh wedding photographers as they are one of the top florists in Edinburgh Not only had they supplied the bridal and bridesmaids bouquets but they had also played a significant role in decorating the Greywalls dining room. I wasn’t actually scheduled to do any photography in the dining room as Susan and Gordon had booked me to conclude with their cake cutting in Library after we’d finished up in the gardens. However once we’d finished and said our good byes I was passing the dining room on my way out and my eyes were drawn to the striking table centres. Seeing how beautiful the room looked I couldn’t help but think how much Susan would want a photograph of the room set up amongst her wedding day memories so I couldn’t resists sneaking in and taking a couple!

Please note - If you would like to view any of the posted photographs at a larger size simply click on them and they should open up full screen.