The Wedding of Gemma and Kevin 30 April 2011 Stirling Registry Office and Stirling University and the King Robert Hotel, Stirling

This Wedding of Gemma and Kevin who were married recently at Stirling Registry Office on 30 April. This picture was taken at Stirling University and then on the King Robert Hotel in Bannockburn near Stirling. Timing is import on wedding day when taking pictures at different locations as you don't want to be too long away from your guests.

The Wedding of Natasha and Colin - 2 April 2011 Cladhan Hotel near Falkirk

This is the wedding of Colin and Natasha on 2 April 2011 at the Cladhan Hotel, Falkirk. The wedding pictures were taken on in Callender Park, Falkirk. Most the pictures requested in albums are in colour but I still receive a lot of requests for black and white pictures with a splash of colour. I like this picture as Natasha has a beautiful dress with a green splash of colour while Colin is wearing a tartan of similar colour and I think that this picture brings out those colours.

The Wedding of Nicola and Simon - 26 March 2011 The Vu, Bathgate

This is the wedding of Nicola and Simon on 26 March 2011 at The Vu, Bathgate. This is a great venue and the pier is a great place to have photographs taken. I always say to the bride and groom that if you wish for great photographs it makes a lot easier if you have a great venue like this with a great back drop in the grounds of the venue.

The Wedding of Kirsty and John Paul - Park Hotel, Falkirk 11 March 2011

This is an image from the Wedding of Kirsty and John Paul on 11 March 2011 at the Park Hotel, Falkirk. I like to have about 15 - 20 minutes with the "guys" before the wedding ceremony. I will do some traditional type shots but I think this is always a great time to get some fun shots with the groom, best man and ushers. It has not been unknown for a game of football to take place at this point and this definitely does help get rid of those pre-wedding nerves.

The Wedding of Kirsty and Stuart -Inchyra Hotel nr Grangemouth 2 February 2011

This picture is from the Wedding of Kirsty and Stuart on 5 February 2011 at The Inchyra Grange Hotel near Grangemouth. Winter weddings can be difficult to photograph but with a bit of imagination and use of many indoor locations can be used to remedy this. One of my favourites is using the wedding reception area as a backdrop. The bride and groom will have spent a lot of money on flowers, favours and the cake to decorate this room. It seems a shame that this location is not used very often as a back drop.

Why should I have my wedding filmed?

The most common remark I receive about the above is most people will feel uncomfortable about being filmed. At the end of the wedding day, I am always amazed at how many people comment they were not aware they were being filmed.

Many brides also comment on how quickly their wedding goes and that they do not remember much of their wedding day. Watching their wedding DVD brings back the memories and events during the day they missed e.g. mum and the bridesmaids waiting on her arriving, the groom getting ready, guests arriving, etc. The DVD captures those intimate moments and the emotion of the day.

Filming a wedding is not for the fainted hearted. Weddings are great occasions but they are live events and things can happen instantaneously. Being able to react to this and ensuring nothing is missed is a skill acquired over many years. Also being able to blend into the background on occasion ensures that the guests do not feel uncomfortable about being filmed and those comical and intimate moments are captured.

The equipment used on the day is also important. Professional cameras will operate better in lower light conditions than domestic camcorders. Various microphones should be used to ensure optimum sound quality. Most brides are not concerned with technical issues behind being filmed on their wedding day so it may be a job left for the groom to book the wedding DVD. At a minimum I suggest asking if a radio microphone will be placed on the groom to pick up the wedding vows.

Many companies will let you see a show reel. I always suggest seeing a full wedding that has been filmed. This will give an idea of how your final DVD will look. I also advise brides to look at the style of how the DVD is filmed. Most brides are simply looking for a record of the day and reassurance that their day will be covered while feeling comfortable while being filmed.

Finally, how much should you pay? A professionally filmed DVD will take up to 35 hours to edit. A two camera shot will also pick up more footage and will result in a more intimate and detailed look on your wedding DVD. Many companies may charge up to £1500 for this service.

Wedding Photography – some questions answered.

When I first meet most brides, they are unsure what they are looking for. I have worked in the wedding industry for over 10 years first as a second camera filming wedding, then filming weddings on my own and then as a wedding photographer. I have worked with some of the best photographers in Scotland and filmed/photographed over 300 weddings all over Scotland. Here are some hints/tips/observations to help you pick a wedding photographer and plan your day.

1 What is important to you regarding the style of photography you would like? Is spending time with your guests important to you or a “fashion type” shot at a location away from your venue? If you are looking for natural photographs with no posed photographs, this style is called ”reportage” I have never seen a whole wedding shot in this style as there is always a few group shots that will need to be posed. The “fashion type” shot (just with the bride and groom) can involve several locations for up to an hour and half to two hour’s duration. You should however expect to get some spectacular photographs from this type of shot.

I have seen examples of both types of style. The reportage style can result in the day being rather disorganised if there is no structure to the photo shot. The “fashion “type can result in the guests becoming fed up waiting on the bride and groom arriving back at the venue. Most brides opt for a style incorporating aspects of both styles she likes.

2What time should I get married? If you marry in a church and then go onto your reception, you should allow plenty of time to go from the church to your reception venue. If this is not properly planned the photo shot may end being rushed, the bride and groom being unable to spend time with their guests and the venue rushing to take meal orders and prepare food. You should also take into consideration the time of year you are getting married. If you allow sometime for the photographs to be taken in the daylight, this is preferable for the photographer as natural light is more photogenic.

3 How much time should you allow for photographs? I would allow at least an hour and a quarter to an hour and half for photographs plus time to spend with guests and travelling time to the reception venue.

4What should I expect of my photographer on the day? You should have meet with the photographer before the day and seen examples of their work. I think it is equally important to have an idea how the photographer will deal with people as well as their technical skills. I have had many brides upset by the photographer on their wedding day due to the photographer being rude and overbearing. So many people commented how professional my husband and I are at dealing with the wedding guests and the wedding party, I have been asked by many brides to photograph their weddings over the years.

It is also beneficial to meet the photographer at the venue and walk round the venue pre agreeing an outline of the type of shots you would like. You can also suggest some shots to the photographer. One of my brides came up with a great idea: she let me have pages from wedding magazines of various wedding pictures.

5 Group shots

A massive amount of group shots can take over the wedding day. There are various hints and tips that can make this part of the day a lot easier. I always suggest a big group shot straight after the ceremony. Then one shot with the bride’s side of the family and one of the groom’s side of the family. To try to arrange this after everyone has dispersed can result in a lot of wasted time.

I then suggest doing the Bridal Party shots. If you are happy with one shot with the whole bridal party this will cut the shot list considerably. However, most brides like various shots with bridesmaid/ushers/best man and then with the parents.

Another good idea is appointing someone to help arrange group shots. They can direct guests to the photography locations and fetch specific people while the photographer is setting shots up.

I always ask the bride to give me a specific list of shots that she would like of any non-Bridal Party guests. I always then photograph any grand parents and any other elderly relatives. Many brides have commented on how glad that these shots were taken as they have lost a “loved one” shortly after the wedding. I suggest a “kiltie” shot and a “girlie” shot to add some fun to the day.

Finally, and most importantly I like to make the photography shot experience fun and enjoyable. It is a wedding day and properly organised photographs should add to the sense of occasion.