I have been to many lovely venues with nice views to cover weddings but when you have the view and no venue, what do you do? Well if you are Lorna and your dad owns land overlooking the picturesque Castle Stalker in Port Appin, all you need to do is arrange for a Marquee to be erected and you are sorted. Euan and Lorna had a great day weatherise and everything went without a hitch. This was a true highland wedding with one of the best ceilidh bands around Skerryvore to entertain the guests as the sun set over Castle Stalker. Although I left to travel home about 9.30pm I am sure the celebrations went well in to the small hours.
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- Just back from photographing a wedding at Castle Lachlan and relaxing with my favourite tipple a glass of Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. Life is good
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John and Katrina’s Wedding @ Ardnaiseig
What do you look for in a wedding venue? Romantic surroundings, breathtaking scenery, excellent food and comfortable surroundings, then you need look no further than the Ardnaiseig Hotel on the banks of Loch Awe in Argyll.
John and Katrina on a trip to Scotland last year stayed at the Ardnaiseig Hotel for a night and just knew this was the place where they wanted to get married. I was delighted to be invited to be their photographer and spend part of their day with them and their family. The Ardnaiseig specialises in small intimate weddings of up to about fifty people and they certainly do it with style.
John and Katrina were a great couple to be around and work with. I had not had the chance to meet them before their wedding as they live in Ireland, so all of our contact was by email or on the phone but when we met we just seemed to hit it off. Katrina was a stylish and beautiful bride with a fantastic personality, John was a very lucky man and he knew it.
I look forward to the next opportunity I have to photograph a wedding at the Ardnaiseig. All the pictures from the wedding can be seen at www.ronniecairns.com and by going to events and then weddings. A password is required.
Donna & Maxwell’s Wedding
Donna and Maxwell were married recently in St. Johns Church in Dunoon by the Rev Joe Stewart and then on to the Royal Marine Hotel for the reception. Although the day started out well, weather-wise, there was always the threat of rain so we made good use of the church grounds for the formal shots. As the wedding guests made their way to the Royal Marine for the drinks reception, I took advantage of the days remaining sunshine and took Donna and Maxwell down to the pier for some fun shots, much to the amusement from some passers-by!
As we arrived at the hotel signs of rain were showing so we only had time to get one large group shot before the heavens opened but a bit of rain was not going to put the dampers on this wedding.
Martin Greig and his staff at the Royal Marine Staff looked after everyone’s needs and after the speeches and the meal it was time to get down to some serious boogie with the most incredible band. Nightshift, are to be recommended to anyone looking for the perfect band to get their wedding reception going. I really enjoyed my day and as I left around about 10pm the party was in full swing and I’m sure kept swinging until the early hours. All the photographs are on www.ronniecairns.com and you can view them by going to events and then weddings. Please note that the album is password protected.
Honorine & Frasers Wedding
I recently found myself back in the heart of Burns Country and in Alloway Kirk. I was delighted to have been asked to photograph Honorine and Fraser’s wedding at Alloway and then at the Loch Green House Hotel in Troon.
This was a wedding that brought the old alliance of Scotland and France together again; the wedding service was conducted in both French and English by the Rev Fraser Aitken.
Honorine was a stunning bride and very natural in front of the camera as were her bridesmaids Kirsty and Lyndsay. Many comments were made about Honorine’s wedding dress and how perfect it was for her. Both the brides and the bridesmaid’s dresses were made by Maggie Rodman.
Following the ceremony in Alloway, the bridal party and their guests made the short drive along the coast to the Loch Green House Hotel in Troon for the reception. The Lochgreen is a perfect wedding venue with first class service and comes very highly recommended as does it’s sister hotel the Brig O’ Doon.
Honorine and Fraser were such a great couple to work with, they were so happy and full of fun and it was a pleasure to be their wedding photographer.
Je voudrai`s souhaiter `a Honorine et Fraser le Bonheur pour leur vie future ensemble.
Dunoon Dance Festival
The Dunoon Dance Festival is taking place all this week in the Burgh Hall. This Festival is supported by the Burgh Hall Project which is an the organisation working to renovate this important building in the town centre. To find out more about the project watch the slideshow and click on the link at the end.
Joslyn and Alasdair’s Wedding @ Hoscote
How did you spend your Easter weekend? Well I went down to the Scottish Borders to Roberton, which is near Hawick, and to Hoscote House. Why did you go there Ronnie I hear you ask – no other reason than to photograph the wedding of Joslyn and Alasdair. I have known Joslyn and Alasdair for some time now and was delighted that they asked me to photograph their wedding. The venue was new to me and after checking it out on the website I was excited at the prospect of working in such a nice place. You can be a bit apprehensive about working in a venue to which you have never been: Will it meet your expectations? Will it really look as good as it does on the website?
I can truly say that the Hoscote Website does not do justice to the venue and I don’t know how it could; you have to go there to fully appreciate the quality and the beauty of the place. This five star rated exclusive venue deserves every accolade it gets.
Choosing the right venue is, in my mind, as important as choosing the right photographer (said with a big smile – and why not) but the main ingredients for a good wedding are a happy couple, a great family and a fun group of friends with whom to share your day. In Joslyn and Alasdair’s case all the ingredients came together in just the right quantities and with a touch of the Northern Irish and a touch of the Scottish for garnish we were set for a true wedding feast.
I know Alasdair and Joslyn put a lot of work in to planning their big day and, with the help of Hoscote’s dedicated wedding coordinator, Lyndsay, everything was perfect from start to finish.
For further infromation about Hoscote House visit www.hoscote.com or call 08445 616887 or email info@hoscote.com Don’t forget to tell them where you got the recommendation from.
Claire & Paul’s Wedding @ Crear
I made the trip back over to Crear recently to photograph Paul and Clare’s wedding. Crear is near Kilberry on the West Coast of Scotland and looks over towards the Paps of Jura. I’m afraid the Paps of Jura were nowhere to be seen on this day, the West Coast can be one of the most scenic places on a good day but on Paul and Clares wedding day it was far from good with high winds and driving rain all day. Once you accept that you can’t change the weather, then you just get on and enjoy your wedding day and Paul and Clare along with their families just did that.
Crear is an exclusive use venue with it’s own accommodation for guests with the main function room holding up to about 150 people comfortably.
Jennifer & Grant’s Wedding in Inveraray
For anyone who visits the town of Inveraray, the George Hotel is a must. To many it’s one of the three main visitor attractions in Inveraray; the castle, the jail and then the George for lunch, then your day is complete.
The George hotel has recently been granted a licence to hold civil marriages and I’m sure will prove very popular with couples wanting a destination wedding in Scotland in this historic town.
Jennifer and Grant had asked me to photograph there wedding in Inveraray and although their day was not perfect weather-wise, here was a couple who would not let a bit of rain spoil things. Jennifer along with her father and bridesmaids were piped up the main street of Inveraray and in to the George Hotel for the ceremony. After the ceremony and a couple of drinks, Jennifer was determined to have some pictures taken at the pier and on the ship that is docked there. The piper started the procession and the wedding party followed back down the main street to the pier. We managed to get some pictures and the sun did show a brief appearance along with a perfect rainbow. As we finished some of the guys, in kilts then gave a salute in true Braveheart fashion before returning to the George Hotel. On the way back to the hotel I had arranged for Jennifer and Grant to visit the Inveraray Jail, no sooner did we arrive at the main door and they were arrested, taken to the Court Room, sentenced and locked up. They did make an appeal and to be released for good behaviour and it helped that Grant offered to buy the Warders a drink in the George after they finished their shift. This was all in good fun and part of the visitor experience when visiting this popular visitor attraction, Jennifer and Grant were soon released.
From the jail, Jennifer and Grant were safely escorted back to the safety of the George Hotel for some good food, refreshments and to continue the celebrations in true traditional style.
For more information about inveraray Jail visit their website www.inverarayjail.co.uk
Keith & Denice’s Wedding
Keith & Denice Parkinson were married in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dunoon. Keith and Denice are from Cheshire and they and their wedding guests has exclusive use of Hafton House during their stay in Scotland. Although from England they celebrated their wedding in true scottish style with most of the men in kilts.
Camille and Andy’s Wedding
I had the pleasure of photographing Camille and Andy’s wedding on Saturday at St Andrew’s in the Square in Glasgow. The whole day was a success from start to finish with everybody out to enjoy themselves. I arrived at the venue early as I always do, just to check things out. I met up with the florists Laura and Jayne from Flowers by Cherry Blossom, they were doing a marvellous job of all the floral arrangements. This is the first wedding I have photographed at this venue and I was not disappointed. St Andrew’s in the square is a great setting for a wedding. There is enough room to hold the ceremony, then while the guests enjoy a drinks reception on the balcony, the venue is swiftly arranged for the meal which again is transformed for the evenings entertainment. The staff at St Andrews in the Square were excellent, with everything being co-ordinated well by in-house wedding planner Jacqui. I am already looking forward to covering another wedding there.
Andy and Camille were a pleasure to work with and I’m sure David McGowan, the videographer from beautiful bride wedding videography would agree with me. Camille was stunning in her wedding dress and I must say for a scouser, Andy you realy suited that kilt. I must however take my hat off to Camille who when asked to leave the warmth of the venue to venture outside in which was a very cold evening, she never complained and just said lets do it. Good on you Camille.