Pt 1: Emma + Jamie’s Wedding at Netherbyres House
Before: What to expect (from me) in the run up, and getting ready on the day
I’m sharing this beauty of a day across 3 posts so I can show you loads of the images, but also for couples wondering what to expect from me as your photographer before, during and after your wedding.
Bit of a dry read for pals so maybes give these a swerve unless you like the photos, I donno… But worth doing as I’ve been shooting weddings for a decade and I forget that it’s usually the wedding couples’ first rodeo.
So here’s part one, featuring our pre-wedding shoot and on-the-day getting ready photos.
A practise cringe/shoot
As part of my full-day wedding package, if geography and logistics allows, we’ll get together for an in-person chat and a wee practise cringe (anyone else always confuse ‘practise’ and ‘practice’? 🤔 ). I work with loads of couples who hate being photographed and contrary to some of my social posts, I also hate being in front of the camera so I GET IT. It might sound counterintuitive, but to do a wee 15 minute shoot when we first meet (usually my little studio space at The Shore in Leith) allows couples to see how I work, which is mostly candid, unposed… the opposite of cringe I swear. I tend to be a massive creep and like to capture authentic connections on camera, the idea of the mini-shoot is so it doesn’t feel as torturous on the day as you’d imagined it might be. So we lean into the discomfort while I briefly creep you out and rant my shit patter in your faces until I bore you into submission.
Meeting before also gives us a chance to say hi face to face which is always a winner because I’m going to be capturing your most vulnerable, beautiful moments. It also gives us the opportunity to chat through the final timings so I know where and when you need me on the day.
For couples who are not based anywhere near Leith or are travelling to Scotland for their weddings, we will of course meet online to say hi and chat through these things, we might just need a few more minutes on the day for your couple’s portraits. This makes for a brilliant opportunity for you both to have some quiet time alone and sink into the fact that OMG you’ve just got married! It’s always super cute to watch the surreal realisations kicking in on your face.
On the Day: Getting Ready
On the day itself, I always recommend I come and hang out with you for around an hour of getting ready time, maybe more if you’ve got a bunch of people with you in the morning. Lots of folks don’t think there’s any point as it’s just folks rushing about with PJs on and a half face of make-up, but it’s really valuable as it let’s everyone else get used to me creeping about so I can shoot as unobtrusively as possible throughout the day. To paraphrase the site manager of a festival I used to work at, discretion is our watchword.
“I’m not sitting staring at you with all my cameras on the whole time like some rabid paparazzi, promise. I don’t put photos of brides in their spanx on your final edit anyways, just all the shots of everyone looking resplendent like Hollywood film stars...”
I just get myself warmed up shooting some details as well, like any florals or maybes your outfit hanging up before you get changed, those kinds of wee things that set the scene. I’m not sitting staring at you with all my cameras on the whole time like some rabid paparazzi, promise. I don’t put photos of brides in their spanx on your final edit anyways, just all the shots of everyone looking resplendent like Hollywood film stars. Or losing their minds when they see their wee baby all grown up and about to get hitched. I always have to give my sentimental ass a wee silent pep-talk when I see the pride in parents’ faces change to the cloudy wee look that says “where did all that time go?” …ah welling thinking about it. You might get a brief wrist slap for any self-deprecating talk I happen to hear, the cautious finger wag will come out.
I mostly shoot digitally, using 2 cameras with different focal length lenses but I also play around with some old film cameras for slower bits of the day and maybe for our pre-wedding wander as well.
Supplier Love
How beautiful are Emma & Jamie’s gang? Loved this day, was all the good stuff together. Many thanks to Sarah and Mike at Netherbyres for being legends as always, to Jo’s Kitchen for feeding me enough scran for a small family, the lush florals are by Paula at Mill Pond Flower Farm, polka dot wedding dress from Claire at Those Were The Days bridal The Brideside did hair and Jo Bullough at Valentine Beauty was on Make-up duties.
When Art meets Wedding Photography
Specialising in capturing human connections and wingwoman for the camera shy, Solen’s unobtrusive, natural and artistic approach to photography is highly coveted for weddings, elopements, portraiture and events.