A fun filled Gretna Green Wedding!

Traditionally, in Scotland, a man & woman over the age of 16 could be married by declaring themselves husband & wife in front of witnesses. In England, you needed to be 18….consequently eloping young couples fled to Scotland for their marriages. The ceremonies were often carried out over the anvil with the ''Blacksmiths Priest'' officiating. Gretna Green was the first changing post across the Scottish Border for the stagecoaches on the main London so Edinburgh route & so began its long association with the romance of the runaways. So with all that romance buzzing around in my head I was very excited to shoot my first wedding there!

Nicola and Leighton chose Anvil Hall for their ceremony and Smiths Hotel for their reception. Both venues are some of the nicest places to get married in Gretna Green and as it was October it felt a lot quieter than it would have been in the summer. We were all biting our nails over the weather but it turned out to be a lovely day and we were able to take plenty of photos outside….even one of the M74 motorway sign (not my idea…ask the Bride!!!).

The day started with Nicola all the girls getting ready in a large beautiful suite and you could literally feel the excitement in the room! Meanwhile, Leighton was with his Best Man and Ushers elsewhere in the hotel and was feeling nervous but really looking forward to the day. And before we knew it Nicola was boarding her Camper Van and was off to get married over the anvil!

After the obligatory photos with the piper, in the Kissing Gate and Gretna Green sign we returned to Smith Hotel for an amazing reception. The room looked absolutely gorgeous with the gold butterfly theme beautiful fishbowl centrepieces. It was unfortunate that a couple of guests couldn’t attend the wedding as they were called to deal with the Nuclear Submarine that run aground….but all was not lost, as my husband and I were able to have their meals! So I can personally vouch for the food, it was incredible! Best beef I’ve EVER had.

After the reception, the sun had faded so it was time to bring out the video light and play around with the contemporary setting of the hotel. Nicola and Leighton were happy to pose for more photos then they showed me their Bridal Suite….it was AMAZING! With double balcony, massive living room area, with X Box, mood lighting, huge bathroom with the biggest Jacuzzi bath I’ve ever seen and to top it all off, a rotating circular bed. I kid you not! The Bride and Groom performed regular guided tours of the suite throughout the night!

Along with their baby Niall, Nicola and Leighton had a fantastic day and to top it all off Nicola’s Dad has booked her a Cherish the Dress shoot which we are going to do in the spring. I can’t wait!

Nicola and Leighton are honeymooning as a family at home. Leighton is in the Navy so time together is precious so I hope you are having a wonderful romantic time together.

www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk

My albums..eventually some images!

I have designed and delivered so many beautiful albums this year and almost always forget to take some photo to share with you. So when Natalie and Ashley's album arrived a little while ago I was determined to put that right!

I have chosen to use Bellissimo Albums for a number of reasons, firstly they are superb quality and very impressive. They are weighty and arrive in a beautiful presentation box. When you take your album out to show family and friends they wont fail to be impressed! The albums are 'digital story book albums' which just means that the images are printed directly onto high quality photographic card and the images are designed to tell the story of your day. I personally design the content and look of each album using multi-image layouts and striking double page presentations creating a truly story for you.

The main albums come in three sizes, 12x8, 14x10 and 16x12 inches and the number of pages in your album really depends on your budget. My most popular size is 14x10inches with 25 double page spreads as it really showcases a wedding perfectly.

I also offer various parents albums. The parents album pictured below is a 7x5inch coffee table book.

There is a definate 'trend' towards photographers attending your wedding and providing edited images on a disc. For the budget minded it's a real alternative to consider (and something I still offer) but my worry is in 10-15 years are you even going to be able to find something that can read CDs/DVDs...remember the fate of the old VHS system? eeek!

I wish my parents had a wedding album I just know it would be one of the family's most treasured possesions.

Finn at 6 months

I was contacted recently by Katherine, the sister of one of my friends who was looking for some photos of her lovely little boy growing up. I was totally honoured and this was my first visit to the very handsome Finn. I am so excited at recording his progress over the coming years and creating some special memories for the whole family.

www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk

Bridesdress Revisted!

Lynsey and Mark were married earlier this summer but they wanted some more relaxed portraits of themselves and of course Lynsey was yearning to wear her wedding dress once again. We chose the beach as it was very different to their wedding location and Lynsey changed her look by wearing her hair long and loose, perfect for some informal photos!

We did get some strange looks from people who were milling about enjoying the afternoon sunshine but we just didn't care and headed for a quiet part of the beach when we could use the stunning surroundings of St Mary's Lighthouse to have some fun.

www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk

Natalie and Ashley at Slaley Hall

Ashley and Natalie chose the beautiful surrounding of Slaley Hall for their very special day and it's not difficult to see why. The hotel is very comfortable with beautiful features and decor and great for indoor and outdoor photos...which makes your photographer very happy by the way!

In the morning I was greeted by lots of excited girls and this is the moment I always know we are going to have a good day! The sun was shining and Natalie looked absolutely stunning next to her bridesmaids in midnight blue. Natalie is from Scotland and her heritage was honoured by kilts (of course!) and the odd tartan detail here and there.

Following a emotional ceremony, guest spilled out on to the large terrace for reception drinks and photos and then I was able to steal the newlyweds away for some quality time alone. At the end of the photos it decided to rain a little! Shock! But we had a large umbrella on hand and I am a sucker for photos with brollies!

I hope you enjoy this montage of their beautiful day and I'd like to wish Natalie and Ashley a very long and very happy marriage.

www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk

Cherish the Dress!

Katie married the lovely Mr D'Arcy back in May and was so exicted to wear her gorgeous gown once again so we planned an early morning shoot at the magificent Bolam Lake...only to wake to find it raining. However we put all our trust in the BBC weather forecast and headed up there anyway. And seems we made a great decision as we found ourselves in the middle of autumnal wonderland with the most gorgeous light and it stayed dry!! Katie quickly slipped into the dress and my hubby helped with the kit and soon we were creating some kick-ass images and Katie was loving it! We went from the forest to the lakeside paths, detouring to an interesting log and onto the pier. So much fun!

Brides spend so much time on choosing the dress and it can sometimes feel like the biggest decision you'll make in your life and why should you only wear it once? A Cherish the Dress photoshoot is a lot more relaxed than your wedding day and we can really focus on you and your beautiful gown in an environment that maybe a little diffent from your wedding day!

Here is a selection from Katie's shoot....doesn't she look fabulous?

Michaela and Craig - now Mr and Mrs Smith!

I do have a soft spot for Eslington Villa probably as it's an exclusive wedding venue but also because it lends itself to a very intimate and relaxed wedding. The garden is lovely too and a safe haven for children to play. So I was over the moon that Michaela and Craig chose me to photograph their special day!

So the day started at Michaela's house where I met Ethan, who was lovely and let me borrow Woody for this special shot!










I was really blown away with Michaela's finished look! She looked radiant and every inch a modern bride all complimented with some sparkle and her pretty bouquet was perfect.



Michaela's Mum also looked amazing!



And so did Katherine the Bridesmaid!!



The Ceremony was held at St Mark's in Low Fell where I met the a very friendly vicar who conducted a lovely service...but first the Groom!











Michaela and Craig were very keen to get everyone to Eslington Villa where the welcome drinks were waiting so they quickly got in their car off they went, guests (and photographer!) following close behind.

A few group shots later and we were into some serious mingling time in the gorgeous afternoon sun before guests were ushered to their seats for speeches and a very delicious meal.

And here is Ethan looking very dapper!



And the Best Man, Brendan, looking very nervous getting in some last minute preparation.





Craig made a very emotional speech and tried very hard to maintain his composure.



Because the weather was so nice (and to help with the flow of the day) we left all the Bride and Groom portraits until after the meal. Good job Michaela didn't have an accident with the gravy!

So Mrs and Mrs Smith...come on down!















As the day turned into evening guests were entertain by the talents of swing singer Alexander Lomas. He definately come highly recommended!






Thank you for choosing me to be part of your amazing day. I can't wait to deliver your album in the coming weeks and hopefully it will help you re-live your special day once again!

http://www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk/