‘Team Wide Sky Weddings’ in Action!
Jewels
We arrived at the first location for my styled Highland wedding shoot, a stunning loch in the Cairngorms National Park. Here we met Catriona Parmenter, the photographer, and Amy Ferguson who provided the most beautiful jewellery. Amy from The Third Aye uses only Fairtrade and recycled silver and gold and ethically sourced gemstones which made her the perfect jeweller for my shoot. Sylwia’s ring was both an engagement ring and wedding band lined up together to depict the contour lines of the Cairngorm Mountain range. James’s wedding band featured a rough rock finish. The back necklace had 3 gold discs to match the golden dress, with the natural texture of nuggets fresh from the hillside. As a Cairngorms wedding planner, I will definitely suggest Amy’s workshop to couples who may like to create their own wedding rings.
Wet Weather Accessories
The couple donned their wellies supplied by Evercreatures. The latex used to make these boots is gathered in a completely sustainable process. Wellies are an obligatory accessory at Scottish weddings, and I felt they created a quirky look for the couple’s overall wedding attire. These were joined by a couple of brollies loaned from Brolly Bucket, the second obligatory accessory.
Blankets, Flowers and Action!
The couple then had fun climbing into, and not capsizing, a rowing boat at the edge of the loch. It had been filled with beautiful recycled woollen cushions and blankets, also from Brolly Bucket. The gorgeous wedding bouquet supplied by Jae at The Flower Company Inverness joined the couple in the boat and looked stunning with a mix of seasonal blooms of deep reds, oranges, browns and dark greens. Perfect for an autumnal outdoor wedding. Laura from The Dolls House in Inverness checked Sylwia’s hair and made sure that her make up, done by Steph at The Dolls House was still perfect….It was.
Time for a Picnic
Photos were taken here, and then ‘Team Wide Sky Weddings’ headed to a different part of the loch, a perfect location for an elopement. We set up the picnic scene whilst Catriona took shots of the couple looking fabulous. Jo’s dress, Gilded Lily, just looked magical in this setting, almost as if it had been created for the day. The fabric when in the water glistened like liquid gold. The stunning golden halo, hand made by Elizabeth Brown at Saint Beth Official completed the magical look. James looked every bit the dapper gent in his suit from Stewart Christie that blended into the autumnal colours perfectly.
The picnic scene was created with the blankets and cushions from Brolly Bucket, a picnic hamper and wine glasses loaned from Polly and Ross at the Dell of Abernethy.
We set up the wonderful ‘Brie cake’ supplied by Claire from More Fine Food. This delicious creation was a large round brie, topped with colourful meats, fruits and olives. It fitted in with my autumnal theme perfectly. Claire uses local seasonal produce, and her packaging is eco-friendly and sustainable. The ‘cake’ was almost too perfect to cut. But it finally was, and it provided some of the team with an exceptional lunch!
Nyetimber, an English company that is extremely committed to sustainability sent me a sparkling Cuvée to use. I will recommend this wine to all my clients, as it is delicious and doesn’t have to travel far to get here.
We had lots of fun shooting here, ensuring that we got all the correct shots for the suppliers involved. We also had a visit from a huge dragonfly who decided to stick with James for a while……A wonderful, unexpected guest, at an escapist Highland wedding scene, set in the midst of a National Park.
Lunch at Last! Then a Castle…..
We then took a break for lunch with the lucky ones getting to sample the Brie cake. We then relocated to Castle Roy, a 12th century fortress in Nethy Bridge for our outdoor wedding celebrations to continue. The castle walls are being renovated and Historic Scotland are happy for weddings to take place here. It is an amazing location for anyone who wants a dramatic wedding venue with the possibility of a marquee in the meadow next to it, or within the walls of the castle itself. (It even comes with its own Highland Coo – Murdo!) I felt it was a great location for this shoot.
Sweet Treats
The set up here involved the addition of a plate of delicious home made cakes, fruit and edible flowers supplied by Katie at Torta by Katalin. The flowers were from a local organic grower. Everything on the plate could be eaten, even the rose petals, ensuring that there was absolutely no wastage at the end of the day!
Set Up and a Wee Toast
We added a bottle of Original Angel’s Nectar whisky, from a local company, a blended malt from Highland and Speyside, for the couple to toast each other. A fabulous vintage coat loaned by a friend kept Sylwia cosy, yet still stylish. The Dell of Abernethy had supplied some sheepskin rugs and candles and some gorgeous, dried grasses from Mhairi at The Gift Lounge finished the setting. Filming here was like being on a medieval film set, and was truly atmospheric.
Sunset by a Loch….and a Tree
As the sun began to set somewhere behind a cloud, Catriona took the final photos of Sylwia back at the loch where an enormous dead tree lies on the ground. With assistance we managed to help Sylwia onto the trunk. Incredibly the dress blended into the colour of the tree, turning my bride into some kind of surreal wood nymph fairy.
Farewells and Thank Yous
The shoot was then wrapped up and the final members of the team departed. Some went out for a much-needed pub dinner, Catriona meanwhile went home and began the editing process, miraculously turning the 900 images into a gallery of 300 within 24 hours.
The day had been filled with laughter as well as hard work. My couple clicked together so well and when looking at the finished product, it is hard to believe they aren’t actually a couple. My Wide Sky Weddings’ brand is about having fun and without even mentioning this to anyone, my couple had naturally encapsulated this vibe.
As the wedding planner on the shoot, I would like to say a huge thanks to this amazing team who made this Scottish wedding shoot possible. This was a rollercoaster of a ride for me, turning my initial concept into a gallery of beautiful imagery. I am extremely proud of what we have created. I love the pool of talent here in the Cairngorms and I look forward to working with each person again.
If only I could just hire the dragonfly!……
Photo Credits – Catriona Parmenter Photography
If you would like to chat with me about this shoot or helping to plan your wedding day, please get in touch with my via my contact page. I would love to hear from you.