Some weddings write their own ending. This one at Mabie House Hotel in Dumfries finished with a rainbow appearing over the venue just as the day wound down — the kind of moment you can't plan and wouldn't dare invent. I was in position for it. That's the job.
The couple brought something I'd never photographed before: a traditional German wedding custom where the newlyweds saw through a log together — teamwork, right there in front of everyone, sawdust flying. Combined with a proper confetti moment, it made
for some of the most joyful frames of my year. When couples bring their own traditions into a Scottish wedding, the photographs get better. Different is good. Bring it.
Mabie House Hotel sits just outside Dumfries on the edge of Mabie Forest, and it gives a wedding day room to breathe — grounds for group photos and confetti, quiet corners for couple portraits, and a relaxed country house feel that puts
guests at ease. Candid family moments came easily here; one image of the bride, groom and their family caught mid-emotion is among my favourites from the day.
This was my first time photographing a wedding at Mabie House Hotel — and here's a pattern worth knowing: every one of my major awards and magazine front covers has come from a first visit to a venue. Fresh eyes find photographs that familiarity walks
past. A new venue sharpens me.
I photograph weddings across Dumfries & Galloway and the whole of Scotland from my base in Troon, Ayrshire. Named Top 20 in the UK by Wedding & Honeymoon Magazine. If you're getting married at Mabie House Hotel, get in touch — I'd love to hear about your day.