1500 Photography

What a wonderful scorching day we had for Hazel and Chris’s wedding at St Andrews Cathedral in Glasgow. With the couple both getting ready at the Grand Central and having their reception at Lodge on the Loch, we were spoiled for choice when it came to photo opportunities.

Hazel looked absolutely beautiful, Chris looked very dapper and St Andrews looked truly awesome.

As you can imagine the stunning weather meant that Loch Lomond was absolutely heaving. However once we got back to the Lodge and some welcome shade Chris and Hazel worked with me to produce some simply lovely images. Its funny writing up this blog in July when have been suffering through one of the worst summers I can remember. It makes me look back with even more fondness to Hazels wedding.

Weddings on Loch Lomond by 1500 Photography

Fiona and Donald’s wedding at the Grand Central Hotel was a little but nerve wracking for me but not for the most obvious of reasons. You see Fiona had worked at the Venture studios in Glasgow for a while and Fiona’s brother, Kevin, is one of the best portrait photographers I know. His work is excellent. So I know I was going to have to be on top of my game to impress them.

We started off at Fiona’s parents house to catch the finishing touches before making our way to St Peters in Partick for the ceremony and then onto the magnificent Grand Central Hotel. Once there we utilized all the grandeur and style that this wonderful venue provides. It really is an amazing building.

It was good to see a few friendly faces at Grand Central including function manager James who I know from his Cameron House days. I cannot wait to get back to this venue and see what else we can come up with.

I am delighted to report now that Donald & Fiona (and Kevin the photographer) have seen the pictures that everyone is delighted…… so am I !

It was back to House for an Art Lover for Catherine and Simons wedding.

Simon’s sister is Leanne (married to Keiran at Glenskirlie) whose wedding we shot a few years ago and whose pictures won us quite a lot of attention and picked up a few awards…..so no pressure with Simon and Catherine’s pictures then!!

Catherine looked absolutely beautiful and arrived in style in a classic VW Camper van.

After the ceremony we nipped over into the walled gardens next to House for An Art Lover before back inside the venue itself utilising some of the nooks and crannies of MacIntosh’s wonderful building. It was a great pleasure to shoot this wedding especially as our pictures from the day were so nice, yet so different from Leanne and Kierans. I am very grateful that Catherine and Simon choose the same photographer.

House for an Art Lover Wedding by 1500 Photography

I almost forgot to mention one of the most delightful bits of serendipity Ive ever heard of. As a romantic statement to make during his grooms speech on the day Stewart counted up how long he and Amanda had been together.

The answer was exactly 1500 days.

This wedding at House for an Art Lover was a real highlight for me.

Amanda and Stewart are a brilliant couple but on our first meeting I was welcomed into parents Susan and Ian’s home and immediately made to feel like a family friend. On the day of the wedding we were back at Susan and Ian’s to get Amanda’s preparation shots.

Ian had this idea for a picture of Amanda in the mirror with the family portrait in the background. I really like the idea and not only did it make a great picture  but its gone on to feature in the latest issue of the Scottish Wedding Directory. Thanks Ian !!

Weddings at House for an Art Lover always run like clockwork and this is great credit to James the co-ordinator at the venue. He is always there to make sure that a brides every whim is looked after (and to make sure the photographer doesn’t take too long!!) We were also really lucky with the weather which went from gusty rain to a lovely sunny day within the space of 2 hours. Amanda and Stewart were just fantastic to photograph and nothing was too much bother for them. Their willingness and enthusiasm to get great pictures guaranteed a brilliant day for me and a fabulous album for them.

A top venue, top couple, lovely families and fantastic set of pictures.

House for an Art Lover Wedding by 1500 Photography

Remember all that snow in December? Travel chaos, roads blocked and temperatures of -10?

Well, thats when Kathryn and Paddy got married. They had their wedding at St Marys in Duntocher before making their way to St Andrews in the Square for their reception. We started the day with Kathryn and the girls at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow, we then made our way onto possibly the best example of a religious ceremony in Scotland I have seen for a long time.

Conducting the ceremony jointly were Rev Ian Miller and Father Joe Mills – a truly mixed marriage (for west central Scotland anyway!!) Not only were both faiths treated with great respect and due reverence but the personalities of the two clergy meant that the ceremony was light, humorous and welcoming to all.

Its at this point I need to doff my cap, especially to Kathryn, for donning the wellies and letting us shoot the fantastic pictures above in -6° temperatures just as the sun was setting at Glasgow Green. Then it was onto the Trongate for the now famous traffic shot. Again my grateful thanks to the couple as this is not actually the most glamorous areas of the city but they braved the traffic, ‘colourful’ passers by and weather to give me one of the outstanding pictures in my 2010 portfolio. Credit also to the lovely Sheila who assisted on this occasion by hiding behind the dress while I directed the couple via the mobile phone.

The coldest wedding I have ever shot with one of the warmest couples.

A truly memorable day……… 1500 Photography

While we are waiting for the results of the poll to come in, perhaps I can share some shots from Carly and Andys wedding at House for an Art Lover in Glasgow. This was a lovely wedding to shoot with such a nice couple. We started off at Carlys mums house which (for a lovely change) is just round the corner from mine! Carlys stunning dress was from Glitterati and looked absolutely beautiful (as did Carly)

When we arrived at House for an Art Lover James was, once again, on hand to make sure the day ran absolutely to plan.

We even got a lucky break with the weather. A lovely day, great venue, terrific couple and even a Scottish footballing legend to make the day complete. Wonderfull !!

House for an Art Lover wedding by 1500 photography

Wow – what a dress!!

I guess thats the first thing that springs to mind when I think about Carrie Anne and Alan ‘s wedding at House for an Art Lover. But it shouldn’t be. There was so much more to enjoy from the day.

We started off at Mar Hall where Carrie Anne was putting her finishing touches together. It is as well we did,  as Carrie Annes Mum ripped her dress zip. Fortunately Gillian swung into action and helped mend the dress with the aid of the 1500 Photography sewing kit (who said that textiles degree was going to waste?!)

I havent been to HFAL for a few years so it was fantastic to see James still looking after the brides there and to see that the standards of the venue have been kept so high.  Sadly we were restricted to indoor photography only as the weather took a nasty turn during the ceremony but since the building is lovely inside we weren’t short of options for pictures. However that didnt stop us from getting cracking shot after cracking shot with a brilliant couple in a great location.

After having such an excellent time on the beach with Colin and Gemma, below, I got my hands on another venue I had been itching to get to – a wedding at Glasgow University. In my previous life with another studio I had been at Glasgow uni shooting weddings regularly, however, since 1500 I haven’t been back. A gap of about 5 years.  I must say Heather and Adrian made it a joy to be back at one of my old stomping grounds.

We started the day a Heathers parents house in Erskine before making our way up to Glasgow Uni. After a beautiful ceremony during which a Church of Scotland service was complimented with a Catholic blessing, we made our way into the University quadrant. The only downside to shooting a wedding in possibly one of the most picture-esque and specious areas of Glasgow is that the Uni is actually on a hilltop. A windy hilltop. However once again I have to pay tribute to Adrian and mostly Heather who braved the ‘stiff breeze’ to gift us some fantastic shots. We then ushered the couple to their car where, no sooner had we shut the door of the bridal car, the heavens opened!!Perfect timing.

Once again Glenskirlie were excellent with the bridal party once we arrived at the reception venue and we enjoyed some more excellent pictures in an around this stunning hotel. It is days like Heather and Adrian’s – where you meet genuinely lovely people (fantastic bridesmaids), stunning venues and get to take wonderful pictures that – you remember that being a wedding photographer can be the best job in the world.

And so the the 3rd Ally of the week, this time Alastair marrying the lovely Rhona at Greenbank Church in Glasgow.

Once again we started off at the brides home before we moved onto the church. As you can see from below Rhona’s parents garden in Dunlop was spectacular, in fact the temptation to insist we returned to there to shoot the entire wedding was almost overwhelming.

After the ceremony we used a little area next to the manse before heading to the city and to Oran Mor. With its stunning ceiling and some very nice nooks and cranny’s  we always get some great shots there. Before the wedding both Rhona and Ally seemed a little reticent about having their pictures taken – however, I need not have worried. On the day itself Rhona and Ally were really into it and gave me some brilliant shots. We also had the added fun of a close up magician (Kevin McMahon) bamboozling the guests while the waited for dinner. You can see Kevin in action below…….

So there you are. Alasdair week at 1500 Photography – great week, top couples and some brilliant pictures – thank you all 1500 Photography