Wedding Photography Edinburgh Zoo – Louise & Susan
The Beginning….
I arrived at Mansion House about 8am to the sounds of the animals waking! it never fails to make me happy hearing monkeys on my way to shoot a wedding! Hair & Makeup were also just arriving so it gave me a chance to catch up with the girls and meet their bridesmaids! I know what to expect with this venue, and the beautiful stained glass window always features! Louise & Susan were getting ready together with their girl crew which was so refreshing as everyone was in the same place!
I spent a good few hours getting detail shots with the flowers, rings and dresses, and was delighted with their custom wedding trainers, I just love it when something is a little different! The ceremony room boasts the most beautiful fireplace with mantle for dress shots, but this time I also used the giant windows to showcase the girls fabulous attire. In between detail shots, I spent some time capturing the venue, indoor and out and the girls getting ready.
Even though Louise and Susan were getting ready together, they got dressed separately as they didn’t know what the other was wearing which made for a very emotional ‘First Look’ between them! Good thing they wore waterproof mascara! There was a small jumpsuit emergency which was expertly fixed by Susan’s mum in a jiffy! And, Susan’s jumpsuit had POCKETS!!! We also did a First Look with both dads which was super sweet! For these shots, if I can, I try to position a mirror so that we can not only see Dad’s reaction, but the brides too! We even had time to get some cute portrait shots in the gorgeous library before the time arrived to say those 2 magic words!
The Middle…
It was finally time for the ceremony! I always ask my Edinburgh Zoo couple’s to wait until everyone is settled in the ceremony room (which is upstairs) and sneak back downstairs so I can capture a shot of them coming back up the stairs!
This ceremony was so emotional, and conducted beautifully by the fabulous Evelyn Robertson Celebrant who I’ve worked with a few times! The girls had a humanist ceremony including the tradition Handfasting with the most beautifully embroidered sashes created by Susan’s mum.
This room never fails to deliver beautiful ceremony photographs and the views are to die for! The gorgeous flowers by The Flower Study alongside the room set up by Beautifully Covered added to the magic!
The Fun Bit….
Mansion House at Edinburgh Zoo really has all bases covered with it comes to photographs! They have the most stunning private gardens where we can get a group photo on the back stairs and there’s plenty room for a Confetti Tunnel which is always fun! I use this time straight after the ceremony for any group shots that my couple wish, and everyone can mill around eating canapes and drinking bubbles!
They venue then provide a little van to take the bridal party up to the very top of the zoo where the giraffes live for some bridal shots! If you’ve ever been to Edinburgh Zoo you’ll know that there are about 23,867 hills to climb, and one does not want to do that in a dress!
The Giraffes tend to hang about at the side of their house (where the food is!) so the backdrop isn’t always the prettiest, however, just seeing them in the photos is lovely! The walkway and hut make for some lovely bridal and group shots, but it’s the walk back down that I always love! It allows the girls to just chat while I get some lovely candid (bit still posed!) shots of them!
As with all weddings, I try to find locations that aren’t typically used by other wedding photographers so each album has a little more uniqueness to it! One of my favouite spots is on the walk back down, in-front of a huge garage! This is the perfect opportunity to get some Sassy Shots and these girls brought ALL the drama! There is also an old rusty container that I often use, but the ground was a little soggy underfoot for the ladies lovely shoes!
When we got back down, there were a few group shots with kids that we hadn’t managed to get before the van picked us up, so we used a short amount of time to get those for the girls!
The Speeches, The Penguins & The Party
Once we’re safely back down to earth, I use that time to capture candid shots, the room set up (I always wait until the last minute when the light the candles but before anyone goes in!), any little details that they’ll want to remember, and the cake!
The speeches are one of my favourite parts! It;s genuinely an honour to be witness to such a personal part of a couples day, and the reactions are just so lovely to capture! There were lots of tears, so much laughter and a good dose of fun thrown in!
After the meal, if I’m lucky, the staff allow myself and the couple to wander over to the penguins after the zoo has closed to the public! This is always with a staff member and I pray the penguins are feeling curious enough to give me ‘The Penguin Shot’! They’ve never let me down yet!
Louise and Susan had organised the amazing Cameron Young Magician as a surprise, who wowed the guests with his witchcraft! With this being a very family-friendly and intimate wedding, I was pre-warned that the party wouldn’t be crazy, which is always fine by me!
My last request to Louise & Susan before I headed home, was to come outside for a twilight shot with their beautiful rainbow umbrellas, and thankfully they accommodated this for me! I had the best day at their wedding and the girls were thrilled with their album!
