Wedding Photography Archives – Jen Scott Photography

Category: Wedding Photography

Feb

How to choose your wedding photographer

What should you look for in a wedding photographer?

There are lots of things to consider when you choose your wedding photographer, and since I sometimes have to turn down wedding work because I’m already booked, I thought this handy guide might be useful!

You should put as much time and thought into your photographer choice as you do your flowers, dresses and music, because, at the end of the day, when the hangovers have kicked in and the flowers are wilting, the only tangible part left of your amazing day will be the photos! So make sure they fill your cup of joy!

This list is my top 5 things to look for in your photographer, and there’s a very important ‘don’t’ in at the end for good measure!

1) Make sure their work excites you!

When you’re checking out photographers, visit their website and social channels for a good nosey! If you don’t get a wee buzz of excitement in your belly, they’re maybe not for you!

Do a deep-dive into their work, don’t base your decision on 1 or 2 photos from a wedding on Instagram! Maybe they have more on their website from that one wedding, go full blown detective and see if they’ve really told a story with what they’ve captured, rather than one or 2 wow shots!

Do the moments they manage to capture really make you go ‘oooooooh’ with lovehearts coming out of your eyes?! Does their editing style ‘talk’ to you?! Do you want to keep staring at those photos even though it’s a random couple and you know that’s a little creepy?! If the answers above are YES, then talk to that photographer!

This leads very swiftly onto my next little nugget of advice….

2) You should ‘click’ with your wedding photographer!

Your photographer will be like a wedding guest, but one that stalks you and is there constantly! You MUST get on with them! If you don’t click, it’s gonna be a little awkward throughout your day! You don’t need to be BFF’s by the end of the day, but you should like them enough to have them around as a big part of your day! If you can, organise a coffee before you sign on the dotted line, or a video/phone call if that’s not possible! This isn’t essential, but if you’re unsure, ask to meet them, if they’re like me, they’ll be delighted to do so!

A good photographer will be stealthlike when need be, but aside from the ceremony, they will be actively capturing you, and not like a wildlife photographer who’s hiding in the bushes! They should make you feel at ease and comfortable, because let’s face it, no one really enjoys having their photo taken! Equally as important, you want to know that they are going to be a welcome guest amongst your family & friends.

3) There should be no surprises!

Your photographer should be open & honest about their prices from the get-go. You should know exactly what you’re getting, how much time they will be there for, and what products (if any) are included in their costs. If you want an album and it’s not included, ask them for difinitive costs before you book.

Also make sure you know the payment terms and how long you will be expected to wait for your images. I have heard many a horror story about people waiting months for their images, so make sure they manage your expectations!

4) Communication is key!

Your photographer’s communication and customer service should be gold standard! You should feel like your wedding is really important to them, regardless of it’s size! If you have to chase them at any point in the beginning, it might be a sign of things to come, and with all the stress of organising a wedding, this is the last thing you’ll need!

You may have booked them over a year in advance, but there should be clear communication about when they will be in touch to meet up with you to discuss the day. This should happen a 6-8 weeks before the big day, when the finer details have been ironed out. Your photographer should know exactly what is happening on the day, so they can always be in the right place at the right time!

No photographer should turn up on your wedding day and wing it, they will want to know exactly what’s happening, when they can take you away for couples shots and what you really want from your wedding photos (see point 5 below!)

5) They should really listen to you.

Your photographer should ask questions, lots of questions! Usually they will send out some sort of questionnaire to get a jist of anything, or anyone, you want photographed. Your wedding day is so busy, you won’t have the time, or the headspace to remind your photographer about a speciific shot, so make sure everything you want can be covered! Equally, you might not think to have your dress photographed, or your fabulous shoes, but this is something that your photographer should automatically capture!

If the cake is really important to you, or you have a special item that you’d like captured, let your photographer know, they will have a list that they’ll work through on the day! You might forget about it in all the excitement, but your photographer shouldn’t!

In that first meeting, make sure you feel like you’re being listened to – it’s YOUR big day, and what’s important to you matters!

Finally….you will have a budget in mind, everybody does, but please don’t pick someone based on cost alone. Consider all the points above, and choose your photographer wisely! Happy Wedding Organising!

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Sep

Jenna & Jamie’s Radisson Red Wedding

Jenna & Jamie’s Wedding was one of the most joyous weddings I’ve ever witnessed! After 4 date changes and various venue changes (plus 2 babies!), it finally happened at The Radisson RED in Glasgow. Towering over the River Clyde in the Finnieston area of Glasgow, the Radisson has the most spectacular views of some of Glasgow’s most icons buildings; The Finnieston Cran, Armadillo & The SSE Hydro to name a few! The Red Sky Bar dominates the top floor of the hotel with floor to ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace – perfect for photos!

Dress by Enzoani – Veil by Blossom & Bluebird – Hair by Colette’s Hair & Make-up – Make-up by Eye.Me.Up – Flowers by Aurora Scotland – Shoes by Charlotte Mills Shoes & Marc Darcy – Balloons by MilesMaking – Ceremony Decor by Thrill Events

The Beginning.

The day started at 9am with a bridesmaid breakfast in The Red Sky Bar. The girls enjoyed champagne and square sausage (it IS Glasgow after all) with a view! Meanwhile, I flew up and down in the lifts gathering dresses for the detail shots. I may or may not, have got locked in the stairwell with the wedding dress, but it was worth it! Especially when I was allowed a ‘Fob of Power’ that let me access all the bridal party rooms and floors! Thankfully the rain held off so I could utilise the terrace for some ring and shoe shots with the Cran in the background.

The next few hours were spent documenting the bridal parties all getting ready. This, for me, included getting locked in the stairwell again (the Fob Of Power did NOT work in the stairwells!) thankfully there was always a bridesmaid at the end of the phone to help me!

I love telling a story of the day, it means the bride & groom, who spend most of the day in a blur, can look back and really ‘feel’ the day again!

Both Jenna & Jamie looked absolutely incredible, the first look with Jenna’s dad says it all!

THE MIDDLE

The ceremony took place downstairs in a room beautifully decorated by Thrill Events and I’ve never witnessed a wedding so full of laughter and smiles! Jamie’s Aunt read the most amazing (and funny!) poem that had everyone is stitches, while the handfasting at the end really tied the wedding up beautifully (boom boom!)

The plan had been that after the ceremony I would sneak Jenna & Jamie and the bridal party off for an hour of photos that I had meticulously planned. Obviously with it being Glasgow, it immediately started raining (insert rolly eye emoji!)

So plan B was that everyone settled into the bar to be utterly bamboozled by the most incredible magician, Billy Reid until the rain passed!

Eventually the rain stopped, and we gathered up the troops and headed out! Thankfully, rain equals puddles which also equals reflections! There’s always a postive….including the courtesy bus giving the bridesmaids a lift!

I had so many different shots planned but due to time & weather only a couple came to fruition, but I was thrilled with those that we managed!

THE END.

And then came the reception! Smiles, smiles, smiles, dancing, singing and more smiles!

This was such a beautiful weddings, especially after the last 18 months. The C word just wasn’t even on anyones minds, and rightfully so! The joy of a little bit of normaility was just so good to witness!

I wish Jenna & Jamie a lifetime of happiness, smiles & laughter – they’re off to a cracking start!

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Sep

Jack & Sarah’s Edinburgh Zoo Wedding

Jack and Sarah finally made it down the aisle after rescheduling due to the year that was 2021!

I arrived at Edinburgh Zoo at 7am ready to photograph the bridal party getting ready and all the little details that get lost in the excitement of the day. Walking past the sleeping lemurs in the dark to get to the house was quite something!

With 4 bridesmaids, 3 groomsmen, and 2 beautiful little flowergirls, I spent the first hour taking photos of the dresses hanging in the ceremony room and detail shots.

The next few hours were spent documenting the bridal parties all getting ready. Due to various circumstances, the groomsmen only started getting ready about 20 minutes before the ceremony, and the planned bridesmaid photos outside couldn’t take place! But that’s what happens at a wedding and you just have to go with the flow!

I love telling a story of the day, it means the bride & groom, who spend most of the day in a blur, can look back and really ‘feel’ the day again!

The ceremony took place in the most wonderful room that overlooked Edinburgh, with the most ornate details, and luckily enough it matched the bridal party dresses perfectly! It was a beautiful, relaxed service that was watched closely by Jack & Sarah’s 3 children and all their family & friends.

After the ceremony, I sneaked this lovely family of 5 off for some family & couple shots before we stomped up to the top of the zoo to see the giraffes, get some full family photos and also some bridal party shots.

If you’ve never been to Edinburgh, let me tell you, it’s quite a hike to get to the top! The giraffes didn’t quite play ball, but we found some great, quiet locations for bridal party shots, which is tricky in a busy zoo that’s open to the public!

This wedding was smiles & joy from the start to the finish. After some beautiful speeches and a delicious dinner, the very last treat was being able to go and see the penguins after the zoo had closed to the public. An incredible experience, and I’m thankful that the penguins were better behaved than the giraffes!

I wish Jack, Sarah and their 3 beautiful children the happiest life together as Man & Wife!

If you are looking for a wedding photographer, use the button below to get in touch!

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Aug

Piya & Scott’s Glasgow Wedding

Piya contacted me through another client as she loved my work, and was looking for someone to photograph their wedding. ‘She loves my work?’…. I was already her BFF! I initially explained that I wasn’t actually a Wedding Photographer, but when she said ‘we’re more than happy to be your guinea pigs’, I started to change my tune! It’s not often someone takes a chance on you on such a special day, and I was still revelling in the ‘I love your work’ part!

Piya explained that they had been married a year, but their ‘legal’ wedding took place in Hong Kong, and then another in Bangladesh! This was their ‘Scottish Celebration’ & there was absolutely no pressure, all she wanted was to get ‘just one shot of Scott & I that we love’. She then told me that they were having a Chinese Lion Dance….she had me at Chinese Lion Dance!!

With Piya’s brief being as it was, she hadn’t been fussed about the ‘Getting Ready’ shots….but at 10am that morning I texted her and said I was on my way to The Blytheswood Square Hotel in Glasgow to capture them getting ready – I needed to ‘get’ the whole day for her, and capture those little details that I love so much!

So, as I knocked on their hotel door that morning, Scott was chilling out on the bed doing some social media work, and Piya was dressed from the waist up! “Don’t mind me” I said as I barged into their serenity. What a joy that must have been for them!

Once the wonderfully relaxed Scott was eventually ready, and Piya had all their beautiful Indian Wedding outfit in place, she stopped dead & noticed her husband in his full Scottish Dress. ‘Oh wow, you look so handsome’ – my heart just about melted into a puddle at that point!

The Blythswood Hotel in Glasgow is stunning, so we simply had to take advantage of the location! Piya wanted some traditional Indian poses for her lovely mum, so I set about re-arranging the furniture in the lobby to suit the light! As you do.

This day was so chilled out it was almost horizontal! Piya drove herself and Scott to the venue in her full get up – how she managed to drive I don’t know – but I made sure to stay a wee bit behind on the drive, just incase!!

The beautiful House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park was the choice of venue, as Piya is a huge fan of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Her family had been told to get there on time (apparently Indians can be quite relaxed!) as Piya wanted photos with all the family variations – and they dutifully arrived on time! Her dad was so handsome in his Traditional Scottish Troos, while mum was wearing the Indian Sari, the contrast was a photographers dream!

Time for those shots of Piya and Scott! Now let me explain a few….Piya & Scott are apparently well known for their selfies, hence the all important photos of them taking selfies! They also got a little Bollywood on me at times, making for some very untraditional, but just so ‘them’ shots!

The Chinese Lion Dance did not disappoint! The joy that 10 minutes gave the guests, not just the children, was just so blooming lovely!

The ceremony, with traditional hand-tying, was so personal, performed by Piya’s ‘Womb Buddy’, Mish! They had readings from their best friends, and at the end, invited any of their to ‘have their’ say. It’s safe to say that this couple are so loved by their family and friends, and I can see why. The love they share is so beautiful. Two people who both grew up in Scotland, who maybe thought they’d never find ‘The One’ – found their soul mate on the other side of the world, in Hong Kong. Be still my beating heart!

I stayed for the first dance and then a few more…guttingly leaving just before the entire wedding party got on the dance floor for a Proclaimers song!!

It was an amazing day, and such a pleasure to be a part of their special day. And….we got way more than one shot they loved!

If you are looking for a wedding photographer, use the button below to get in touch!

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