Wedding Photography Archives – Jen Scott Photography

Category: Wedding Photography

Why Wedding Photography Matters (because regret isn’t a vibe)

Why Wedding Photography matters.

So, you’re getting married? Yay, congratulations! You’ve probably spent hours agonizing over napkin colors, debating whether you really need a donut wall (you do), and wondering if it’s socially acceptable to seat your ex and your great-aunt Agnes at the same table just for the s**its & giggles!

But let me ask you something. Have you put the same amount of thought into choosing your wedding photographer?

If your plan is to just “get a few snaps” or have your mate Dave do it because he “has a decent camera,” then buckle up, my friend, because I’m about to save your wedding memories from absolute disaster.

Your Wedding Day Will Be a Blur (Literally and Emotionally)

You know that weird feeling when you wake up after an amazing dream and can’t remember the details? That’s your wedding day.

People always say, “Enjoy every moment! It goes by so fast!” And you nod politely, thinking, Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a whole day—how fast can it really go?

Well, let me tell you: blink, and it’s over.

One moment, you’re sipping prosecco in matching robes, casually debating if you should have gone for the bigger dress train. The next, you’re dancing like nobody’s watching (except, unfortunately, everyone is watching). In between? A whirlwind of vows, confetti, hugs, happy tears, and your best friend panicking because one of the bridesmaids has gone AWOL!

And here’s the kicker: You won’t remember half of it. Not because you weren’t present, but because your brain will be running on adrenaline, nerves, and possibly a little too much champagne.

Your photographer is basically your memory bank. Without them, you won’t have any evidence that your day actually happened—except for a wicked hangover, sore feet and a horribly long bill from the open bar.

Wedding Photography Crossbasket Castle

Good photography makes you look effortlessly cool & beautiful

Let’s be honest. Wedding days are beautiful, but they’re also sweaty, emotional, and slightly chaotic. You need someone who can capture the magic while strategically avoiding the moment your veil gets caught in a door or when Uncle Bob drops an entire plate of canapés down his suit. (although I’d totally capture those moments too!)

A great photographer doesn’t just take photos; they make you look like the best, most radiant version of yourself—like you just stepped out of a bridal magazine instead of sprinting to the altar because you were almost late.

Wedding Photography Crossbasket Castle

These Photos are forever (so maybe don’t trust a guy with ‘a decent camera’)

Your flowers will wilt. Your cake will be eaten. Your dress will probably end up in a box under your bed. But your wedding photos? They’re the one thing that will last.

One day, your grandkids will look at those pictures and decide whether you were effortlessly elegant or deeply unhinged. And honestly, if you let a well-meaning friend with zero experience take your photos, there’s a good chance the images will look like a blurry Bigfoot sighting.

The Wrong Photographer Can Ruin Everything.
Imagine this: You hire someone cheap who takes three weeks to respond to an email and mysteriously only shows a few shots from weddings on their website. On the day, they show up late, don’t have a plan and no idea what you want, and somehow manage to take 200 photos of the wedding arch but zero of your first kiss. And I have heard so many horror stories, these things happen! (I have actually written another blog on HOW to choose your photographer, I can highly recommend reading that too!)

A great wedding photographer? They’ll be like a photography ninja -blending into the background, making you feel like a total legend, charming your guests, capturing the real moments, and somehow making your entire family look amazing… even the ones who showed up in very bold outfit choices.

Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime thing (hopefully). Make sure you have amazing photos to spark memories and remind you how great it really was.

Final thought….

Wedding photography isn’t just about getting “nice pictures.” It’s about capturing the feeling of the day, the people you love, and the story you’ll tell for years to come. So, use a professional who gets that – someone who makes you laugh, puts you at ease, and has the skills to make sure your memories are preserved in the most beautiful way possible.

And if you’re still not sure who to pick… well, I might know someone.

Wink

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Half Day Wedding Photography Arta Glasgow – Jennifer & Craig

Half Day Wedding Photography
at Arta Glasgow

Jennifer & Craig

17th October 2024

In this blog, I will talk through this wedding day to give you an idea of what happens at a half day wedding. This wedding was a 1/2 day, which is 4 hours, but Jennifer added on an extra 2 hours.

Arta is a magical Mediterranean inspired venue in the heart of Merchant City, Glasgow. Set over 3 floors, you are transported into the rich and vibrant surroundings of a Spanish Hacienda.

Half day weddings (4 hours) generally allow for the ceremony, group shots and bridal shots, and then a good dose of time to capture some candid guests shots. On this occasion, Jennifer hired me for an extra 2 hours so we could capture the speeches, meal and first dance.

For this Wedding I arrived at 1pm for a 2pm ceremony. This allowed time to set up lighting (it’s quite a dark venue), chat with the brilliant celebrant Victoria, and capture both Jennifer & Craig before the ceremony began. I never photograph during the meal (who wants photos of themselves eating?!) but on this occasion I used that break time to capture some detail shots of the rings and flowers.

I always have a zoom meeting with my half day couples to go over the day. As with all weddings, I then create a schedule of photography, so I don’t miss a thing!

Time Spent Shooting

7 hours
1pm-8pm

Kind Words

“What else can I say but ‘wow’! Jen was so easy to work with and all our guests commented on how relaxed she made the photo-taking experience“

Images Delivered

135 in colour – 135 in black & white
Delivered in 6 days

The Ceremony…

Arta is a stunning venue, a little bit of Spain in the middle of the Merchant City in Glasgow. Beautiful, but quite dark! I used 2 speedlights on either side of the couple which kept some nice ambient light but made sure they were lit nicely. This was a very intimate wedding, with a toddler as the star of the show, little Cillian!

Jennifer & Craig were so laid back and this was a ceremony full of so much laughter, made so personable by the Celebrant Victoria Johnston.

Group & Bridal Shots

This is the opportunity after the ceremony when we can get a full guest shot (usually possible at a more intimate wedding!) any group shots and of course, bridal shots! A lot of the images centered around little Cillian, which I was thrilled about because he seemed to really like me and my camera! I did take Jennifer & Craig away from the party for about 20 minutes to utilise the streets around the location for some couples shots.

As you can see, these shots are always fun! We play games and have a laugh, but sometimes there are shots I see where I ask them to channel their inner drama-queen, and they absolutely nailed it!

I like to try and give my couples some shots that are a little different, and a passing car and puddle were off-the cuff images that worked out for me! I think it’s really important as a wedding photographer to be able to ‘see’ the world slightly differently and utilise any given landscape to take wall worthy shots!

Quite a few of these shots required some extra photoshopping as I don’t like random people, lamp-posts or cars in the key shots, but in the City Centre, one can’t really ask them to move! It’s extra work, yes, but it’s MY work and I want it to be perfect!

The Speeches, details & dancing….

The speeches were incredible short, but very sweet! There were a few tears, and once again, lot’s of laughter! During the meal, I took some time to capture some ring shots and flower shots. As I mentioned above, it’s important to be able to quickly see where shots can work, and the ring shot was taken on a pub table using Jennifer’s flowers to create a dreamy background. Fortuitously for me, the autumnal display within Arta also worked beautifully with the flowers!

The first dance involved a petal drop which was so beautiful and I managed to run upstairs for an overhead view too.

Any my absolute favouite part of this venue is the stunning arched balcony, which finished off the wedding perfectly!