The best wedding fairs in Edinburgh, Autumn 2019
We are spoilt for choice in Edinburgh when it comes to beautiful wedding venues.
Here is a little heads-up on wedding fairs taking place this autumn in some of our favourite wedding venues. Head along to see these beautiful venues for yourself (you may even be lucky enough to see us there!)
The George, Sunday 15th September 12-5pm
Having recently become an InterContinental hotel, The George in George Street has undergone extensive renovations to boost the luxury experience for guests.
Their wedding fair will see the King’s Hall set up for a wedding ceremony and a bunch of their recommended suppliers on hand to show you their work and answer any questions you might have.
We’re delighted to have become a Recommended Suppliers and will be there imparting wedding wisdom and chocolates to anyone who stops to say hello.
Liggy’s Cakes will be one of the wedding suppliers at The George
Dundas Castle, Friday 27th September 5-8pm
Imagine having your own Scottish castle for the day!
Dundas Castle are inviting you to take a tour of the magnificent castle, winner of the 2018 ‘Scottish Wedding Venue of the Year’ VOWS Award. Located just outside Edinburgh, the exclusive-use venue has multiple options for ceremonies and celebrations.
This is a fantastic opportunity for you, your partner, family and bridal party to see the Castle beautifully set up for a wedding. The amazing Dundas team will be on hand to show you around. Unfortunately we can’t be there on the day (but we have left a little offer in their goody bags). Book your appointment here
Have a look at one of our Dundas Castle weddings here
The stunning Dundas Castle exterior and grounds are perfect for photographs 
The Dundas Castle pavilion, which can accommodate up to 200 guests
Hopetoun House, 6th October, 12-4pm
We love Hopetoun for its beautiful (and pleasingly symmetric) exterior, sprawling grounds and incredible rooms. So many good options for photos, both inside and outside.
The Luxury Scottish Wedding Show is a chance for you to see the beautiful Hopetoun House and meet lots of wonderful wedding suppliers. We won’t be at the fair, but will be at Hopetoun a couple of weeks after the wedding fair for our next beautiful wedding there.
Mansfield Traquair, Friday 11th October
Known as “Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel”, Mansfield Traquair is undoubtedly one of the most impressing venues you’ll ever see! We love it for its incredible vaulted ceilings, the murals adorning every wall and the blankets of fairy lights draped in the altar.
Have a look at one of our recent Mansfield Traquair weddings here
Signet Library, Friday 18th October 2019, 6-8pm
Last, but certainly not least, is the jaw-dropping Signet Library. So many couples we speak to say they walked in and just knew this was the venue for them. And it’s clear to see why. Consisting of an upper and lower library, the Signet Library can accommodate up to 220 guests and can host your wedding ceremony as well as the drinks reception and wedding breakfast.
Come along as listen to us extoll the virtues of this gorgeous venue, have a glass of fizz, sample some cake, listen to some music and prepare to fall in love all over again.
Have a look at one of our recent Signet Library weddings here
Winton Castle Wedding – Katie and Chris
What do you do when your wedding car runs out of petrol on the way to your wedding reception? Read on to see what happened at Katie and Chris’s gorgeous Winton Castle Wedding (and why they were featured in the news!)
The sign of a good wedding isn’t one free of challenges, it’s how any challenges are dealt with! Katie and Chris’s day was perfectly planned, perfectly executed and showed just how chilled they were when things didn’t quite go to plan…
Every church should have a pub within walking distance for the pre-wedding nerve-settling fun-kick-offing pint!
On the way from the church to Winton Castle, Katie and Chris’ wedding car ran out of petrol! Thank goodness for Lothians & Scottish Borders Police Division, who happened to be driving behind the wedding car and safely delivered them to Winton Castle!
We were waiting at the front gates of Winton Castle where we were planning to take photos of Katie and Chris – Imagine our surprise when a police van rolled up and the newlyweds stepped out!
After sharing their story on Facebook, I spent the day taking calls and emails from six papers, two radio stations and two news agencies. Seems everyone loves a happy ending 🙂
Thank you so much Katie and Chris for choosing us to capture your wonderful day, we wish you much happiness for your future together.
May your petrol tank always be half full…
Katie and Chris’s wedding suppliers included:
- Venue: Winton Castle
- Church: Colinton Parish Church
- Florist: Wild
- Photography: First Light Photography
- Videographer: Grand Gesture
- Hair: JD Hair
- Make up: All about Eve
- Stationery: 2Flux
- Band: Callanish
Edinburgh Castle Surprise Proposal – Carly and Ian
Problem: You live in the US and want to propose to your girlfriend at Edinburgh Castle while on holiday in Scotland, but you know your girlfriend would want both families present to witness the proposal. Your family are with you, but your girlfriend’s family are in the US…
Solution: Fly them over and give your girlfriend the surprise of her life!
Earlier this month I had the honour to be involved in a truly joyful and moving wedding proposal at Edinburgh Castle – with a twist!
Here’s the full, wonderful story as told by Ian himself:
“Carly and I have been together for 2 1/2 years now and I knew it was time to take our relationship to the next stage of our lives. While on our summer trip from Italy to Scotland I wanted this to be “The Trip”. When we discussed being engaged we wanted both families to be there to witness this special moment. After I knew that Carly was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I went to talk to her family while Carly was at work. My plan all along was for this to happen in Hawaii a couple months later with no family there as no one could make that trip. Soon after telling her family I wanted to marry Carly, they purchased tickets to fly to Edinburgh to surprise her. “
“With a short amount of time to plan, I reserved the Minstrels Gallery in Edinburgh Castle and let her family know the plan. August 4, 2019 is a day I will never forget. Not only because I couldn’t eat the morning of, from all the nerves settling in but because I was going to propose to the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Her family was waiting for her there as we walked up the spiral staircase and once they all made eye contact. Boom. Tears were an understatement, it was an outpouring of so much joy with a hint of confusion (she had no clue about her family). After everyone said hello and hugged one another, I told Carly how much I love her and how this wasn’t going to happen unless all family was included. I got down on one knee and the rest is history.”
“Throughout this planning I wanted to capture the moment which led me to Ditte. After having her capture this moment and seeing the quality of the pictures, I was blown away. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day with the perfect group of people. If you’re considering Ditte to be your photographer, just do it! The pics are amazing but her personality and skill set are even better.”
Ian and Carly thank you so much for your kind words and choosing me to capture such a special moment for you and your family. I wish you a joyful future together and I can’t wait to see photos from your wedding!
The GoBook Portrait Album
I’d like to introduce you to our most popular portrait album. We call it the The GoBook Portrait Album, and it’s a really clever 2-in-1 product, combining a stunning album with a box that allows the album to be displayed like a framed photograph.
The Portrait Album has proven very popular for family photo shoots, creating a beautiful physical keepsake of a moment in time.
We are also finding that more and more parents of brides and grooms choose these, if they are keen to make a unique album just for them, featuring their story of the wedding, mainly showing their friends or family, and feel they don’t need something as luxurious as our Storybooks or Mounted albums.
The album either comes with a laminated photographic paper cover, or a leatherette cover in a wide range of colours. It comes in a display box with a transparent lid, which means you can safely leave it out with little hands around, or put in on a shelf for the cover to act as a framed photograph.
The books are either 8×12 inches (or 10×10 inch square) or 14×10 inches (12×12 inch square)
Photography Award: Highly Commended, National MPA awards
So pleased to have won a “Highly Commended” award in the national Master Photographer Association awards with this portrait of Candida from her beautiful Signet Library wedding.
The image was captured in the lower ground apartment where she was getting ready. A skylight provided the light in the living room area, so I used this to illuminate Candida’s face. She loved the back of her dress and her veil, so I asked her to turn her back to me, to show these off.
Candida’s beautiful dress came from Anna Sully, her bespoke veil was from from The Secret Dress House and the beautiful Lily of the Valley bouquet was created by Planet Flowers.
Loretto School Summer Wedding Photography – Eila and Tom
Eila and Tom first set eyes on each other across the aisle in the chapel at The Loretto School, in Musselburgh, East Lothian. Tom, who is from Australia, was spending a year at Loretto before returning back home.
“He sent me a winky face text on my siemens C45 electronic telephone and I went weak at the knees. Sadly he had to leave but promised we’d see each other one day.”
Jump forward a decade-and-a-bit to a beautiful day in July, Eila and Tom’s friends and family were able to watch them say “I do” to each other in that very school chapel.
Celebrations followed in the grounds of the school, with lots of lots of laughter as the Scots showed the Aussies how to ceilidh and the Aussies showed the Scots how to drink (as if they didn’t already know…)
I’m pretty sure the story of Eila and Tom’s cross-continental school romance has one of the nicest “…and they lived happily ever after” endings imaginable.
We wish you both a lifetime of happiness, love and intercontinental travel together.
Elia and Tom’s wedding suppliers included:
- Venue – The Loretto School
- Caterer: Hickory
- Videographer: Sole Productions
- Hair/ Makeup: MadeUp Team
- Flowers: Annie Douglas
- Band: House of Lairds
- Stationery: Eila Moffat
- Marquee: Greenfield Marquees
Senior Graduation Photography | Edinburgh
Leavers’ Portraits, Senior Portraits, High School Prom Photography, South Queensferry and Edinburgh
When we have children we tend to capture them incessantly as babies and toddlers, but then, somehow, we stop. Once the milk teeth start falling out, the portraits stop (other than the obligatory school photos and the selfies, of course).
I’m so glad that we are starting to see more and more requests for what the Americans call Senior Portraits (or Leavers’ Portraits as they are known here, photo sessions done when young people graduate from high school). When those well-photographed babies are suddenly all grown up, about to fly the nest, the senior portraits are there as a “book end”, to mark the end of their childhood, and the beginning of a big, new chapter. Isn’t that what photography does so well, mark beginnings of new chapters?
I tend to do Senior Portrait sessions on the eve of high school graduation parties, when hair and make-up has been done and the suit or dress been chosen. Sessions last either 20 minutes (Quick Session) or one hour (Full Session).
Senior portrait sessions can either be done in your house/ garden, or we can choose a location nearby.
Whether parents and siblings are allowed in on the act is completely up to you!
If you would like to find out more about EdinburghProm Photography in our Senior Photography packages, please drop us an email
Elie Summer Wedding- Elizabeth and Gregor
I’ve been so looking forward to sharing this beautiful Scottish/American wedding! As well as having stonking weather, this wedding ticked all the boxes for an incredible day.
Elizabeth is American, she married Gregor in his beautiful hometown of Elie in Fife. We were lucky enough to photograph Gregor’s brother’s wedding the year before, so we had met them both, and already knew it was going to be something out of the ordinary.
Elizabeth told me before the day that it *never rains* when she is in Scotland. Every time she has visited here, the sun has been out. Amazingly, this sunny spell continued for the whole time they were in Scotland for the wedding!
She has some kind of magic charm surrounding her and I begged and begged for her to stay here, to keep the blissful summer weather…
However, they went back to the States after their wedding, and I’m now typing this while the rain clouds are gathering outside my window. Grateful to have these images to remind me that summer might come back.
Elizabeth and Gregor, we can’t begin to tell you how much we loved photographing your wedding!
Thank you for being so welcoming and lovely to be with – and for bringing the gorgeous weather with you!
We wish you both a lifetime of happiness and fun together.
Elizabeth and Gregor’s wedding suppliers included:
- Church: Elie Parish Church
- Venue: Davaar
- Photography: First Light Photography
- Brides dress: Reem Acra
- Brides shoes: Scotland Shop
- Make up: Eyecandy
- Hair: McKenzie Hair Design
- Flowers: Red Petal Co
- Catering: Wilde Thyme
- Marquee styling and decor: Get Knotted
- Band: Jam Hot
My top 7 Wedding Proposal Spots in Edinburgh
Over the last few years I have been extremely lucky to witness a number of beautiful wedding proposals in Edinburgh. Capturing the surprise, joy, love and happiness two people share in the moments they agree to spend the rest of their lives together is utterly wonderful.
Having lived and worked in Edinburgh for two decades I have come to know of so many wonderful places that offer an incredible setting for wedding proposals. Whether you would like a full Edinburgh Cityscape as your backdrop, or would prefer something a little more intimate, there is something to suit everyone here.
Here are some of the most romantic places to propose in Edinburgh
1 – Calton Hill
Historical and cultural landmarks such as Edinburgh Castle, Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh’s Old Town and Princes Street can all be seen from the top, creating a fantastic backdrop for a wedding proposal.
Calton Hill also offers fantastic views over Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, if the city backdrop isn’t your thing.
2 – Arthur’s Seat
Want to have all of Edinburgh as your backdrop when you ask your partner to marry you? The views from Arthur’s Seat are unbeatable!
An extinct volcano, proudly situated in the heart of Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat is one of the most beautiful places to propose in Edinburgh, and if you’re willing to put in the legwork, offers some amazing views, too.
If you and your other half aren’t keen walkers, then you can get to (near) the top by car (not on Sundays though, when all vehicle access to Holyrood Park is closed off).
If this is a little too wild and windy (there is little to no shelter), or hill climbing isn’t your bag, then I’d recommend looking at option 1 again (see above)
You can see some more images from Arthur’s Seat here
3 – Circus Lane
One of Edinburgh’s most charming streets, Circus Lane has become popular with the Instagram travellers and anyone looking for a beautiful backdrop. With its cobbled street, quaint little houses and Edinburgh’s New Town setting, it works brilliantly as a backdrop for a wedding proposal.
You can see some more photographs from a recent wedding proposal I photographed in Circus Lane here
4 – Ross Fountain, Princes Street Gardens
The newly restored Ross Fountain makes an incredible backdrop for wedding proposals!
With one of the best and clearest views of Edinburgh Castle behind it, settings don’t come much more impressive than this.
5- Lauriston Castle
If you aren’t restricted to Edinburgh city centre, then a trip to Lauriston Castle in Cramond could offer a beautiful private setting with lovely views over the Firth of Forth.
6 – Edinburgh Castle
If you’re looking for a historical setting with added grandeur, then it doesn’t get any more impressive than an Edinburgh Castle wedding proposal. The castle offer a wedding proposal package, which allows you exclusive access to the Minstrel’s Gallery in the Great Hall.
7- Edinburgh Botanical Gardens
Beautiful landscaping, ancient trees, colourful plants… Edinburgh Botanics is stunning year-round. I have done many photographs there over the years, and two shoots are never the same.
Added bonus, if it does rain the Glasshouse offers a Plan B to escape the rain!
8 – The Rain Plan (Plan B)
If the Edinburgh weather decides that somewhere slightly covered would be a better option, then I often suggest opting for somewhere in Edinburgh’s beautiful Old Town, such as City Chambers, Parliament Square or any of the the closes (alleyways) on the Royal Mile.
If it’s even worse, and we can’t do it outside at all, then Edinburgh has a plethora of museums, galleries, restaurants and bars that would make a gorgeous backdrop for your wedding proposal. I’d be happy to help you settle on a location that would be perfect for you.
If you would like to talk to me about photographing your wedding proposal, then please get in touch – I would love to be there to capture the moment for you!
Our Most Popular Luxury Album – The Storybook
There’s a reason why our Storybook Album is our most popular album by far.
Beautifully handcrafted, astounding quality, individually designed –our Storybooks are a fantastic keepsake that will help you relive the memories of your day for years to come.
The Storybook Albums come with thick pages made of photographic paper or Fine Art paper, with the images printed directly on the pages.
Every album comes with a completely personalised cover. With a total of over 200 different colours or materials, from several types of leather to metal, silk or even wood, every couple can choose a cover that’s perfect for them.
The Storybook also offers different ways to personalise the cover. Most couples choose to have their names and dates added to the cover, or even a wedding monogram, or a wedding illustration.
With lots of sizes to choose from (from 5.5 inches long up to 18 inches long) couples can choose the perfect album to suit their budget and lifestyle.
If you would like to see our Classic Mounted Album, you can find an example here