As a wedding photographer based in the Scottish Highlands, I’ve learned that the most beautiful weddings aren’t the most extravagant - they’re the most intentional. The ones where every part of the day feels like a true reflection of the couple.
If you’re planning your wedding and feeling the pressure of “how it’s supposed to be done,” consider this your sign to throw that out the window. Whether you’re eloping on a windswept hillside or planning a big gathering with all your favourite people, here are some ways to create a wedding that feels unmistakably you.
You don’t have to follow the traditional order of events if it doesn’t suit you. You may want to have your photos before the ceremony so you can relax afterwards, for example. You could cut the cake at the start or head out for sunset portraits in the middle of dinner. Your timeline should work around your energy and what matters most to you - not the other way around.
In the Highlands especially, where weather and light can be dramatic and ever-changing, building flexibility into your day often makes for the most magical moments.
Whatever the size of your wedding, getting ready together can be a lovely, grounding way of starting the day - sharing some quiet moments and laughs together before you begin the rest of your special day.
Instead of seeing each other for the first time at the end of the aisle, you could do a first look before the ceremony. I am SUCH a big advocate for this. Just like if you get ready together, a first look allows you to spend some precious moments together, helping to soothe any pre-ceremony jitters. If you're having a large wedding, it may also be one of the few times you'll be alone together, so enjoy it!
You could also do a first look with family or friends or alternatively you could do a 'no look but touch' like Shona & Mike did.
If the idea of speaking your vows in front of a crowd feels daunting, consider having a private vow exchange beforehand.
This can be incredibly emotional and intimate - just the two of you (and maybe me quietly snapping away in the background). Then you can keep the public ceremony shorter and lighter if that feels more comfortable.
It’s your special day, so make it more personal to you and incorporate fun activities you both enjoy. Perhaps this could be an early morning run up a hill or yoga session? Or a game of rounders or football? You could organise a pub quiz or stop by your nearest mini golf!
Activities like these always make for the funnest, most joy filled photographs too!
A formal, three-course sit down meal isn’t for everyone!
Alternative options could be:
- Buffet-style comfort food
- Pub classics
- Woodfired pizza
- Street food trucks
- Picnic food
Choose your food based on what YOU love, not what you think you’ll guests will expect.
If getting your hair and makeup done by a professional doesn’t feel like you – don’t do it! Do it yourself or go natural. Whatever makes you feel the most confident and most like yourself!
Include ceremonies and traditions that reflect who you are. That might mean a handfasting ceremony and drinking from a quaich if you want to incorporate Scottish traditions. These help tell your story and make for a deeply personal and meaningful ceremony.
Your friends could perform your public ceremony before or after the legal one. This also works for people looking to have a destination wedding – it’s MUCH easier doing a legal ceremony in your own country, rather than getting a marriage visa to marry abroad. It also means your ceremony can be entirely focused on meaning rather than paperwork.
Because they’re part of the family too. Perhaps you choose a venue that allows dogs and choose a member of the wedding party to keep an eye on them for the day. Or you may want to hire a dogsitter/dog chaperone who will bring them along for a wee bit for some cuddles and photos together.
Love a boogie? Organise a traditional ceilidh or a DJ playing all your favourite songs. Or want something a little different, perhaps organise:
- Line dancing
- A drag or cabaret performance
- Live acoustic music
- Or no dancing at all
At the end of the day, your wedding isn’t a performance.
It’s not about recreating a Pinterest board or ticking off traditions that don’t resonate with you. It’s about creating a space where you feel completely yourselves.
The best weddings I photograph aren’t the most elaborate. They’re the ones that feel completely authentic to the couple.
If you’d like your wedding photography to also really feel like you, get in touch today!
