What does this Journal cover?

Real wedding stories from Edinburgh, across Scotland, the UK and Europe, alongside notes on venues, seasonal light and digital and analogue photography.

Why write about film photography in detail?

Because most couples have never hired a film photographer and reasonably want to know what changes. Explaining the process is more useful than asking anybody to take it on trust.

Can I see a full wedding gallery rather than a highlights set?

Yes. Ask when you enquire and a complete gallery can be shared, which shows consistency across a whole day.

Where do I go if I want to book?

The enquiry page. Send your date and venue, and expect a reply within 24 to 48 hours.

The Free Company Wedding Photographer Edinburgh

Jackie and Briony married at The Free Company in Balerno, on the edge of Edinburgh. Jackie is Canadian and Briony is Scottish, and the day brought their families and friends together around an outdoor ceremony, long dinner tables and a very full dance floor.

They made time for a first look before their guests arrived. I liked that choice. It gave them a part of the day together before the ceremony, with space for photographs and family time rather than trying to fit everything into the drinks reception.

Edinburgh rooftops on Jackie and Briony’s wedding morning

An illustrated wedding card resting against a wooden door

Hands fastening a wedding dress during preparations

Rainbow ribbons and a floral corsage on white wedding shoes

A bride standing in an Edinburgh flat doorway in black and white

White wedding shoes with rainbow ribbons beside a fireplace

An engraved quaich with tartan and wedding stationery

A bride helped into her dress beside the window

Family sitting together during wedding preparations

A bride standing beside a bright window in an Edinburgh flat

A bride embracing a family member before leaving

The stone courtyard and ceremony canopy at The Free Company

Jackie and Briony’s illustrated wedding programme

A wood-burning stove beside stacked logs at the farm

A bride entering The Free Company’s long-table dining room

Jackie and Briony embracing at their first look in black and white

Jackie and Briony standing between the long dinner tables

The brides walking through the dining room together

Jackie and Briony arriving in the farm courtyard

The brides walking across The Free Company courtyard

Jackie and Briony beside the stacked logs at The Free Company

The wedding party sitting together on a courtyard bench

A guest wearing a kilt in the stone courtyard

A bride walking into the courtyard ceremony with family

A bride carrying her bouquet through a doorway

Jackie and Briony’s outdoor courtyard ceremony in Balerno

Guests smiling during the wedding ceremony

A guest wearing a kilt and holding flowers

Wedding guests seated closely on wooden benches

Hands holding the engraved wedding quaich

A bride drinking from the quaich during the ceremony

Jackie and Briony walking through a shower of confetti

A bride holding her bouquet in the garden

A bride embracing a friend in black and white

A laughing embrace after the wedding ceremony

Jackie and Briony on a tree-lined path beside the venue

A portrait of the brides beneath a flowering tree

White and green bouquets held by Jackie and Briony

The brides walking together beneath the trees

Jackie and Briony beneath a rainbow umbrella

Guests in kilts and suits at the wedding reception

An older couple sitting together during the reception

The wedding party gathered for a group photograph

A green reception sign inside The Free Company

Long wooden dinner tables set for the wedding meal

The wedding seating plan displayed on an easel

A guest looking at the wedding table settings

Candles on the wooden wedding dinner table

White flowers decorating the dinner tables

The Free Company dining room with hanging greenery

A wedding speech photographed in black and white

Jackie and Briony cutting their wedding cake

Jackie and Briony dancing together at The Free Company

The brides’ first dance photographed in black and white

Jackie and Briony laughing on the dance floor

Wedding guests linking hands during the ceilidh

Jackie and Briony joining their guests for lively evening dancing

Getting ready in Edinburgh

The morning began in two Edinburgh flats, a short walk apart. Jackie had her hair and make-up done by Julie McGuire, while Briony did her own. There were dresses being fastened, family close by and those small pauses beside the windows before leaving for the venue.

I like keeping the preparations in the story. The city rooftops, a card resting against a wooden door, a hug before heading out: they place the wedding in the lives around it. Among the details were rainbow ribbons, tartan and a quaich, each with a place in the day that followed.

A first look at The Free Company

At The Free Company, Jackie and Briony saw each other before the ceremony. The photographs move from that first embrace to the two of them standing between the long wooden tables, with flowers and hanging greenery around them.

We made portraits in the courtyard and beside the stacked logs, letting the stone buildings give the photographs their setting. Having this time early meant their families and wedding parties could be photographed before the rest of the guests gathered.

An outdoor wedding ceremony in Balerno

Anna Gilchrist led the ceremony in the courtyard. Guests sat close together on wooden benches, with the farm buildings around them and a canopy overhead. The photographs hold both sides of it: Jackie and Briony facing each other, and the smiles and reactions of the people watching.

Their engraved quaich was part of the ceremony. Briony’s mum had also made an embroidered piece for the signing table. These were the details they had asked me to notice beforehand, and they helped make the ceremony feel connected to family.

Afterwards came confetti, hugs and time outside. A wedding story needs those moments as much as the portraits. People turning to one another, someone laughing halfway through a hug, flowers held loosely while a conversation carries on.

Portraits around the farm

We stayed close to the venue for photographs, using the trees, paths and garden as a quieter backdrop. The white and green bouquets sat naturally against the foliage, while a rainbow umbrella brought a very different splash of colour.

There was no need to make the portraits a long trip away. The courtyard, timber stacks and leafy paths gave us several different settings within the same place. The photographs still feel like part of the wedding rather than a separate outing.

Long tables, speeches and a ceilidh

Inside, the dinner space was set with long wooden tables, candles and small arrangements of flowers. Exposed stone and timber gave the room its character, with greenery hanging above the tables. Helen Buchanan-Smith of Edinburgh Foraged Flowers made the flowers, and Stella Gavey coordinated the day at The Free Company.

The speeches were spread through dinner. That kept the room moving between conversations at the tables and everyone turning to listen. There are photographs of laughter, glasses raised and the two of them taking it all in together.

Then came the cake, made by Zeta Cassidy, and dancing with Louden Mackay. The evening photographs have a different pace: Jackie and Briony together on the floor, guests joining hands and the room filling with movement. It was a lovely way to finish the story.

Planning wedding photographs at The Free Company

Where is The Free Company? Jackie and Briony’s wedding took place at Cockdurno Farm in Balerno, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The courtyard and indoor dining space gave their day two distinct settings without moving between venues.

Can we have a first look before the ceremony? Jackie and Briony did, followed by family and wedding-party photographs. If that appeals to you, build enough time into the morning with your photographer and venue team so it feels unhurried.

Where can we make couple portraits? For this wedding, we used the stone courtyard, stacked logs, garden and nearby tree-lined paths. Staying close kept the photographs connected to the celebration.