Chanel & Douglas' Beautiful Highland Wedding Day at Strathpeffer, Ross-shire

Romance novels are not far off when it comes to describing Chanel and Douglas’ wedding on their special day at Strathpeffer in the Scottish Highlands. All the elements of that old, old tale of epic love, the fairytale meet-cute, the swoon-worthy roller coaster of emotions, the longed-for, finally-come wedding day… And all that glorious hurried backstory squeezed into half an hour. Scotland itself plays the part of blushing heroine in the clifftop, hilltop, lochside setting, glorious in its waning autumn colours. As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, seeing how beams, chandeliers and corridors of the quintessentially British-historic hotel were fashioned to capture the story of Chanel and Douglas’ love here brought out romantically-nostalgic images of lace, books and bouquets of late roses and billy balls. Light, shadow, confession, tears, smiles… the story of them with their lives and characters emerges from every burst of colourful confetti and glass.

Bringing all the warmth, excitement and laughter they could possibly muster, family and friends surrounded the couple to celebrate. The ballroom filled with family and friends fizzing; the Celtic strains of the reception warming the chilly April air like no insulator could ever manage; the subtle clashes of tradition against modernity like the skirl of a perfect fiddle; you’ve got another great wedding to complete that vacation map, or another blank folder on a computer disk. Yet weddings – if they’re really weddings – also create more subtle, nuanced pictures from the moments of delight. In the teary speeches and the hilarious dancing, you will find a history of people coming together with love and joy, and combining their destinies in the hope of building the best futures possible. This one is beautiful, and it will etch itself into the memories of everyone there for a very long time after the music stops.