A gusty breeze greeted me as I arrived at The Roxburghe in Edinburgh, blowing me straight through the front door and up to the bridal suite in seconds. Inside, Lauren and her bridesmaids were being pampered by their hairdresser and make-up artist who also happened to be guests. It seemed almost everyone in the room recognised me from a previous wedding so I was in familiar company. The girls were sipping champagne and discussing arrangements to get to Lauren’s parents house. A VW camper van waited outside.
A short trip across town got the girls settled in the house where snacks, drinks (mostly champagne) and some eye candy were laid on. Lauren was presented with a gift from Gary before the business end of getting ready took shape. I jumped back into the VW camper van and greeted the boys at yet another location, joining them for the journey to the church. We stopped in a back street behind The Roxburghe for planned shoot out with the camper van. Button holes were deployed before the boys strutted their stuff in the cobbled street.
Guests were soon arriving at the church, giving the ushers plenty to do to get everyone seated before the bridesmaids arrived. The VW camper van was covering some mileage today I thought as mum’s hat was helped out first. The bridesmaids and flower girl piled out grinning from ear to ear, stopping only to pose for a group photograph. Lauren and her dad arrived a few minutes later in a Rolls Royce and prepared to walk down the aisle together. Gary stood nervously at the other end, frequently turning around to catch a glimpse.
The religious ceremony saw the happy couple say their vows before finally being pronounced husband and wife in front of all their family and friends. Everyone followed them outside before being led across Princes Street, aided by one of the ushers who was directing traffic with his stop sign. I had the newly weds to myself in the church gardens and took the opportunity to do some portraits in the leafy surroundings. We were soon to venture into Rose Street for a rock ‘n roll stroll under the bunting.
The market at the corner of Frederick Street seemed to catch Lauren and Gary’s attention as they stopped off at various stalls to pose for a memento. Meanwhile, I had my eye on some colourful lingerie which was gracing an advertising board nearby. I invited them over as a gale force wind funnelled around the corner. It offered some amusing shapes as Lauren’s dress and veil took the full force of each gust. They continued the stroll back down Rose Street, stopping off at Dirty Dick’s pub for a refreshment.
Some group shots on the steps of The Roxburgh concluded outdoor photography for the day, and signalled it was time for the speeches and wedding breakfast. Mr and Mrs finally had the chance to mingled, relaxing with their guests as a magician showed off his tricks. A candy bar lit up the rear of the reception room, proving particularly popular with adults with a sweet tooth. A grand piano played host to a different kind of eye candy as the bridesmaids added a touch of glamour and style.
The first dance kicked off the evenings entertainment, courtesy of a live band called the flavours. Lauren and Gary led the way before the rest of the bridal party filled the floor and got the party started. I spent the next hour bobbing and weaving my way through the crowd, often catching the action at close range. In fact, the cameraman almost had to join in on several occasions. By now, it was pure entertainment to watch. In so many ways that was true of the happy couple who had being doing it all day long.
