For all enquiries: https://www.debbiethorntonphotography.co.uk/

“We are thrilled with our photographs and thank you for getting them back to us so quickly. We are very grateful and in awe of your work!! Everyone has loved the photographs and I (Becky) personally have loved telling everyone about you, your work and how you went above and beyond for me (I tell everyone about that cereal bar).“

Finally, after a wee break from sharing weddings online I am back to it. Over the past year I have been to some absolutely gorgeous locations in the Highlands and shot in some stunning venues. So, here I am sharing Becky and Eden’s incredible wedding. Happy Anniversary!

“We booked Debbie for both our engagement shoot and for our wedding day. Debbie is not only an extraordinary photographer, she also has the remarkable skill of putting people at ease. Debbie was an absolute dream to work with and she captured our day perfectly. Thank you for everything Debbie!”

This was one of the most beautiful wedding days, in one of the most gorgeous locations.

Becky and Eden’s wedding at Ardanaiseig Hotel was an absolute joy from beginning to end. The kind of wedding where there’s plenty of laughter, a very happy tears, a lot of carrying on, and the feeling that everyone there is completely invested in having the absolute best time.

Becky and Eden are a pure joy. They are completely themselves together, have such a laugh, and are clearly very, very good at making each other happy. I loved photographing them.

Set amongst the beautiful landscape of Argyll, Ardanaiseig Hotel was a pretty special place for a wedding. The loch, woodland, old stone buildings and surrounding landscape give you so much to work with as a photographer, without anything needing to be outsourced. It’s beautiful in a very natural way.

And then there was Becky.

“I don’t know why I’m crying… I know him!”

Bridal prep was so chilled, full of laughs, but as the ceremony time crept closer, the emotions started to arrive.

Becky was definitely feeling the feels. There were tears, nerves and all the pre-ceremony emotions, before she came out with:

“I don’t know why I’m crying… I know him!” 😂

Which pretty much summed her up perfectly.

There was also a lovely little parcel delivered to her during the morning. It had ‘Hyacinth’ written on it, which understandably left Becky looking a little confused.

Then she opened it.

“Aw Hyacinth!”

Inside was the loveliest little blue worry frog, made by one of her pals. There’s a whole story behind Hyacinth but for now, let’s just say she became a bit of a star of the day. 🐸

There were also some very special moments during the morning, particularly when Becky’s mum and dad saw her in her wedding dress for the first time. Those are the moments I love being there to photograph. Nothing staged, just people taking in the fact that their daughter is actually getting married.

A ceremony full of laughter and tears

The ceremony was incredibly emotional.

The vows had pretty much everyone reaching for a tissue. They were beautiful, personal and completely Becky and Eden.

And then there was Shona Sharp Humanist Celebrant, who delivered one of the funniest and most special ceremonies ever. Shona has a brilliant way of bringing plenty of personality into a ceremony, and she certainly wasn’t afraid to go off script when the moment called for it.

There was laughter, there were tears and there were plenty of moments where you could look around the room and see just how much these two mean to the people around them.

It was a perfec ceremony.

A wedding party who knew how to have a good time

One of the best things about photographing Becky and Eden’s wedding was the people around them.

They had an absolutely amazing bunch of friends and family, and it showed all day.

At one point, Eden and his friends ‘the gels’ tried to throw him up in the air.

It was very funny. 😂

There was also Becky being lifted by her squad for photos, which turned into exactly the sort of chaos you’d hope for when a group of friends get together on a wedding day. 🥳Perfection!

The family group photos were another highlight. Eden and his sisters were in hysterics, while Becky and her siblings were having a complete carry on. Exactly as family photos should be. Natural, relaxed and full of fun.

And somewhere amongst all this, I very nearly ended up falling over a rock and into a wee bog, while walking backwards during the confetti shot.

Thankfully, I was saved. 🙏

Woodland wanderings at Ardanaiseig

One of my absolute favourite parts of the day was taking Becky and Eden off for a wander through the woods around Ardanaiseig.

This is one of the things I love about photographing weddings in Oban, Argyll and the Highlands. You do not always need to go far to find somewhere beautiful and quiet for a bit of time together.

We wandered through the trees, took a wee breather from the celebrations and photographed them as they were, chatting, laughing and enjoying being married.

Just them, the woodland and a little bit of time away.

And, of course, we had a couple of appearances from a little black cat called Katz during the day. 🤗

Flowers, cake and local Oban suppliers

One of the lovely things about Becky and Eden’s wedding was that all of their suppliers were local to Oban.

Becky’s flowers were made by her Aunty Julie, which made them even more special and absolutely stunning. 🌸

There was also a beautiful wedding cake by Jasmine Jackson, and the day was brought together by a brilliant group of local people who know the area and the weddings that happen here so well.

It’s always lovely to see couples choosing local suppliers for their wedding in Oban and Argyll. There are so many talented wedding professionals in and around the area, from florists and cake makers to hair (I love working with Hair by Kelly- Louise) and makeup artists, celebrants, musicians and caterers.

Speeches

The speeches were brilliant.

The Father of the Bride and Best Man gave a lovely speeches, and there were lots of moments with laughter and tears.

During Eden’s speech, his mum shared that she knew Becky was the one for him as soon as they met.

It was one of those lovely little moments that says so much.

And then it was time to dance the night away

After all the emotions, it was time to properly celebrate.

The first dance was to Arctic Monkeys, followed by Becky and the squad absolutely going for it to Call Me by Blondie.

And that pretty much brought the day together perfectly.

A beautiful setting. A gorgeous couple. Brilliant friends and family. Plenty of laughter, a few tears, some questionable lifting techniques, one very helpful rescue from a bog, a black cat, a blue worry frog called Hyacinth and a lot of dancing.

I loved it!

A wonderful intimate wedding in Argyll

Photographing Becky and Eden’s wedding at Ardanaiseig Hotel was such a pleasure.

For couples looking for an Oban wedding venue, an Argyll wedding venue or somewhere surrounded by beautiful Highland scenery, Ardanaiseig would be a pretty special place to get married but it is sadly currently closed. Becky and Eden’s wedding as one of the very last at the venue. We can all hope the doors to this incredible place reopen soon.

I loved photographing this wedding day, and I loved photographing everyone there. It was relaxed, funny, emotional and completely perfect.

The local Oban wedding suppliers

• Hair: Hair by Kelly Louise
• Makeup: Shimmy’s Makeup Simone Carter
• Cake: J Jackson Cakes, Jasmine
• Venue: Ardanaiseig Hotel
• Music: Stevo Finlayson
• Humanist Celebrant: Shona Sharp
• Flowers: Julie Lockhart
• Food: Croma Bake & Dine

For all enquiries Debbie Thornton Photography