Over the years, I’ve come to understand that the way I photograph people, whether on their wedding day, elopement, family or engagement shoot, it has nothing to do with showing up and just “getting the shot”.
It’s about something far slower paced and quieter. It’s always about connection.
The people who find me and choose to book me don’t just want pictures. They’re not ticking a box, neither am I. And I’m not just providing a service.
It is so personal.
For some, this might not sound for them at all. This is completely ok, there’s so many photographers to work with these days. For me, in a world that feels increasingly fast and fragmented, with connections often replaced by transactions, I want people to know that how I work is different. The honest photographs I make only come from mutual care and attention.
I’ve spent years honing this.
It’s the part I’ve never learned in the years of photography courses I’ve done, it can’t be taught, it just is. It’s the part where there’s space for couples. They have the freedom at shoots to be completely themselves, without any pressure at all. It’s the same thing that draws me to nature and the reason I’m so inspired by it, its refusal to be anything other than itself.
Nature does not rush. It does not perform for people. And neither do the couples or families who book with me.
This work, to me, is so deeply personal. Every couple, every family, every shoot. If you’re looking for someone to show up and simply do a job, I might not be the right fit. That’s completely ok. But if you’re looking for someone who listens, really listens to you, and who wants to understand who you are and what matters to you before ever lifting the camera, then we’re probably on the same page already.
That mutual communication is everything. It’s the quiet thread that runs through my entire process, from our very first messages right through to the photographs you’ll eventually receive in your inboxes or in the post. Communication is key to my whole photography process. If there is clear communication then I have more of an understanding.
So if you’ve landed here wondering if this is the right way to tell your story, if you feel a connection to my photos and how I work. I would love to hear from you.
‘Debbie was our photographer for our wedding in May 2023 and we could not be any more pleased with our decision to book Debbie! Debbie was so calm and efficient throughout the day; despite experiencing a punctured tyre on the way to the venue, she still arrived on time!…Debbie has a real skill at being able to blend into the day well and organise photos calmly and with ease- we received so many compliments from guests around how likeable Debbie was. Debbie makes a huge effort to get to know the bridal/groom party’s families/friends which made for huge success with the formal photos. Debbie was able to articulate who she needed for photos by their name which made the formal photo process quick. We are over the moon with the photos and feel Debbie has captured the day so well- we have a great mix of formal photos as well as natural photos that show everyone’s personalities. It’s 2 months since we got married and we still find ourselves going through all the photos and enjoying them….Debbie is a wonderful photographer who was an asset to our day – we could not have imagined any other photographer being there!…..Thank you for everything Debbie!’
They were both working in Lochgilphead when Craig eventually worked up the courage to ask Sarah if she’d like to go on a hill walk with him, she said yes but the actual truth is that Craig is not a fan of hills or walking…at all…he was just trying to impress Sarah and thankfully it worked. Sarah says ‘it’s the first and very last time Craig’s been enthusiastic about going on a walk’
Their wedding was absolutely stunning and so emotional, it’s always lovely when couples write their own vows.
‘Exactly 4 years to this day, I knew instantly that we felt right together and that never changed. You have always showed me how much you care and never fail to make me feel safe and loved. You show me this through the seemingly little, but significant things you do – the dedication you showed driving 6 hours just to see me for 1 – the compromise you show for agreeing to go on long walks, even though you couldn’t think of anything worse. I am forever grateful for you.’
It was a perfect day with a brilliant group of people!
‘Oh my goodness! So incredibly gorgeous! Your artistry captured not only the rugged beauty of the environment, but everyone’s individual personalities shine as well. It will take a while to choose our favorites. Every photograph is more stunning than the last! You were a pleasure to work with and worked unobtrusively and efficiently (both shooting and editing). It was a pleasure enjoying our special day with you! Now if we can only figure out a way to export you to the US, to photograph the wedding!’
This was amazing!
The Isle of Luing is absolutely stunning, wow what a beautiful untouched Island it’s perfect. This was the first time I’d visited the Island, which is shocking really considering I’m from Oban (but based in the Highlands) and lived a short distance away for the majority of my life… but I would say I’m not as bad as the folk who live in Oban and have never been to the Isle of Kerrera – you know who you are, ha! I highly recommend a visit to the Isle of Luing, this was such a brilliant day and I can’t wait to go back.
Brett & Kaitlin travelled from New Jersey USA with Brett’s family to the stunning Isle of Luing where his ancestors are from, Brett’s family name is Luing – how cool is that!?- and I was told by the family – his parents Kevin & Trisha that ‘during one of the ancient invasions, the residents left the island… The Luing name begins to appear on the Steeple Barton church records in the 1600’s. It is assumed that the families who fled, adopted the name of the island, in an attempt to locate others who also originated on Luing, or to honour their origin….This visit is a continuation of family tradition, honouring the Luing family roots.’
The family wanted a photo-shoot to mark this special visit as the last time they were here was around 20 years ago. Also, Brett was planning on asking Kaitlin to marry him so I was to be ready to capture the moment. Luckily Kaitlin knew I’d be there on the day taking photos of the family so I didn’t have to hide in any bushes or under water on this occasion.
Shortly after I’d arrived and been introduced to everyone, Brett took Kaitlin outside their gorgeous holiday accommodation, Ardlarach Lodge and had a wee walk looking the beautiful view while I took some shots…. really we’re all waiting for the big moment with Brett’s family hiding looking out the windows in the Lodge. The next thing Brett takes Kaitlin’s hand in his and starts to get down on one knee, to say Kaitlin was shocked is the under statement of the century she just kept her hand over mouth and had the biggest eyes and smile on her face. Kaitlin even looks away laughing with pure happiness at one point and no doubt taking it all in. Brett tells Kaitlin he loves her and asks her to marry him and… she says YES!
‘Brett Luing – I cannot wait to marry you! You are all I’ve ever dreamed of & so much more! You are exactly who I’ve prayed for my entire life and a Luing Island proposal was just the icing on the cake. So ready to join the Luing family!!‘
After the massive congratulations from the family, lots of staring at that gorgeous diamond marquise stone ring, more photos and champagne at the Lodge, we all went on a tour round the island in the mini bus the family hired to travel to some of the other amazing photo locations on the Island.
I’ll give a wee shout out to the lovely wee dog that appears in some of the photos, this is not the family’s dog but it was more than happy to appear in some of their photos as if it was!
It was an amazing day and here’s some of their photos:
‘These are beyond perfect – thank you for capturing this special day so well!!’
I had the best time photographing Yota & Tony, they are such an amazing couple and as soon as we met I knew they were my kind of people! They are so in love, laid back, so funny and were wonderful to photograph at the Botanic Gardens.
Yota & Tony are both from Greece but decided that Scotland is the place where they want to be married, Yota recently graduated in Glasgow and they both love the city so planned their beautiful wedding at the Oran Mhor. Talking to them about their wedding plans they said they really wanted a chilled out wee wedding day, which they did have and I’ll be blogging soon!
‘Alastair and I want to say a huge thank you, we were able to re-live the happiest day all over again looking through our wedding gallery, you’ve done the most amazing job. We feel so lucky to have you as our wedding photographer, you’ve captured our favourite moments so naturally and we wouldn’t have felt so at ease if it hadn’t have been for you…. having our photo taken doesn’t come naturally to either of us. You really are so talented and such a lovely person to have around too! We hope to see you at future weddings for family or friends, we cannot recommend you enough!
Shona & Alastair got in touch with me before they’d even booked their venue, they knew where they wanted to have their wedding but hadn’t quite settled on a date yet. When they first got in touch they said I’d been recommended to them and they loved that I capture how happy everyone looks on their wedding day.
We met at their venue quite a wee while before the wedding and we got on great, I knew from then that their wedding was going to be amazing. They’re a very laid back couple and they wanted their wedding day to be a relaxed day and for everyone to enjoy themselves – which they all did!
Shona & Alastair’s wedding had lots of personal touches from family with Aunty Fiona creating stunning flower displays for the arches and tables- they were beautiful and she said she just does it for fun, Uncle David created the arch to hold the flowers for the ceremony and Shona’s Mum Kirsty making all the gorgeous Shortbread favours. Alastair’s Mum Morven and Dad George were also a great help to the couple in the lead up to the wedding and luckily live not to far away from them or their venue. Really wonderful families!
The couple’s Argyll & Bute registrar Jean was the lady who had registered Shona’s birth and now she was conducting her wedding, it was amazing! Jean’s ceremony was so lovely.
After the ceremony the couple wanted to make sure they got to chat with their guests so they had a few drinks, relaxed and mingled before we headed off to visit Alastair’s Grandpa at his home. Alastair’s Grandpa hadn’t been too well at the time so unfortunately couldn’t make the wedding ceremony but he was absolutely brilliant fun when we arrived at his farm to see him – I was warned beforehand that I wasn’t to mention who my Connel family connections were because we had limited time and he’d keep us there all day haha what a laugh they had with him. He was making fun of them when I was taking a few shots by the classic Red Telephone Box…always wanted to photograph a couple by one of these and he had one on this farm!
The speeches were brilliant from Shona’s Dad Alasdair, the Groom Alastair and the best man Duncan, they were heartfelt and very funny.
We went for a wee wander outside the venue after dinner for some photos – the meal was lovely shout out The Brander Lodge and Shona & Alastair for providing a really tasty 3 course meal.
In the evening the couple danced the night way to music from the Oban legend DJ George Noble and then ceilidh-ed the night away into the early hours with their guests, perfection!
Here’s a wee look their beautiful day with all Shona & Alastair’s suppliers credit at the end:
Huge shout out to all Shona & Alastair’s wedding suppliers:
Couples shoots are one of my absolute favourite things to do as a Scotland Wedding Photographer At shoots with me we are essentially just going for a wander somewhere in the wilderness and I take shots of you together before you become Mr & Mrs, Mrs & Mrs or Mr & Mr.
Scotland is a total dream for couples shoots, weddings and elopements because there’s so many beautiful locations whether you are in the City, the coast, the Highlands or Islands, it’s all good and you’ll see a wee range of places here.
The engagement shoot is a beautiful thing and I highly recommended it if you are nervous about having your photo taken, by doing this type of shoot it takes away the awkwardness you might feel from your photographer just turning up on your wedding day or any stress you might feel thinking about the camera being there at your wedding. At the shoot you’ll see how your photographer works putting you at ease, it’s a photographer’s job to get the best from you so if you love their work then trust you’ll be in good hands and just be yourselves. I like to take a laid back, calm approach to all my shoots and I capture so many beautiful wee moments.
I would recommend having an engagement shoot if you can have one with your photographer. I have a few engagement shoot options that can be booked separately as a gift for a couple or added as part of a wedding package.
In this post I wanted to share some of the engagement shoots I’ve photographed to give you an idea of some of the amazing locations here in Scotland.
Here’s a wee look at some of the places:
Glencoe
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Outer Hebrides – Isle of North Uist
Troon
Inveraray – Dun Na Cuaiche
Culzean Castle
West Kilbride – The Waterside
Glen Dubh
Inner Hebrides –Isle of Kerrera
Oban
If it rains on your shoot day the sky can be so atmospheric and it makes for great photos so I would recommend just going for it. The photos of Lawrie & Ally in the Isle of Kerrera and of Amber and Dave in Oban, both those days were really wet but look at the couples all happy and not giving a two hoots about it!
“Debbie was the photographer for our wedding at the WEST brewery in Glasgow. Debbie was fantastic in every way. She made us feel at ease before the wedding when we first met her. On the actual day Debbie made sure to capture the fun and spirit of the day. The colours and quality of the photos are incredible and we will treasure the photos forever. We wouldn’t hesitate on recommending Debbie to any other couples who want beautiful, natural photos of their special day.”
Claire & Alex, The West Brewery, Glasgow.
This was one unbelievably brilliant wedding, it was stunning, the people were so much fun and there was just right amount of madness!
Claire & Alex first met while studying at Cambridge. They bonded over the song Angels by Robbie Williams one night after a few drinks (they were belting out that song one night together as told during the speeches by bridesmaid Jessica) and the rest is history.
They held their wedding in The West Brewery in Glasgow as they felt it was a good representation of them both mixing their cultures from Scotland and Germany… plus they love Beer!
The ceremony was beautiful, Claire & Alex had a mix of traditions from handfasting and a whisky filled Quaich from Scotland then to represent Alex’s German heritage they both had to drink from a Numberg Bridal Cup and Baumstamm sägen (log sawing), everyone went outside to watch Claire and Alex saw a big log to show they will always work together in their marriage. It was brilliant fun!
Later after their meal and speeches, Alex’s sister Julie had organised some wedding games as this is the tradition in Germany and they were absolutely hilarious!
After the games everyone danced the night away at the ceilidh.
It was a perfect day.
Claire & Alex had a great team of wedding suppliers:
“What incredible photos…You are very talented! Such a lovely way to capture the day. Thank you so much.”
James & Katie wanted to have a wee wedding on the West Coast as James’s family is from the area. Katie searched the internet and discovered Arduaine Gardens and the Loch Melfort was the perfect location for the couple. The couple discovered that the Loch Melfort hotel was where James’s family had their honeymoon but they no clue about this until after they booked and also it’s the exact same area where James would holiday as a child…it was obviously meant to be.
Their wedding was beautiful! It was really relaxed and over looking the sea.
James & Katie travelled up from Leeds with their immediate family to have their Humanist ceremony by the lovely Shona Sharp (Highly Recommend!). Their ceremony included two Highland traditions with a Handfasting and sharing a Quaich they also had their nephew as their ring bearer which was lovely.
I love a wee relaxed wedding by the sea and this was perfect!
Lovely to work with Katie & James’s wedding suppliers:
“Oh my goodness, your gorgeous photographs have made us all teary-eyed! We waited until everyone was able to look together…they are all so beautiful….We love our photos so much.. Thank you so much again for being our photographer and for all of the extra support on the day and for going above and beyond to capture all of these perfect little moments, we couldn’t be happier, Debbie!“
Rebecca and Austin are two of the sweetest souls I have ever met they are so in love and were a total joy to photograph!
They had a beautiful vintage style wedding at The Coach House at Gretna Green and here’s what they had to say about the day….
Planning
Rebecca: Wedding planning was difficult but it also felt like it went by so fast, I think maybe a lot of long-distance couples feel this way after immigration, because the first visa gives you just six months to prepare, but some parts were such a joy, I loved going with my mumma to get my wedding dress altered and I really loved choosing a dried flower bouquet from Etsy and of course, our pre-wedding shoot with you was so much fun.
Austin: I actually don’t remember a lot of it, between the visa and moving from one country to another, it was a whirlwind, the wedding just felt like an extension of finally having a life together with Rebecca!
Outfits
Rebecca: I chose a long sleeved lace dress because I have always had a fascination with lace, my little wedding daydream was to look as beautiful as my mumma did on her wedding day and I had a wonderful seamstress from a small business in Troon who made it fit like a dream; she also sewed a button from my dearly departed grandfather’s cardigan and a flower from my mumma’s wedding headband, so it felt extra special and like my grandfather was with me the whole day.
Austin went with braces because I told him that I thought they would add a touch of the ‘ol razzle dazzle! I like vintage things, and it just added a vintage element to the day.
My dad’s tie patch said: 𝘋𝘢𝘥, 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬’𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦.
… and let me just say, it was my very favourite walk of my whole entire life.
A Favourite
Rebecca: We actually have two favourite photographs! Austin and I both love the one where we are all smiling together as it reflects that the day was such a special family day because my parents’ moved heaven and earth to reunite us and did so much to help before Austin arrived in Scotland, it also reminds us how wonderful it was that Clarkie flew so far just to be there.
Austin: Our other favourite photograph is this picture in The Coach House, Rebecca and I are holding hands and whilst I was at my most nervous and shakiest ready to marry the love of my life, the moment looks so peaceful, it’s just a perfect memory.
Memories
Austin: The most memorable moment for me was Rebecca standing in front of me with the veil on, and hoping not to stumble on my words as I got ready for our first kiss as husband and wife.
Rebecca: For me, the most memorable moment was walking down the aisle to Austin with my wonderful dad and then just seeing my mumma in the pew and my almost brother-in-law across from us and just at that moment feeling surrounded by love and holding the hands of my forever, it felt like we waited so long to be reunited, but suddenly the big day was here.
Ceremony
We decided on a religious ceremony at Gretna Green because it’s just a place filled with history, and walking down the aisle and being in that beautiful room felt like touching a piece of that history, touching the anvil felt like touching time.
We wanted a soft day, simple, but filled with love and happiness, we had a restaurant meal afterwards instead of a reception because we were going on honeymoon to Longtown the very next day. When we got home, our wonderful family planned us a surprise wedding reception with a beautiful cake and balloons and banners which just made it even more perfect.
Looking back
Rebecca: I would remind myself to worry less, it was such a beautiful day that it’s impossible to worry when it’s actually happening in the moment.
Austin: Leave your phone in the hotel room when you go to get married, you don’t actually need it, or your wallet, it’s all paid for. *laughing*
Advice
We would both say to save up a lot, no matter how small a wedding is, it’s a financial commitment and even small weddings end up with all sorts of last minute expenses, like when the trains get cancelled and you have to travel by taxi — in the words of the kind-hearted employee who measured Austin for his wedding trousers, “there’s no such thing as a cheap wedding!”
Rebecca: just stay calm, it will all come together, little things will go wrong, but enjoy your love, you’ve found the other half of your heart and everything will just go along like a river to the sea.
“Debbie is incredible! She just seemed to get us, and get what we wanted on our wedding day. She was so calm, helpful, and attentive and put everyone at ease. We got married in our garden and we really wanted natural wedding photographs and she absolutely nailed it. The photographs are the perfect memory of a fantastic day, and I can’t thank Debbie enough. Highly recommend!”
These are the kinds of weddings that I live for as a photographer! A laid back couple, stunning location, gorgeous flowers, surrounded by nature, there’s a dog in attendance (happy for cats/other animals to be there too) and a day that focuses on the love that the couple have for each other, their family and friends. BEAU-TI-FUL!
Mairi and Scott are a wonderful couple who wanted a very low key wedding in their garden surrounded by family and friends, it was unbelievably beautiful! When the couple contacted me they said they didn’t like being the centre of attention and that they were breaking from some of the usual wedding traditions.
In the morning of the wedding this couple went for a wild swim along the road from their house, organised the last few things for the ceremony, got ready together in the house, chatted to their guests just before the ceremony, it was all so relaxed.
Here’s what they said about their day….
Wedding planning
“We didn’t know until a few weeks before the wedding how many guests we could have due to Covid-19 restrictions… but the nature of the wedding we’d planned meant that it didn’t matter too much. Our house was the venue and we did the catering ourselves.”
“The day was designed to be very relaxed so we could enjoy ourselves in the run up to it and also on the day.”
Mairi – “the most joyful part for me was the flowers! All our flowers came from our neighbours’ gardens, and myself and my mum, Scott’s mum, sister and our friends spent a glorious morning in the sunshine picking and arranging the flowers. It was almost meditative, and just a riot of colour and joy!”
Outfits
Scott –“I’m very proud of being Scottish and I wore my family tartan. I got my kilt for my 21st birthday there was no decision to make really!”
Mairi – “I really wanted a comfortable dress that was simple but still felt special to wear! I looked at second-hand dresses, but I found this beautiful dress on Etsy (here) and Ksenia made it to measure for me. It was affordable and exactly what I was looking for.”
Ceremony
“We didn’t want to be stressed by our wedding day, we wanted to be able to relax and enjoy it. We chose a humanist ceremony, and when we found Vivienne our celebrant we instantly knew we wanted her to conduct our ceremony, she understood us and understood what we wanted. We wrote the ceremony ourselves, so it was very personal to us and made sure that it wasn’t too long as we don’t like being the centre of attention!”
Memories
“We were so lucky with the weather! And to have our closest friends and family celebrating with us in such a relaxed way was so special, particularly post Covid. Standing back and seeing our loved ones all having a good time, laughing, meeting new people – it was incredible.”
Favourites
“We love this photo as it captures so many memories and stories in one photo – ice creams in the sunshine on our wedding day, our house, the bench Scott’s parents gave us as an engagement present, memories of painting the house in lockdown sunshine, the weather-vane, the gravel Mairi’s dad weeded for the big day, our dog’s balls on the window sill. It means so much!“
“And this photo as it captures a quiet moment of reflection and love after the ceremony.”
Looking back
“Honestly, we didn’t find it stressful at all. I think we’d do it the same again! The only worry was one we couldn’t control – the weather!”
Advice
“Try and enjoy the planning! Don’t put pressure on yourselves. Remember the day is about you and your partner, not about other people, so don’t worry about any expectations to have specific wedding traditions that you’re not keen on or comfortable with. We didn’t have speeches or cake cutting or a first dance because that wasn’t what we wanted. So go with what you want!”
Beautiful day!
Mairi and Scott had an amazing team of wedding suppliers and they highly recommend them all:
Debbie Thornton Photography 