For all enquiries: https://www.debbiethorntonphotography.co.uk
“Debbie was absolutely fantastic from start to finish – we cannot recommend her enough! Right from the very start she was warm, friendly and really listened to what we wanted from our photos. On the day she was incredible and captured so many photos and clips… Our family commented on how lovely she was and how at ease she made everyone feel. We wanted photos that were relaxed, captured the happiness of our day and celebrated the Scottish landscape and she achieved all of that and more. So many friends have said they feel the photos really capture our personalities and how much laughter there is in our lives. Thank you again Debbie – we are so glad we chose you!”
Vikki and Jamie’s elopement at Shieldaig Lodge was an absolute joy from beginning to end. A small, intimate February wedding with their closest family, plenty of laughter, a very cool bride’s trouser suit, traditional Scottish outfits, Lucy Dacus music playing during the ceremony, a wee adventure into the Wester Ross landscape and a sauna to finish the day.
Vikki and Jamie are one of those couples who are just completely themselves together. They have a great laugh, are very relaxed and clearly just really enjoy being around each other. Photographing them was so easy because there was never any need to manufacture anything. They were having a brilliant time anyway.
They had travelled up from Buxton in Derbyshire for a long weekend in Scotland. They already loved Scotland, and Jamie’s grandparents were Scottish, so getting married here was particularly special for him and his family. Jamie’s dad was also rather pleased that his son was getting married in Scotland and wearing a kilt!
But there was an even bigger reason why this particular weekend meant so much.
Vikki was five years cancer free on the day of the wedding.
They had originally planned to come up to Scotland to celebrate that milestone and then decided, actually, why not get married while we’re here?
And so they did.
No massive guest list. Just Vikki, Jamie, their closest family and the Highlands.
I love that.
A February wedding at Shieldaig Lodge
Shieldaig Lodge is a pretty special place for an elopement. Tucked away in Wester Ross, it has that lovely feeling of being properly away from everything, while still being within easy reach of places like Gairloch and the wider west coast of Scotland.
The lodge itself has a fascinating history. Originally built in the nineteenth century as a hunting lodge, it has a real sense of history and character, and it sits beautifully within the surrounding landscape. It feels like it belongs here, which is probably why it works so well for a Scottish wedding.
And then you step outside and you have Wester Ross.
The loch, the mountains, the woodland and all that lovely Highland landscape.
It gives you so much to work with as a photographer.
Vikki and Jamie chose February for their wedding, and I actually love winter weddings here. You never quite know what the weather is going to do, but that is part of the fun. The landscape has a completely different feel at this time of year and, luckily for us, we got some beautiful conditions to head outside and explore.
I love an alternative bride
Now, I have to talk about Vikki’s outfit.
A trouser suit bride!
I love a suit and Vikki looked absolutely brilliant in hers. It suited her perfectly and was just so cool.
Jamie was looking rather smart himself in his traditional Scottish kilt outfit, which made the whole thing even more special given his Scottish family connections.
They both looked amazing.
And I loved that neither outfit felt like they were trying too hard. They looked like themselves, just slightly fancier versions!
A lovely intimate ceremony
The ceremony was small and intimate, with their family gathered together in the lodge.
Val was their registrar and was absolutely wonderful. She brought such a lovely warmth to the ceremony and it all felt very relaxed and personal.
Vikki and Jamie had chosen two Lucy Dacus songs for the ceremony, Lost Time and Best Guess. I thought that they were perfect tune choices and definitely fitted the relaxed feel of the day.
There was also a lovely touch, with everyone sharing a drink from the quaich during the ceremony.
It was such a lovely little moment.
And because it was such a small ceremony, you could really see everyone taking it all in. Exactly how they wanted it.
Then it was time to put the boots on
Once the ceremony was finished, it was time for Vikki and Jamie to put their boots on and head outside.
This is the bit I love about photographing weddings and elopements around Shieldaig, Gairloch and Wester Ross. You don’t have to travel miles or organise some elaborate photo location. You can walk out of the door and find something incredible.
So that’s what we did.
We headed off for a wee adventure into the landscape and took some time for photographs of the two of them together.
And there was a lot of laughing.
They were so relaxed with each other and there was never any need for lots of posing or complicated instructions. We could just walk, chat, explore and stop whenever we found somewhere that looked good.
This is exactly how I like photographing wee weddings and elopements.
The photographs are important, obviously, but I don’t want couples spending their wedding day feeling like they’re on a twelve hour photoshoot.
Vikki and Jamie had a half day of photography and we fitted loads into it without it ever feeling like work.
A little bit of time with the family
After our wee wander around the landscape, Vikki and Jamie headed back into Shieldaig Lodge to spend some time with their family.
Everyone relaxed in the lovely bar area, had a drink and generally enjoyed being married.
It was small enough that they actually got to spend time with the people who had come all the way to Scotland to celebrate with them.
Of course, we couldn’t finish without one final photograph, so we headed back outside for a photo by the loch.
Then Vikki and Jamie went off to the sauna.
Yes, the sauna.
Honestly, I think that’s a brilliant way to finish your wedding day.
Five years cancer free
The fact that Vikki was celebrating five years cancer free made the whole day even more special.
What had started as a trip to Scotland to mark that milestone had turned into their wedding day, surrounded by their closest family, in a place they already loved.
There wasn’t a big fuss made about it. It was just there, quietly underneath everything else that happened that day.
And I think that’s what made it so lovely.
It was a celebration of their life together, their family, Scotland and something incredibly important that Vikki had reached.
There was plenty to celebrate.
And they certainly did.
What Vikki and Jamie said afterwards
Afterwards, Vikki and Jamie sent me the loveliest message about their photographs.
They said:
“So many friends have said they feel the photos really capture our personalities and how much laughter there is in our lives.”
That is pretty much exactly what I hope for.
I don’t want couples looking at their photographs and thinking, “Oh, that’s a nice pose.”
I want them to look at them and remember the actual day.
The laughing. The people. The ridiculous little moments. The way they felt.
Shieldaig Lodge wedding and elopement photography
I feel very lucky to be local to Shieldaig Lodge and to photograph weddings and elopements around this part of Wester Ross.
Shieldaig and Gairloch are such brilliant places for couples who want something a bit different from a traditional big wedding. You can have a tiny ceremony, bring the people who matter most, get outside into the landscape and have a proper adventure without having to spend the entire day travelling between locations.
And Wester Ross gives you so much.
The lochs, mountains, beaches, woodland, the wee roads and huge open landscapes mean there are endless places to explore around a wedding at Shieldaig Lodge or a Gairloch elopement.
You don’t need to have everything planned down to the last minute.
In fact, I think it’s better if you don’t.
Vikki and Jamie’s day was a perfect example.
Planning a Shieldaig Lodge elopement?
If you’re thinking about a Shieldaig Lodge wedding, a Gairloch wedding or an elopement somewhere in Wester Ross, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
Being local to Shieldaig means I know the area well and can help you make the most of the landscape without taking over your wedding day.
Whether you’re bringing no people or twenty, planning something in the middle of winter or hoping for a summer Highland adventure, you don’t need a huge amount to have an amazing wedding here.
Vikki and Jamie kept things simple, personal and completely them.
And I absolutely loved being part of it.
For all enquiries: debbiethorntonphotography.co.uk
