Kelly & Simon’s Wedding at Branxholme Park

After a surprisingly unobstructed drive up from Bishop Auckland, I arrived at the beautiful Branxholme Park ready to photograph Kelly and Simon’s wedding day. The skies were overcast when I pulled up, but it was still a lovely warm day, and the magnificent house and grounds provided a wonderful backdrop for the celebrations ahead.

A Little About Branxholme Park

Set amongst the wonderful countryside of the Scottish Borders, near Hawick, Branxholme Park is one of those wedding venues that immediately makes an impression when you arrive. Surrounded by woodland, lawns and beautiful grounds, it feels wonderfully secluded — almost as though the whole place has been handed over to you for the day.

The estate has a fascinating history stretching back centuries. The Branxholme area has long been associated with the powerful Scott family, whose influence is woven deeply into the history of the Scottish Borders. The original Branxholme Castle was an important stronghold of the Scotts of Buccleuch, one of the great Border families, in a part of Scotland once famous for its turbulent history and the legendary Border Reivers.

The Branxholme we see today is a rather more peaceful place!

The historic house sits beautifully within its extensive grounds and combines the character and grandeur you would expect from a Scottish country estate with the relaxed atmosphere of an exclusive wedding venue.

For a photographer, there is certainly no shortage of possibilities. The house itself provides beautiful interiors for photographs, while outside there are lawns, mature trees, woodland and countryside providing completely different backgrounds as you move around the estate. Then there is the beautiful wooden chapel, just a short walk from the main house, which provides a wonderfully intimate setting for the wedding ceremony.

It is a venue with real personality.

Perhaps what I particularly like about Branxholme Park is that it doesn't feel like a wedding factory. There is a sense of privacy and space about the place that allows everyone to relax and simply enjoy the day.

This was actually my second time photographing a wedding at Branxholme Park, so I already knew what a fantastic venue it could be. I also knew that the journey was well worth making. The drive takes you through some absolutely stunning countryside and, once you arrive, you're rewarded with a venue packed with photographic opportunities.

With the historic house behind me, beautiful grounds all around and that distinctive wooden chapel waiting for the ceremony, I was looking forward to getting started.

Before any of that, though, I had to find the groom.

I didn’t have to look very far!

A Very Relaxed Groom!

My first greeting of the day came from Simon, who appeared wearing a bathing robe.

Yes, a bathing robe!

There was a perfectly good explanation. Simon had been making the most of the hot tub before the wedding celebrations began. And why not? If there was ever a good indication that this was going to be a relaxed and fun wedding, meeting the groom fresh from the hot tub was probably it!

Also very much part of Simon’s day was his sister Amanda, who had the important role of Best Woman. I always love it when couples put their own stamp on wedding traditions, and Amanda was clearly the perfect person to stand alongside her brother on such an important day.

With Simon seemingly taking everything in his stride, I swiftly made my way upstairs to find Kelly and the bridal party.

There I found Kelly with her daughters Lilli and Daisie, along with Kelly’s good friends Lisa and Ping.

The atmosphere couldn't have been more different from the frantic wedding-morning scenes people sometimes imagine. Everything was remarkably calm.

Ping was putting the finishing touches to Kelly’s makeup while Lilli and Daisie finished their own. There was chatting, laughter and that lovely sense of anticipation you get during bridal preparations when everyone knows the day they have been talking about and planning for so long has finally arrived.

These are some of my favourite moments to photograph.

Wedding photography isn't simply about photographing the ceremony and then taking some beautiful portraits afterwards. The story starts long before anyone walks down the aisle. It's in the makeup brushes, the dresses hanging ready, the little conversations between friends and family and those fleeting expressions that happen when people momentarily forget there is a camera in the room.

Those photographs often become some of the most meaningful images from the entire wedding.

The Final Preparations

As Kelly’s preparations came together, it was time for the girls to disappear and put their dresses on.

That gave me an opportunity to head back downstairs and see what was happening with the guests.

By now everyone was arriving in their wedding finery and the house was beginning to fill with people. There was a particularly impressive sight courtesy of the men and boys from Kelly’s side of the family, who looked absolutely resplendent in their kilts.

There is something about a wedding with plenty of kilts that always looks fantastic in photographs.

The guests were chatting and greeting one another, and the excitement was beginning to build as the ceremony drew closer.

I photographed some of those natural moments before making my way back upstairs to see how Kelly and the bridal party were getting on.

By now, the transformation was complete.

Hair done.

Makeup finished.

Dresses on.

It was almost time to get married.

Dad Sees the Bride

Kelly’s dad, Duncan, joined us upstairs for one of those wedding-day moments that I always look forward to photographing — the dress reveal.

You can never completely predict how someone is going to react when they see their daughter dressed as a bride for the first time.

Some dads cry immediately.

Some beam from ear to ear.

Some try desperately hard not to cry and fail miserably!

Whatever the reaction, it's real, and that's exactly what I want to capture.

As Duncan saw Kelly ready for her wedding, the emotion of the occasion really began to come through.

These are the photographs that aren't about posing or perfect lighting. They're about relationships.

A look.

A smile.

A hug.

A few tears.

I simply let the moment unfold and photographed it as naturally as possible.

Bridal Portraits on the Landing

With everyone ready and a little time remaining before the ceremony, it was time to create some portraits of Kelly.

Rather than heading outside, we made use of the beautiful landing inside Branxholme Park.

It provided a wonderful setting for Kelly’s bridal portraits and allowed us to create some elegant images before the ceremony began.

I always like to create a mixture of photographs on a wedding day. The spontaneous photographs tell the story and capture all of those fleeting emotions, but I also believe there should be room for beautiful, carefully considered portraits — the sort of photographs that deserve to be printed, framed and displayed rather than simply disappearing into a phone gallery.

Kelly looked absolutely wonderful.

Once we had created her individual portraits, Lilli, Daisie, Lisa and Ping joined us on the landing for the bridal party photographs.

Again, the interior of Branxholme Park gave us a beautiful setting and meant we could create the photographs without having to take everyone outside immediately before the ceremony.

With the portraits complete, I suddenly became very aware of the time.

There was a groom waiting in a chapel.

I thought I'd better get there before the bride!

The Beautiful Wooden Chapel

One of the wonderful features of Branxholme Park is its beautiful wooden wedding chapel, situated just a short walk from the main house.

By the time I arrived, the guests had already been shown to their seats.

The relaxed atmosphere of the morning had now changed into that unmistakable anticipation immediately before a wedding ceremony.

Conversations become quieter.

People start turning around whenever they hear movement behind them.

Phones and cameras appear.

And at the front of the chapel Simon stood waiting for Kelly, with his sister and Best Woman Amanda there alongside him.

From a photography point of view, this is when I need to be completely ready.

There are moments during a wedding that simply cannot be repeated.

The bride entering the ceremony is one of them.

I took my place and waited.

Then the music started.

Here Comes the Bride

One by one, the bridesmaids made their entrance into the chapel.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.

Kelly appeared with her dad, Duncan, proudly accompanying her on his arm.

There is always something special about that moment.

No matter how many weddings I photograph, I never become immune to it.

You have the bride trying to take everything in, the father experiencing his own mixture of pride and emotion, guests turning around to see her and, of course, the groom standing at the front waiting for her.

My job is to capture all of it.

Not just Kelly walking down the aisle, but Simon's reaction.

Duncan's expression.

The reactions from family and friends.

Those tiny moments happening all around the main event.

Kelly made her way towards Simon and their ceremony began.

Tears, Laughter and One Slightly Wrong Word!

The ceremony was beautiful.

There was love, emotion and more than a few tears, but Kelly and Simon also provided one of my favourite ingredients at any wedding — laughter.

Weddings are emotional occasions, but they don't have to be solemn from beginning to end.

And Simon made sure this one wasn't!

At one point during the ceremony, he managed to get his words slightly wrong.

Cue laughter.

It was a brilliant little comedy moment and exactly the sort of thing that makes a wedding unique.

Nobody will remember a wedding because everything went absolutely perfectly to script. They remember the unexpected moments. The groom stumbling over his words. Someone laughing when they're supposed to be serious. A child doing something they shouldn't.

Those moments are part of the story.

And Simon's little verbal mishap certainly became part of theirs!

The ceremony continued with plenty of emotion before Kelly and Simon were finally married.

What had started with a groom in a bathing robe and a bride calmly having her makeup finished had reached the moment everyone had travelled to Branxholme Park to witness.

Kelly and Simon were husband and wife.

Now it was time to celebrate.

Bring on the Confetti!

Following the ceremony, everyone made their way back towards the front of the main house.

And there was confetti.

Lots and lots of confetti!

Exactly how it should be.

I absolutely love a good confetti photograph, and the more confetti the better.

The guests gathered around Kelly and Simon before showering the newlyweds as they made their way through.

Confetti photographs are always wonderfully unpredictable. You can organise where everyone stands and tell people roughly when to throw it, but once that first handful goes into the air, anything can happen.

People throw it too early.

People throw it too late.

Someone invariably launches an entire handful directly at the groom's face.

But that unpredictability is what makes the photographs so much fun.

Kelly and Simon came through a storm of confetti surrounded by cheers, laughter and celebration.

It was a fantastic way to start the next part of their day.

Drinks, Canapés and Celebrations

With the ceremony complete and the confetti successfully distributed over the happy couple, their guests could properly relax.

Canapés were served and celebratory drinks began to flow as everyone enjoyed the surroundings and caught up with friends and family.

This part of the wedding day is perfect for natural photography.

People aren't thinking about the camera anymore. They're congratulating the bride and groom, laughing with friends, enjoying a drink and talking about the ceremony.

I can simply move around, observe and photograph.

Those candid photographs provide the glue that holds the wedding story together.

There are always moments the bride and groom never actually witness themselves. While they're talking to one group of guests, something hilarious might be happening somewhere else.

Someone might be sharing an emotional hug.

A child might be pulling a face.

A grandparent might be laughing.

That's one of the great things about documentary-style wedding photography — I'm effectively giving the couple another pair of eyes on their wedding day.

The Family Photographs

A little later, it was time for the formal group photographs.

Formal photographs sometimes have an undeserved reputation for being the boring part of a wedding day.

They really don't need to be.

The secret is organisation.

I don't want guests standing around for an hour waiting for photographs, and I certainly don't want the bride and groom spending their drinks reception wondering when they're going to be allowed to get back to their celebration.

So we whizzed through them!

Parents, children, close family and the bridal party — these photographs may be formal, but they are incredibly important.

Families change. People grow older. Children grow up. And sadly, people aren't with us forever.

A simple family photograph taken at a wedding can become one of the most treasured pictures somebody owns.

So although I work quickly, I never underestimate their importance.

Once the final group was photographed, everyone could head inside.

There was food waiting.

Wedding Breakfast Time

The guests were seated ready for the wedding breakfast and, for the first time since arriving at Branxholme Park, I could put the cameras down for a little while.

I took my place in the lounge for a much-needed rest and something to eat.

Wedding photography is very physical. You're constantly moving, carrying equipment, crouching, standing, walking backwards, running upstairs, heading outside and then suddenly realising several hours have passed since you last sat down.

So when there's an opportunity for food and ten minutes off my feet, I take it!

But the cameras are never very far away.

Once the starter was finished, it was time to pick them up again.

Cutting the Cake – Bring Out the Sword!

First came the cutting of the wedding cake.

Although the word cutting perhaps doesn't quite do this one justice.

There would be no ordinary little wedding cake knife for Kelly and Simon.

Instead, they brought out a huge sword!

Now that's how you cut a wedding cake.

It certainly made the traditional cake-cutting photograph considerably more dramatic than usual.

With Kelly and Simon wielding the sword together, it was another brilliant opportunity for photographs and another example of the fun and personality running throughout their wedding day.

Cake successfully conquered, it was time for the champagne!

The Champagne Fountain – Kelly Takes the Win!

Next up was the champagne fountain.

And this wasn't simply a case of Kelly and Simon pouring champagne together for a photograph.

There was a little competition involved!

Kelly and Simon took their places and the champagne began to flow, creating another fantastic sequence of photographs.

And when it came down to who did the better job, there could only be one winner.

Kelly!

Sorry, Simon!

It was another fun moment in a day already packed with laughter and personality.

With the champagne poured and Kelly's victory secured, it was time for the speeches.

Three Very Different Speeches

There were three speeches, and each one was completely different.

First came Kelly's dad, Duncan.

Now, I've photographed a lot of wedding speeches over the years, ranging from the incredibly brief to the ones where I start wondering whether I should have brought a sleeping bag.

Duncan definitely fell into the first category!

In fact, his was genuinely one of the shortest wedding speeches I have ever witnessed.

Short, sweet and to the point!

Then it was Simon's turn.

His speech was wonderfully heartfelt. There was genuine emotion in his words, and those are always fantastic moments to photograph because I'm not simply concentrating on the person speaking. I'm watching Kelly, the families and everyone around the room for their reactions.

And then came Amanda.

As Simon's sister and Best Woman, she had the perfect material for a wedding speech — a lifetime of knowing the groom!

Amanda's speech was absolutely hilarious but, underneath all the humour, it was also incredibly loving.

She managed that perfect combination of making everyone laugh while leaving absolutely no doubt about how much her brother means to her.

Three speeches, three completely different styles.

Duncan's wonderfully brief contribution, Simon speaking straight from the heart and Amanda finishing things off with a brilliant mixture of laughter and love.

And with the speeches finished, it was time for me to put the cameras down again.

Now, This Was a Wedding Meal!

I headed back to the lounge to enjoy my main course — chicken stuffed with bacon and cheese in a tomato sauce, accompanied by seasonal vegetables.

And I have to give the chef at Branxholme Park some serious praise.

The food was absolutely wonderful.

Wedding photographers eat an awful lot of wedding meals over the years, so when one particularly stands out, I think it's only right to say so.

This one definitely did.

A very happy photographer, a full stomach and, for a few precious minutes, no cameras hanging from my shoulders!

It couldn't last.

There was still plenty of Kelly and Simon's wedding day left to photograph.

Back to the Celebrations – and the Goats!

With everyone suitably fed, I picked up the cameras again and went in search of those natural, candid moments that are such an important part of telling the complete story of a wedding.

By this stage of the day, everyone was completely relaxed.

The ceremony was over, the formal photographs had been taken, the speeches were finished and people could simply enjoy themselves.

That's when some of the best candid photographs happen.

I wandered around photographing friends and family chatting, laughing and enjoying the celebrations.

And then, of course, there were the resident goats!

It would have been rude not to pay them a visit.

A wedding venue with resident goats is always going to get extra points from me, and they provided another fun little part of the day as people wandered over to see them.

Time for Kelly & Simon’s Portraits

Later, it was time to take Kelly and Simon away from their guests for a little while and concentrate on their official bride and groom portraits.

I'd already chosen several locations inside Branxholme Park and around its beautiful grounds, giving us the opportunity to create a varied collection of photographs.

This is one of my favourite parts of a wedding day.

The ceremony is finished, the pressure has disappeared and the couple finally have a chance to spend a little time together.

Of course, I'm there with a couple of cameras, so it's not quite alone time!

I always try to keep these sessions relaxed. I want beautiful, polished portraits, but I don't want couples to feel as though they're spending an hour on a fashion shoot.

The photographs should still look and feel like them.

Kelly and Simon were fantastic, and everything was going very well.

Until we encountered the hill.

The Great Branxholme Park Hill Incident!

Now, I'm not entirely sure whether I should describe what happened next as funny.

Actually, who am I kidding?

It was hilarious.

We were making our way up an extremely steep grass bank as part of our little photographic tour of the grounds.

Kelly started to lose her footing and began sliding backwards down the bank.

Instinctively, she put her hands out and pushed into me to steady herself.

There was just one small problem.

I wasn't particularly steady either!

Kelly pushed into me.

I started sliding backwards.

For a brief moment, I suspect neither of us had the slightest idea what was happening.

Then, the next thing I knew, Kelly was on the floor absolutely howling with laughter, while Simon attempted to get his new wife back onto her feet.

Priceless.

It was like a piece of classic British slapstick comedy playing out in front of me — except I was unfortunately one of the participants!

Thankfully, bride, groom and photographer all survived the Great Branxholme Park Hill Incident.

Dignity may have been slightly wounded.

But no people or cameras were harmed!

And, to be fair, those completely unexpected moments are often what make a wedding day memorable.

You can plan the ceremony.

You can organise the photographs.

You can prepare the speeches.

But you can't plan the bride accidentally sending her wedding photographer sliding down a steep grassy bank!

Kelly laughing hysterically on the ground while Simon tried to help her back onto her feet will certainly remain one of my memories from this wedding.

Once we'd recovered our composure, we carried on with the portraits — albeit with a little more respect for the gradients around Branxholme Park!

Time for the First Dance

With our bride and groom portraits safely completed, it was time to head back inside for the evening celebrations.

Before long, Kelly and Simon took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

The first dance is another of those moments when I like to step back a little and allow things to happen naturally.

There's no need for me to interfere. I simply look for the expressions, the glances between the couple and the reactions of the people watching around them.

Kelly and Simon had their moment together before the first dance was quickly followed by another very special one — a father and daughter dance.

After that, the dance floor didn't need any encouragement whatsoever.

It filled up and stayed full!

The evening celebrations were well and truly underway, with family and friends dancing, laughing and enjoying themselves.

For me, though, it was nearly time to call it a day.

Time for the Journey Home

After a long but thoroughly enjoyable day, it was time to pack away the cameras, say my goodbyes and begin the drive back to England.

I was tired, but very happy.

Kelly and Simon had given me a wedding day packed with everything I could possibly want to photograph — emotion, laughter, family, beautiful surroundings and more than a few moments that nobody could possibly have planned.

From Simon greeting me in his bathing robe through to Kelly nearly sending both of us down a grass bank, it had certainly been memorable!

Before finishing, however, I have to give a very special mention to the people who helped make the whole day run so smoothly.

A Huge Thank You to Becky and the Branxholme Park Team

A massive shout-out has to go to Becky and the entire team at Branxholme Park.

They were outstanding.

They were on the ball with absolutely everything throughout the day and ran the venue like clockwork.

From a photographer's point of view, that makes an enormous difference.

When a venue team knows exactly what's happening and keeps everything moving smoothly, it allows me to concentrate on what I'm there to do — photograph the wedding.

Becky and the team certainly made my job a lot easier, and I can't thank them enough.

Branxholme Park has become one of my favourite wedding venues to photograph.

Yes, it's a decent drive for me, but I genuinely don't mind.

In fact, the journey itself is part of the pleasure. The drive takes me through some absolutely wonderful countryside and, when the destination is a venue like Branxholme Park, it's worth every minute.

The setting is beautiful, the chapel has so much character, the house and grounds provide endless photographic possibilities, the food is superb and, perhaps most importantly, the staff are fantastic.

I've now had the pleasure of photographing two weddings at Branxholme Park, and I sincerely hope there will be many more.

I'd welcome the opportunity to return in a heartbeat.

Congratulations Kelly & Simon!

And finally, back to the two people who made the whole day possible.

Kelly and Simon.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your wedding and trusting me to capture the story of such an important day.

From the calm morning preparations and emotional dress reveal to the beautiful chapel ceremony, mountains of confetti, sword-wielding cake cutting, competitive champagne pouring, three very different speeches, wonderful food, resident goats, portraits around the grounds and our slightly unfortunate encounter with a very steep grassy bank, it was a wedding I won't forget in a hurry.

Then came the first dance, the father and daughter dance and a packed dance floor as the celebrations continued into the evening.

Eventually, it was time for me to leave.

Tired, happy and with cameras full of memories, I said my goodbyes and started the journey back to England.

And that's always the sign of a very good wedding.

Congratulations, Kelly and Simon. It was an absolute pleasure to photograph your wonderful day at Branxholme Park.