Crear Wedding Photography

Scottish Wedding At Crear

I met Emily last summer at a wedding fair in Sussex where we all live, when Emily wandered over to my stand at the fair, and we chatted about their Scottish wedding plans. They’d considered a few places, but really wanted to get married in Scotland where Gary is from, and particularly at Crear. Once they’d visited Crear, they were enchanted and there was no doubt how special the place was.. Gary had proposed to Emily on Skye, which was just across the water from Crear so having their wedding there meant so much to them both. Emily was singularly, the most organised bride I’ve ever worked with – the date was set, the invitations (beautifully designed by Emily too) had all been sent, travel, accommodation and all the finer details were already organised when they booked me. She was such a joy to organise things with! A year later, I flew up to Glasgow and drove the stunning long road to Tarbert, the nearest town to Crear. My coverage started the day before the wedding, when we met up at the venue just to hang out a bit together. The road to Crear was an experience – single track roads with passing points only, it was a hairy drive in places and you had to keep your wits about you (I was advised not to drive like a local!!). But with ever changing scenery and light, I had to keep stopping to take photos along the way so please excuse the many landscape photos included in this post!

Preparations for the wedding

Their families and closest friends slowly started to arrive, everyone greeted each other, and then went about making themselves useful, putting up decorations, organising dinner, getting unpacked and ready for the celebrations. Crear is as remote as it gets – there’s literally nothing there other than the venue stuck out in the middle of nowhere, so you have to bring everything with you – there’s no nipping down to the shops as there’s nothing for 20 or so miles.  But the scenery and the peace and quiet, the stillness, the space, the light. You drink it all in when you arrive. It’s simply breathtaking. Once the decorations were all up, with Emily at the helm, we took a much needed walk down to the beach, for a wander.  The tradition at Crear was to leave a stone with the bride & groom’s names on it and wedding date. Stone found, we headed back trying to avoid all the sheep. Warm fires, champagne and dinner awaited.

The Wedding Ceremony outdoors

The following morning, the rain came and went as I drove back to Crear to find everyone happily buzzing around getting things ready for the day ahead. Guests staying in the local town arrived by bus as Emily was making her preparations. Kilts on, thistle buttonholes pinned and wee drams taken. The lovely celebrant arrived next and there was a hair raising, heart stopping moment when they realised the permission to marry hadn’t been collected from the registry office – thankfully a member of staff was in town and was able to collect it and drive it back to Crear, so the wedding was able to go ahead. Phew!! The moody sky brought some on-off rain that morning and Gary decided, literally 15 minutes before the ceremony that they’d chance it and have the ceremony outside, which is what Emily really wanted. It was the right decision! Emily arrived looking absolutely stunning and radiant on her proud father’s arm, accompanied by Crear’s piper, and the ceremony began. It was a clear day and you could see all the islands beyond, including Skye – it was perfect. And so they were married, outdoors in the romantic setting of Crear, with the gentle wind on their faces surrounded by their nearest and dearest. And with a final reading, a Celtic blessing, followed by confetti, the happy wedding party headed back indoors for celebratory drinks. Then the heavens opened. Talk about timing!

Natural, as it happens wedding photography

What drew Emily & Gary to my style of photography was my documentary, in the moment style of capturing what’s happening. They were not fans of staged or posed photography and wanted a more relaxed, informal storytelling approach. My coverage from throughout the few days I was up there, was about capturing things naturally, candidly, without the photography taking over or making a statement. My relaxed observational approach ensures I can capture events without intervening or stopping the flow of the day. This was a quiet, thoughtful wedding and my style of photography suited them perfectly. Whilst here, if you’d like to see a few more similar weddings, click here to see this small Lewis Town Hall winter wedding, or here to see this gorgeous Brighton Bandstand summer wedding.

Crear Wedding Photography

After drinks, all their guests were called into dinner which started with speeches – heartfelt and moving speeches came from Emily’s Dad, Gary, and finally his best man Michael (who despite his nerves, was a total hoot). Lots of love and kind words were shared amongst this lovely group of people, it was so special – I could really feel how much the day really meant to them all. Their delicious gourmet dinner started, and midway during dinner, after the rain had finally stopped, Emily put on her wellies and wrapped up as we headed down to the beach to capture some shots of just the two of them. That was gorgeous. They were gorgeous. The rain caught up with us in the end, but nothing could dampen their spirits. Michael the best man ever, drove out to take us back so we didn’t get soaked. Back inside to warm up again and finish dinner, it wasn’t long before the dancing started. This was a mid summer wedding, but no one goes up to Crear for the weather. The energy and feel of this place is everything. The scenery is breathtaking and it’s got a special magic all of it’s own. I loved every minute of my time in Scotland and would go back in a heartbeat…. if you’re getting married at Crear drop me a line! A special thank you to all the staff at Crear for being so amazing and so welcoming. And gorgeous Emily & Gary – thank you so much for having me xxx