A west of Scotland
Stately Home Hideaway
I can count on one hand venues across Scotland that truly deliver from a wedding photography point of view. Ardgowan Estate doesn’t disappoint and is included in that list and should definitely make your shortlist of venues when you come to planning your own wedding.
Below is the kind of thing that I will create for a wedding at Ardgowan Estate. I’ll let the images speak for themselves, but if you’re interested, scroll to the bottom where I’ve selected a few images and explained what I’m looking for and/or how I created the shot.
Some background behind the images
The library
I always try to avoid using flash if I can help it. I moved a big old arm chair to face the huge window here to make the most of the huge amount of natural light. I also switched a lamp on in the background to retain some ambient light. The result is some lovely skin tones.
The stairs
Most photographers have done the big wide shot of the main staircase and why not, it’s spectacular. I wanted to focus on the colours - the stairs, the walls, the bannisters and the light bouncing off the dress, flowers and brides face.
Tree Swing
Who doesn’t love a tree swing?! Located in the beautiful private gardens of the house, this swing was erected by the BBC for the filming of their Agatha Christie drama Ordeal By Innocence. Nice of them to leave it up.
Main Staircase
Probably the shot I’m most proud of. The light in this image travels from three floors up from the sky light dome, illuminating only half of this sofa. It’s all I needed and I was later told by the owner that no other photographer had used that spot.
The walkway
The history of Ardgowan House is so interesting. This was an old covered private walkway for the family to get to their chapel, now in ruins. The windows used to be internal windows! I can’t help but get lost in my thoughts imagining the people who used to walk here.
The bench
A small bench within a cutaway hedge, the perfect place to get lost and have a break from the main wedding, yet only 30 seconds from the main house. The light in this space is so nice too.
So there you go, some insight into the amazing spaces around Ardgowan Estate and I’ve only touched the surface. There are so many places to explore in and around the main house. Fancy joining me for an adventure and immersing yourself in some Scottish history for your wedding day?
It’s worth pointing out that the images you see above where all created by myself with a fantastic small team of people. I wanted to showcase the lovely spaces in and around Ardgowan House that were the complete opposite to the classic look of a stately home. Here’s the team who were part of it.
Venue - Ardgowan Estate
Wedding Blog - Braw Brides
Flowers - Briar Rose Flowers
Wedding Planner - Fin Flükra
Wedding Dress - Flossy & Dossy
Hair/Makeup - Kim Boyd
Grooms Outfit - models own
Jewellery - Fire White Jewellery
Models - Real life couple Jen and Jack, who aren’t even models but did a fantastic job here.
THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED!
