A practical guide to finding the right photographer for your Scottish wedding — without spending a fortune
Choosing your wedding photographer can feel surprisingly difficult.
There are hundreds of photographers across Scotland, all offering different styles, packages and prices. Some specialise in traditional posed photography, others concentrate on documentary wedding photography, while some offer a mixture of everything.
So how do you know who is right for you?
I'm Mark, the photographer behind Luxe Wedding Photography, based in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. I've been photographing weddings and people for around 10 years, and one thing I've learned is that the best wedding photography isn't necessarily about having the most photographs — it's about having the right photographs.
Here's what I'd recommend thinking about before booking your photographer.
1. Decide What Style of Wedding Photography You Actually Like
This should be your starting point.
Search Instagram or Google for wedding photographers and you'll quickly notice that everyone's style is different.
If you love perfectly posed photographs with lots of direction, a traditional photographer may be perfect for you.
If you'd rather spend your wedding day enjoying yourselves with your friends and family, you might prefer a documentary or candid wedding photographer.
That's where my approach comes in.
I concentrate on the moments that happen naturally:
- The nervous excitement before the ceremony
- Your partner seeing you for the first time
- Your parents' reactions
- Friends laughing during the drinks reception
- The moments nobody planned
- The hugs, tears and celebrations
- The atmosphere of your wedding
- Those quieter moments between the two of you
I'll still create beautiful portraits of you, but I don't want your wedding day to feel like one long photoshoot.
You should be able to enjoy your wedding. I'll photograph it as it happens.
2. Look Beyond the Portfolio
Of course, you should love a photographer's work.
But there's something else that's just as important:
Do you actually like the photographer?
You'll spend a considerable amount of your wedding day with them.
You'll probably see them when you're nervous, excited, emotional, laughing and possibly slightly stressed!
That's why I think having a relaxed relationship with your photographer matters.
I want couples to feel comfortable around me rather than feeling like they're being directed around all day.
My job is to be there when you need me, disappear into the background when you don't, and notice what's happening around you.
3. Think About How Much Coverage You Really Need
You don't necessarily need photography from breakfast until midnight.
Think about which parts of your wedding you really want documented.
For some couples, five hours is enough.
For others, they want everything from getting ready through to the first dance — and perhaps even beyond.
At Luxe Wedding Photography, I currently offer three options:
THE ESSENTIALS — £600
5 hours of coverage
Ideal for intimate weddings and shorter celebrations.
Includes:
5 hours coverage
One professional wedding photographer
Professionally edited high-resolution photographs
Private online gallery
Full printing rights
Sneak peeks within 72 hours
THE FULL STORY — £1,000
10 hours of coverage
My most popular option and a great choice if you want your wedding story documented from preparations through to the first dance.
Includes:
10 hours coverage
One professional wedding photographer
Edited high-resolution photographs
Private online gallery
Full personal printing rights
Sneak peeks within 72 hours
THE AFTER PARTY — £1,200
12 hours of coverage
For couples who want comprehensive coverage, including those extra evening celebrations.
Includes:
12 hours coverage
One professional wedding photographer
Edited high-resolution photographs
Private online gallery
Full personal printing rights
Sneak peeks within 72 hours
4. Don't Automatically Choose the Cheapest Photographer
Budget matters.
I completely understand that.
A wedding involves a huge number of expenses, and photography has to fit into your overall budget.
But I'd encourage you to look at value rather than simply price.
Your wedding photographs are one of the few things you'll still have decades after your wedding day.
- The flowers will eventually disappear.
- The food will be eaten.
- The decorations will be packed away.
- But your photographs will remain.
That's why choosing someone whose work you genuinely love is so important.
5. Ask What Happens After Your Wedding
Something couples sometimes forget to ask is what happens once the wedding is over.
How will you receive your photographs?
Will they be edited?
Will you receive high-resolution files?
Do you have printing rights?
Is there an online gallery?
How long will it take?
At Luxe, your photographs are professionally edited and delivered through a private online gallery, giving you an easy way to view, download and share your images.
And I like to give couples a little something to look forward to while they wait — sneak peeks within 72 hours. Full gallery delivered within four weeks.
6. Don't Forget About the Evening
This is one of my favourite parts of a wedding.
Once the formalities are finished, people relax.
The music gets louder.
The drinks start flowing.
Everyone gets on the dance floor.
And that's when some brilliant photographs happen.
For my couples who choose longer coverage, I also like to bring a more creative approach to evening portraits using off-camera flash.
It gives those photographs a completely different feel from the natural documentary images taken throughout the day.
Think dramatic, stylish and editorial rather than simply another photograph on the dance floor.
7. Your Wedding Doesn't Need to Look Like Everyone Else's
This is something I genuinely believe.
Your wedding doesn't need to follow a template.
Maybe you're having a huge celebration at a Scottish castle.
Maybe you're planning a small wedding with your closest family.
Maybe you're eloping to Glencoe.
Maybe you're getting married on the Isle of Skye.
Or perhaps you're having a relaxed celebration somewhere in Aberdeenshire.
Whatever you're planning, your photographs should reflect your wedding, not somebody else's Pinterest board.
Why I Photograph Weddings the Way I Do
I'm originally from Swansea in South Wales and moved to Fraserburgh five years ago.
I've been a photographer for around 10 years, and over that time I've realised that the photographs I value most aren't always the perfectly posed ones.
They're the photographs where you can feel something.
The expression on someone's face.
The laugh between two friends.
The look you give each other when nobody else is watching.
Your dad trying not to cry.
Your friends completely losing themselves on the dance floor.
Those are the photographs that tell the story.
That's why I photograph weddings in a natural, documentary and candid style with an editorial feel.
I'll give you direction when it's needed, particularly during your portraits, but I'll never turn your wedding into a full-day photoshoot.
Getting Married in Aberdeenshire or Anywhere in Scotland?
I'm based in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, and photograph weddings throughout Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, the Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow and across the UK.
If you're looking for natural wedding photography in Scotland, want relaxed and candid photographs, and don't want to spend your entire wedding day posing for the camera, I'd love to hear what you're planning.
You don't need to have everything figured out before contacting me.
Tell me about your wedding, your venue, your plans and what matters most to you.
I'll take it from there.
Your wedding. Your people. Your story.
I'll be there to capture it.
