Nikki McLeod Photography

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part nine

2012-01-13T07:30:00.000Z

As the sun set over the Lodge, I pulled the newlyweds outside for a quick evening couples session.

And to finish the night, the whole party set off lanterns on the loch... wonderful way to finish the day (even if one of my flash guns did decide to have a dip in the loch itself!)

And yes I did get my feet wet, even with wellies on... and as it was February, it WAS freezing!

Many many MANY thanks to Miriam and Chloe for being my first civil partnership victims! It was an awesome experience, and definitely one I wish to repeat.

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part eight

2012-01-12T11:30:00.000Z

The speeches were heartfelt and very personal.

Jotham the Best Man was VERY funny!

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part seven

2012-01-11T11:00:00.000Z

The Lodge on Loch Goil is truly a stunning small venue, intimate and beautiful, inside and out.

With rustic flowers grown in the garden, and the cheese "cake" topped with 2 brides, it was a fun and romantic dinner party.

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part six

2012-01-10T07:30:00.000Z

The piper piped the party back into the Lodge.

where canapes, mulled wine and cuddles were freely available.

Though it was chilly, the light outside was wonderful, so everyone very kindly braved the cold for the group formals.

and the bridal party formals were anything but formal at times!

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part five

2012-01-09T10:00:00.001Z

The girls left the treehouse as civil partners.

and into a flurry of natural confetti, which they dried and boxed themselves....

A number of these confetti shots made it into the finished album in a fantastic double page spread sequence.

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part four

2012-01-08T10:00:00.000Z

The guests were piped from the Lodge to the Treehouse, followed by the girls together.

And the ceremony was full of fun, foreign languages and fist pumps!

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part three

2012-01-07T10:00:00.000Z

It was February after all, therefore it was too cold to hang about too much outside, but we did wander around the grounds and inside the house for beautiful portraits of the girls.

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part two

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000Z

The day of the wedding and I joined the girls and their parents and friends in the conservatory for pre-wedding relaxing and cuddles.

Up in the bridal suite, Jotham the Best Man was handing out awesome cuddles....

while Lydia was being dresser to the girls....

Lydia is a very special lady. Not only did she help them pick their dresses as she was working in Aliya Rose at the time, but she also did the alterations on the dresses. This gave her the opportunity to make an ultra-special and very personal present with the cuttings from the dresses.....

All too soon, the girls were dressed and we had decided we would do the couples session prior to the ceremony while we still had the light.

Chloe & Miriam's civil partnership, Lodge on Loch Goil - part one

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes I know it's now 2012 but I have to blog ALL my 2011 weddings still.... WHOOPS!!

And 2011 started off with a serious bang, with a first in 11 years for me.... my first civil partnership. I have been looking forward to photographing a civil partnership, particularly in Scotland; to me people in love are people in love, regardless of gender. And boy, what an amazing one to start off with!

I met Chloe and Miriam through Aliya Rose, a wonderful bridal shop in Cupar, run by Kirsty & Liz, who I have known for many years now and who have been very supportive of NMP.

Aliya Rose were holding a charity event for Breast Cancer Care, and I offered to come photograph the event, you can see the results of that day here. Miriam and Chloe came to choose their wedding dresses that day and it was SO lovely to see the joy in their faces when they found THE dresses!

I was really fortunate to have attracted their attention for their wedding photography, and I was over the moon to be chosen to photograph their big day. What a venue they picked..... the stunning Lodge on Loch Goil in the Highlands on a crisp February day, an intimate ceremony with very close family and friends.

This part of the country was new to me, and I fair enjoyed the travel to Lochgoilhead.

The civil partnership was very personal, with vows written by the girls to each other.

The Lodge is seriously stunning, the bridal suite with it's mid-room rolltop bath luxury. So nice to have TWO dresses to photograph!

And how about this for an appropriate and beautiful scene of the ceremony venue......... yes that is a treehouse they are about to get married in!!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T11:30:00.000Z

The end of 2011 is upon us and I have photographed a great bunch of weddings this year, which I shall show you over the next couple of months.

Have an AWESOME 2012 everyone!

Sneak peek - Jool's & Kirsti's wedding, Edinburgh Castle & the Witchery

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000Z

My last wedding of the year was one to remember - a beautiful small intimate wedding with a hurricane forcing major changes of plans for the day! But all was good and these two got hitched! Watch out for their full on blogging in 2012!

Pardeep & Michael's wedding, Moorpark House - part five

2011-12-29T10:55:00.000Z

Cake cutting on the impressive staircase preceded the very funny speeches, I think Michael had a few embarrassed faces on!

The Knox Room has the most impressive ornate ceiling.

And in the Marble Room, I had a laugh with the family and friends.

As I left Moorpark in the rain, I was honoured to have spent the day with Par and Michael and their friends and family. Thanks guys.

Vendor’s information

Wedding & reception venue; MoorparkHotel, Kilbirnie

Cake; Marks andSpencers

Flowers; Elaine@ Blooms

Bride’s dress; Ian Stuart bought atPerfect Bridal, Aberdeen

Boys outfits; Kilt Hire Company

Make-up; Louise Smyth

Hair; Ricardo at Rainbow Rooms, Ayr

Stationery: handmade

Pardeep & Michael's wedding, Moorpark House - part three

2011-12-28T10:42:00.000Z

Post wedding mingling, kisses, cuddles and congratulations were in order.

Then it was time to steal the newlyweds away for some photos in the crisp autumnal air.

The Marble Room in Moorpark has impressive windows for beautiful natural light images.

Loved Par's henna.

Pardeep & Michael's wedding, Moorpark House - part two

2011-12-27T10:33:00.000Z

Meanwhile, outside the groom was greeting guests and having fun with his boys.

The ceremony in the conservatory was really sweet, with a real personal touch when some young family members added their musical note to the proceedings.

Pardeep & Michael's wedding, Moorpark House - part one

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000Z

One wintery day I made the journey to the West Coast and to Moorpark Country House, a hidden gem in Ayrshire countryside.

Par & Michael's day may have looked overcast and dreary weather-wise but the love and hilarity inside the house made up for it!

I joined the bride and her girls in the bridal suite, and immediately loved Par's style and taste - she had the same Irregular Choice shoes that I had for my 10th anniversary vow renewal! Only difference being the colour as she went for bridal ivory (while I went for purple of course!) and the shoes went perfectly with her amazing Ian Stuart dress. I was told that the dress fittings were done by the man himself, with many adjustments made to the style of the dress in order for it to be as personalised to the bride as possible.

The previous nights henna party was in full evidence.

These girls knew how to have a good laugh!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000Z

Whatever you are doing over this holiday period, have a good one!

from Nikki McLeod Photography and Blast Off Portraits

Karen & Chris' wedding, Glasgow City Halls - part five

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000Z

Back at the City Halls, the Recital Room had been turned around into a beautiful wedding breakfast.

where Karen spotted for the first time, the amazing cake topper!

We nipped out for some grub ourselves as the setting sun cast beautiful contrast on local buildings.

Post-meal speeches were funny and heart-felt.

Whereas the choreographed first dance was photography heaven!

Many thanks Karen and Chris for letting me join your special day. Chilled and personal, and full of fun!

And their honeymoon was as unique as the couple themselves; no sunning on the beach, or city life style - no a fantastic trip to Bolivia ensued, a once in a lifetime experience!

The resulting album for Karen and Chris was a joy to hand over, and I hope a much treasured heirloom now.

Vendor information

Wedding & reception venue; City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow

Flowers; HelensburghFlowers

Bride’s dress; AlfredAngelo from Sarah Louise Bridal

Bridesmaids dresses; Alfred Angelo

Boys outfits; own family tartan

Make-up; Jacqui Bruin at Looking Good Make Up

Hair; Lidia Attino at Volume Hair

Stationery: Lanark Print Company

Band: Seattle

Photographer; Nikki McLeod Photography

Karen & Chris' wedding, Glasgow City Halls - part four

2011-12-23T15:39:00.000Z

I was really lucky to be given a healthy amount of time for the couples session with this lovely pair, so we had a wee walk around Merchant City.

I loved their original plans to go to Glasgow Green and put a lock on a fence a la 'Pont Des Art' in Paris style. But it was decided they would rather do something else instead on the day............... Where? Check out the end of this post..........

Yeah they decided to go to the pub! It was awesome!

Karen & Chris' wedding, Glasgow City Halls - part three

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000Z

The hand-fasting ceremony was really sweet and special and it was so apparent how much this pair care about each other.

Karen & Chris' wedding, Glasgow City Halls - part two

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000Z

The Recital Rooms at the City Halls is an expansive space of class, and is beautifully transformed in mood by the lighting provided.

I found Chris through in the bar area, with this lovely lady!

But I stole him away for a wee groom portrait session outside, taking advantage of the amazing architecture and the sun........

The bride had arrived, and was hidden away while the guests assembled in the Recital Room.

Karen & Chris' wedding, Glasgow City Halls - part one

2011-12-20T13:09:00.003Z

Going back a bit with blogging now, as I am so far behind! The joys of being busy!

Karen and Chris were a lovely couple and it appeared I had more in common with them than first thought. They are both vets and in my past life, before going full time with the photography, I was a qualified vet nurse! No animals involved on this day though, just gorgeousness!

I started with Karen and her girls at the city centre Ramada Jarvis where it was all go with hair and make up, and some stunning attire dresses, including this beautiful blue-trimmed Alfred Angelo number for the bride along with some Benjamin Roberts shoes.

I loved the bright colours of Karen's bouquet, complimenting the blue of the girls dresses.

Make up was done by the expert Jacqui Bruin at Looking Good. Jacqui showed how professional she was, when having to deal with something a little extra..... Poor Karen had had a scalding cup of tea split over her just a couple of days prior to the wedding day, thanks no less to the groom! This really unfortunate accident left the bride with scarring and redness over her décolletage, yet Jacqui did such an awesome job on recovery make up, it was barely noticeable.

A happy daddy came to get his daughter....

Some quick portraits of the ladies and all too soon, it was time to leave for the ceremony.

"Blast Off Beauty" voting is on!

2011-12-06T20:07:00.001Z

This year's Next Top Model competition has been the hottest yet! With less than 24 hours to go, the two finalists are battling it out on Facebook, with already over 1000 votes between them!

There is the pretty Holly, winner of the Tween category..........

and the gorgeous Joanna, winner of the Teen category..................

You can vote for either girl at my Facebook page - the votes will close tomorrow Wednesday 1pm!

Good luck Holly and Joanna!

ETA - Well done Joanna as the overall winner, but equally well done Holly for being a Blast Off Beauty too! Two top category winners!

"Blast Off Beauty" model EXTENDED DATE

2011-11-27T17:44:00.000Z

Blast Off Beauty model shoots are now available throughout November!

Last day for sessions - November 27th.
Last day for viewing appointments - November 30th!

Details on h http://www.nmpblog.com/2011/09/blast-off-beauty-model-competition-2011.html

Featured on an Australian blog!

2011-10-25T11:52:00.001+01:00

Super exciting news this morning!

I heard from one of my lovely brides that her designer dress maker had featured some of my photos of her on their blog! Check it out here!

Roz La Kelin is an amazing award winning designer based in Brisbane, Australia. Lovely Mhorag who got married last month at Dirleton Castle now lives in Australia and bought her Roz dress in Sydney.

It was a joy to photograph this amazing wedding on an unusually sunny day in Scotland! Can't wait to blog this one in full!

Claire & Mike's wedding - part five

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

Nothing I love more than a bride in a long veil!

"We had an amazing day, we LOVED the horse and carriage and would recommend you to everyone, our day wouldn't have been as special if it wasn't you taking our pictures"

Congrats Mike & Claire, not only on a beautiful wedding but on the birth very recently of your baby son Aiden!

Claire & Mike's wedding, Gleneagles - part four

2011-10-23T10:00:00.000+01:00

Gleneagles is truly a stunning venue and with a horse and carriage & perfect weather to boot, what more could a photographer ask for?

Claire & Mike's wedding, Gleneagles - part three

2011-10-22T10:00:00.000+01:00

Sweets for a sweet couple!

From the bucketing rain in the morning, we went to this amazing scene.....

Claire & Mike's wedding, Gleneagles - part two

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

Gleneagles is a truly stunning high class venue and the couple were well looked after.

Claire & Mike's wedding, Gleneagles - part one

2011-10-20T22:14:00.001+01:00

I am finally getting around to catching up with blogging and Boy, do I have a lot to blog!

Let's go back to last year and feature the amazing day of Claire & Mike, an intimate eloping to a wonderful setting.

"Win your Wedding Photography" WINNER!!

2011-10-18T12:51:00.000+01:00

There could only be one winner, and it was a thoroughly deserved win (over 80% of the votes!) to

KATRINA & CAM!!!

Here is their story, sent in by a friend............

"I met Katrina only a few months ago, but in the short length of time I have known her she has changed my life forever.

Katrina came into my life at a very dark & difficult time, I had been undergoing fertility treatment for years but earlier this year we were given the devastating news that we would never have our own child, due to be diagnosed with cancer in 2006, I had been left without any egg reserve.

The only chance we had of becoming parents would be to find a person who was willing to donate their own eggs. As the laws have changed and donors are not longer anonymous very few people opt to do this.

I was starting to come to terms with the fact that we would never become parents, when I came across a website discussing fertility issues , after reading several entries I started to feel deflated as many of the woman wanting to donate were looking to cash in on sell their eggs but Katrina's message stood out and seemed very genuine. I decided to take a leap of faith and email her and ask if she would be able to help us fulfil our dreams of becoming a family.

I received and email back from her within 2 hours and she was willing to help us !!! I can't explain how amazing this felt, like we had been handed a life line.

Becoming a donor is a very complicated and long process and involves a lot of tests injections, hormones and emotions, but within days of swapping stories and chatting to Katrina,

she started the journey off becoming our egg donor.

She is the most amazing, selfless, and generous person I have ever had the chance to meet, she herself had a long fertility battle, but after 8 years she managed to conceive Twin girls and had a son 6 years later naturally. She totally understands the journey people have to face and wanted to help another couple have the same happy family life she has blessed with.

Katrina has now found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with and is due to get married in 2012.

Nikki, you captured my wedding day from start to finish in the most fantastic way. I still look at the pictures and am transported back to the best day of my life so far, I would love to give this experience to Katrina & Cam, allow her to feel like a "princess" for a day and help capture every special moment as she is one very special individual."

I am SO looking forward to photographing their wedding in Ayrshire next year!!

Sneak peek - Jaki & Caz's wedding, Inchcolm Island & Keavil House

2011-10-17T18:59:00.000+01:00

Inchcolm in October SHOULD be a recipe for disaster with autumn weather feeling more like Winter! Not here, AWESOME day for this lovely pair!

"Win your Wedding Photography" finalists!

2011-10-14T11:30:00.000+01:00

At last, after a lot of stress at this end, I have my finalists!!

There were lots of lovely emails in my email box over the past month, with many deserving people looking for the big prize. But there could only be 3 finalists.................. So after taking out those that were getting married on dates I was already booked for and those who already had photographers booked, I had to whittle the entrants down to 3.....

And here they are!!

*****************************************************

Louise & David

Me and my finance, David , got engaged in August, after almost 8 years together! I have almost given up hope however when we were in Rome for my birthday he got down on one knee at the Spanish Steps and popped the question! I said yes straight away (I had thought about keeping him waiting another 8 year's for the answer). We both were very excited to return home to tell our friends and family and most of all our little boy Cameron, who is 10months old.

We plan a small intimate wedding of 30 of our close friends and family in September 2012 at Kinnettles Caste in Fofar. Its an amazing venue but the costs of the castle with the marquee for the evening dance its proving too much that we are worried we can't afford to do every thing.The caste and grounds are amazing, especially for photos!!!! We are both in love with the venue and would love to win this competition.

I have attached a photo of us - its minutes after we got engaged so it really captures our excitement

*********************************************************************************

Katrina & Cameron

Nominated by a friend who would like to remain anonymous;

I met Katrina only a few months ago, but in the short length of time I have known her she has changed my life forever.

I received and email back from her within 2 hours and she was willing to help us !!! I can't explain how amazing this felt, like we had been handed a life line.

Becoming a donor is a very complicated and long process and involves a lot of tests injections, hormones and emotions, but within days of swapping stories and chatting to Katrina,

she started the journey off becoming our egg donor.

Katrina has now found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with and is due to get married in 2012.

***********************************************************************

Katelyn & Craig

Craig and I met when we were unemployed. He was watching anime and I was havering about a game (Modern Warfare since you asked! :P). It didnt take long before we realised we had alot in common. So thinking he was cute and fun we decided to have a little fling. But I never got rid of him! We were a "proper" couple pretty quick. Gaming and laughing and other fun things *cough* were how we spent our time together. Anyway we got very serious after we went to Sonisphere, a rock music festival, when we realised I was pregnant. Ok that's a lie - he realised - I denied it for a month. Or two. Now we had talked about these things and how important they were and I had always said I wanted to be married first (a stability thing not a religious thing!) Just before my birthday Craig went and got me an engagement ring. I was very pregnant at this point and he proposed terribly! He tried to hide the ring under my pillow but I woke up and caught him! I just ended up laughing my ass off as he tried to make it romantic afterwards! And the rest, as they say, is history.

Why we should win:

Well, honestly, a real photographer would be great. My brothers girlfriend is going to do some as I think it will help her for getting into college for photography and it gives us a little raw talent on our pics. I wish she could be a proper guest though! Our wedding is a little affair. And we are (read I am!) trying very hard to get it all done. We have a budget of only £500 so with 50 odd guests we aren't exactly getting much. What we do have, I am, for the most part, making it. We would love to have a real album and some gorgeous pictures while everyone's drunkenly playing on space hoppers in their best threads! And I would love to know that my brother's date can actually be a date rather than working properly. We have decided to try and make our wedding about our family and friends. With most of our money going into the food, fun (guitar hero face offs!!) and favours for them all. Its in no way traditional. But my will it be fun!

*****************************************************************************

Three amazing couples with three amazing stories......

So who wins??? In the words of "Big Brother", YOU DECIDE!!

What you need to do now is go to the Nikki McLeod Photography Facebook page, go to Contests and vote for YOUR favourite! The Facebook page is the only place you can vote and you can only vote once so make your vote count. The closing date is Tuesday 18th October midday, and you can place your vote from today (14th October) midday!

So what's stopping you? There is a special couple looking for that amazing prize of a fully qualified Master Photographer on their wedding day. VOTE!

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T16:43:00.003+01:00

Testimonial from Lynne & Mark Rae, who had a "Back Again" session, a "breathless" boudoir session, and a Blast off family session.

"We have had 3 photo sessions with Nikki McLeod Photography since 2009 , breathless, back again & a family session and she has blown our expectations out of the water everytime. Nikki is a very talented photographer and we would recommend her to everyone - and do. So thank you again Nikki for all your wonderful work you trully are amazing. :-)"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T16:39:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Anita Williamson, married to Grant at Balcardine Castle, near Oban, who also had a "bling" pre-wedding shoot, a "breathless" boudoir shoot and a "Back Again" post wedding shoot!!

"When we got engaged in September 09 we started the rather daunting task of finding a photographer. I joined the Scottish Wedding Directory Forum and this is where I found Nikki first. I liked a comment she had made and looked at her website and just knew that her style would really suit us. She had a "win your wedding photography" competition going and I entered. We didn't win but still met up..well the rest is history really. We just clicked and booked her straight away.

I then decided to have a Boudoir Shoot as a surprise wedding present for my husband. I'm still not quite sure how I talked myself into it in the first place lol
I was really nervous but there was no need. Nikki had put me at ease in no time and before I knew it I was posing away and really enjoying the experience. In fact I was buzzing for days after.
Once I got the pictures online I had the hard task of picking the ones I wanted for the album,there were sooo many awesome pictures,it was hard to pick what I thought would be the nicest for my husband.....well lets just say the end result had my poor man in tears on our wedding day :)

Then Grant and I had an engagement shoot. Neither of us liked to get our picture taken and we felt really awkward,so doing this shoot really helped us to relax in front of the camera and we got to know how Nikki works. we had loads of fun and in the end settled on one picture (I wanted all of them really) which we used for a signature frame that our guests signed at the wedding instead of a traditional guest book, its now hanging in our hall and makes me emotional every time I look at it.

Over time Nikki an I got to know each other well and by the time of our wedding we were firm friends and without her I think I would have lost the plot in a rather stressful run up to the day :) She did an amazing job, our pictures are AWESOME and it was hard to pick pics we didn't like lol Now we can't wait to get our album!!

We also did a post wedding shoot which was awesome fun!

All I can say is...finding Nikki was the best thing that could have happened to us. We have the most amazing wedding pictures and memories and I have an awesome friend in her :) Thanks so much Nikki for everything you have done over the last year..all those lovely pictures and for going above and beyond on our wedding day ;) You are truly amazing and I love you to bits :) xxx"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T16:36:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Alison Tinlin, from her Blast Off session of her family.

"Back in May, Nikki did a portrait session with myself and my family.
What patience she has, and a great eye and the ability to make a picture. Anyone that can tame my 3 and 5 year old has my upmost respect, and we were delighted with the outstanding images she took of us as a family.
Thanks Nikki, have always been impressed by your work but this was top notch x"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T16:33:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Vicky Venters, whose daughter was the winner of the Blast Off Portraits Next Top Model competition 2010.

"What an absolute pleasure to meet and see you work Nikki! Your patience, ideas and creativeness is unbelievable with outstanding results I look forward to seeing the finished album and will definitely be recommending you in the future xx .....The Album has arrived and definitely worth the wait its outstanding I totally love it. Nikki you are amazing at what you do ! Thanks for everything that you done with Jodi she has had the most amazing experience xxx"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T16:30:00.001+01:00

Testimonial from Pardeep Cassells, married to Michael at Moorpark House, Ayrshire.

"Nikki travelled all the way down to Ayrshire on a yucky October Saturday to take our wedding photos...Well, weren't they worth it? Seriously cannot believe how gorgeous the photos are and how amazing the album is. Everyone who has seen them has been super impressed and Michael's family were so, so pleased that we got the album in time to take it over for Christmas (thanks for that!!)

Some of the pictures are just unbelievable - still don't remember either of us looking that good on the day!! And, Michael is never going to live down his new nickname "Blue Steel" (courtesy of the full page spread of him?)...Thanks so much for an incredible album to remind us of an incredible day. You were awesome xxx"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:28:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Kerri Miller, from her Blast Off session of her family.

" Tonight we got to see our online viewing of the photos Nikki took at our family portrait session last weekend. I have been buzzing for the last 72 hours, waiting for them to be put up for us to see, I had a feeling they were going to be good. WOW. I had no idea how good they would be! We thought it would be easy to pick 5 for our package, and then 1 more to get blown up nice and big for the wall at home...yeah right...! I'm not sure that I could pick 5 that I DONT want!

Out of almost 200 images, I have no idea how to pick the best ones, there are no best ones, they are all so brilliant.

Nikki made the session so easy and relaxed, and most importantly (with 2 children!) it was FUN. At times it seemed a bit chaotic with the 2 children runing riot, but you'd never guess that from the photos that we're looking at. Every single one seems to capture the essence of our family, in such a way that I have actually found myself welling up over more than one of our beautiful pictures.

Thank you so much Nikki, you have captured moments that will never ever happen again for us, especially our sons first ever steps. I simply can't put into words how happy we are, and i've alread said once today that you are worth EVERY penny!

THANK YOU!!! xxxxx
Kerri x"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:26:00.000+01:00

Testimonial from Nadine Hare, married to James at House for an Art Lover. Also had a Back Again session.

" My beautiful wedding album is one of my most treasured possesions. Nikki captured every detail of our speacial day, made us feel totally relaxed and due to her amazing talent we have stunning photographs. She is warm, relaxed and laid back even when things didn't go as I had planned she knew exactly how to handle it. I would absolutely recommend her, you will not be diasppointed in fact I can confidently say you'll be blown away. Thanks again Nikki, Nadine Hare"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:24:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Jen Stalker, from her Blast Off session of her family.

"Amazing photo's of our beautiful boy!!!"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:21:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Fiona Smith, married to Chris at Balbirnie House.

" We chose Nikki to be our wedding photographer 5 years ago and never regretted it. Our photos were amazing and there were so many to choose from. Neither of us were confident in front of the camera but Nikki made us feel so relaxed, it made the end product just stunning. We would both recommend Nikki very highly"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:20:00.000+01:00

Testimonial from Lynne Francis from her "breathless" boudoir session.

" A consumate professional and a wonderfully talented artist. Nikki made me look and feel like a supermodel at my 'Boudoir' session. She is the only person EVER to have made me look good in a photograph, in fact, she made me look AMAZING!! Warm, funny, puts you completely at ease and stunning images. Look no further for your photography needs!!!!!!"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:18:00.003+01:00

Testimonial from Megan Wood, married to John at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool.

"" You are just the best! Our wedding album is STUNNING! we totally love it, and every time i look at it i am so happy, you are a total star, and thanks a million mrs, xxxx

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:17:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Natalie Graham, married to Daryl at Mansfield Traquair.

" What can i say..Nikki you made our wedding complete. Our storybook that you made is a dream in pictures.. You really are up there with the best photographers. Heres to our next wedding with my sister xx

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:15:00.000+01:00

Testimonial from Kimberley Johnston, married to Lee at Kings Lynn Registry Office, Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Also photographed Kim's "breathless" boudoir shoot.

"Hey Nikki
Got the pic today from the Boudoir shoot and i just love it thank you so much.
You really are great.
Totally recommended for Wedding Photography and the Boudiour Shoots.
Thank you again
xx"

{blush} reviews from Facebook continued

2011-10-10T14:08:00.002+01:00

Testimonial from Janice Murphy, married to Anthony at St Patricks Church, Dumbarton & 29 Glasgow.

" Having our photographs taken was one of the favourite parts of our day as we had a chance to sneak off with Nikki and spend some time together. Nikki was a real pleasure to work with. She filled us with confidence and had some fantastic ideas. She took advantage of the fantastic backdrop and asked us to do some night shots out on Royal Exchange Square. These worked out brilliantly and are my favourite shots of the day.

Nikki was a true professional and knew exactly what would work. We actually booked Nikki purely on the work we had seen in RLW then on her website. We didn’t even meet her beforehand. I was that sure I wanted her to photograph our wedding. Her style was exactly what we were looking for.

I would highly recommend Nikki McLeod Photography to anyone who is getting married.

Thanks Nikki.. I'm sure you will see us again soon!

Janice and Anthony x"

{blush} reviews from Facebook

2011-10-10T14:03:00.002+01:00

Facebook are removing their Reviews part of a business page from the end of the month. Total bummer, as I have a load of lovely testimonials on there from wedding, boudoir and portrait clients.

So please excuse me while I copy them all onto this blog.....

Sneak peek - Mhorag & Ian's wedding, North Berwick

2011-10-06T11:50:00.001+01:00

I was SO looking forward to this wedding, having already photographed the bride's sister a couple of years ago. And it didn't disappoint. Can't wait to blog this one in full!

"Win your wedding photography" competition deadline extended

2011-10-01T14:09:00.002+01:00

Win your wedding photography with NMP competition deadline has been extended to October 13th!

Click here to get all the information and enter!

Good luck!

Sneak peek - Scott & Laura's wedding, Crail Church & Fairmont St Andrews

2011-10-01T13:55:00.003+01:00

One original couple = one wedding with original touches! Gonna be a good 'un to blog in full in the future!

"Blast Off Beauty" model competition 2011

2011-09-24T16:51:00.003+01:00

Yes it's that time of year again, Blast Off Portrait's Top Model competition! Last year was very successful with an awesome model session done for the winner Jodi (above), with full professional make-up, and hair styling and a fantastic portfolio to boot. Watch out for her images being shown in full on this blog over the next week or two!

This year, things are gonna be a little different! For example, the competition at Blast Off is going to be open to more ages. The categories are as follows (females only)

1. Tweens (11 to 12 years)
2. Teens (13 to 17 years)
3. Plus 18's (18 to 25 years)

Blast Off Beauty sessions are 30 minutes long, in the studio, casual or posh, it's up to you!

Each photographic session is followed by a viewing session at a later date, where the model picks her favourite image. I shall then pick my category finalists and show them to the world on my Facebook page, where YOU, the general public can pick the overall winner!

Sessions are available right up to November 27th with viewing appointments available up to November 30th. Sessions are £10 each, which include your favourite image as a 10" x 8" mounted print and a Facebook-ready file. Other products will be available to purchase at your viewing slideshow.

Each category winner shall win a fantastic digital frame, complete with their complete session as Facebook ready images, pre-loaded onto their frame!

The overall winner will win THE best prize for those that love watching the Next Top Model tv programmes; the prize is a model day -
- professional make-up, hair styling, photo shoot up to 3 hours in total, consisting of a studio session & weather permitting, an environmental session, with up to 3 clothing changes, a post session viewing of images, a deluxe desk frame of your favourite image PLUS a FULL PAGE model feature in local magazine "Duloch Discovery"! An awesome prize worth over £200!

Want to enter? Email me now on nikki@nikkimcleodphotography.com for your entry form, and to book your session. And GOOD LUCK!

Terms and conditions;
1. Every entrant MUST bring completed entry form and proof of age to their session and present both at the start of the session. If either are not available at the start of the session, session will be cancelled. The £10 entry fee must be paid at the start of the session too. Entrants must fall within their category on October 31st 2011.

2. All entrants in categories 1 (Tweens) and 2 (Teens) MUST be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over, this adult must remain in the studio throughout the session.

3. Blast Off Beauty sessions are up to 30 minutes, including signing model release and organising your viewing appointment.

4. All entrants must wear suitable clothing for the session, this is NOT glamour or boudoir photography therefore there will be no nudity or partial nudity.

5. Entrance open to females only.

6. There is no online proofing of images for any session.

"Blast Off Beauty" model competition

2011-09-23T17:56:00.001+01:00

LAUNCHING SATURDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 2011!!

Check back for details.

"Win your wedding photography" with NMP!

2011-09-02T02:00:00.000+01:00

It's been busy busy busy at NMP, I feel like I am designing albums in my sleep at the moment, such is the joy of a busy summer season!

I have so many amazing weddings still to blog, but before I do, I would like to announce NMP's 2011 "Win your Wedding Photography" competition!

This competition has been a success at NMP, this year's winner had an amazing wedding, it was even sneaky-peeked featured on OffBeat Bride in the States! Gillian's wedding will be blogged in full soon on here............... at some point, promise!

In the meantime, it is time to find a new winner!

Do you, or are you a bride getting married in 2012? Are you looking for a fabulous, fun, funky wedding photographer for your big day? How about having Fife based photographer Nikki McLeod Photography as your prize?

Easy!

WHAT YOU WOULD WIN.....

- a pre-wedding chat at the studio in Fife 1 month prior to your wedding

- coverage by Nikki from the getting ready stage of the day to the start of the meal

- a post-wedding slideshow première of your images

- 3 months online proofing of your images, for all your friends and family to view

- a book-bound coffee table album with the first 20 images included, with the option to upgrade your album

HOW TO ENTER

You can enter yourself, or enter a friend or family member who is getting married.

All you need to do is email me on

nikki@nikkimcleodphotography.co.uk

before October 13th 2011 (NEW CLOSING DATE!) and telling me why you, or your friend/family member should win; it could be for any reason; a lovely story of how you met, a heart-breaking story of how love won through the odds, funny or romantic proposals, whatever!

You MUST include the following details (any entry without any of the following will be immediately disqualified!)

- bride & groom's names

- wedding date (2012 weddings only sorry!)

- wedding venues (ceremony & reception)

- a recent photo of the couple

On October 14th, I shall pick three finalists whose story shall be posted here on this blog. Then on October 14th, I shall post all three stories on my Nikki McLeod Photography Facebook page; the winner shall be the couple who get the most votes on their story on my Facebook page. Obviously the best stories will have a better chance of getting the most votes on Facebook so make sure you give me a good story! This year, the votes on Facebook shall be the only ones counted towards the entries, so get all your friends and family registered on Facebook, so they can vote for the winner!

RULES

- I shall consider any 2012 wedding anywhere in the world BUT any wedding outwith East Central Scotland shall be subject to travel and accomodation costs to be paid for on signing a contract to secure your date. Obviously dates I am already booked on cannot be considered.

- You must send your email to nikki@nikkimcleodphotography.co.uk with the following information; names of the bride and groom, wedding date, wedding venue(s), contact telephone number for the bride or groom, and your blurb as to why this couple should be considered - anything missing from the above list will void that entry. A photo of the couple is also a must! An email will be sent within 48 hours of receiving your entry to say firstly if I am available and secondly if your entry has been considered, and if the wedding is outwith East Central Scotland, how much the travel/accommodation fee will be.

- You must not already have a professional photographer booked and NMP will have free range on the wedding day to photograph the day the NMP way, and use the images in advertising, promotion etc.
- The couple will have to sign a contract within 1 month of winning the prize, accompanied by a £100 booking fee, which is refundable at the slideshow première or can be used as a credit towards an upgrade on the album (non refundable if contract is subsequently cancelled for any reason by the client). If there is any travel/accommodation fee to be paid, it also must be paid with the contract and is non refundable.

- Any client already booked by NMP cannot be considered.

Dead easy! Looking forward to hearing the stories! GO!!!!!

The Scottish Wedding Directory "Top to Toe" Event, Crieff Hydro

2011-08-30T11:51:00.002+01:00

It was once again an honour to be asked to be the official photographer for the Scottish Wedding Directory's "Top to Toe" Event, this time at Crieff Hydro. The SWD do put on an amazing event, this time as well as hair and make up demonstrations, there was even a live botox demo! It caused a few intakes of breath! LOL

With over 300 tickets reserved, it was a great day out for brides, mums, and bridesmaids alike.

More images from the day available to view at the Scottish Wedding Directory's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/scotweddirectory.

Many thanks to Liz, Rachel and the team for asking me along for the day!

Sneak peek - Kirsty & Mark's wedding, Glenskirlie Castle, Kincardineshire

2011-08-28T22:27:00.000+01:00

Glenskirlie Castle has been a venue I have been wanting to photograph a wedding at, for a long time. At last it has happened! Here is a sneak peek!

Sneak peek - Natasha & Harry's wedding, St Giles Cathedral & Signet Library, Edinburgh

2011-08-28T22:19:00.000+01:00

There was a sense of deja-vu this month with this wedding, as I had shot Natasha's twin sister's wedding 2 years ago!

This time though, we had the crowds of the Edinburgh Festival to deal with, which had a heightened sense of atmosphere at this stunning wedding.

I know I will be blogging many many many images from this beaut; in the meantime, here is a sneak peek....

Sneak peek - Kathryn & Chris' wedding, St Salvator's Chapel & the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews

2011-08-15T09:24:00.000+01:00

St Salvator's Chapel is one of THE most stunning chapels in the country and I was lucky enough to photograph the equally stunning Kathryn there as she married Christopher. The reception was held at the Old Course Hotel, another favourite of mine.

Sneak peek - Adele & Kevin's wedding, Dunfermline Abbey & Forrester Park

2011-08-15T00:05:00.001+01:00

I have been SO busy with weddings this past month, not only photographing them, but pre and post wedding meetings, post processing all the images, and designing albums until they are coming out of my ears!

I shall get back to blogging weddings soon, but in the meantime, here are some sneak peeks! Firstly, Adele and Kevin's wedding at Dunfermline Abbey and Forrester Park last month.

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part thirteen

2011-07-27T09:50:00.000+01:00

And of course, you wouldn't expect a shuffle around the dancefloor for the first dance, now would you?!

No a full-on, synchronised, rehearsed dance to Paulo Nutini!
AWESOME!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part twelve

2011-07-26T08:45:00.000+01:00

The sweet theme had to continue into the evening reception, with a sweetie buffet!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part ten

2011-07-25T01:34:00.000+01:00

But speech of the century went to Kyrre.......... a man of many facial expressions.........

Leaving Mike with a few expressions of his own..............

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part nine

2011-07-24T09:23:00.000+01:00

It was funny watching the newlyweds trying to cut the HUGE cupcake at the top with the HUGE sword that Robert at Forresters provides.....

And as for the speeches....... AWESOME! Some of the best expressions ever!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part eight

2011-07-23T09:14:00.000+01:00

We really did have a ball down at the beach!

Of course, it had to be noted what day it was!

Great idea for a "Thank You" card!

But all too soon it was time to leave for Forrester Park and join in the festivities with the guests.

More sweet stuff...........

So what's the deal with the sweets? Apparently the couple met over a "who can shove as many Flying Saucers in their mouth at the one time?" competition............... Wonder who won!

Of course a normal wedding cake wouldn't have fitted in with this wedding, so how about this cupcake extravaganza from Aunt Tilly?!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part seven

2011-07-22T09:08:00.001+01:00

On the way to Forrester Park, we stopped at North Queensferry where it was getting pretty stormy looking... Didn't stop the hilarity and fun!

Yes Kelly is wearing spotty wellies at this point!

And of course when you have wellies on, what else can you do but go jump in the River Forth?

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part six

2011-07-21T09:01:00.000+01:00

Guests were greeted with enthusiastic cuddles on the way out of the church.

If you haven't already noticed, Mike is exceptionally tall....... we joked at the recce about this small door they were having to walk out of; again the fun came out on this one!

After the formals, I took the couple back into the church for some nice romantic couples shots.............. LOL NO CHANCE!! Piggyback down the aisle anyone?!

The lovely gerbera flowers were put in places they shouldn't go!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part five

2011-07-20T08:51:00.000+01:00

Don't get that many grooms wearing top hat |& tails that often, nice change from kilts!

Hilarity ensued on the way in to the church with long veil, wind and bushes coming together as one!

The Priory Church is a really pretty stone church on the banks of the River Forth.

The only sensible part of the day, the vows....

The newlyweds had to dance up the aisle..... LOL!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part four

2011-07-19T09:41:00.000+01:00

Kelly takes her fun-loving attitude from her parents................

But we of course did some sensible photos too!

in between the crazy ones! LOL!

Fiona the lovely bridesmaid.....

Soon it was time to jump over the bridge to South Queensferry and the Priory Church......... the sweetie theme continues....

Mike the groom was accompanied by the Terminator... I mean Kyrre from Norway

And a lovely mother of the groom too.

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part three

2011-07-18T09:30:00.000+01:00

It was fun to watch the Father of the Bride get his wedding day gifts!

Kelly is a very pretty lass, great to photograph.

But as I found out at her "breathless" session, she is full of fun and nonsense and chose to show it on her wedding day too!

Even Fiona the bridesmaid got in on the wacky action!

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part two

2011-07-17T09:18:00.001+01:00

I joined Kelly in the morning at Keavil House Hotel. Kelly and Mike chose a pretty awesome date to get married on - 101010! The sweeties - will come back to that later..........

Lots of lovely details at this wedding.............

And some VERY colourful flowers.....

The make up in the morning was done by the lovely Emily Sim, also from Dalgety Bay.

Kelly & Mike's wedding, Queensferry & Forrester Park Golf Resort - part one

2011-07-16T09:58:00.004+01:00

Kelly & Mike are ideal NMP clients; fun, bubbly, full of life and love for each other. Robert at Forrester Park recommended my photography to them, and I was so glad they chose me to share their day with them.

But before the big day, Kelly decided to give Mike the ultimate wedding present - a "breathless" boudoir session at NMP! And Kelly was the ideal person to do pin-up on! Lots of cheeky shots for Mike!

But we also saw the softer side to Kelly...............

The resulting album was delivered to the Borders on the day of the wedding and given to Mike by his Best Man. It went down a storm apparently!

{blush} lovely words on one of my own Thank You cards!

2011-07-15T19:55:00.001+01:00

It is crazy busy season at NMP and Blast Off, hence the reason why the blog has been a little neglected.........shame too, as I have so many weddings and portraits to blog! It's not as if I don't have anything to blog!

Before I start up another wedding, I just had to put up this testimonial.

Anita and Grant have become very well-known to NMP, as I have photographed for them;

- a "Bling" pre-wedding shoot

- their wedding in Oban

- Anita's "breathless" boudoir shoot

- a "Back Again" post-wedding shoot!

Anita has even helped me with some assisting jobs. It's not surprising to hear that Anita has become one of my bestest friends and to receive a Thank You card from her was super lovely (especially when it was one of my own photographed and designed cards! LOL!)

(Please excuse the rubbish iPhone shots!)

"Dear Nikki,

This is just a wee note to thank you, not just for being our photographer, and making such a good job of it - but also for being such an awesome friend! You certainly went above and beyond on our big day! Our wedding day was special because we were lucky enough to be surrounded by the people we love, and that certainly includes you! Thank you lots of love Anita & Grant"

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part twelve

2011-06-19T10:19:00.002+01:00

It's always an honour to have a wedding featured in the fantastic Scottish Wedding Directory and their Real Life Weddings sister magazine. So it was fabulous to see Christina & Terry's wedding featured in the Themes section, a page and a half worth of Hollywood Glam!

And this wedding is even featured on Alison Tinlin's amazing blog Plans and Presents!

Many many thanks to Christina and Terry for allowing me to share in their big day. And many congratulations on the recent arrival of Terry Jnr!

Vendor information:

Wedding venue; Balbirnie House, Markinch

Flowers; Liz Hartley @ Passion8

Bride’s dress; Sassi Holford bought at Anne Priscilla

Bridesmaids dresses; designed by Anne Hardie

Make-up; Caroline Grehan

Hair; Echi Kirkcaldy

Stationery: Finishing Touches

Room set up & linens; PMG Events

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part eleven

2011-06-18T09:08:00.000+01:00

There was some crazy dancing going on down...........

And through in the bar area, there was a cool video room set up, complete with personalised directors chairs and Oscars!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part ten

2011-06-17T08:57:00.000+01:00

Soon it was time for the evening reception, but Christina had a great plan....... To glam it up even more!

Red lipstick, bolero removed, glam city!

The gorgeous cake was placed in the centre of the dance floor for the cutting.

Before the first dance..... on the magic Balbirnie sparky dancefloor....

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part nine

2011-06-16T09:19:00.000+01:00

It was soon time for the meal in the Ballroom.

The speeches were heartfelt and funny.

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part eight

2011-06-15T09:11:00.001+01:00

Lots of fun with cheese boards, jazz bands and dancing!

There were lots of beautiful details in this wedding.

The Ballroom at Balbirnie is a stunning place for the wedding breakfast, and this time it was even more amazing after PMG Events took over the decoration.

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part seven

2011-06-14T09:03:00.000+01:00

We had a fab time around Balbirnie, doing lovely shots of the newlyweds.

Christina showed her bouncy out-going personality here!

And it's thanks to this couple that I got to photograph Christina & Terry's wedding; many thanks Meaghan and Brent, and the adorable Olivia who has even been to the Blast Off studio too!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part six

2011-06-13T08:44:00.000+01:00

Outside the house, the newlyweds were greeted with kisses and cuddles.

The standard Balbirnie group shot!

and impromptu confetti throwing!

Then it was time for the formals, which included some lovely informal moments in between!

Meanwhile in the West Room, an amazing jazz band were keeping the guests entertained.

Even Christina got a chance to enjoy them too!

The cheese board looked amazing!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part five

2011-06-12T09:02:00.000+01:00

All too soon, it was time for Christina and her father to make the long walk downstairs to the Orangery.

The smile never left Christina's face the whole way down.................

The Orangery is a very modern addition to Balbirnie and the sun shone in through the glass roof throughout the ceremony, lighting up the room like Christina's laugh!

As I said previously, this wedding was very special for me; thanks to this lovely lady Meaghan, as she recommended me to Christina after I photographed her own wedding a couple of years before.

Huge applause for the new husband and wife!!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part four

2011-06-11T09:45:00.000+01:00

Soon it was time to join the boys, and the guests arriving.

The boys looked pretty handsome in their red kilts.

And isn't Gran cute?

The Best Man was well known to me; I photographed Brent's wedding to Meaghan!

Already on display in the West Room, was an amazing display of cheesecake; no, not the sweet kind, real cheese!

The ceremony was held in the Orangery, with beautiful chair covers by PMG Events.

This cute lady belongs to the Best Man Brent; I've photographed the wedding, and I have photographed the resulting baby, at this wedding AND in the Blast Off studio!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part three

2011-06-10T09:28:00.002+01:00

All too soon it was time to put the dress on, oh it was a stunning dress, total Hollywood glam by Sassi Holford.

I ADORED this moment between dad and daughter........

And these moments of extreme hilarity between bride and very pregnant bridesmaid!

Christina was total hollywood glamour, with her birdcage veil.

And to complete the look, a beautiful bolero jacket.

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part two

2011-06-09T08:48:00.002+01:00

We all had a blast in the morning, with pregnant bridesmaids, amazing hair by Echi Kirkcaldy, beautiful make up by Caroline Grehan and hilarity by the bride!

Christina had a sneak peek of her own, when Terry arrived!

Christina & Terry's wedding, Balbirnie House - part one

2011-06-08T09:49:00.002+01:00

Balbirnie as most NMP blog readers know, is a favourite venue of mine, having got married there myself nearly12 years ago. To photograph another wedding there is special, to photograph Christina & Terry's wedding there was extra special for so many different reasons.

I started the day with Christina in her bridal suite at Balbirnie.

Liz Hartley at Passion8 Flowers did a fantastic job on the floral arrangements, while the stunning dress was a Sassi Holford bought from Anne Priscilla's in Kirkcaldy. The black glamorous bridesmaid dress was made by Anne Hardie in Kirkcaldy.

The minute I spied the birdcage veil, I about died; I have always wanted to photograph a wedding with a bride in a birdcage veil and finally it was happening...........