Traquair House in Innerleithen is one of the most distinctive wedding venues in the Scottish Borders. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, woodland and countryside, it has an incredible sense of history and plenty of character. I’ve photographed several weddings at Traquair House over the years, and I’m always happy to return. Although the venue is familiar to me, every wedding here feels completely different because of the people, the atmosphere and how they choose to use the house and grounds. This lovely couple chose one of the gardens for their outdoor ceremony, surrounded by family and friends on a beautiful sunny day. The whole celebration had a wonderfully relaxed feeling. After the ceremony, guests could wander through the gardens, talk, laugh and simply enjoy being together rather than moving immediately from one formal part of the day to another. That gave me plenty of opportunities to photograph what was happening naturally — conversations between guests, laughter, little interactions and all the moments unfolding around the couple. We also made time for some relaxed portraits around the grounds. Traquair House gives you so much variety without having to travel anywhere: historic architecture, old stone walls, gardens, trees and open countryside all within the estate. What I remember most about this wedding is simply how happy and easy-going everyone was. Sunshine certainly helped, but it was the couple and their guests enjoying the day together that gave the photographs their character.

I’ve photographed several weddings at Traquair House over the years. You can also see another Traquair House wedding story, with a very different outdoor ceremony amongst the ancient yew trees.

Planning your wedding at Traquair House in Scotland - check if your date is available