Some love stories move quickly.
Therese and Steven’s took 20 years to reach the aisle.
They first met across a nightclub dancefloor, built a life together and eventually decided it was time to make things official with a wonderfully joyful wedding at the Leonardo Hotel in Edinburgh.
There was rain.
There was laughter.
There was dancing down the aisle.
There was confetti where confetti really shouldn’t go.
And there was a photographer persuading the newlyweds to scramble up a hillside and cross a very busy road because she’d spotted a field.
Standard wedding day, really.
Wedding At a Glance
Venue
Leonardo Hotel, Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Ceremony
Relaxed hotel wedding celebrant-led ceremony surrounded by 50+ family and friends
Season
Early autumn
Photographer
JB Moments Photography
Style
Joyful, relaxed and full of laughter
Favourite Moment
Therese dancing down the aisle with her mum towards a beaming Steven after waiting 20 years to finally say “I do”
A Love Story 20 Years in the Making
Therese and Steven first met twenty years before their wedding.
Therese was out clubbing with a big group of girlfriends when she caught Steven’s eye across the dancefloor. He was out celebrating a big birthday with his mates.
Sparks flew.
Conversation started.
And two decades later…
They finally decided perhaps it was time to get married.
Therese found me through her hairdresser, whose own wedding I’d photographed, and that’s how I found myself heading into Edinburgh one very wet morning to photograph the next chapter of their story.
Rain? What Rain?
When I arrived at the Leonardo Hotel, the heavens had opened.
And I mean opened.
It was, to use the technical Scottish meteorological term, absolutely pishing it down.
Luckily, I own a large white wedding brolly for precisely these occasions.
But the second I walked into Therese’s room, I realised the weather wasn’t going to bother this lot.
She was getting ready surrounded by her mum, sisters and friends and the room was already full of laughter.
A bit of Edinburgh rain didn’t stand a chance.
And, because Scottish weather enjoys keeping photographers permanently on their toes, by the time I headed downstairs to find the groom…
Blue sky was starting to appear.
Of course it was.
Steven and… Steven
found Steven with his best man.
Also called Steven.
Because apparently weddings aren’t challenging enough without giving your photographer multiple important people with the same name.
We grabbed a few photographs while the skies were behaving themselves before it was time to head inside.
Twenty years had led to this moment.
And Therese wasn’t planning on making a quiet entrance.
Why Walk When You Can Dance?
Therese didn’t walk down the aisle with her mum.
She danced.
Straight towards an absolutely beaming Steven.
And honestly, that entrance summed up the whole wedding.
This wasn’t a day that felt stiff, overly formal or like anyone was doing things because weddings are supposed to be done a certain way.
It was joyful.
After a short but heartfelt ceremony, Therese and Steven were finally pronounced husband and wife.
Twenty years after meeting across that dancefloor.
Worth the wait, I’d say.
Confetti Goes Everywhere
The new Mr and Mrs Collcutt headed back down the aisle grinning from ear to ear before being thoroughly showered in confetti.
Some of it even landed where intended.
A considerable amount apparently ended up down Therese’s dress courtesy of her mum.
Families.
Always helpful. 😂
Once we’d extracted the bride from the confetti situation, we headed outside for the family photographs.
Family Photos Without Losing Half Your Wedding Day
know group photographs aren’t necessarily the bit couples get most excited about when planning their wedding.
But they’re important.
These are the photographs containing the people you’ve gathered together in one place, sometimes for the first time in years.
So yes, we’ll get them.
But we’ll also keep things moving.
I work from an agreed list, get everyone where they needs to be, take the photographs and release them back to the important business of drinking fizz and catching up.
Family. Photos. Done.
Then we can go and have some fun.
“Trust Me, There's a Great Photo Over There”
One of the things I love about wedding photography is finding opportunities that perhaps aren’t immediately obvious.
In this case, I spotted the fields opposite the hotel.
There were only two minor obstacles.
A steep hillside.
And a rather busy road.
Luckily, Therese and Steven were completely game.
So off we went.
They scrambled up the hill, we safely negotiated the traffic and suddenly we had a completely different backdrop only minutes from their Edinburgh wedding venue.
This is why I always encourage couples to give me a little bit of trust when I suddenly say:
“I’ve got an idea…”
Sometimes that idea involves a hill.
Back to the Party
Once I’d finished making the newlyweds undertake unexpected cardiovascular exercise, we returned them to their guests for the wedding breakfast.
Then came the speeches.
And Therese’s Maid of Honour had brought something rather special.
The Speech That Stole the Show
Instead of simply standing up with a few notes, Therese’s Maid of Honour had created a handmade book filled with memories and stories.
It had the room in stitches.
And, inevitably, produced a few tears too.
These are the bits of wedding days I absolutely love photographing.
Not just the person making the speech.
I’m watching everyone else.
The reactions.
The laughter.
The sideways glances.
The moment someone realises precisely which embarrassing story is about to be told.
Because those reactions are part of the story too.
Cake, Dancing and a Very Happy Bride
By the time we reached the cake cutting, Therese was still absolutely bubbling with happiness.
And that energy carried straight through into the evening celebrations.
Their first dance wasn’t a solemn shuffle around the dancefloor while everyone watched.
It was another chance to laugh.
Which felt entirely appropriate considering this whole love story started on a dancefloor twenty years earlier.
There’s something rather lovely about that.
Some Things Really Are Worth the Wait
Driving home that evening, I kept thinking about those twenty years.
Because this wasn’t really a wedding about finally ticking something off a list.
It was a celebration of everything Therese and Steven had already built together.
Their family.
Their friendships.
Their memories.
Their ability to laugh together.
And, finally, their marriage.
Sometimes the best love stories aren’t the quickest ones.
Some things really are worth the wait.
Congratulations again, Mr & Mrs Collcutt. x
Planning Your Own Edinburgh Wedding?
Whether you’ve been together for two years or twenty, your wedding doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s.
If you’re planning an Edinburgh wedding and want relaxed photography that captures the big moments, the ridiculous moments and all the lovely stuff happening in between, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
And if I suddenly point towards a hill and say “trust me”?
Well…
You know the drill.
Want to See More?
Check out the other weddings I’ve had the pleasure of capturing at this venue.
