The Edinburgh Grand, A Luxury Collection Hotel Wedding | The Courtyard at Gleneagles Townhouse Hotel Wedding Reception | Edinburgh, Scotland Wedding Photographer
As an Edinburgh wedding photographer, capturing Olivia and Henry’s elegant city wedding was an absolute joy. Their day perfectly reflected the beauty of Edinburgh itself. It was a refined, atmospheric, and effortlessly stylish wedding day in Edinburgh. Thoughtfully planned with a focus on design and experience, their wedding felt intimate while still embracing the architecture and heart of the city.
Photographing beautiful wedding days at The Edinburgh Grand Hotel, in the heart of the city, is one of the reasons why I am so grateful to be an Edinburgh Wedding Photographer.
The ceremony took place in The Director’s Suite at The Edinburgh Grand Hotel, a sophisticated space filled with natural light and sweeping city views. Officiated by Humanist celebrant Gillian Monaghan, the ceremony was warm, personal, and deeply meaningful. The calm elegance of the venue created a beautiful setting for heartfelt vows and emotional moments.
Olivia’s bridal look was modern and editorial, wearing the Persephone gownby Sau Lee. Clean lines and subtle drama made the dress photograph beautifully on both digital and film. Styled by The Talented Bride, her hair and makeup felt polished yet natural, complemented by her Dior wedding shoes and Tom Ford perfume, adding a luxurious finishing touch. Olivia truly had the best wedding style.
They had the most lovely and intimate Wedding Reception at Gleneagles Townhouse hotel in Edinburgh.
Following the ceremony, guests gathered at The Courtyard at Gleneagles Townhouse Hotel,located on St. Andrews square in the center of Edinburgh City, for a relaxed and elegant reception with all of their closest friends and family members. This iconic, historic and newly renovated Edinburgh venue provided the perfect balance of historic character and contemporary luxury, allowing the celebration to be really memorable for all of the guests visiting from out of town. from the champagne toasts to the candid moments, I really loved blending into the background to capture them all throughout the evening.
as an Edinburgh wedding photographer who documents wedding days on both digital and 35mm film, Olivia and Henry’s wedding was a beautiful example of how city weddings in Edinburgh can feel both timeless and personal. With the best wedding venues in edinburgh chosen and the thoughtful styling from the bride, their day was a true reflection of modern elegance in the heart of Scotland’s capital. I’m really grateful that of all the places I ended up living in the world, I live in the heart of Edinburgh, where I am just a few minutes walk away from all of these endlessly beautiful wedding venues in the heart of the city.
I am so grateful to work within walking distance from our home, when photographing Edinburgh City Wedding days at The Edinburgh Grand Hotel or Gleneagles Townhouse.
The Wedding Suppliers for this intimate Wedding in Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland Wedding Photographer | Edinburgh City Chambers Ceremony | Gleneagles Townhouse Wedding Lunch | Lady Libertine Bar & Restaurant Wedding Reception
Katy and Harry’s wedding day in Edinburgh, Scotland was the perfect blend of timeless elegance, meaningful tradition, and modern celebration. Set against the historic beauty of the city, their day truly included so many of Edinburgh’s most iconic and stylish venues, creating a dream narrative for any couples planning a refined edinburgh city wedding. As an Edinburgh Scotland wedding photographer, capturing a day like this is an absolute joy, not only because I was able to walk to all of these beautiful edinburgh venues from my house, but thisa day was filled with so much emotion, beauty, and unmistakable Scottish charm.
The day began in the heart of the Old Town, right on the Royal Mile, with their intimate and elegant wedding ceremony held in The European Room at Edinburgh City Chambers. This iconic space, known for its grand windows and classic architectural details, offered a romantic and light-filled setting for Katy and Harry to exchange rings and vows. Surrounded by their closest family members and friends, the atmosphere felt deeply personal and full of warmth. I always say that smaller ceremonies can still feel incredibly luxurious and have just as many memories in day to capture, as a larger wedding day does.
Katy was effortlessly stunning in her bespoke gown by Jessica Bennett Bridal, sourced from The Fall Bride. The dress combined modern structure with soft, romantic details, perfectly reflecting Katy’s style. A midi dress is always a good idea if you’re a bride that wants to have bridal portraits taken on the cobblestoned streets on the Royal Mile or anywhere in the old town of Edinburgh, Scotland. Her bridal look was completed by one of the most talented makeup artists in Scotland, Rae Mathieson Bridal, whose make-up enhanced Katy’s natural glow, and Alex from Meka Hair Design, who created an elegant yet relaxed hairstyle that held beautifully throughout the day. Every detail felt intentional and timeless.
Katy and Harry had the perfect wedding day in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Harry fully embraced Scottish tradition in a kilt by Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers, a look that felt both meaningful and impeccably tailored. His ring, crafted by Beverley Hutton Moore Silversmith, was a striking and personal piece, while Katy’s rings byDinny Hall Jewelleryadded a refined, contemporary touch to her bridal styling.
Floral design played a huge role in shaping the aesthetic of the day. Scotland Wedding FLorists, Sue Gordon from It Just Keeps Growing, alongside Kirsty from Flower Vogue Aberdeen, created arrangements that felt organic, textural, and seasonally inspired. Soft blooms and natural greenery added warmth to the ceremony space and flowed beautifully through the rest of the day, enhancing each location without overpowering it. They really created such a colorful spread of florals for the wedding lunch in The Courtyard at GLeneagles Townhouse.
Following the ceremony, all of the wedding guests walked from the old town of Edinburgh, to the New Town of Edinburgh, to make their way to Gleneagles Townhouse for a relaxed yet refined wedding lunch. This iconic Edinburgh venue offered the perfect backdrop for long conversations, laughter, and beautifully curated plates. The intimate setting allowed everyone to truly slow down and savour the experience, which was one of the most memorable parts of this wedding day. There is just something about being able to sit down at one long table with all of the closest family and friends to really commemorate such a special day in your lives in a more intimate way.
They picked not only the best wedding venues for their day, from Edinburgh City Chambers to Gleneagles TOwnhouse to Lady Libertine, but they also found some of the best Scottish wedding suppliers to create the wedding of their dreams in the center of Edinburgh.
As the sun dipped lower over the city, this Scottish Wedding celebration transitioned into an evening at Lady Libertine, where the mood shifted into full celebration mode. Known for its dramatic interiors and lively atmosphere, Lady Libertine was the ideal choice for Katy and Harry’s evening wedding reception party. Guests enjoyed dancing, cocktails, A DJ, and sweet treats from Kilted Donut, whose desserts added a playful and delicious finish to the night. When anyone gets married in Edinburgh who isn’t from there, I always recommend finding a local bakery, and just making a spread of everything delicious. Edinburgh, Scotland has some of the best bakeries, and all of them would be perfect for piling up on dessert tables.
Throughout the day, i just kept thinking about how much of an honour it was to document every moment of this day for katy and harry, not just as an Edinburgh Scotland wedding photographer, but being able to walk to all of these wedding days from our home in the heart of EDINBURGH. From quiet, emotional exchanges to vibrant party scenes, Katy and Harry’s wedding DAY TRULY showcased everything that makes Edinburgh such an incredible place to get married. FROM THE historic EDINBURGH venues, TO THE world-class SCOTTISH WEDDING suppliers, THERE WAS JUST ENDLESS LOVE AND CARE PUT INTO THIS INTIMATE WEDDING DAY.
Katy and Harry’s wedding DAY is a beautiful reminder that Edinburgh weddings can be both elegant and relaxed, traditional yet STILL modern. For couples searching for inspiration, or an experienced Edinburgh Scotland wedding photographer, this day was truly one to remember. X
If you’re still looking for a wedding photographer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, I would absolutely love to photograph you both in this city that I now call home. x
Royal College of Physicians Wedding Ceremony | Gleneagles Townhouse Wedding Reception | Marissa and Mike | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer
Marissa and mike had their wedding ceremony at The Royal College of PHysicians on Queen Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Royal College of Physicians is one of the most iconic library’s that you can get married at in all of Edinburgh. They were married in “The New Library”, which is ironically one of the oldest libraries in Edinburgh as well. It is actually still being used as a functional library today for the college. And of course, The New Library is perfect for an intimate wedding ceremony, and Marissa and Mike had just 10 of thier closest friends and family members with them on their wedding day.
Earlier that day, Marissa got ready in a corner suite at The Cheval the Edinburgh Grand on St. Andrew’s Square, which is just around the corner from The Royal College of Physicians. She had the talented Rae Mathieson doing her makeup and the lovely Stacey Deane do everyone’s hair. They also had the talented Emma, of Timeless White wedding planners, there with her in the bridal suite when I arrived, and of course, she was making sure that every detail was taken care of the entire wedding day. Mike and Marissa had a first look in the Games Room on the 4th floor of the Cheval Edinburgh Grand and then afterwards had a private moment to say their vows to each other with no one else in the room. After they were finished we took a few photos by the elevator in the lobby, which is an image that is sentimental to them both.
The team at Timeless White made sure that the bride and groom were driven around during their wedding portraits by the friendliest taxi service in town, Butlers Chauffeur Hire. Once we got in the car, I had already pre planned with the couple over multiple zoom calls and emails about exactly where they would like to take their wedding portraits in Edinburgh. We started on the old town side of the city first, and roamed around the royal mile and vennel lookout point with the edinburgh castle perfectly placed behind the couple. We then drove over to the new town side of town, where The Royal COllege of Physicians is located, and stopped at both Circus lane in Stockbridge as well as the SCottish National POrtrait Gallery on queen street. THe portrait Gallery is one of my favorite spots to take portraits, as there are so many lovely murals and multiple floors of artwork for every couple to find a lovely corner that they appreciate. The Portrait Gallery is also just one block away from The Royal College of Physicians, so we were able to walk over to the wedding venue.
All of the wedding guests arrived to the new Library ceremony space, which is filled with books, floral installations by The Petal Shoppe, live music by the Capella String Quartet, a surrounding balcony, windy staircases and ornate marble ceilings, while the bride and groom were tucked away in a suite. The wonderfully charming celebrant, Andrew Scott, made the ceremony incredibly scottish and heart warming for these two americans, who have heritage in scotland, with all of the scottish traditions that he shared with their loved ones. After the ceremony, the couple were greeted with confetti outside of the royal college of physicians before their guests headed off to the cocktail hour. But before leaving the stunning architecture of this historic wedding venue in the heart of edinburgh, the couple had one more roam around the new library by themselves to take a few more couple photos and have a private first dance with the live musician still playing in the background.
After leaving the Royal COllege of PHysicians, the couple had a taxi take them around the corner to The Gleneagles Townhouse for a few portraits at The Spence bar. The couple was also able to see all of the lovely floral installations and table decor in the courtyard of the spence restaurant before everyone else, and timeless white and The Petal Shoppe did such a wonderful job with everything. There were figs, grapes, and a soft palette of florals that perfectly matched the Spence’s palette of napkins and interior decor. BAck at the lounge tables by the spence bar, the wedding guests were all enjoying drinks and canapés before they were all escorted down to the courtyard for their seated dinner.
There were many heartfelt speeches, and even a few surprises for me personally, as the groom was from a place I never thought I would hear of again, but was from a small town that I used to live at for a few years in middle GA, and his two friends that gave speeches were also from there. The world is a really small place, and wedding days always remind me of that, especially when so many lovely american couples come over to scotland to get married in beautiful and historic venues in Edinburgh. IRonically, I have zero heritage in SCotland or the UK as a whole, as I’m all Mexican (mom’s side) and Norwegian (my dad’s side), via the DNA test that I took, and just in the last few generations had moved over to America and ended up in chicago, where my parents met as kids. but so many americans have british heritage and I love that they love to all come here to experience this culture. With my husband being scottish and us about to have a child in the next few weeks, I know that our child will love exploring all of the different cultures that make up their historical DNA, just as these two sweet gems did on their wedding day in Edinburgh. x
“The Royal College of Physicians has one of the most historic library spaces for anyone to have an intimate wedding ceremony and is conveniently located in the heart of edinburgh, scotland.”
InterContinental The George Hotel Wedding in Edinburgh, Scotland | Hawksmoor Wedding Photography | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer
A Helpful Look at Planning an Intimate edinburgh City Wedding
When couples start planning a wedding in Edinburgh, one of the biggest questions is how to create a day that feels seamless, meaningful, and easy for guests, especially when working within the city. Emily and Will’s wedding is a great example of how choosing the right venues and keeping things walkable can simplify planning while still feeling special.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George Hotel was the perfect Ceremony Venue
The location was on George Street, in New Town, which is best known for Couples who want an elegant indoor ceremony with historic character and central access to the city. The InterContinental Edinburgh The George Hotel sits right on George Street in the heart of the New Town, making it extremely convenient for both local and destination guests. The hotel occupies a row of Georgian townhouses dating back to the late 1700s, which gives it architectural interest without feeling overly ornate or formal.
Emily and Will chose King’s Hall for their ceremony, because From a planning standpoint, this room works well because It accommodates small to mid-sized guest counts comfortably, has consistent indoor lighting (helpful for photography year-round) and It feels polished without needing extensive décor. Because the ceremony, guest arrival, and post-ceremony drinks all happened within one block of the city, the timeline stayed relaxed. Guests weren’t rushed, and there was no transportation to coordinate, which is a big plus for Edinburgh city weddings.
Another Helpful takeaway, If you’re planning a wedding in Edinburgh and want a weather-proof option with built-in elegance, The George is a solid choice. Its central location also makes it easy to pair with a nearby reception venue.
Having a Walkable Wedding in Edinburgh is such a lovely choice
One of the most practical decisions Emily and Will made was choosing venues within walking distance of each other. After the ceremony, guests walked together from George Street to St Andrew Square, which is aonly about five minutes on foot.
This approach offers several benefits:
- No need to arrange transport or worry about delays - Guests stay connected as a group - The transition becomes part of the experience, not a logistical gap
Edinburgh’s New Town is particularly well suited to this style of wedding. The streets are wide, organized, and easy to navigate, even for guests unfamiliar with the city. When choosing venues in Edinburgh, prioritize proximity. Walkable locations reduce stress, save money, and keep the day flowing naturally.
Emily and will’s wedding Reception Venue at the Hawksmoor in Edinburgh, on Saint Andrew Square was a dream
Choosing any wedding venue on St Andrew Square in Edinburgh is perfect for Couples who want a relaxed, high-quality dining experience in a stylish setting
Hawksmoor Edinburgh is located inside a former bank building overlooking St Andrew Square. The space is large but feels intimate when used for private dining or partial buyouts, which makes it ideal for smaller weddings.
From a reception planning perspective, Hawksmoor works well because
- The food quality is consistently high and guest-focused - The service style is polished but not overly formal - The space doesn’t require much styling to feel complete
Emily and Will’s reception centered on conversation, good food, and time together rather than a highly structured schedule. This is a strong option for couples who value the guest experience over traditional wedding formalities.
If quality food, drinks and atmosphere are high priorities, choosing a restaurant reception like Hawksmoor can simplify planning while delivering a memorable experience.
Why Edinburgh Works Well for Intimate Weddings
Edinburgh, Scotland is especially well suited for smaller, intentional weddings or for intimate destination wedding days. You don’t need to create atmosphere from scratch, as the city already has it. Venues tend to be character-driven, centrally located, and designed for real use rather than large-scale events.
For couples considering Edinburgh, some advantages include:
- Compact layout that supports walkable timelines - High-quality venues with built-in design - Excellent options for dining-focused receptions - Easy access for international and UK guests
Rather than spreading the day across multiple distant locations, Emily and Will kept everything within one neighbourhood, which truly made their wedding day feel cohesive and manageable.
Choosing a Documentary-Style Wedding Photographer in Edinburgh
For city weddings like this, documentary-style photography is often a better fit than heavily posed coverage. Emily and Will worked with me, Melody Joy, and my approach focuses on observing and documenting moments as they happen. This style is especially helpful for Capturing natural guest interactions, Documenting walking transitions between venues and Preserving the real flow of the day, not just highlights.
In busy city environments, a photographer who understands how to work quickly, unobtrusively, and with changing light conditions is a major asset and it doesn’t hurt that I live within walking distance of anywhere in the center of Edinburgh, as I’m based in Stockbridge, a centrally located quaint little neighborhood of Edinburgh. But truly, If your wedding involves movement, multiple locations, or a relaxed schedule, documentary photography helps tell the full story without interrupting it.
Final Thoughts for Couples Planning an Edinburgh Wedding
Emily and Will’s wedding shows how effective simple, well-chosen decisions can be, from One central ceremony venue, A short walk to the reception at Hawksmoor, A focus on guest experience and Photography that reflects real moments.
If you’re considering getting married in Edinburgh and want a day that feels smooth, personal, and easy to manage, this style of planning is worth considering. The city supports it, you just need to choose venues and edinburgh wedding suppliers that work together well for the wedding day that you envision it to be. I hope this blog post has been helpful to anyone planning their wedding day in Edinburgh, from locally or abroad. x
Royal College of Physicians Intimate Wedding Day in Edinburgh, Scotland | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer | DEstination Wedding Photographer
Myranda and paul had the most beautiful, intimate wedding day in Edinburgh, Scotland. The ROyal COllege of Physicians was the main venue for their wedding day, and they had the earlier parts of their wedding scattered all over the beautiful scenes of Edinburgh. Which Jamie, of timeless white, planned the whole day out perfectly, honestly, It was one of those days that just flowed along beautifully, and I think a lot of it was his organization skills, which I really appreciate as a wedding photographer.
First, after getting ready at a flat in New town, Myranda walked over in the lovely rainy weather of scotland, that stopped just before she arrived for her first look underneath edinburgh castle. PauL was waiting for her by standing in front of the ross fountain in princes garden, while he gazed at the castle. It honestly is such a lovely spot for a first look, and the gardens are large enough that you can always find a quiet corner to have an intimate moment for your wedding day.
After the first look, Myranda and Paul strolled through Princes Garden and throughout the royal mile in Old town. They eventually made their way over to the royal cafe to grab a drink while sitting in a corner booth and have a little breather together before heading up to calton hill for the ceremony.
The filmmaker and myself, the talented David James, headed up to calton hill to give the couple some more time to themselves at their rental and to give us time to capture all of the lovely floral installations that Gloam created for their intimate wedding ceremony. The ceremony was set up on the back of the hillside on calton hill, where arthur’s seat was the iconic backdrop. After watching one day recently, I am sure arthur’s seat will be a part of even more love stories now. It really is such a beautiful hill and so close to the city. Anyways, back to the wedding day, Myranda and Paul’s wedding guests all arrived on a double decker vintage bus to the top of the hill, and myranda’s dad walked her down the aisle while paul was waiting at the top of calton hill with the landscape of edinburgh able to be seen within a 360 view all around him.
“After the ceremony on calton hill, the wedding guests headed over to The Royal College of Physicians in the new town neighborhood of Edinburgh, scotland for the cocktail hour in the cullen suite and an intimate dinneR reception in the new library.”
After the ceremony, Myranda and paul joined their wedding guests aboard the vintage bus to drive over to the royal college of physicians in the new town neighborhood of edinburgh, where the guests were having cocktails upstairs in the cullen suite. Because they already had their wedding portraits taken before the ceremony they were able to mingle and enjoy the full cocktail hour with their loved ones.
When the cocktail hour was wrapping up, the opened the doors to the New library, where one long dinner table had been decorated by the edinburgh floral stylists, GLOAm. The long table was full of tall candlesticks, florals and little disco balls The dinner table was surrounded by all of the bookshelves in the royal college of physicians, and is actually a working college and library to this day. from a wedding photographers point of view, having a balcony in the library really makes for great angles of you and your guests if you choose to have your intimate wedding day at the royal college of physicians.
another reason that you would want to get married here, is that they have such lovely caterers, such as saltire hospitality, who not only have delicious and beautiful dishes they serve, but their staff is always so helpful and friendly to work with. Of course, Jamie, of the timeless White wedding planning team, made sure that myranda and paul had a wonderful team of local wedding vendors to make this wedding day run so seamlessly.
Myranda and Paul had the amazing DJ Sam Young, who has DJ’d for “George Clooney, Idris Elba weddings, Elton John’s 60th, events for Gucci, Valentino, GQ ‘most connected men’ event”… just to name a few from his socials. So what I love about this Edinburgh wedding venue that is if you really want to work with someone they are open to it, and I love that Myranda and Paul really wanted an amazing dj, even for how intimate their micro wedding day was.
They danced the night away in the great hall, where the flashing lights of the disco ball sparkled all over the grand pillars that surrounded the room as well as all over the historic and ornate sculptures and detailed cornicing work on the ceilings. Overall, the royal college of physicians was the perfect wedding venue for this intimate wedding day in Edinburgh, Scotland.
“The Royal College of Physicians is one of the loveliest library wedding venues in Edinburgh for an Intimate Wedding Day with your loved ones.”
IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO DOCUMENT YOUR INTIMATE WEDDING DAY at the royal college of physicians IN EDINBURGH, INQUIRE WITH ME AND tell me all about your LOVELY wedding day on MY INQUIRY FORM.
The Royal College of Physicians wedding in Edinburgh, Scotland | Jessica & Lewis | St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral | Edinburgh wedding Photographer
Jessica and Lewis chose to have their wedding day in their lovely hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland at the royal college of Physicians, A historic wedding venue located in the heart of Edinburgh on Queen Street. Lewis got ready ready in his childhood home with his best friends and they ended up walking to a local pub for pints just before heading to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church to start greeting everyone for the wedding ceremony. Jessica started her day by getting ready in the main bridal suite of the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel with all of her best friends and family members. the talented Rae Mathieson did an amazing job on Jessica’s makeup and MElanie Herriot did a beautiful job on her long wavy hairstyle.
A vintage car drove Jessica and her dad over to ST. Mary’s Episcopal Church in the west end, for their beautiful wedding ceremony. Then after the vows, the edinburgh string ensemble playing, then being led out of the ceremony by a bagpiper, they had a long sparkler exit all of the way back to their blue vintage car and drove over to The ROyal College of Physicians of Edinburgh for their cocktail hour and wedding reception. The cullen suite is where they had their portraits taken and the late night buffet desert table and the new library was where the guests congregated for drinks during the cocktail hour and room change before and after the dinner in the great hall. All of the rooms were such lovely and unique spaces for the guests to wakl around and mingle.
One of my favorite parts of the wedding day was during the cocktail hour in The New Library room of The Royal College of physicians, because they had a brass band, called Top tier Brass, playing covers of a lot of dance songs from the second level of the library while everyone below with their drinks created a dance floor as soon as the tunes started. It was such a great atmosphere for everyone and it was one of those weddings where everyone danced and was in high spirits the entire evening. they switched up the music again for the main dance floor in the great hall, where they had jonny ross music dj’ing and had two guys on a saxophone and bongos walking around and working the crowd. IT was such a fun evening full of limbos, laughter and learning on the dance floor about guests going “true scotsman in a kilt.” look it up, if you don’t know what that means.
It was also my first time working with Ollie & Ivy on a wedding day, and they did such a beautiful job with the floral arrangements, from the wedding bouquet, to the ceremony, to the floral installations to the dinner table centerpieces. Overall, I would easily recommend them again as a wedding florist in Edinburgh.
In the end, this was such a beautiful wedding day in the center of edinburgh. ALso, Jessica did such an amazing job planning this entire wedding day by herself. Honestly, I’m sure the staff at the royal college of physicians helped a lot, but I was so impressed at Jessica’s eye for detail, understanding of timelines and overall taste and style for the vendors she selected and the vision she had. All in all, this was another lovely wedding day at the royal college of physicians in edinburgh and it’s a bit of “win, win” that I live within walking distance of this wedding venue and could just stroll a few blocks home at the end of the night. x