Aberdeenshire Wedding Photographer – Zoe & Adam’s Brotherton Castle Wedding

Zoe and Adam chose Brotherton Castle in Johnshaven, Aberdeenshire, for their July wedding, creating a celebration that felt very personal to them from start to finish.

Brotherton Castle is home to Lathallan School, making it a very different setting from the usual wedding venues we photograph. But the castle, its beautiful rooms and grounds made a lovely setting for their wedding, especially with all the personal touches Zoe and Adam had added themselves.

As an Aberdeenshire wedding photographer, I love photographing weddings in different places and seeing how each couple makes their day their own. Zoe and Adam’s wedding was full of laughter, emotional moments and lots of little details that showed how much thought they had put into everything.

Zoe & Adam’s Wedding at Brotherton Castle

We first met Zoe and Adam a few months before the wedding for their pre-wedding photoshoot. From the beginning, it was easy to see how happy they were together.

Zoe had told us that she wasn't the biggest fan of having her photo taken, but during the shoot we were able to show them how we work and how relaxed our approach is. It was also a chance for us all to get to know each other before the wedding day. By the end of the session, Zoe told us that they felt very comfortable with us and that the photos were far beyond what they had expected.

That was lovely to hear, and it also meant that when we arrived at their wedding, we already knew each other and they knew what to expect from us.

See one of my pre-wedding photoshoots here.

A Calm Morning in Gourdon and Montrose

Zoe spent the morning getting ready with her family at an Airbnb in Gourdon, very close to the sea. There was a hairdresser and make-up artist there, and the morning was calm and relaxed as everyone got ready.

Adam was getting ready in a hotel room with his best man.

Both sides of the morning had that quiet feeling before the day really got going. Everyone knew the ceremony was getting closer, but there was still time to enjoy those last moments before heading to the castle.

An Indoor Ceremony at Brotherton Castle

When we arrived at Brotherton Castle, the mist was still hanging around and the ground was wet. The original plan had been to have the ceremony outside, but Zoe and Adam decided to move it indoors. It was a really good alternative. The castle has some beautiful rooms, and the ceremony looked lovely inside.

Guests arrived and gathered for the ceremony, with a harpist playing as everyone took their seats.

When Zoe walked down the aisle, Adam became emotional as soon as he saw her. They had written their own vows, which made the ceremony very personal, and there were plenty of emotional moments as they exchanged rings and said their promises to each other.

The weather stayed misty throughout the day, but moving the ceremony inside didn't take anything away from it.

Confetti, Family Photos and Portraits Around the Castle

After the ceremony, everyone headed outside for confetti in front of the castle.

We love confetti. It always gives us some of those fun, natural photographs, especially when everyone gets involved.

We then photographed the family and group photos before taking Zoe and Adam around the castle grounds for some time together. There are lovely areas at the front of the castle as well as a garden at the back, so we had a few different places to work with.

As with all our weddings, we kept the couple portraits relaxed and natural. Zoe and Adam didn't want to spend a lot of time away from their guests, so we made the most of the time we had and then sent them back to enjoy the rest of the day with everyone.

Their pre-wedding photoshoot also meant that they were already comfortable with us and familiar with our way of working, which made everything feel very natural on the wedding day.

A Wedding Full of Personal Touches

Zoe had put so much work into the wedding herself. She is a teacher and very organised, and you could definitely see that in all the planning that had gone into the day. Many of the decorations were made by Zoe, with a little help from the people close to her. It made the reception feel personal and showed how much of the wedding had come from the two of them.

After the ceremony and portraits, everyone sat down for the meal and speeches. There were plenty of laughs and a few emotional moments during the speeches, just as you'd expect at a wedding where everyone knew Zoe and Adam so well.

The Wedding Quiz, Cake Cutting and Scottish Ceilidh

After the meal, there was a quiz about Zoe and Adam and how well their guests knew them.

A teacher from the school had taken on the role of the wedding coordinator for the day and also ran the quiz, reading the questions out to everyone while they appeared on a screen. Guests could join in by scanning a QR code and answering on their phones, with a box of chocolates as the prize.

It was a fun way to get everyone involved and gave the evening something a little different.

After the quiz came the cake cutting, followed by the first dance and then a Scottish ceilidh with Iron Broo. We always enjoy photographing ceilidhs. The dance floor rarely stays empty, and even people who don't know all the dances tend to get involved. There is usually a lot of laughter, plenty of movement and lots happening all around the room.

Later in the evening, the dancing paused for something very important: pizza from a pizza van.

Everyone had a chance to grab some food before heading back onto the dance floor and carrying on with the celebrations.

Aberdeenshire Wedding Photographer

If you're planning a wedding in Aberdeenshire and looking for relaxed, natural and candid wedding photography, we'd love to hear about your plans. Although we're based in Dundee & Angus, we photograph weddings across Scotland, including Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

A pre-wedding photoshoot is also available if you'd like to meet us before your wedding and get comfortable in front of the camera. Zoe and Adam chose to have one a few months before their wedding, and it was a lovely chance for us to get to know each other before the big day.

You can see more real weddings on our blog, browse our Scottish wedding photography portfolio, or get in touch to tell us about your wedding.