This year has been difficult for many couples, with restrictions preventing dancing, live music, guest numbers and so much more. Every single couple whose wedding I have had the honour of photographing over the past year and a half has had to make challenging choices on who to invite, and more painfully,  who might not be able to make it.

When I first spoke to Alexia & David, Mexico was still on the Red List. Alexia's family were not going to be able to attend without spending thousands on hotel quarantine and there was talk of Zooming in - and with Mexico being 5hrs behind, some might be watching from their beds or in PJs for the 11am ceremony. Making decisions on who to invite is tough, but it is nothing in comparison to knowing two of the most important people in your life simply can't be there.

The Royal Botanic Gardens

This year has been difficult for many couples, with restrictions preventing dancing, live music, guest numbers and so much more. Every single couple whose wedding I have had the honour of photographing over the past year and a half has had to make challenging choices on who to invite, and more painfully,  who might not be able to make it.

When I first spoke to Alexia & David, Mexico was still on the Red List. Alexia's family were not going to be able to attend without spending thousands on hotel quarantine and there was talk of Zooming in - and with Mexico being 5hrs behind, some might be watching from their beds or in PJs for the 11am ceremony. Making decisions on who to invite is tough, but it is nothing in comparison to knowing two of the most important people in your life simply can't be there.

And then in one evening, everything changed for David & Alexia. Mexico came off the Red List and within hours, tickets were being booked. Mum, Dad, Aunties were all flying out to join Alexia on this special day.

….and what a special day it was.

John Muir Grove

At 10am it had already been raining an hour. On our venue visit just weeks earlier, we'd had the perfect weather so there was always the worry that our luck had already been used up. But as much as the Scottish Weather was trying to win out on the morning of the wedding, I suspect Alexia's parents brought a little bit of the Mexican sunshine with them.

By the time I was walking up to the John Muir Grove in the Royal Botanic Gardens  where the ceremony was to take place, there were blue skies, sunshine and only the distant memory of rain.

With the harpist playing serenely in the background and guests gathering for the imminent nuptials, I grabbed David & his groomsmen, Angus & Mike, for some relaxed, pre-ceremony shots.

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I sensed he was a little nervous - partly the cameras now capturing his every move, partly the fact that he was minutes away from becoming a married man.

The friends looked fantastic in their kilts, their bright yellow button-holes like a little ray of sunshine on their suits.

The Bridal Party were minutes away, and so I headed down to the Eastern Gate with Alexia's dad, who looked absolutely amazing in his purple kilt.

Spying the beautiful ladies in purple and mauve, Lego bouquets gripped in their hands,  I raced a little ahead to capture the perfect moment where Victor saw his daughter for the first time.

As Victor held back the tears at the sight of his stunning daughter - her dress glistening in the golden sunlight, her beautiful cape floating in the gentle breeze - he leaned in for a hug, months and miles apart from their last one.

The look of love, admiration and pride in his eyes was unrivalled. He had flown over 5,000 miles for this moment - to be there for his daughter on one of the most important days of her life.

All that worry over Red Lists and quarantine hotels was suddenly worth it.

But there was another moment worth waiting for just a few hundred metres away....

Underneath the giant sequoias we waited, excitement teasing the sunshine through the leaves.

With one eye on David and another on the beautiful bridesmaids coming down the aisle, I was ready for his reaction at seeing Alexia for the first time.

And as his cheeks curled up into the biggest grin, and his eyes beamed with happiness, I caught a moment in time that could never be repeated.  

For the entire ceremony it felt as if we were the only ones in the gardens. The peace and serenity of the grove was the perfect place for David & Alexia to exchange their vows.

With such an open setting, it was a joy to photograph, getting a variety of angles and zooming in to catch the ring exchange, first kiss, and the little loving glances between husband and wife.

There was so much love between those trees that day, I'm sure we all took a little piece home with us.

As the guests made their way to fizz and canapes on the other side of the Botanics following some group shots, it was time for part of their wedding I was most looking forward to.

Couples Portraits

From the light streaming through the trees to the bronze, autumnal hues of the leaves, it was a photographer's dream.

With so many locations to play with, it was a struggle to just stick with the ones we'd agreed on during our venue visit. I could barely contain my excitement at the time!    

As we wandered around the rockery and down to the bridge, David and Alexia's happiness outshone everything else, from the beauty of the gardens to even the sun itself.

There's a reason why Autumn is my favourite season.

The colours and lighting are just magical. It's like no other time of the year. Even the whitest, crispest snow or the hottest summer's day could not compete with the deep crimsons, burnt oranges and golden yellows of October.