Highland “Fling” – The full wedding story of Abbie and John – Dornoch, Scotland 12.12.09

It was about this time last year that I began communicating with Abbie about her wedding in Scotland. When the wedding that she originally started planning in Florida began to transform into something she wasn’t passionate about, she decided to take a completely different turn. She told me that one day, in her crazy search for venues in Florida, her friend emailed her one of the many forwards we get filled with funny jokes and iconic images to “brighten ones day”. In this email was an image of a castle that sparked her imagination. One thing led to another and Abbie began trying to track down where that image was taken. In her search out of pure curiosity, she found the element that was missing in her planning process. She began to research weddings in Scotland and after much clicking of the mouse, her and John settled on the quaint little town of Dornoch, Scotland to have their wedding. I truly was so excited when Abbie and John chose me to document such a intimate wedding in an absolute gorgeous destination. It has been one of the best experiences that I have taken with me so far in my career. Between a visit to their hometown in Chicago to photograph their engagement session, to traveling halfway across the world, I really feel that I’ve gotten to see all the beautiful things that make up Abbie and John’s relationship. They are meant for each other. With a year to plan, I decided that I wanted to share this experience with my sister Amy. With a wedding guest list of only 40, I knew she would make the perfect assistant! So on December 9th, Amy and I hopped our first out of many flights on our trek to Dornoch. Arriving there was surreal. I felt that I was living in a little snow globe. We were welcomed by the friendly staff at the Dornoch Castle Hotel. It was exactly how one would imagine. The lobby with a huge, roaring fire place, wooden floors, stone walls, and the perfect little bar serving great beer. I was home! There was even a resident castle cat named “Charley”. All he would do is lay by the fireplace. We think it helped with his arthritis. So, inlay a picturesque and perfect setting for a wedding. All that Abbie imagined, and all that this Abby was hoping for! The next three days were purely magical. As family and close friends arrived, everyone, including Amy and I, shared a sense of excitement and closeness. We all ate and drank together, and got to know one another. It was really nice to be so close and apart of their circle. I felt that we were just another friend in this exceptional trip to celebrate their wedding. It was a magical time being able to have a glimpse into the lives of these people, and being able to laugh and share stories. The day after the wedding was great too. Since it gets dark so early there, we didn’t really have much time to capture portraits of Abbie and John during the day. So, the next morning we all met back down in the lobby and set out for two hours to photograph all over Dornoch. Amy and Kate helped with styling and even shot some video. Then they headed back to plan our trip to Edinburgh, Dublin, London, and then Paris. Yes, we had just begun our trip to the UK and France! It was so exciting and so much fun. So many memories were made! Below is the wedding story of Abbie and John from rehearsal to day after session. I hope you all enjoy viewing these as much as I truly have enjoyed capturing them. To Abbie and John, thank you for the amazing opportunity to document your wedding. I will always remember it! xoxo – Abby