SPOTLIGHT ON RAINI ROWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Today we’re turning our spotlight onto the beautifully named and equally wonderful, Raini Rowell. Specialising in outdoor elopements, Raini is deeply inspired by ancient Celtic heritage, creating connection to the Scottish landscape and a curiosity for capturing the essence of a couple.

Working alongside her husband, Dave, she celebrates the unique fleeting moments shared between couples out in the wilds of Scotland. They love nothing more than helping to guide couples to a meaningful and unforgettable elopement, which feels like an honest reflection of you as a couple – infused with the magic and heritage of Scotland.

Tell us more about you. How did you get into wedding photography?

This winding story starts with an architecture student who bought a DSLR in the desperate hope that taking beautiful photos of her handmade building models would somehow make the models less rubbish. Alas, it didn’t work so the camera languished in a cupboard gathering dust.

After I’d been performing in the Beltane Fire Festival for a few years, my attention finally turned to the photography group who capture the preparations and the festival itself. The Beltane Fire Festival is a Celtic festival which takes place on Calton Hill, Edinburgh which celebrates the changing of the seasons featuring costumed performers, drummers and LOTS of fire. I shot the festival on and off for a couple of years – quickly teaching me how to use my camera under difficult lighting conditions (costumed performers running around lit only by firelight!) to capture fleeting moments of performance. It was truly a trial by fire and I had to learn fast!

Like many photographers, I fell into weddings when I was asked to second shoot for another photographer. I spent a couple of years doing this and it led on a few weddings myself. And, as much as I enjoyed the days, I always felt like the moments I found special were too short. The moments after the ceremony, where the couple finally have a moment alone, were the times I could see the beautiful connection they shared and witness the importance of what’s just happened sink in.
So I stopped photographing weddings. I concentrated on only photographing couples – where they had plenty of time and freedom to share uninterrupted moments of intimacy and joy together – revelling in their unique funky love. Being part of Beltane had instilled a deeper love for Scotland, its heritage and its ancient traditions – so as my work took me and my couples further into the wilds, it also took me closer to ritual and ceremonies. It’s not too surprising to guess that this took me full circle back to weddings  – specifically outdoor elopements in Scotland. I now photograph these alongside my husband Dave.

What do you love most about your work?

I fell in love with elopements for the intentionality they hold! Every decision is focused solely on the couple and what is important to them. With elopements, there is SO much opportunity for couples to create a day that is a true reflection of them – no should, musts or expectations to uphold, except their own.

It’s a real privilege witnessing couples sharing a day feeling free and safe to be their most honest vulnerable selves – whether that’s quiet, cuddly romantic moments or running through a glen laughing their arses off. Sharing that day in the magical outdoors of Scotland, witnessing people fall in love with the land, is something that always makes my wee heart come alive.

For me, I believe where something happens is as significant as what happens. This is why I spend a lot of time in the run-up getting to know my couples, helping them find an amazing location to suit them and creating an exciting timeline for the day which feels like them. I love helping my couples craft a day full of meaningful touches.

Who, or what inspires you?

Ancient Celtic traditions and feeling a connection to the land is a big source of inspiration for Dave and I – we try to live seasonally and intentionally as best we can and celebrate each changing season with a small ritual. Trying to capture that indescribable feeling you get when you head out into the wilds is something we’re always trying to achieve. It’s a similar feeling we get when we hear folklore stories and folk music – we’re big fans of Cartoon Saloon animation films.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

On a remote island, in the Outer Hebrides, drinking cocktails whilst waiting out the zombie apocalypse?  On a serious note, if Covid has reinforced anything for me, it’s that even the best-made plans can go awry. Let’s dream and steer in those directions, but anything can happen in five years!

Tell us a secret…

I changed my name to Raini when I was 7 years old… if you buy me a drink, I’ll tell you what my birth name was and why it was very important that I changed it before high school.

On a day off, we’ll find you where?

Dave and I are 50% adventurers, 50% home bodies. We love setting off in the car to seek out places undiscovered by us – finding new interesting nooks and crannies.

Sometimes we like to play our made-up game of ‘Follow the Brown Sign’ – we follow those brown road signs which indicate a tourist/sightseeing destination and oh my word, some of the places we end up are wonderfully weird. And half the time we end up lost somewhere.

But we also love pottering around at home together – cooking a nice meal then chilling with a film or popping on the fire in the winter.

Anything else you would love to share?

I’m excited to be part of the WFIL family – we have such a brilliant talented network of suppliers who share a passion for Scotland. I’m really chuffed to work alongside them.

What Raini’s couples say:

“Raini is a very talented photographer and a joyful person to spend time with. She has a very interesting perspective and can capture the moment. Our pictures turned out very beautiful and look natural. Also, she is great fun and made us feel so comfortable during the session so in the end we all laughed and had such a pleasant time in the beautiful area of Edinburgh city. We cannot highly recommend anyone else for your special occasion or memory. I am so glad I found her. Thank you very much for your dedication and beautiful memory you have created for us.”

“It was a wonderful experience from start to finish. My husband and I were getting married in Scotland, and she made sure to allocate time to chat to us, send us some questionnaires to learn about our relationship, and look over our elopement scheduling. It was a really lovely experience overall, and she is just as friendly in person as through Skype. We are very happy to have come across her Instagram when we did because Raini and her husband Dave went beyond what we were expecting to make our day really special: they suggested things that we could include in the ceremony, explored the castle, looked after my dress (and safety, hehe!) and the pictures are gorgeous!

“My partner and I usually feel rather uncomfortable in front of the camera. But Raini made the photoshoot a really relaxed and fun experience for us. She has such a positive attitude and just wants you to feel comfortable every second. She captured some of the most intimate and beautiful shots of us celebrating our love and happiness. She has a great eye for detail, is very patient and such a lovely person to be around. Thank you Raini for the gorgeous photos.”

In love with Raini’s beautifully romantic photography? Yep, us too! To see more of this glorious talent, and all round legend head on over to Raini’s website .