Tonight we’re heading to one of our favourite Scottish beaches, St Cyrus in Aberdeenshire where Julia and Charlie celebrated their engagement with a beautiful and romantic shoot. They were joined by their springer spaniel, Knox who loved getting in on the action.
Love at first sight or gradual attraction?
We met in the Opal Lounge in Edinburgh on a night out in November 2013 after a Scotland Rugby Autumn Test game against Australia. I was working at Murrayfield Rugby Stadium as the Conference & Events Sales Manager as part of the match day hospitality team and living the single life in Edinburgh. Sadly, we were defeated by Australia so all us events girls decided to head out into George Street to drown our sorrows and party the night away.
Little did I know that Charlie had been at the game with his friends and regularly attended the Six Nations and Autumn Test matches at Murrayfield Staduim.
Our first impressions of each other were ‘Wow, who is this that?’. In a crowded club we couldn’t take our eyes off each other and simply had to find out more. Charlie looked devilishly dapper and I was all glammed up.
And how was the big question popped?
Charlie and I had been together for three years and in October 2016 he whisked me away to London for a surprise long weekend. He organised a suite at beautiful The Kensington Hotel, we took in a show (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) and visited all the must-see sites in London and we dined in Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden.
The restaurant was so intimate, ultra romantic and stylish, influenced by Provence and Tuscany. The restaurant is adorned by cherry trees and candlelight, Charlie booked the exclusive table for two in the centre of the restaurant which even has a waiting list! He then took me to Ladurée, the Parisian style bakery famed for its macarons.
Little did I know that Charlie was planning to propose but the ring couldn’t be delivered to the hotel!
So after a fabulous luxury weekend away, on our way home we went to collect our much loved English Springer Spaniel dog, Knox who was being looked after my his parents. We took Knox for a walk on a local country estate, which features handcarved wooden statues of two hearts. Charlie got down on bended knee with Knox by his side and proposed and asked me to be his wife and Knox’s mummy.
Why did you choose St Cyrus beach for your engagement shoot?
We wanted a different look from our wedding photographs as we knew they would feature a lot of woodland scenery on the estate and formal photographs. We loved the idea of a barefoot beach engagement session which would offer us completely different light, colours and scenery. I love soft, romantic, glowy and modern photography and our photographers, The Gibsons really delivered.
We ventured to the lesser known side of St Cyrus beach with its magnificent black rock cliffs and sand dunes, you can stroll along the beautiful sand and enjoy the breathtaking rugged scenery. We were totally undisturbed during our shoot, having the beach all to ourselves was a real treat! Engagement shoots should be simple, romantic and above all the love should shine through in every photograph.
I searched all over Scotland for a specific style of contemporary, stylish and light fine art photographers. I came across The Gibsons work on various bridal blogs and magazines and I was delighted I found them!
The Gibsons delivered incredibly dreamy, soft light and classically stylish images. They managed to capture images which are full of emotion, intimacy and fun and captured the moments as they happened to tell our wedding day story. After all, moments pass and memories fade but a photo lasts forever!
Our styling was tweed, white tops and dark blue jeans… a little matchy-matchy! Oh and Knox had a bath! I brought candles and an oatmeal cashmere fringe blanket with me as the wind would capture the moment beautifully. Little did I realise that my hair would totally work it on the day!
And what inspired your wedding plans?
Charlie found Drumtochty Castle and it was the only venue we ended up viewing as it ticked all the boxes. We wanted a sumptuous stately home that was in a dramatic setting with endless photo opportunities. It is beautifully decorated in a neutral palette with fresh colours and glamourous golden hues. It was exclusively ours Friday to Sunday to ensure our guests could arrive in style, relax and enjoy the surroundings.
My wedding inspiration board was one of the first things I created before booking any suppliers or appointments as it was key to the overall styling. My fall wedding inspiration board was modern autumnal opulent, ultra-chic and romantic with an enchanted dream forest. The colour scheme was white, ivory, blush tones and golden hues.
I purchased ‘The Wedding Bible’ by Sarah Haywood which was fabulous in giving me a step-by-step guide on planning our perfect wedding. I brought this with me to planning and bridal appointments, it kept me super organised and gives great hints and tips along the way.
What a setting! If you would like to see Julia & Charlie’s wedding then you can head over to the fantastic Want The Wedding to read more about their day. x
Location – St Cyrus beach, Aberdeenshire
Photographer – The Gibsons
