Sometimes, the best place to get married isn’t at a fancy venue or a tropical destination that’s been on your bucket list. Sometimes, turning your family home into your wedding venue is exactly what you need. Coley and Liam hosted their DIY wedding at their family farm in Falkirk, Scotland. I was really looking forward to photographing this amazing day for them using digital and film.

So, a bit of background to Coley and Liam’s wedding. I think this might have been Version 3. They had two previous bookings with me, both postponed because of the pandemic. All their wedding planning was put on the back burner for a few years, during which time they relocated back to Scotland. Everything changed.

Planning A DIY Home Farm Wedding

Their original plans were centred around an established barn venue, but the move back to Scotland sparked a new idea. They swapped the structured feel of a commercial wedding estate for the raw, sentimental beauty of a DIY family farm. It wasn’t just a venue change; it was a homecoming. Having a ceremony where their hearts truly belonged made sense, so it felt natural to host their DIY wedding at their farm in Scotland.

Coley said they chose their home for their wedding “Having our closest friends and family together (from Scotland and Australia) at our home to celebrate with us. It’s been 5 years since we had originally planned to get married – and now it’s actually happening and we get to do it at our home.”

Converting Spaces for a Wedding

For Coley and Liam, this meant a lot of work to prep their venue. Corey and Liam cleared space for a ceremony; they cleared an old barn and built a bar. They converted horse stables into toilets, and a horsebox into a gift and card table. They hired, they borrowed, they recruited friends, and they worked hard to convert their rustic family farm into a dedicated bespoke venue for their wedding.

Their plans swapped a dedicated coordinator and tried-and-tested for a plan with hard work and a lot of good friends to help out.When I asked Coley and Liam what they were most excited about, they replied:

“Very excited to have the people we love and our animals who we love (dogs, cats, horses and chickens) at our home that we love, to celebrate how much we love each other! Just very excited to share that with everyone!”

I love photographing a home farm wedding like this in Scotland. I think it’s creates a uniquely personal celebration. The ability to create memories of a place that’s special to you. I love the idea that every time you pass something in your home, it connects to your wedding.

First Look Before Their Wedding

I think what really made this wedding work (and made it a creative experience for me) was that Coley and Liam didn’t have the usual wedding timeline. They started their day by getting ready, followed by a first look at the garden. We then had some family portraits and a drinks reception, greeting their guests. Mixing up the timeline added to the feel of the day and kept it feeling less traditional. As a wedding photographer, it also kept me on my toes!

Humanist Ceremony at a Family Farm Wedding

Coley and Liam asked Kathryn Hanson to be their humanist celebrant for their wedding. Kathryn’s style really fitted well with this DIY ceremony at a family farm. I enjoy photographing a humanist wedding because it often takes a laid-back approach that complements my own style. The views across the countryside really added an extra layer to their wedding.

35mm Film and Farm Wedding

I think the mix of 35mm and digital photography really work with a family farm wedding in Scotland. The combination of the raw, unpolished aesthetic is beautiful with 35mm analogue film photography. When you’re planning a wedding that is about how it feels, about that emotional connection and tactile feeling, then 35mm film is the perfect partner to capture a celebration in Scotland.

I think photos for family farm weddings in Scotland should have soul to them; they should be beautiful because they capture what it felt like to be there.

Farm Wedding Aesthetics

Coley and Liam used some rustic decor with their wedding. This stripped-back aesthetic, with undressed chairs and bare trestle tables, added to the vibe of their wedding. It felt raw and organic, with crushed linen table runners in natural tones and brass candle holders. The cutlery was presented in hessian pouches, and small glass vases adorned the table with dried plants as table centrepieces. Liam and Coley had polaroid photos of themselves with guests on the tables too, adding a personal touch to the decorations. I really loved the light up neon sign, that read “nothing fancy just love”. This became a phrase that repeated throughout the wedding decor, and was written on the polaroids. It really reflected on the whole feel of the day.

All these elements added to the untraditional feel of their wedding.

Delicious Farm Wedding Food in Scotland

Coley and Liam hired a wood-fired pizza van to cater for their wedding, The Woodfired Guys. They were able to keep the guests’ appetites sated with canapes until it was time for the main meal. Tables went up one group at a time to the food van, where everything was freshly prepared and cooked to order.

Beautiful Bespoke Wedding Dress

Coley wore a gorgeous bespoke wedding dress from Glasgow-based designer Flossy and Dossy. The embroidered jacket really added a pop of colour to Coley’s outfit, and was removed for the ceremony and dancing. Wendy at Flossy and Dossy is one of the best Scottish wedding dress designers around, and offers a calm and relaxed experience for her customers. She designed my wedding dress too, so I speak from experience!

Ceilidh Party for a Farm Wedding

I think there’s a few things that just go together when we talk about family farm weddings in Scotland. Kilts, whisky, 35mm film, and a cracking ceilidh band. Coley and Liam booked Scotia Ceilidh Band for their wedding, and my goodness, they know how to get a floor filled! The music created an amazing atmosphere for guests to run riot through Strip the Willow, Gay Gordons and Dashing White Sargent. I love a ceilidh too, especially as I get some of my favourite dancing photos. It’s so much fun to see people letting go of their inhibitions and twirling and dancing round, it offers the best photo opportunities!

Scottish Family Farm Wedding Photography

When it comes to weddings, this style speaks to my heart. As a wedding photographer in Scotland, my style is all about weddings with soul and heart to them. When it’s about creating an experience and a feeling rather than carefully curated trends. I love meeting couples who bring their own creativity to their wedding. When I work with people who have that intrinsic creativity, I end up producing some of my best work. This was one of my favourite weddings to photograph, so if you love the pictures from it and you’re planning your own farm wedding, please get in touch.

Scottish Farm Wedding Suppliers

Coley and Liam booked my Senja full-day package, which was the perfect fit for their DIY timeline. Because this package covers everything from the morning preparations right through to the last dance of the ceilidh, we had the freedom to capture the “first look” in the garden and all those spontaneous moments that happen when you’re celebrating at home.

• Humanist Celebrant: Kathryn Hanson
• Wedding Dress: Flossy and Dossy
• Hair Stylist: Jennifer Jane
• Catering: The Woodfired Guys
• Ceilidh Band: Scotia Ceilidh Band
• Florals: Belle’s Boutique AU (Dried Australian Natives)