GG’s Yard in Dumfries and Galloway was one of those venues that was on my bucket list as a wedding photographer for quite some time. It was an elusive venue that other photographers seemed to book but kept slipping through my fingers. Until one day I got a call from Zoe about her nuptials to Joe.

Zoe and I chatted for ages on the phone. The more she told me about her plans and what she wanted, the more I felt that we would be a great match.

Beautiful Scottish wedding venue

Zoe and Joe live in Dumfries and Galloway so it made sense for them to book this beautiful coastal venue. GG’s Yard is a beautiful wedding venue set part way up a hill, deep in the southern Scottish countryside in a wonderful rural secluded location. The venue itself is stunning. It’s a lovely barn type venue, but with all those touches to it that make it work perfectly. A combination of thoughtfulness in it’s design and layout that make it frankly faultless. To start with, it has a dressing room which is perfect for bridal prep. This sits at the top of a mezzanine that leads down a flight of stairs to the ceremony area. To one side of the ceremony area, you have the space for the tables for the meal, and lots of areas for guests to mingle, sit, chat around the bar, and move around. All put together in such a way that you don’t feel claustrophobic, and while being open plan, each area feels distinct in it’s role.

Great Wedding venue layout

Add to that the wonderful glass skylights in the rooftop, which stops it from feeling like a lot of other barn venues. GG’s Yard feels light and airy inside which is ideal for wedding photography. The natural light is incredibly flattering when it comes to photos. I also love how you can move around the space, even when packed full of tables, and have enough room to manouver comfortably. The raised walkway also allows a clear view of guests from a slight elevated position.

I’ve had many a wedding venue where I’ve found myself hemmed into a corner when all the tables were occupied, unable to change my angle for candid photographs. GG’s Yard has space, and you can easily move around the perimeter without people noticing. It’s a photography ninja’s playground.

Outside, there’s a patio, and garden. The patio has outdoor seating, which was perfect for Zoe and Joe’s wedding since most of the guests ended up sitting outdoors. The garden offers some soft open shade for people.

Scottish beach wedding photographs

Zoe and Joe had a wonderful ceremony at GG’s Yard conducted by Fuze Ceremonies. Afterwards the guests headed outdoors for the reception. We were able to drive to the nearby beach for some photographs too. Although the beach was busy with people, it added to the feeling of having a lovely coastal wedding. Inevitably, Zoe and Joe received plenty of compliments from beach goers.

Hilltop wedding photos

In the evening, we drove further up the hill towards Gather, for some stunning vistas for wedding photographs. The team at GG’s Yard were fantastic and on hand throughout the wedding to help out and keep the day flowing. In addition, Zoe and Joe booked an amazing videographer, my friend Lee from Swift Productions.

I would love to go back to GG’s Yard for another wedding in the future. I certainly feel that I’ve not exhausted it’s photographic potential yet. Are you planning a GG’s Yard wedding and looking for a wedding photographer? Get in touch.

You can find out more about my alternative wedding photography approach. To arrange a chat and find out my availability get in touch. Can’t wait to hear from you!