Annie Get Your Gun | Andrea & Stephen at Coos’ Cathedral

There are weddings where everything feels beautifully elegant and composed.

And then there are weddings where the bride gets a gun.

Andrea or Annie, as she’s also known, and Stephen’s wedding at Coos’ Cathedral was very much my kind of day: gorgeous surroundings, glorious sunshine and a couple who were completely up for having some fun.

Apparently, Annie even chose an Annie to photograph her wedding partly because of the name. Clearly an excellent decision. 😉

The morning began at The Gables before everyone made their way across to Coos’ Cathedral on the Aboyne Castle Estate in Royal Deeside.

Built in 1889, Coos’ Cathedral was originally a rather magnificent steading for pedigree cattle. Today it has become one of the most distinctive wedding venues in Aberdeenshire, with its huge stone building, arched windows and beautiful surrounding grounds.

And on this particular day, the weather absolutely showed it off.

After the ceremony, guests spilled outside into the sunshine for drinks and canapés while the piper led the way across the grounds and Harriet came trundling behind.

It was one of those wonderfully Scottish scenes that almost didn't need any direction from me at all, the piper walking out ahead, Henrietta following, guests gathering outside the Cathedral and that huge sweep of blue sky above everything.

Then, while everyone was enjoying the canapés, I stole Annie and Stephen away for their photographs.

Coos’ is brilliant for this because you're not restricted to one little patch of garden. The venue sits within the wider Aboyne Castle Estate, giving you open lawns, trees, countryside and plenty of different places to disappear off to for ten minutes with the newlyweds.

And this was where Annie got her gun.

We probably could have created something beautifully romantic.

Instead, Stephen ended up hiding behind a tree while his new wife approached carrying a shotgun.

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Which, obviously, was much more fun.

We played around with the idea for a few photographs, with Stephen doing his best to survive married life for longer than an afternoon and Annie looking far too comfortable in her new role.

Those photographs ended up being some of my favourites from the day because they weren't about forcing Andrea and Stephen into somebody else's idea of wedding photography.

They were just them.

Fun, slightly ridiculous, completely relaxed and willing to play along.

And then came the confetti.

Walking back out through the doors of Coos’ Cathedral, Annie and Stephen were absolutely surrounded by it, colour flying everywhere, guests throwing from both sides, Annie's arm in the air and the two of them still holding hands in the middle of all of it.

It's probably one of my favourite confetti photographs I've ever taken.

Not because it's perfectly controlled.

Quite the opposite.

There are pieces flying directly towards the camera, others suspended around Annie's head against the dark doorway, people leaning into the frame and colour everywhere.

It feels like being inside the moment rather than watching it from a distance.

And really, that summed up the whole wedding.

Beautiful venue. Brilliant weather. A lot of laughter. A bride with a gun. And two people who didn't take themselves too seriously.

Andrea and Stephen, thank you for having me.

And Annie?

Excellent name.

For the real ones.

Annie