This was my first visit to Dalduff Farm and I was not disappointed. As barn wedding venues go, they don't get more picturesque than this. Nestled in the rolling Ayrshire countryside, the all in one venue has so many options for couples to make their day unique with numerous barns including two glorious red dutch barns a courtyard and enclosed garden. It is a photographers dream with so many great locations to use and all within a short walk of each other.
This is where I met up with Holly and Paul for their engagement shoot and we could not of asked for better weather, the skies where blue and there was a warm breeze in the air.
I'm going to let you into a little trade secret, us wedding photographers generally don't like shooting in bright sunlight as it often creates harsh shadows on the couples face's especially around the eyes. A slightly overcast day is often our ideal situation but when the sun does shine bright we have to be a little more creative with our location choices. With that in mind we started (as I always do) with our walking shots in the shade of the tree lined drive leading up to the farm. I love doing these types of photos as it is a nice relaxing way to ease the couple into their session.
At the end of the walk there was a lovely spot where we got a few classic shots, these are the old faithfuls that parents and grandparents all want a copy of to put up on the mantel piece for all to see.
We then took a short stroll back down to the barns and main complex stopping of for a quick photo on the way.
The red dutch barns are very cool indeed, Holly and Paul will be getting married in one and the other has a bar and a large space for guests to mingle or can be set up for the kids to play games. We just had to feature them in some of their photos and I already have a great idea for incorporating them into a creative photo on their wedding day.
Holly and Paul were really relaxing into their session and seemed up for a bit of fun so we 'aeroplaned' to our last location.
We just loved this ornate mirror in the passageway at the side of the courtyard, it contrasted perfectly with the rustic brick wall and is perfectly positioned for some amazing wedding day selfies. It would of been rude not to utilise it in some our photos.
We then rotated around 180 degrees and finished off with Holly and Paul framed beautifully by the wooden structure of the building and under a starry sky of fairy lights.
Holly and Paul really were great fun to photograph, I enjoyed getting to know them and finding out all the plans for their big day. I am so looking forward to capturing their wedding in July and not just because it will be the biggest wedding that I've been able to shoot since March last year! (Damn you Covid!!)
Find out more details about my engagement sessions and more top wedding day tips here in my free Wedding Guide.
Photography: Daniel Mainland
Venue: Dalduff Farm