Cairns Farm Estate Wedding with Stunning Views

bride and groom walking towards camera being showered in confetti as they walk through guests cairn farm estate wedding

Cairns Farm Estate Wedding – Lizzie and Alex

Back in 2021 I was lucky enough to shoot at an incredible new wedding venue – Cairns Farm Estate. I absolutely loved it and am so excited to be heading back there a few times over the next year. It’s a real gem of a venue and I’m so happy that Lizzie and Alex chose to spend their day there – and that they booked me to photograph it for them!

Sadly, thanks to the pandemic, Lizzie and Alex had had a few setbacks on their wedding planning journey but they both agreed that their day was worth the wait. They had the most wonderful, sunny and fun filled wedding. The weather was absolutely perfect and they were able to spend most of the day celebrating outside with their loved ones.

Wedding photography at Cairns Farm Estate

Tucked away at the foot of the Pentland Hills, Cairns Farm Estate in Kirknewton is a purpose built wedding venue built around a rustic barn. It feels like a hidden gem, nestled on a hillside with stunning views across Harperrig Reservoir. The venue is part of a working sheep farm that covers over 500 hectares in the Pentland Hills Regional Park. There’s a lot of history on the estate – it dates back to the 15th century – and you can even spot Cairns Castle ruins!

The new wedding venue has perfectly mixed the history of the Estate with contemporary luxury. It’s light, airy and super stylish and I just love the views from the reception space.

I joined Lizzie and her bridesmaids while my trusty second shooter Gary headed over to meet Alex. Cairns Farm is a great ‘all in one’ venue. The cottage where the boys were getting ready was close to the cosy Farmhouse where bridal prep was taking place. You can tell the wedding team have put a lot of thought into everything. Each and every detail has been meticulously planned.

Humanist wedding ceremony

Lizzie and Alex had planned a sentimental, humorous and personal wedding ceremony alongside the fantastic celebrant, Caroline Mortimer. There were so many special touches throughout their day, I particularly love that Lizzie strung her grandmothers’ rings on a necklace. It was a really sweet way to keep them close to her. They also had a dear friend conduct their ceremony alongside Caroline which added to the humour and emotions of the celebration.

Documentary wedding photography at Cairns Farm Estate

Lizzie and Alex walked out of their ceremony into clouds of colourful confetti and cheers from their guests. They loved my documentary approach to wedding photography and were keen to spend as much time with their loved ones as possible whilst I captured all the fun. Alex in particular wasn’t looking forward to having his photo taken but I was able to reassure him and we spent ten minutes having a stroll along the reservoir. This gave Lizzie and Alex some well deserved time alone together too.

Alex had told me that everyone would be up for a good party – especially now that lockdown restrictions had eased! Some guests started of an impromptu singsong during the meal and as soon as Lizzie and Alex had finished their first dance everyone piled onto the dancefloor to join them. They were surrounded by friends and family and having the time of their lives!

I loved spending the day with Lizzie and Alex and, as an added bonus, I got to work alongside so many of my supplier friends who I had really missed over lockdown.

I adore photographing Scottish weddings. If you’re planning your own Cairn Farm Estate wedding then I’d love to hear from you.