Bride and Groom crossing the road after getting married at Arta Glasgow

Lucy and John’s wedding at Arta

Lucy and John kept their wedding at Arta in Glasgow small and personal, with John’s dad and Lucy’s mum and dad there to share it with them. I joined them for three hours, capturing their humanist ceremony, a few photographs of everyone together and a wander through the city for some portraits. There were a few tears during the vows, plenty of laughs and some lovely Scottish traditions woven into the ceremony. It was a real pleasure to be part of such a close-knit family wedding.

A small wedding at Arta in Glasgow

Arta has so much character before you add any wedding details. The stone staircases, ornate railings and hanging lights make it a brilliant setting for photographs, and quite a contrast to the Glasgow streets outside.

Arta in Glasgow with a central stone sculpture, palms, ornate balconies and floral garlands beneath fairy lights.
Fruit-filled wooden crates and orange flowers beside the ornate staircase at Arta, Glasgow.
Ornate hanging lantern beside a stone staircase with decorative metal railings and dark red drapes at Arta, Glasgow.
A woman adjusts John's floral buttonhole as they smile at each other at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John arm in arm on the staircase at Arta, Glasgow, beneath burgundy drapery, with flowers and candles.
John smiling in his wedding suit at Arta, Glasgow, with Lucy and another man behind him in black and white.
John smiling at Arta in Glasgow, wearing a dark three-piece suit, floral tie and white rose buttonhole.
Two men in suits share a hug beneath fairy lights at Arta in Glasgow, in black and white.

A humanist ceremony with handfasting and a quaich

Tina McKellar led the ceremony beneath Arta’s stone arches. Lucy and John included a tartan handfasting, with their hands joined as they read their vows. With such a small group, I could photograph their guests’ reactions as well as the two of them. Those smiles and bursts of laughter are as much a part of the story as the vows themselves.

John holding a lit taper beside a glass candle jar during the wedding ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John during their wedding ceremony at Arta, Glasgow, viewed from above through flowers and fairy lights.
Black-and-white portrait of Lucy and John holding hands beside decorative columns and candles at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John holding hands during their wedding ceremony at Arta, Glasgow, beside their celebrant and seated guests.
Lucy and John holding hands during their wedding ceremony beneath stone arches at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy reads from a booklet as she and John hold hands wrapped in tartan during their handfasting at Arta, Glasgow.
Close-up of John in a blue suit and white rose buttonhole, looking towards Lucy at Arta, Glasgow.
Three people laughing while seated beside flowers and candles at Arta in Glasgow, the woman holding a pale pink bouquet.

It was an emotional ceremony for both of them, with a few tears to wipe away and plenty of laughing together in between.

John wipes his eye while holding Lucy's hand during their handfasting ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy dabs her eye as John holds his vows, their hands joined with handfasting ribbons during their ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John laughing during their handfasting ceremony at Arta, Glasgow, with John holding his vow booklet.
Lucy and John raise their tartan handfasting ribbon as the celebrant applauds during their ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
Black-and-white close-up of Lucy placing a wedding ring on John's finger at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John watch champagne being poured into a silver quaich during their wedding ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
John drinks from a quaich as Lucy and the celebrant watch during their wedding ceremony at Arta, Glasgow.
A woman in a burgundy dress drinks from a silver quaich with her other arm raised at Arta, Glasgow.
Lucy and John kiss during their wedding ceremony at Arta in Glasgow as guests applaud.
Two men in suits embrace beside lit candles and foliage at Arta in Glasgow, in black and white.

Wedding portraits around Glasgow

We headed out for a wander through Glasgow for some portraits. That’s one of the things I enjoy about a city wedding: the photographs can feel completely different just by turning a corner. We had cobbled streets, stone archways and a splash of colour on the rainbow-painted road, with time for a few closer portraits of the two of them as well.

Lucy and John walking hand in hand across a Glasgow street, with Lucy carrying a pastel bouquet and guests following.
Lucy and John smiling and holding hands on a Glasgow street, with Lucy carrying a pastel bouquet.
Lucy and John kissing on a cobbled Glasgow street, with Lucy’s lace wedding dress train spread behind her.
Lucy and John holding hands on a rainbow-painted Glasgow street beneath a mural, with Lucy smiling back at the camera.
Lucy and John kissing on a Glasgow street, her wedding dress train spread across the paving beneath a clock tower.
Lucy looking over her shoulder in her wedding dress, holding a pastel bouquet in front of stone arches in Glasgow.
Lucy and John kissing in front of stone arches in Glasgow, with her wedding dress train spread across the paving.
Black-and-white close-up of Lucy and John leaning their heads together, Lucy with her eyes closed.

Of course, the Duke of Wellington made it into the photographs, complete with traffic cones on both him and his horse. You couldn’t mistake that for anywhere else! We also made use of the tall columns and archways, giving Lucy’s dress train a chance to spread out across the steps.

Lucy and John holding hands and laughing beneath a stone archway and hanging lantern in Glasgow.
Lucy and John holding hands and embracing between stone columns in Glasgow, wearing their wedding outfits.
John smiling in a navy three-piece suit with a floral buttonhole, standing between stone columns in Glasgow.
Lucy and John walking hand in hand beneath a stone archway in Glasgow, with Lucy carrying her bouquet.
Lucy and John holding hands overhead beneath ornate stone arches and hanging lanterns in Glasgow.
Lucy and John kissing and holding hands beneath Glasgow's Duke of Wellington statue, with traffic cones on the rider and horse.
Lucy and John holding hands between tall stone columns in Glasgow, with Lucy’s wedding dress train spread over the steps.

Wedding reception at Arta

Lucy and John held their reception at Arta too. Their table was set with candles and printed menus, but the detail that made me smile was a card with two childhood photographs and the words “These kids got married!” We also took some portraits on the staircase and indoor balcony. Then it was sunglasses on for a few photos in the booth, which made a fun change from the more traditional portraits.

Wedding table card with two childhood photographs and ‘These kids got married!’ in a wooden holder at Arta.
Lucy and John's wedding menu on a folded napkin beside cutlery and glassware at Arta, Glasgow.
Wedding reception table at Arta in Glasgow, set with white linen, glassware and candles among wooden chairs and plants.
Lucy and John holding hands on the ornate staircase at Arta, Glasgow, with flowers and candles beside them.
Lucy holding her bouquet on Arta's ornate staircase in Glasgow, with her wedding dress train spread down the steps.
Lucy and John standing face to face beneath stone arches on Arta’s indoor balcony in Glasgow.
Lucy and John holding hands on the staircase at Arta, Glasgow, with candles and red velvet drapes.
Lucy and John smiling at each other with his arm around her in Arta's flower-lined corridor in Glasgow.
Lucy and John wearing sunglasses in a photo booth, leaning together and holding up their ring fingers.
Lucy and John wearing sunglasses and kissing in the photo booth at Arta, Glasgow.

With just the five of them, we could fit everyone into one group photograph. I also photographed the rings, vow books, tartan ribbons and quaich — a few of the things they’ll have to remind them of their ceremony.

Lucy and John with three wedding guests in front of dark green doors and red sandstone in Glasgow.
Wedding vow books, rings, watches, fragrances, ribbons and photographs arranged beside a quaich on red fabric.
A broad metal band and oval gemstone ring resting on red fabric in front of blue-green tartan.

Planning your wedding at Arta?

If you’re planning a small wedding at Arta, I’d love to hear what you have in mind. Lucy and John’s day gives you a feel for what we can photograph with a few hours together, from the ceremony to a wander around Glasgow. Get in touch and tell me a little about your plans.

The team

Celebrant: Tina McKellar
Wedding planner: @artaweddings
Makeup artist: @nicolasturrock_mua
Groom’s outfit: Slaters
Bride’s outfit: Juliettes Bridal

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