From North Carolina to Scotland: An American Destination Wedding Story in St Andrews
Beating the Storm: From North Carolina’s Unseasonal Freeze to Scotland’s Equally Wild Weather
G&T have always loved Scotland – they first travelled here for a hiking trip 6 years ago, they have been frequent visitors since – so when T proposed out hiking a Munroe, they both knew that they needed to tie the knot here, to honour the part that Scotland had played in their shared story.
Planning a wedding abroad is intense enough, made even more high stakes by the unprecedently cold weather and arctic storm that hit South Carolina just days before G&T were due to fly out. Despite our usual pre-wedding final details call having to be a ‘assuming everything goes ahead’ sort of call – everything went exactly to plan!
Why we Planned a Post-Wedding Shoot in St Andrews
G&T chose to stay in Scotland for a week after their ceremony – and in February, this is so, so valuable. The Scottish weather can be tumultuous at the best of times but a lot of the time as a wedding photographer based here, we have to just work with what we’ve got! But the flexibility of having up to a week after the wedding to choose another, calmer weather day – it was absolutely invaluable.
Iconic St Andrews Locations for Coastal Wedding Portraits
St Andrews spoils us for great Wedding Photography locations. My personal favourite for coastal-themed sessions is Castle Sands – you get a gorgeous view of the North Sea and all its mighty rage, plus the beautiful textures of the sandstone that was used to build the castle (now ruins) in the background. But there are lots of great locations to choose from – I’ll give a brief overview of the locations we chose for this shoot!
Starting with Wedding Portraits at the Historic Swilcan Bridge
We started our shoot at the magnificent Swilcan Bridge, one of the most recognisable landmarks in both Scottish and global golf, and a uniquely symbol spot in the town. It’s such a great spot – with expansive views across the green towards the North Sea. On the fairly crisp February day, we actually managed to have the bridge to ourselves for fifteen minutes, a complete rarity and a huge bonus to working in the quiet season! We were able to create some really quiet, intimate images. For American couples especially, this location carries instant recognisability with such a sense of history and culture.
Sweeping Coastal Views from Castle Sands
As I mentioned earlier, Castle Sands is a magnificent beach for incorporating the historic elements that make St Andrews so unique, including the sandstone that is used throughout the ruins of the town wall and castle. The wind that week had been strong – especially on the wedding day! But Castle Sands is great as a little sheltered spot, also a reason people love to swim there. I love involving portraits that really incorporate the landscape around us, and Castle Sands is perfect for this.
Cobblestones and Character from College Street
Finally, on our route back to the car (I’m really passionate about making sure we maximise our time on the shoot, using my knowledge of St Andrews to really incorporate as many iconic locations as possible, with minimal walking and sensible routes!). College Street is a firm favourite for me – you have the historic facades of the rows of houses, the beautiful bunting that gives adjacent Market Street so much charm – and the turret window just behind. College Street is also great for receiving far, far less footfall than the main 3 streets of St Andrews – so we can really embrace some natural, documentary-style moments: walking hand in hand, laughing – and the separation from the wedding day allowed this couple to really take a step back and enjoy being newly married without having to worry about conforming to the schedule of a wedding day.
Planning a Destination Wedding in Scotland from the USA
Over the years, I’ve found that American couples are often drawn to Scotland for three main reasons:
- The landscape
- The history
- The sense of adventure
If you are planning a wedding here from the United States, as demonstrated by G&T’s story here – a few things make the process smoother:
- Build in extra travel time before the wedding day, especially if heading over here during late autumn, winter, or early spring
- Consider a multi-day schedule – even if the weather on one day isn’t perfect, we can always adapt to another day
- Think about a post-wedding or pre-wedding session
The Scottish climate is part of the charm and the draw that so many American couples love – but sometimes you want the flexibility, so that if it’s both windy and rainy (especially if the rain is horizontal thanks to the wind), you can step back and say – let’s tackle this another day! Post-wedding shoots also allow you as a couple to fully experience the locations we visit – without having to think about your guests waiting or keeping to any timeline.
A Celebration Worth the Journey
Looking back at the week before G&T’s wedding, the tension surrounding that arctic storm in the United States feels almost symbolic. This is a couple that knew the Scottish weather could be unpredictable – and they were so ready to embrace it in all its uncertainty – and that conscious choice and easygoing nature paid off, and led to something unforgettable.
Their friends and family explored Scotland together, a place that meant so much to G&T’s story over the years. Destination weddings are never just about logistics. They are about intention. Choosing a place because it means something – and for these two, Scotland had been so central to their relationship. And when the clouds parted just enough along the St Andrews coastline, we created portraits that feel timeless, windswept, and entirely authentic to their story and their love of hiking.
Considering Your Own Scottish Destination Wedding?
If you are travelling from the United States, or anywhere internationally – and dreaming of a wedding in St Andrews or elsewhere in Scotland, thoughtful planning and flexibility make all the difference. Multi-day celebrations, post-wedding sessions, and allowing space to explore the landscape can transform your experience from beautiful to extraordinary.
If you’re planning your own Scottish destination wedding, be it from the US or otherwise, you can find more information about working together on my Wedding photography page linked here. Watch this space for my blog about this couple’s wedding, too!
