General FAQs

What is your art style?

My style is natural, relaxed and spontaneous. I look for lots of natural light and vibrant colours. I’m pretty good at noticing things and I absolutely love spotting unexpected opportunities for a great picture. I especially love capturing the unique features and expressions of people interacting and being themselves. I like to get a good mix of scenes and details of your venue, alongside the key moments of your wedding, couples portraits and sketches of your guests enjoying themselves. When working from photographs I still look for the unique and vibrant feeling of individuals. Check out my gallery section for a closer look at my work, and feel free to browse my website more broadly for a sense of the other artistic work I do.

What materials do you use?

Your book is beautifully hand bound with a lovely cream linen cover and with 300gsm Arches Aquarelle watercolour paper, one of the most popular and finest watercolour papers in the world. This means it’s thick and won’t warp, and it’s acid free so it won’t degrade or discolour through the years. The book is A5* Quarto size, a traditional French paper size which means that the finished book is slightly smaller than A5: 19.5cm x 14.5cm.
My paints are top quality artists watercolours from Winsor and Newton, who make rich, strong pigments that last longer than cheap watercolours, which often fade after a few months.

Classic Artist’s Book and Artist’s Guest Book

How far in advance should we book?

I recommend contacting me as soon as you start making plans, and booking as soon as you’ve set a date and booked your venue. I take on a limited number of weddings each year to make sure I give each one the time, care and attention that it deserves.

How Does the Booking process work?

The first thing to do is send me a message via my contact form, then I can confirm if I am available for your chosen date. Once I have your date, location and requirements clear, I can give you a quote. The prices on my site are guidelines and may be adjusted according to travel requirements, timing etc.

1. At the same time as the quote, I’ll send you an artist’s agreement (also known as a contract) and an invoice for the deposit. If you have any questions at all, let me know - we can set up a Zoom chat if that would be helpful.

2. You sign the contract (digitally) and send me a £200 deposit by Stripe or Paypal, which secures the booking.

3. We can set up another time to chat nearer the wedding date to check in with you, and get more details about who and what you want my artwork to focus on, on the big day.

4. You pay me the remaining balance 28 days before the wedding.

How far will you travel for a wedding, and how much does it cost?

My standard fee covers travel to destinations in West Scotland within 3 hours of my studio in central Kintyre. I’ll usually bring my campervan so accommodation costs can be kept to a minimum. Weddings further afield may also be possible, but an additional travel fee will apply - please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

How do you work on the day?

I turn up in plenty of time before things begin, to get set up and start capturing details of the venue. As the ceremony and other parts of the wedding proceed, I draw and paint quickly in the moment, to portray whatever is happening in the most interesting and attractive way possible. I may fill in more details and colour when things get quiet, but I find that even unfinished drawings have a magical ability to bring a moment to life in the memory, so don’t be surprised if one or two drawings have less detail than others! By the end of the day I’ll have a wonderful book filled with cherished moments. I’ll make sure to share it with you once it’s done, and then I’ll take it back to my studio for digitizing before sending it back to you by registered mail.

For the Artist’s Guest Book, my process is exactly the same, except I’ll allow more time for chatting with your guests and giving them the chance to record their own heartfelt messages. I’ll also give them the chance to take selfies if you have chosen to include photos. This will result in the same size of book, but with a slightly smaller number of paintings to make room for your guests contributions. I’ll work my artwork around their words and pictures, creating a truly magical, interactive record of the day.

Will we, or our guests, have to pose for very long?

Definitely not! My style is all about capturing the moment, so mostly I’ll be drawing people, including the happy couple, as they go about the business of getting married. I’m happy to draw portraits of the couple and any guests who would like, but nobody needs to seriously and silently pose as though they’re having a formal portrait done! I’ll have people sit or stand comfortably and just hang out for about 10 minutes - chatting, moving and relaxing are all totally fine, and usually mean I’ll get a much more natural, lovely impression of the whole personality.

Will you be able to draw everyone?

Unless it’s a fairly small wedding, I probably won’t be able to draw literally everyone, as each painting takes between about 5-30 minutes. Even if there was time, not everybody wants to pose – some might not want a portrait at all! I’ll work with you to ensure I know about any important people, events or details you want me to capture, but I also like to be flexible and spontaneous, so I can’t guarantee which specific people or moments I’ll be able to capture. Often, I find it is those moments that could never have been planned for that become the most cherished pictures.

What equipment do you need?

My setup is very minimal: I’ll be sketching directly in your wedding book on my lap. I’ll bring a folding stool so I can can set up anywhere there’s a good view and I’m out of your guests’ way.

Can you create a compilation print from the illustrations?

Of course! I’ll always take your book home to scan and send you digital copies of your illustrations. I’m also happy to design a stunning compilation print for you to frame, using my favourites, and any you specially request. Giclée printed on A1 size Hahnemühle German Etching paper, this is a truly archival, museum-quality print, capturing the charm and handmade quality of the original. This is an additional £295 and will take an additional 1-5 working days to arrive.

Are you insured?

Of course! I have full public liability insurance.

We’re planning a small and/or short wedding, can you still do it?

A small number of guests, or no guests, is no problem! I’m happy to draw people in many different moments, and to take the time to explore the event and find special things to capture. However. it really does take 8-10 hours to complete 30 drawings. For very short weddings, my Book of Love, full of illustrations of your relationship, and painted in my studio from your photographs, may be a better fit.

How long after the wedding do we receive our book?

My guaranteed turnaround for digitizing your images and returning your book by registered mail is 4 weeks, but I am usually able to get it back to you sooner.

I know someone who’s getting married. Can I buy this as a gift?

Absolutely! A magical book of illustrations makes an amazing wedding present! I would be delighted to work with relatives or friends who would like to gift a wedding illustration package to the happy couple - just let me know!

Do we need to pay for lunch/dinner for you on the day?

I won't require meals to be provided, I will always make my own arrangements.

The Book of Love is produced in my studio, and so the process is slightly different from in-person events.

How far in advance should we book?

While I have a lot more flexibility for the Book of Love than an in-person event, I still recommend contacting me as soon as you start making plans, and booking as soon as you’ve set a date if you want it ready by a specific event. That said, if you have a short time-frame, let me know and I’ll see what I can do!

How Does the Booking process work?

The first thing to do is send me a message via my contact form. If you would like the book ready for a specific event (such as a wedding or anniversary) then please specify the date. If you don’t have a specific event in mind, just let me know your preferred date.

1. Once I have your requirements clear, I’ll send you a quote, an artist’s agreement (also known as a contract) and an invoice. If you have any questions at all, let me know - we can set up a Zoom chat if that would be helpful.

2. You sign the contract (digitally) and pay the balance.

3. I’ll then send you my Your Love Story digital questionnaire, which walks you through the process of choosing special moments to feature in your book. This is a really special activity to do as a couple, or you might be planning the book as a surprise! In either case, you’ll upload a selection of images, with a description of why this was special in your relationship.

4. If you have more material than will fit comfortably in the book, I’ll select the best words and images to tell your love story. If you find it difficult to find the right photo to capture a particularly special memory, I’ll work with you to find images that will work.

5. I’ll paint your book, and then scan and send your digital images before shipping the book securely to you.

Couple’s Portraits are painted in my studio, and so the process is slightly different from in-person events.

How far in advance should we book?

While I have a lot more flexibility for Couple’s Portraits than an in-person event, I still recommend contacting me as soon as you start making plans, and booking as soon as you’ve set a date if you want it ready by a specific event. That said, if you have a short time-frame, let me know and I’ll see what I can do!

How Does the Booking process work?

The first thing to do is send me a message via my contact form. If you would like the portrait ready for a specific event (such as a wedding or anniversary) then please specify the date. If you don’t have a specific event in mind, just let me know your preferred date.

1. Once I have your requirements clear, I’ll send you a quote, an artist’s agreement (also known as a contract) and an invoice. If you have any questions at all, let me know - we can set up a Zoom chat if that would be helpful.

2. You sign the contract (digitally) and pay the balance.

3. I’ll then send you a form to upload your photograph(s). I’m happy to work from formal wedding photos, informal snapshots or anything in between.

4. I’ll paint your portrait and arrange framing (if required) before shipping the portrait securely to you.

Can you include our kids/pets/specific details etc?

Of course! Depending on what you’re thinking, this may affect the cost. Let me know what you’re thinking and I’ll include it in your quote.