Autumn Portrait Sessions at Elsick House with Emma Lawson Photography

The gardens at Elsick House have been an explosion of vibrant colours this year, with golden tones and rich reds completely transforming the landscape around us.

We were delighted when Emma Lawson Photography chose our grounds for the backdrop of her family portrait sessions, we wanted to show off the spectacular autumn display!

Elsick has always been a family home so we loved seeing Emma capture children crunching in the leaves, couples documenting their engagement with some photos under the arbour and generations coming together to create precious family keepsakes.

Emma said, “shooting at Elsick is always such a pleasure and I was delighted to be able to use it for my Autumn portrait sessions. Having shot plenty of weddings here I knew the beautiful outdoor spaces on the doorstep of the main house would be perfect for these speedy shoots where everything must be done and dusted within 20 minutes.  As a photographer it’s such a treat to shoot at Elsick, the estate sits in a really lovely location, it gets fantastic light at all times of the day and there is a pretty vista in every direction.

Here’s a selection of just some of the beautiful family portraits taken by Emma here recently. To find out more about Emma Lawson Photography, visit her website here.

Getting married at Elsick House? We only recommend those whose professionalism we have experienced. Listed on our Partners page are some suggestions of those who will know the house.

The perfect setting for your wedding photographs

Turning into our beech lined driveway, our brides and grooms can’t help but start to picture themselves here on their wedding day. Only 8 miles south of Aberdeen and surrounded by 1500 acres of grounds and farmland, Elsick House provides countless stunning backdrops for your wedding photography. 

By taking a look at some of the highlights from our 2019 weddings, here we explore some photo locations that are not to be missed…

1. The Bridge

Our top spot for the ultimate romantic snap has got to be the bridge over the pond, directly opposite the front of the house. Donna Murray Photography captured Natalie and Stewart beautifully here and her natural and creative photography style meant all the emotions of the day were perfectly recorded. 

Bride and groom kissing on the bridge following wedding at Elsick House
Donna Murray Photography

2. The Rose Pergola

Another ‘must have’ photo location is under our rose pergola. Nicola Stewart Photography effortlessly framing Annabel and Colin here and from a different perspective, in Jonathan Addie’s portrayal of Elaine and Graham’s big day.

Bride and groom with floral bouquet under the rose pergola at Elsick House.
Nicola Stewart Photography
Bride and groom under the rose pergola at Elsick House.
Jonathan Addie Photography

3. The Lawns and Walled Gardens

Our lawns and walled gardens are meticulously maintained throughout the year. We love how The Gibson’s Photography documented the wedding of Christy and Craig in these stunning shots, with an artistic and romantic vibe.

Bride and groom romantic shot on the lawn at Elsick House.
Bride and groom in the gardens following wedding at Elsick House
The Gibsons Photography

4. The House

Of course, Elsick House itself is a backdrop not to be missed from your photo album. We were lucky to have By Rhea here for two weddings last year. Libby and Alan provided the ultimate photo prop with tractors outside the house! And at Rebecca and Gregor’s summer wedding, Rhea took this smart shot of the groom and his wedding party, making their way to the ceremony in the marquee.

Bride and groom outside Elsick House with tractors and wedding party.
By Rhea
Groom and wedding party outside Elsick House.
By Rhea

Our tastefully decorated baronial country house has 11 bedrooms and 3 public rooms. We were in awe of these impressive shots taken inside the house by Photomagician. With such an atmospheric and artistic style, Emma and Al’s photos are edgy, dramatic and full of personality and we loved seeing Radek’s alternative perspective of the house.

5. The Surrounding Countryside

Finally, whether it’s a summers day for running into the fields together like Steph and Euan (photo by Sam Brill) or a crisp autumn afternoon like Kelsey and Iain’s big day (main blog image by Ceranna Photography) don’t forget to capture those first special moments as newlyweds by taking a stroll around the acres of beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside that surrounds Elsick House.

Bride and groom in fields after wedding at Elsick House
Sam Brill