Crear Wedding Photography
On the West Coast of Scotland in Argyll and Bute, with views across the water to the Inner Hebrides, the coast of Ireland, and the Paps of Jura, Crear Weddings are beautifully secluded, super relaxed, and SO SO special.
We’ve been capturing Crear weddings photography since March 2021, and it is amazing how every wedding can be so unique and personal for every couple. We’re part of the Crear Collective, a list of recommended suppliers trusted by the venue to deliver awesome wedding photography that captures the atmosphere of Crear Weddings all year round.
Crear Wedding photos
This place has awards and titles galore, it’s been named as one of Conde Nast’s Top 100 Wedding Venues, and was in Buzzfeed’s Most Incredible Places to Get Married – and for good reason! Crear House weddings take place in a secluded, romantic location, with a private sandy beach, and exclusive use for your entire wedding across two, three, or four nights. Whether it’s just the two of you (and maybe your dog too), or up to 80 guests – you can make Crear House your home, and celebrate surrounded by nature and relaxed, understated, luxurious style!
Real weddings at Crear
Want to see some of the ways our couples have celebrated at Crear? Check out these stories from real weddings we’ve captured as Crear wedding photographers. We have absolutely loads in the archive, we don’t get a chance to feature them all – so if there’s something you’d like to see, just ask and we’ll send you some links to full galleries that will inspire you.
Top tips for your Crear wedding photos
We’re experienced, professional, and award-winning wedding photographers, oh and we were recently named in Rangefinder’s Top 30 Rising Stars – we certainly know a few things about weddings, that’s for sure!
As recommended Crear weddings photographers, we have loads of hints, tips, and experience to share about this amazing place. We capture everything from elopements to full-on family celebration weddings in every season, sometimes up to 20 a year! How lucky are we?! Just get in touch and we can talk about your plans and how to make the most of everything Crear weddings have to offer!
The best things about Crear weddings
The location
Come on, just LOOK AT IT! It’s impossible not to fall in love with this place, with 360-degree views, fresh air, and total seclusion, Crear weddings are at the absolute top of the list for exclusive wedding locations!
It’s around a two-hour drive from Glasgow, and the road trip to get here is something we enjoy every time we visit. Winding through Lochs, mountains, and incredible coastline, the journey is almost part of the magic of the experience. Check out the venue’s handy travel information for the best ways to get there.
If the stunning location hasn’t sold it to you already, then there are so many other brilliant things to know about weddings at Crear House.
TOP TIP
Stock up on a few essential supplies on your way. The Crear weddings team is brilliant at providing almost everything you need, but remember, the nearest shop is a 45-minute drive away (which is part of what makes the place so special). So, it’s worth grabbing a bag of your favourite treats if they are essential to your stay!
The food
The food at Crear is SO special. Alan the Chef is a genius, and we’ve captured many photos of him working his magic. For meat-eaters, Janina would highly recommend the beef (she’s obsessed!), she’s never eaten beef that good anywhere else in her whole life! The canapés, seafood ravioli starters, and lemon sorbet are also to die for!
Alan and his team can tailor the menu to suit your tastes, and they are super accommodating for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone with allergies too. Check out the Crear Weddings menu options for some inspiration!
TOP TIP
Always order more canapés than you think you’ll need – they are so good, your guests will go crazy for them!
Extending the celebrations
Having your venue for two to four nights means you can escape, relax, and enjoy your celebrations. Pre-wedding dinners and family gatherings get everyone together in one place, so you can all feel relaxed for the duration of your stay. Couples often say it felt like home, which helped them to feel at ease on their wedding day.
Then after the big ‘I DO!’, there’s no need to rush to leave, you can have the following day to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy your first day together as newlyweds. A chilled breakfast looking out at the view, games on the beach with your guests, or maybe a refreshing wild swim – whatever you want for your first day of married life, you can make it happen here.
Clay pigeon shooting and a fire pit for the evening are available on-site, so you can create the ideal extended celebration for your destination wedding at Crear.
The space and light
Situated on the West Coast of Scotland, Crear wedding photography is ALL about the light. In summer, it doesn’t get dark until after midnight, and the skies are spectacular. We’ve even seen the Northern Lights from here a few times! Whatever the weather, we love to capture dramatic Crear wedding photos, we even photographed a wedding in one of the biggest storms of 2022 – and we still managed to get some brilliant, atmospheric shots down on the beach.
Make the most of having loads of space for guests to stay, with 6 comfy bedrooms in Crear House itself and space for another 6 guests in Caisealrag Cottage, up to 20 guests can stay on-site for weekend weddings. Plus, there’s extra accommodation locally that the venue can recommend for you. It adds to the chilled vibes of the place to know you can settle in for a few days and treat it like home.
Getting ready
In our experience of Crear wedding photography, getting ready in the big lounge space of Crear House gives you plenty of room to have some food, relax, and have plenty of light to get your make-up done.
Lots of brides choose to put on their dress in the beautiful bathroom, or there’s a little room with bunk beds that has enough space for you and one other person (and your photographer). The dramatic light in that room is perfect, and I’d encourage you to trust your photographer to advise on the best room for putting on your dress, as levels of light vary depending on the time of year.
The boys will usually get ready in Caisealrag Cottage, so they can spend the morning calming their nerves and then have a walk or short drive across to Crear House for the ceremony.
Your wedding ceremony at Crear
Crear weddings can take place pretty much wherever you like, from nestled in the forest to down on the beach.
Outdoor weddings
One of the most popular outdoor locations for Crear weddings is by the ‘wibbly wall’ (yes, that’s what it’s called!). It’s one of the main attractions of the venue and it is so wonderful to have a ceremony there, surrounded by the views and enjoying all the sounds of nature.
If it rains, it’s no problem, these things happen, and everyone can quickly move inside to shelter if needed. The Crear weddings team is always one step ahead, prepared for every eventuality, and on hand to keep things running smoothly.
The place looks different in every season, each beautiful in its own way. You can look across to see snow dusting the surrounding landscape in winter, or vibrant oranges and reds in the trees in autumn.
In the summer you can enjoy long nights and a warm breeze, or maybe you want to be surrounded by the excitement of springtime, with all the plants coming back to life, and rabbits and baby lambs everywhere! The sea is crystal clear all year round, and it often feels like you could be at a destination wedding anywhere in the world.
Indoor weddings
If you are getting married indoors, either for personal preference or because the weather is busy being dramatic and awesome, there are plenty of options that mean you can still make the most of the location and views.
The Studio has soaring white ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a winding staircase perfect to make a grand entrance to your ceremony. It’s also the ideal open space to have your wedding breakfast, with plenty of room for your tables, as well as a brilliant dance floor in the evening! It’s a blank canvas that can be made totally personal and unique.
Crear Barn with its old stone walls has a really atmospheric vibe. It can also be used as a space to have your speeches, huddled together out of the wind. The fairy lights on the ceiling create a bit of sparkle too.
If you are looking for something more traditional, there are also two churches nearby, South Knapdale Parish Church in Achahoish, and St Margaret’s Catholic Church in Lochgilphead. You can then return to Crear for your wedding reception.
Elopements at Crear
If you are thinking of eloping, then this is one hell of a place to do it! We regularly capture weddings with just a handful of people, and maybe a dog or two! There’s something really special about getting away from tradition and expectation, and just celebrating your wedding privately.
For an elopement, couples stay in Caisealrag Cottage or Crear House and can bring four guests. Alternatively, the team at Crear weddings can provide witnesses, and we will also happily witness your marriage for you if you’d like us to photograph your day – it’s always an honour to be asked to do this for our couples.
Wedding photos at Crear
We prefer to be there with you for the weekend to capture the whole story, as this is part of what makes Crear weddings so special. We will usually arrive the day before, say hi to you and your guests, meet your VIPs, and have a little chat about your plans for the wedding.
We love capturing the day after your wedding: perhaps a hungover breakfast with the partygoers, or a BBQ on the beach. We can also take you for some adventure portraits on a little wander around the venue and the surrounding landscape, capturing relaxed photos of you both as newlyweds.
Top suppliers for Crear weddings
Part of why we love Crear wedding photography so much is the fact it feels like one big family. We’ve met some amazing suppliers, and every time we arrive it just feels like coming home. We’ve featured some of our faves here for you to enjoy!
Iain Campbell – Piper
Well, it wouldn’t be a wedding in Scotland without bagpipes! Piper Iain Campbell is one of the best, he was the official piper to the Duke of Argyll too! With over 40 years’ experience, he regularly makes us cry with his traditional and modern songs. He takes requests on the day, so you can have a piped version of your favourite tune and make it super personal.
Not only is he a talented musician, but he’s also an absolutely lovely human, has a great sense of humour, and always gives you a warm welcome.
LeeAnne Fraser – Make-up and hair
We love working with make-up artist and hair expert LeeAnne Fraser, she understands the light and always knows what we’re looking to capture in your Crear wedding photography. She goes out of her way to create the very best experience for the bride, advising on skincare and perfecting your hair as well. She’s such a pleasure to work with, and getting ready with the girls in the morning isn’t the same without her!
Blooming Wild – Florist and Styling
Led by Agnes, the talented Blooming Wild team are expert florists and stylists. Based on-site, they know the venue inside and out and can make it look its best. Whatever your theme, they’ll create magic. They also use local and seasonal flowers, which provide a huge array of colours throughout the seasons, even gathering foliage from the hedgerows and fields around Crear. We love capturing their creations in Crear wedding photography all year round.
Bahookie – Rock Ceilidh
When we first heard Bahookie, we knew they’d become a firm favourite, their awesome mix of traditional Ceilidh with current songs and rock music gets the party started. The acoustics in The Studio are perfect for a live band (it was designed with that in mind!). Bahookie fill the space and get everyone up and dancing their socks off! A must-have for the ultimate party atmosphere, and as Crear Wedding Photographers, we LOVE a bit of a dance too!
We’d love to capture your Crear wedding photography
Hopefully, this page has been a helpful insight into our work as Crear wedding photographers, and everything this unbelieve venue has to offer. It’s one of our favourite places in the whole world, and we’ve got loads of wedding galleries to share.
If you are getting married at Crear, we’d love to join you and capture your story across the whole weekend. Just get in touch to check our availability and we can start planning!
Check out our Instagram feed for more inspiration, or maybe have a look at some of our award-winning wedding photos!
