There aren't many wedding mornings that start with the groom and his friends jumping into a freezing Highland river, but that's exactly how George started his.

A quick dip, a warming whisky afterwards, and then it was back to Mar Lodge to get ready while Marlin spent the morning upstairs with her bridesmaids.

It set the tone for a day that felt completely at home in the Cairngorms.

An outdoor ceremony in front of Mar Lodge, wonderfully personal vows, drinks and canapés outside, a little adventure to Linn of Dee, and then everyone piling into the incredible Stag Ballroom for speeches, dinner and a proper Scottish ceilidh.

Marlin & George's wedding was relaxed, full of laughter and surrounded by some of the most incredible scenery in Scotland.

Here's a little look at their day.

Getting ready at Mar Lodge

George's wedding morning started a little differently. Before suits, buttonholes and everything else, he headed down to the river with his friends for a cold-water dip. Thankfully, there was whisky waiting afterwards! Back at Mar Lodge, George and the boys got ready in the billiards room while elsewhere in the Lodge, Marlin spent the morning with her bridesmaids.

One of my favourite moments came just before the ceremony when Marlin had a first look with her dad. A few quiet minutes together before heading outside and being surrounded by everyone they love.

That's one of the things I enjoyed about filming at Mar Lodge. With so much happening around the Lodge itself, the morning could unfold naturally without everyone constantly moving between different locations.

An outdoor wedding ceremony at Mar Lodge

Marlin & George chose to have their ceremony outside in front of Mar Lodge, surrounded by their family and friends and the Cairngorms beyond. It's an incredible setting, but what made their ceremony memorable wasn't really the landscape, it was the vows. Marlin's personal vows to George were a perfect mixture of humour, honesty and love, with plenty of laughter from everyone gathered around them.

These are always some of my favourite moments to capture. The little looks between a couple, the reaction to something they weren't expecting to hear, and the laughter coming from friends and family around them.

Once they were married, there was no rush to move everyone elsewhere. Drinks and canapés followed outside, with guests catching up and enjoying the afternoon around Mar Lodge.

A little time together at Linn of Dee

Later in the day, we headed to Linn of Dee for a little wander. It's close enough to Mar Lodge to make it possible without disappearing from your own wedding for hours, but it gave Marlin & George a few quiet minutes together away from everything that was happening back at the Lodge.

That's generally how I approach this part of a wedding day.

I don't want to turn it into a long photoshoot or spend an hour posing you in different places. It's a chance to go for a walk, have a breather together and actually take in what's just happened. And with the River Dee, pine forest and Cairngorms around you, Linn of Dee is a pretty wonderful place to do it.

Then it was straight back to Mar Lodge and everyone waiting for them.

Speeches and dinner in the Stag Ballroom

Bagpipes welcomed everyone into the Stag Ballroom for dinner and speeches, it's certainly a room you remember!

But once everyone was seated and the speeches began, it quickly became about the people again. Stories, laughter, reactions around the tables and those moments when Marlin & George had absolutely no idea what somebody was about to say next.

Speeches are a huge part of the way I tell the story in my wedding films. They're not simply something I record from the back of the room. The stories being told — and the reactions happening around them — give me so much of the personality that eventually finds its way into the finished film.

And Marlin & George's gave me plenty to work with.

A proper Scottish ceilidh to finish

After everything we'd packed into the day, the Stag Ballroom filled for a proper Scottish ceilidh and everyone threw themselves into it. It's difficult to think of a more fitting ending.

From George jumping into the river that morning to Marlin & George exchanging vows outside, wandering together at Linn of Dee and eventually being surrounded by everyone on the dancefloor, the whole day had felt relaxed, joyful and completely theirs.

Exactly the kind of wedding I love filming.

What is it like to have a wedding at Mar Lodge?

Having now filmed a wedding at Mar Lodge, what I loved most was the amount of variety we had without the day ever feeling like we were travelling from one location to another.

Marlin and George could get ready there, marry outside the Lodge, have drinks with everyone afterwards, take a short trip to Linn of Dee and then return for the rest of the celebration in the Stag Ballroom.

As a Mar Lodge wedding videographer, that's ideal for the way I like to work.

Rather than constantly taking a couple away or setting things up for the camera, I can spend most of the day quietly following what's actually happening — conversations between guests, reactions from family, laughter during the speeches and everything going on around Marlin & George.

The Cairngorms give you an incredible setting, but the people still get to be the story.

My approach to filming weddings at Mar Lodge

I film weddings in a relaxed, documentary way, with very little posing or direction.

For most of the day, I want you to forget about me and enjoy being with the people you've invited. That's particularly suited to somewhere like Mar Lodge. There are already so many different parts to the day and so much happening around you that there's no need for me to manufacture anything for the film. You can learn more of my approach here: How I Film Weddings.

Planning a wedding at Mar Lodge?

Mar Lodge sits within the Cairngorms National Park near Braemar, surrounded by the wider Mar Lodge Estate.

Weddings can make use of the Lodge and grounds, while the distinctive Stag Ballroom provides a separate space for dinner, speeches and evening celebrations. For Marlin & George, having all of this in one place meant their wedding could move naturally from one part of the day to the next.

The wider estate also gives you places such as Linn of Dee nearby if you'd like to briefly escape together during the day as Marlin & George did.

For current information about weddings, accommodation and the estate, have a look at the official Mar Lodge Estate wedding page.

Mar Lodge Wedding Videographer FAQs

Where is Mar Lodge?

Mar Lodge is near Braemar in Aberdeenshire, within the Cairngorms National Park. Its Highland location gives you access to the River Dee, woodland and mountain scenery around the wider Mar Lodge Estate.

Can you get married outside at Mar Lodge?

Yes. Marlin & George chose to have their wedding ceremony outside in front of Mar Lodge, before drinks and canapés around the grounds.

Where can you have dinner and dancing at a Mar Lodge wedding?

Mar Lodge's Stag Ballroom can be used for wedding receptions, including dinner, speeches and evening celebrations. Marlin & George finished their day there with a Scottish ceilidh.

Can we visit Linn of Dee during our Mar Lodge wedding?

It's possible to incorporate the wider estate into the day depending on your plans and timings. Marlin & George took a short trip to Linn of Dee, which gave them some time together without needing to disappear from their guests for a lengthy couple shoot.

How do you film a Mar Lodge wedding?

My approach is documentary and discreet. I'll capture the ceremony and speeches properly, but around those parts of the day I'm looking for the natural interactions between you and your guests rather than constantly directing what happens.

Marlin & George's film is a great example — from the morning preparations and outdoor ceremony through to drinks, Linn of Dee, speeches and the ceilidh, most of what you see simply happened naturally.

More wedding films from Scotland

If you're still looking at locations, you can explore more of the Scottish wedding venues I've filmed at, with real wedding films from venues across the country.

You can also find out more about my approach as a wedding videographer in Scotland and see more of the relaxed, candid wedding films I create.

Looking for a Mar Lodge wedding videographer?

If you're planning your own wedding at Mar Lodge, I'd love to hear what you have planned.

My approach is relaxed and discreet, with the focus firmly on you, your family and friends, and everything that naturally happens around you throughout the day.

Marlin & George's wedding is a pretty good example of why I love filming days like these.