Anna and Ewan's Micro Wedding at Edinburgh City Chambers

Anna and Ewan got married at Edinburgh City Chambers, the council building right on the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town, with fewer than 20 guests. It sat somewhere between an elopement and a traditional wedding: a short ceremony, a confetti throw on the Mile, and then a whole afternoon to wander the city with nobody rushing them.

The European Room at Edinburgh City Chambers

They chose the European Room for the ceremony, surrounded by family and close friends. Dark wood, deep colours, big oil paintings. It’s one of those rooms that does the atmosphere for you.

After the ceremony we had a few minutes inside for portraits before heading out into the courtyard for group photos. With under 20 guests the groups took no time at all, which is exactly how group photos should be. Then a confetti throw on the Royal Mile.

A candle for Anna’s grandfather

We stopped for a quiet moment beside the statue of General Stanislaw in the courtyard, where Anna lit a candle in memory of her grandfather. A small moment, but one of the most meaningful parts of the day, and the kind of thing that only happens when there’s no schedule pushing you on to the next thing.

No ticking clock: a slow walk through the Old Town

After that, the three of us wandered through the city for photos. No strict timeline, just time to explore. We walked through the Old Town, stopped at St Giles’ Cathedral and the Supreme Court arches, and took a slow walk through Edinburgh’s side streets.

Instead of whisky, they shared a bottle of iced tea in a nod to their travels. Ewan brought along a disposable camera and snapped a few frames of Anna, which felt like exactly the kind of thing you’d do on a weekend away together. If I’m doing my job right, that’s what the photos should feel like too.

We finished up with some laid-back portraits on Circus Lane.

A rapeseed field and the Forth Rail Bridge

On the drive to South Queensferry we jumped out at a bright yellow rapeseed field for one last set of photos. The day ended down by the Forth Rail Bridge, where Ewan’s grandfather once worked. A few final portraits with the bridge behind them, then I left them to join their family for dinner at Thirty Knots.

If you’re planning a micro wedding in Edinburgh, this is how you keep it simple and still make space for the moments that matter.