Ashley & Ian

I've literally got goose bumps putting this atmospheric Scottish wedding together for you. The moody portraits captured by Album Weddings are phenomenal, just like the coastal backdrop. Plus our adorable couple are pretty fierce too. Bride Ashley's customised satin gown from PanPan Bridal is simply jaw dropping and fits her like a glove, and a Scottish wedding just wouldn't be the same without a groom donning his best tartan kilt. There's lots of DIY ideas, a gorgeous rustic, boho vibe, and a wedding full of family, friends, love, laughter and alpaca's. Enjoy.

Dress

Ashley the Bride: Being a bit of a magpie for all things sparkly, the beautiful dresses in the window of PanPan Bridal had caught my eye for years on the daily commute to work. On my first visit I met owner Li who pieced together not only my dress but my lovely mum’s dress too. I had the BEST time swishing and swaning around in half the shop, eventually choosing one of Li's own designs which was customised.

Grooms Attire

Ian wore a modern kilt. As he doesn’t have a tartan - he had the pick on the bunch! The groomsman all wore matching kilts, Ian with a white sporran and the boys black. We gave the groomsmen personalised leather hipflasks with their initials inscribed in them as a gift from us both.

The Venue

On a sunny summers day in June 2016 we took a spontaneous wander to Ravensheugh Log Cabin, a little cabin that sits above Tyningham beach near East Linton. Having not yet proposed, little did we know that this would be where we would say our "I do's". We had always hoped to get married outside – something of gamble in Scotland, even in summer! The setting allowed us to have free reign and be as creative as we liked. The view from the cabin is so breathtaking in itself, rain or shine. We had our big day in the summer however the cabin is equally as magestic when adorned with fairy lights and Christmas trees - with Anthropologie shooting their Christmas 2016 campaign at the same spot.

Colour Scheme/Décor

We had as much fun on the lead up to the wedding as we did in the day. From start to finish, it was a D-I-Y affair. We settled on a kinfolk/bohemian style and hired a traditional pole tent – filling it with rustic tables, festoon lighting and handmade foliage garlands and table runners. We designed our own wedding stationery, with Ian’s talented friend Pablo doing the illustrations. The tables were packed with gold cutlery, crystal glasses and hand dyed silk ribbons. Some of our favourite touches were the handmade swing from my Mum & dad, the flamingo cake topper and linen napkins (handmade by Ian's Mum). It took many months of crafting together bits and pieces and of course the day before to put everything in place. We will forever be in debt to our friends and family for helping us create such a special day.

Florist

Lisa from Floralmenagerie was our florist, creating beautiful bouquets to floral arches. We had lots of foliage, with deep plums, raspberries and burgundies to add some colour. The venue is so picturesque in itself so we only wanted to add flourishes which Lisa did to a T! Our only mishap was buying too flimsy an archway, with Jordan the best man (unknown to any of us!) casually propping it up throughout the whole ceremony.

Wedding Party Fashion

We had our two best chums – Susan and Jordan as maid of honour and best man. Our brothers and sisters made up the rest of the wedding party. The bridesmaids looked like a dream in their dusky pink TFNC gowns, with the groomsmen equally as dreamlike in their kilts.

Ceremony

We opted for a humanist ceremony, held by the lovely Caroline. The sun was shining right up until the bridal party arrived – when the heavens opened! The guests were ferried back into the log cabin but only for a moment as the sun re-appeared. Ashley walked down the aisle to a piano version of Pixie’s ‘Where Is My Mind’. We chose to do readings, with Ian reading ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ by John Cooper Clarke and Ashley ‘All I Want Is You’ by Barry Louis Polisar.

Entertainment

Two very handsome furry friends, Bendrago and Pearson from Velvet Hall Alpacas greeted everyone after the ceremony. They were a huge hit with the guests but of course couldn’t resist a nibble of the brides bouquet! We had asked the guests to pick a song which made up a playlist for the wedding breakfast – however Ashley’s dad surprised us by arranging a trio of soprano singers disguised as waiters, who serenaded us during our feast. Ian’s dad brought a family Christmas tradition to proceedings – bad bingo! He gave away colourful prizes, from flamingo hats to silly masks, much to everyone's delight! One of our friends Neil Pennycook from Scottish band Meursault sang ‘The Book of Love’ by The Magnetic Fields as our first dance as well as some of our favourites. And finally, Ian's friend Callum DJ’d along side an accompanying saxophonist. The night ended with a bonfire and sparklers.

Food

We were lucky enough to have one of our favourite go-to brunch spots cater at our wedding. Charlotte and Chris from The Pantry helped create a relaxed dining style with family style sharing dishes and the most delicious canapés to kick things off. Ian’s mum made the red velvet wedding cake, with Ashley’s mum, Aunt and the grannies making treats for the cake table.