Lydia & Chris

I have been making the strangest noises whilst compiling this gorgeous outdoor wedding at Fernie Castle in Scotland for you. Mainly oohs, ahhs, gasps and even an occasional clap at all the epic decor & dreaminess captured by Anna Urban. You definitely need to get very comfy and get your pinning fingers at the ready, as you're going to want to be reminded of every floral arrangement, all the gorgeous gowns, and not forgetting all the creative and delicious details. Now lets take and look - prepared to be WOWed...

{PIN THE WEDDING MOODBOARD}

The Wedding

Lydia the Bride: Chris and I had been together for over 7 years by the time we got married, and we had lived abroad for almost four of those years so our wedding was a beautiful opportunity to reflect on our journey and bring together all of the people that had been a part of it to date. In total, there were 102 guests and that number was perfect. Just enough to create a celebratory atmosphere but not too many that made it overwhelming for guests to mingle. Many of our guests were actually able to truly get to know each other and there was a real feeling of “togetherness”. The wedding was hosted at Fernie Castle in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. It’s an area I’ve grown up in and a special place to me. Our ceremony was hosted in the garden where guests could drink and mingle before and after the ceremony before moving inside for the wedding breakfast. I think the fact that we hosted our ceremony and reception at the same location allowed guests to relax from the moment they arrived without the disruption of moving location. It also meant we could create unique features for guests to enjoy throughout the day. My Mother in Law did lots of crafts for the day, we had flower pots for the table plan and seed bombs as favours.

Flowers

On top of the decorative details, we had flowers everywhere. Over the course of planning, something I was not able to make a decision on was the colour scheme. There was just too many options! After a few months of deliberating, my sister, who was also my wedding planner, took over. She worked with my cousin, Nick Priestly (Mood Flowers) to create what was ultimately, the perfect combination. They did an amazing job creating a breathtaking wedding arch, flower crowns for the bridesmaids and massive table flowers which really lifted the dining room. The flowers were definitely one of the heroes of the day and receiving my 'surprise' bridal bouquet the morning of the wedding was an unforgettable moment. I loved it!

Dress

I purchased my wedding dress at Anne Priscilla Bridal, Glasgow. Apart from colour scheme, I’m generally a very decisive person and knew it was the one as soon as I put it on. I wanted an impressive back and an extravagant veil and that’s what I got. The icing on the cake though was my second outfit, a white jumpsuit from Carla Zampatti. I love dancing and didn’t want to have to compromise on my ‘moves’ because of a dress.

Bridesmaids

The bridesmaids wore white lace dresses by Sheike, Australia. I chose white because I couldn’t commit to a colour scheme but I think it worked out well as it allowed the colours in the flowers to pop. An important detail in the bridal parties outfit was the shoes. I work for Shoes of Prey, a customised shoe retailer and so the shoes were important. I chose the leather, a rose gold metallic, but the girls were all able to choose their own style and heel height. We ended up quite similar but we all have our own quirk on the shoe which I think is a really nice detail. I also had a special message foreach of them imprinted in the sole. The boys were all in bright blue suits by Ted Baker paired with peach bow ties and a big peach rose boutonniere to tie in with the rose gold shoes. I think they all looked rather dashing.

Ceremony

Our ceremony was officiated by Reverend Tom Pollock, a close family friend. We had been legally married a year earlier in Sydney, Australia for legal reasons and so for this service, we wanted it to be completely personal to us. One of my bridesmaids, Jenni, sang me down the aisle to ‘Someone Like You’ by Paolo Nutini supported by Ryan, the organist at our local church which was very special. We also wrote our own vows, Chris’s brother read a Lao Tzu poem, his Aunt read ‘The Lovely Dinosaur Story’ and my Uncle toasted us with a traditional Scottish address. Some of my Mum’s close friends and women I have grown up admiring are singers and they sang two songs just before and after we said our vows which was lovely. We walked up the aisle to "Baby, I'm Yours" by Arctic Monkeys whose lyrics were decorated at each aisle end with chalkboards created by one of my university friends, Hannah Exall.

Entertainment

After the service, my Mum had arranged a magician to entertain the guests as a surprise. Sadly my husband and I didn’t get a chance to be wowed by him but our guests were thoroughly entertained and the photos of shock and joy are brilliant.

Food

For the wedding breakfast, we did ‘Host a Roast’! Under one chair at each table was a personal apron and chef’s hat. The host at each table was then asked to carve up the Roast Beef and serve the table. It was great fun and created much hilarity. I would highly recommend this for any wedding breakfast! Our wedding cake was three layers of awesomeness baked by my Aunty Nora who was cheered on during the cutting of the cake to the chants of, “Nora, Nora, Nora” following some hen party banter. Finally, after we were well fed and watered, we celebrated the night away to some amazing songs by Classic Noir, followed by fireworks outside and then dancing on tables in the bar until 3 am.

Photographer

A splendid affair full of many personal details and a lot of beautiful friends captured perfectly by our Photographer, Anna Urban. Anna is truly incredible and so much fun. She worked tirelessly throughout the day and honestly, we had such a great time with Anna, she just felt like one more friend. I could not recommend her more highly.