Intimate Beach Wedding In The Scottish Highlands
Photography by Cara Frew PhotographyKirsty & Craig met by chance through a mutual friend just after Kirsty had decided to make a permanent move from Scotland to Canada. She still went through with the move after Craig’s encouragement with the thought that if it’s meant to be, it will be. Spoiler - it is! After a couple of years and thousands of air miles between them, Kirsty decided to move back... and then Craig was offered a job in France. After a year back in Scotland and thousands more air miles, Kirsty moved to France to join him. Not long after, COVID hit and they’d gone from living thousands of miles apart to being confined in a small house in a foreign country. They knew their relationship could survive anything and were engaged not long after.
For Kirsty & Craig, an intimate wedding in the Scottish Highlands close to where Kirsty grew up was perfect for them. They wanted something super relaxed, untraditional and fun and were so happy with the outcome! Plus, Kirsty is a bridal designer herself and our Recommended Supplier, Kirsty Elizabeth Studios. She created her own wedding dress that she paired with shoes from Recommended Supplier, Esska Shoes! Craig polished up in an incredible suit and kilt from Recommended Supplier, MacGregor and MacDuff. There are just so many incredible details with this wedding we don’t know where to begin…
Intimate beach wedding in the Scottish Highlands with DIY decor
The whole day was incredible and I couldn't believe how perfectly it all worked out - but if I choose one favourite moment, it would be first thing in the morning. Sitting out on the deck writing my speech with a coffee in hand, with the most beautiful view of the islands, realising the weather was going to be perfect, and just sitting in the most calm silence knowing what an amazing day we were all about to have.
Kirsty
Intimate Beach Wedding In The Scottish Highlands
Kirsty & Craig don't like to be the centre of attention and wanted a very low-key intimate ceremony. They arranged for a small group to stay over a weekend in October on the Scottish West Coast. Kirsty is originally from Fort William in Scotland, and Camusdarach Beach in Arisaig is a place full of memories for the couple including one of their first dates. Calm waves and soothing wind, beautiful colours in the sky, a mild temperature and the islands of Rum and Eigg were lit up perfectly in the sunlight for the most romantic backdrop. To keep the day as personal as possible, the couple had personal vows they wrote. Although Kirsty & Craig wanted a small ceremony, they knew they wanted to have a proper celebration and so the couple held a dinner followed by a big (3-hour long) ceilidh for a good dance! For the venue, Kirsty & Craig chose a beautiful village hall built in 1893 based in the small village of Arisaig.
DIY Decor
All the stationery was designed and handpainted by Kirsty. For the invitations, Kirsty illustrated a visual timeline of her and Craig’s relationship including all the places they had lived and things they enjoyed. For place names, instead of using guest’s names, they used mini polaroids and chose a funny picture of each person. It was brilliant seeing everyone’s reaction! Kirsty also did her own wedding hair and makeup. Knowing the likelihood of it raining, Kirsty didn’t want to pay for all her beauty treatments knowing it could all be ruined out in the rain. Her hairdresser was great and taught Kirsty as much as she could to get a good result on the day. Kirsty also visited Charlotte Tilbury in Harrods for a make-up lesson, which was fantastic. The couple also decorated the venue themselves with their own lighting, an iPad set up to a printer instead of a photo booth and they even made their own drinks bar out of an old whisky barrel.
Kirsty Elizabeth Studio
“Being a bridal designer, I was keen to make my own outfit. I am obsessed with jumpsuits and so I knew for certain I wanted to wear one but also wanted to create a beautiful silhouette for the beach and wanted a little bit of that traditional wedding dress vibe. I created a wide-leg, low-back ivory jumpsuit in beautiful sandwashed silk with detachable lace embellished sleeves. I then created a fitted over-skirt in the same silk with matching gold lace appliqué that flowed into the jumpsuit. It worked exactly how I had envisioned - a gown to float in the breeze on the beach (layers conveniently keeping me warm too!) and then I was able to remove the skirt and sleeves at different times during the evening to allow me to dance and enjoy the party. By the end of the night, I was jumping around in a sleeveless jumpsuit which was just the best - especially when I was lifted up onto someone's shoulders!
The Mother of the Bride outfit was also designed and made by myself. My mum wanted to feel super relaxed and comfortable so she was keen for a jumpsuit too, but still wanted to feel smart and feminine. I designed a pleated wide-leg v-neck jumpsuit in a beautiful black crepe silk, and she said she felt incredible all day. She was also able to tuck it into her wellies on the beach so that she could go for a paddle.”
DIY Decor added a personal touch and was something the couple had so much fun doing together
I chose to use dried and preserved flowers, not only because they fit the style of the wedding but also so that I could do them myself well in advance. They included lots of natural tones that complimented the coastal area we were in. The types of flowers I chose reflected our story too. I used a Eucalyptus base and added lavender for France, thistles for Scotland, reeds for the beach, and Honesty that was picked from Craig’s Gran’s garden. We used the purple-toned outer casings from the Honesty as confetti on the beach, which looked really cool in the photos and was conveniently eco-friendly too.
Kirsty
Another special detail we love about Kirsty & Craig’s intimate beach wedding is the rings. The wedding colours were based on the rich blue colour of Kirsty’s sapphire engagement ring, which was made using Craig’s great-great-grandmother’s sapphire. The couple worked to create bespoke wedding bands to match the ring. Take a look at our guide to wedding ring stacking for some tips on what materials, gemstones and more you can use. Thinking of getting stuck in with your own DIY? Take a look at some of our fave DIY moments from weddings.
