Is that time again where we catch up with a past bride and get some feedback about their big day. Todays bride is our very own Sally :)
Sally eloped to Scotland last year and wow her wedding was STUNNING!
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Tell us about your theme and vision for the day.
I knew from day one that I didn’t want a “big wedding” - I get very anxious when it comes to big events let alone planning one of my own, so when Alex proposed to me he suggested eloping / doing something very small in the near future! To me this was just so perfect because it put my mind at ease straight away and he just knows me so well. So we settled on a date 7 weeks later! AAH! We decided to keep it mostly to ourselves and only told close friends and family. We got to tell most people face to face which was so special and it felt like we had a sneaky little secret!
We both love Scotland so much and we found the most perfect Eco Lodge called The Lodge at Carrick Castle which slept 15 people, so we decided to go with an “Incredible Panoramic Views of the Scottish Highlands” theme, keeping our own decor pretty simple / DIY in order to really highlight the beauty of where we were. We invited 13 of our closest family members to keep it nice and intimate. Once we booked the lodge we actually managed to book all of our suppliers in 2 days!! (Thank you Carrick Castle!)
Our vision panned out perfectly - we got married on a mountain in the scottish highlands surrounded by our favourite people and the most breathtaking views and it was the most unforgettable day of my life. One of my guests said that “it felt like there was magic coming out of the ground”. It really did.
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What was your favourite part of the day?
Ah, this is going to be so difficult to choose! I think what comes to mind immediately is our Celebrant Chris - her ceremony was so perfectly tailored to us as a couple and was beautifully delivered (in the most incredibly thick Scottish accent). In the weeks leading up to the wedding she was communicating with us back and forth, getting to know us as much as possible and learning every inch and quirk of our relationship. I have never known such an intimate ceremony. My favourite part was that a few weeks before the wedding she had asked both me and Alex separately what we love about each other - she kept this information to herself and during the ceremony she read our answers out to each other! It was so incredibly emotional and we couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. We were also so lucky to get the ceremony taped so that we can keep it and play it back. It has been lovely to show our friends and family who couldn’t be there with us.
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Why did you choose a Lucy Can’t Dance dress and what was your experience?
For me there wasn’t anyone else who I would have asked to make my dress. Having been around the business as a model (and now employee) since the start, I was so so proud of Lucy and how much her dresses and business had developed over the years. Considering I had worn pretty much every dress in the studio by the time I came to choose my own, I decided to go a bit rogue and make my own “Frankenstein dress” by choosing my favourite bits of each dress and mashing them together. Lucy obviously was absolutely amazing from start to finish and whipped me up a dress in record time! I had so many compliments on my dress and I felt like the most incredible, authentic, confident, beautiful version of myself.
Lucy also made my little niece Phoebe a mini version of my wedding dress and she made the most adorable flower girl!!! We looked VERY cute together.
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What tips would you give couples who are about to get married?
You have to plan YOUR wedding for YOURSELVES. If we had done what was likely expected of us we would have never ended up with such a perfect day. You have to remember that you only get to do this once, and if your friends and family love you they will love and respect your ideas for your wedding day!
It is said a lot, but seriously, don’t sweat the small stuff. On your wedding day you really aren’t going to care about what flowers are on your centerpieces or what wine you picked for your table. Don’t bog yourself down with hundreds of choices and just go with the supplier that feels right or has been recommended by the venue (they have usually been recommended for a reason). Delegate as many jobs as you can to trusted friends and get as much help as you can.
On the day, it is about you two and nobody else. Make sure you spend time alone together, really drink each other in because the day is short and it goes so quickly. Use the time with your photographer to go for a long walk and really just appreciate each other - those photos will end up being the best ones! Pure happiness!
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Did you work with any incredible suppliers who made your wedding day incredible?
All of our suppliers were incredible. I am going to shout out each and every one.
The first being Hannah and the team at Carrick Castle Estate. Hannah got our vision immediately and within hours sent us a personalised suppliers list which she made just for us. This list formed the backbone of our wedding and I cannot thank her enough. From the first enquiry through to the wedding and beyond her service and communication was faultless and she went above and beyond to help us. All the way through to roping in her Gardener Neil to drive us up the mountain to the ceremony in his White Land Rover!
The Lodge at Carrick Castle was the most incredible, perfect setting for our wedding. The eco lodge was beautifully decorated and boasted panoramic views over Loch Goil. It had everything that we would ever need and want for the day and in Scotland you can get married anywhere within their land - so we could have our official wedding up the mountain! The lodge slept our entire wedding party for the duration of our stay and we held the reception there afterwards. I can’t recommend this venue enough.
Next up is Chloe Jane Wedding Photography! She was recommended to us by Hannah as their local photographer and when I saw her photos I just knew that she would be perfect for us. I had a very specific vision in mind for our photos and she got it from day one. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and she also went above and beyond for us - we were in contact pretty much every day in the lead up to the wedding, she actually found “the spot” on the mountain for the ceremony, arranged with Helen the chairs, archway, decorations and more. She met us on the evening we arrived for a walk around the estate to show us all the options for the wedding ceremony. I could go on and on. The photos are so perfect, and perfectly us. I couldn’t have dreamed of more. Thank you Chloe. You are bloody amazing.
My husband's fabulous suit was made and tailored by Tilly Bachelor from Tilly Von Tiki. He had always dreamed of a British racing green suit and Tilly spent so much time and effort with him getting the perfect colour and fit. All the material was vegan and ethically sourced and I couldn't believe how wonderful he looked. I could tell he felt like a million dollars and everyone commented on how amazing he looked in his suit!
Our wonderful friend Amy at Aliza Fire Jewellery did an incredible (and quick!) job of resurrecting my heirloom engagement ring and also made our wedding rings. I asked for “minimal chic” which she delivered perfectly. A year on I still look at my rings and smile every single day. They are perfect.
Chris Simm from Celebrate People was our celebrant and took the ceremony. Again we had a vision for this: laid back, funny, heartfelt. As I said in the above section she was amazing and delivered a ceremony better than we could have ever imagined.
Martin and Dom at Gingerbread Man Catering cooked us the most incredible, bespoke, all-vegan 5 course meal in the evening which was described by our non-vegan guests as “one of the best meals I have ever eaten”! We love food so much, so the catering had to be spot on. They worked with us to form our perfect menu and on the day their service was incredible and they were so lovely and described each meal as it came out like in a really fancy restaurant. It really made the evening feel so special and was the highlight of our reception!
Amy Black from BASE Salon in Dunoon was also incredibly accommodating - Because our wedding was so last minute I was expecting to drive to the salon and get my hair done (and was very happy with this). However Amy very selflessly moved all of her morning appointments that she had booked in order to come to the Lodge to do mine and my bridal party’s hair! I am so happy that she did because it was really lovely all being in the same place for the morning of the wedding. She also really listened to what I wanted and didn’t over-style my hair (which I was worried about).
Another wonderful friend was involved in my wedding but from further away. Zoe from Knot Your Average Bride gave me the most amazing make up lesson and managed to mostly utilise products that I already had. She went out of her way to make sure that, even though she couldn't be there, my day would run smoothly. She made me an hour-by-hour timeline for how my morning should be spent, even down to asking someone to make me some breakfast and putting on my eye mask! Her teaching was so chilled and I actually loved having the time to myself in the morning to just sit and do my make up. It was natural and perfect and it really shows in the pictures! I couldn't recommend zoe more. She is so incredibly talented but also kind, funny and puts you at ease (even from afar apparently!). Thank you zoe :)
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Looking back, would you do anything differently?
The only thing I would have changed is to have made our stay in Lochgoilhead longer in order to really absorb the beauty of the surroundings and spend some quality time with each other. Aside from that, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day filled with so much love and joy.
