An emotional big day with classic, neutral styling at Norton House Hotel

Amy Curran & Stuart Ardis

24th August 2019

Venue | Norton House Hotel, Ingliston
Photography | Weir Photography


bride and groom standing on stairs in garden of Norton House Hotel near Edinburgh

“Stuart and I met when we were just teenagers. He proposed at his Royal Navy pass out parade after we hadn’t seen each other for 10 weeks!

We took our time with our planning, with two years between the engagement and wedding. The first decision we made was our venue. Norton House Hotel’s Garden Suite was just perfect – we loved it as soon as we viewed it. It was ideal for a summer wedding, and luckily we had amazing weather on the day. I’ll never forget seeing our nearest and dearest having fun in the sun. We opened up the bi-folding doors and let our singer Shaun Philp perform for all our guests, both inside and out. He really made our day.

We wanted a laidback ceremony and our humanist celebrant Neil Anderson nailed it. Stuart was surprised how emotional he was when I was walking down the aisle! It was my favourite part of the day, wearing my gown, making my entrance, knowing we were about to become husband and wife.

I always wanted quite a neutral look for our wedding. I looked to magazines and social media for inspiration and visited wedding fairs. We had personalised wedding favours in the form of chocolate lollipops for all of our guests, which featured our wedding date and were also used as place names on each table. Two birds, one stone.

The one tradition I didn’t do as the bride was throw the bouquet!

We were really to-ing and fro-ing about hiring a videographer, but in the end, I’m so glad we did. The film captured all the little moments of our incredible day, even the parts that we missed, like us both getting ready and the guests arriving. We still love to watch it back. Our filmmaker, from Abbey Wedding Productions, was out of this world. (Scroll down to see the highlights on Instagram TV.)

Our star supplier was our photographers, Weir Photography. Martin and Elaine were outstanding and their attention to detail was second to none. And our wedding album is unbelievable. We just adore their candid shots of the day and of our loved ones enjoying themselves.

Book your suppliers early to make sure you get what you want. It’s crazy how quickly and how far they book up in advance. I tended to go for recommendations, as it made me feel more at ease.

Enjoy the planning and try to not stress. Sometimes I felt myself getting worked up more about our guests when I wish I hadn’t and instead had just focused on myself and my husband – at the end of the day, it’s your big day, not the guests’!”

Top tip: Our biggest bargain was our cake! We went for a buttercream bake and were shocked with the price, even when we added another tier! Be open to ideas.

Celebrant Neil Anderson, Humanist Society Scotland
Bride’s dress Demetrios gown from June Brides
Bride’s shoes Rainbow Club
Bridesmaids’ dresses ASOS
Mothers’ outfits Frox of Falkirk
Groomswear Hunting Manx kilts from Slanj Kilts
Cake Truly Scrumptious Designer Cakes
Flowers Something Special
Decor Classic Events and Ambience Edinburgh
Stationery Elizabeth M Designs for invitations, table plan made by the bride
Favours Caledonian Designer Cakes
Rings Fraser Hart
Music Dean Saunders Piper, Shaun Philp and The Dirty Martinis
Entertainment Cameron Young Magic
Photobooth and LED dancefloor Booths4U
Candy cart Candee Man
Filmmaker Abbey Wedding Productions
Hair Pouts & Pinups for bridal party, Lauren at The Loft for the bride
Makeup Becca Brown and Jennifer McLachlan

groom and three ushers with arms folded wearing teal tweed jackets and brown and blue tartan kiltstorsos of three men wearing tweed jackets, sporrans and kilts with hands carrying open silver pocket watchesa bride and five bridesmaids wearing pale blue beaded dresses posing for a picturea bride wearing a veil and carrying a white bouquet posing for a picture on her wedding daya father of the bride getting emotional in a hotel room as a bride shows him how she looks on her wedding dayblack and white image of emotional dad and bride looking at him reflected in mirrora bride posing with her mum and dad and women in a liftwhite four tier wedding cake and various flower displays at a wedding at Norton House Hotela black and white wedding sign encouraging wedding guests to Instagram their wedding using a hashtaga groom crying at top of aisle with bride about to entera groom wiping away his tears as the bride is about to walk down the aisle on the arm of her dada bride and groom holding hands looking at each other while a male celebrant performs the ceremonya torso crop image of bride and groom holding hands at a Scottish weddingblack and white image of bride and a cheering groom walking back up the aisle after their ceremony at Norton House Hotelbridesmaids and ushers raising glasses of prosecco and bottles of beer at a wedding at Norton House Hotelsmiling bride in foreground and groom in background posing against concrete wallbride and groom kissing beside sunken gardens at Norton House Hotel with reflection in waterbride sitting on wooden swing decorated with flowers at Norton House Hotelbride and groom looking surprised as magician performs at card trick at their weddingwhite wedding seating plan on a mirror with tables named after cocktails and aerial image of bride and 4 bridesmaids looking up towards cameraman wearing a kilt holding a yoyo during a wedding speech while bride, groom and top table guests laughembarassed groom laughing with bride during best man's speech at weddingbride and four bridesmaids posing and smiling holding white bouquets towards camerabride groom bridesmaids and best men linking arms and walking in garden at Norton House Hotelbride and groom posing outside and inside on staircase at Norton House Hotelfour bridesmaids wearing pale blue beaded dresses carrying groom and laughing in garden of Norton House Hotel