Clarissa Doig and Sam Newall
24th February 2018
Venue | A private home, Ayrshire
Photography | Iris Art Photography
“We made our own venue in my mum and dad’s back garden in Ayrshire. Sam and I run a marquee business called Central Events, so we deliberately chose to get married ‘off season’ during our company’s quiet period. It meant we were in the lucky position of having access to multiple marquees – one for the ceremony, a second for dining and dancing, plus catering and smoking add-ons – and could go to town on all the finishing touches. We had panoramic roofs, entrance pagodas, limewash chiavari chairs, VIP luxury loos, fairy lights and more.
I think the best way to decorate a marquee is to use what you have an abundance of. Seeing as my parents’ home is surrounded by woodland, we opted for lots of greenery, branches and flowing foliage. The ceremony marquee was shrouded in crisp whites and soft creams, while the evening structure was like an enchanted forest, complete with green carpet!
My favourite wedding detail has to be my headdress. When Sam and I first started dating, we went to an auction room with my mum in tow to buy some furniture. A 1920s headdress was up for sale for £20 that my mum spontaneously bought. Six years later, it got to be my ‘something old’.
We made our own favours. We soaked lemon peel in vodka for a month, then added sugar to create our own limoncello. It was pretty lethal and was the culprit of a few sore heads the next day! My mother-in-law also made tartan blankets with ribbon around the edge for the guests to drape over their lap during the ceremony.
Food was a big part of the day. The Oysterman Events shucked oysters served with different toppings, while Truffle Events masterminded a menu that included French onion soup, roast beef with all the trimmings and a selection of small puddings. At nighttime, we had ‘posh’ chips and cheese with skinny fries and parmesan and bacon butties. Yum.
We surprised all our guests by having the Red Hot Chilli Pipers as the last act of the evening. Only Sam and I knew they were lined up to play. They were absolutely fantastic and a fabulous end to the day.”
Top tip: “Don’t sweat the small stuff! Days before the wedding I had guests pulling out (which ruined table plans) and I ran out of time for doing silly stuff like getting the dogs groomed for photographs or wearing in my shoes so they didn’t hurt on the day. But none of this really matters.”
Dress Suzanne Neville at Eleganza Sposa
Alterations Fabricated Bridal Alterations
Bridesmaids’ outfits Coast
Cake Liggy’s Cake Company
Flowers The Floral Design Boutique and Endrick Blooms
Catering The Oysterman Events and Truffle Events
Stationery Wolf & Ink
Venue décor Collaboration between Endrick Blooms, Central Events and All Dressed Up
Photo booth and light-up letters Boston Event Hire
Entertainment Veritable Ceilidh, The Old World News and Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Filmmaker Video Killed The Radio Star
Hair Cherry Cherry Hair by Loredana
