19th May 2017
Venue | Western House Hotel, Ayr
Photography | Dream Day Photography
“We chose Western House Hotel in Ayr to host both ceremony and reception. It was love at first sight thanks to its secluded location, gorgeous gardens and the feeling of cosiness inside. The level of service it offered was also superb.
Graeme and I like to laugh and we felt that having a humanist ceremony would reflect that aspect of our relationship. Our celebrant Paul Patterson – booked via the Humanist Society of Scotland – was very charismatic, down-to-earth and fitted in well with our families. He was a pleasure to work with.
I took ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Hollywood glamour as starting points for the wedding moodboard. There were no flowers in sight; I am not big on blooms. However, I adore feathers, so I incorporated these wherever I could, including bouquets, invites, table decorations and the cake stand.
I visited a couple of boutiques in Ayrshire when shopping for my gown. A chance visit to the bank in Prestwick led me to Contessa D. I had planned on a full lace mermaid gown with a sweetheart neckline, but I ended up with a sparkly fit-and-flare number – very much the opposite of what I had in mind initially.
Our favourite wedding detail was our personalised ice hockey team shirt. Graeme plays in a local team, so we got a squad jersey made with our name and wedding date emblazoned on it and asked guests to sign it. It now hangs framed in our home bar. We also named our tables after ice hockey teams and had a bespoke cake topper made to reflect Graeme’s passion.
The highlight of the day was having my dad there, all the way from Australia. To have time together as one family was incredible and something I will cherish forever.”
Top tip: “Save up. I recommend having a spreadsheet to keep track of spending. Secondly, book the biggest and important things early on and finally, choose bridesmaids and groomsmen wisely.”
Dress and hairpiece Contessa D
Shoes Sophia Webster
Bridesmaids’ dresses Jarlo
Groomswear MacGregor and MacDuff
Celebrant Paul Patterson at Humanist Society Scotland
Bouquets Bridal Crystal Bouquets
Cake Sugar and Spice Troon
Stationery Bespoke Wedding Stationery
Venue décor Winton Wedding and Event Hire
LED aisle runner, dancefloor and photobooth The Kilted DJ
Entertainment The Cartel
Filmmaker Adore Weddings Videography
Hair Carol-Anne Mckernon from Royalty Salon
Makeup Jacqui Harrow
