18th October 2016
Venue |The Barn at Dalduff Farm, Maybole
Photography | Photography 78
“As a Highland girl, I’d romanticised about a barn wedding with a banquet feast and rolling farmland surroundings. Pete’s a country boy from Ireland, so we instantly fell for Dalduff Farm in Maybole, Ayrshire – it suited us perfectly. We loved the laid-back vibe of the venue and the freedom it gave us to create our own theme for the day. I knew straight away it was the location of choice for both ceremony and reception.
Our ceremony was conducted by my friend of 14 years, Kirsty, who also happens to be a celebrant. She took the time to personalise our vows, and we had a candle-lighting ritual which signifies the coming together of two families.
Initially we worried about a midweek date. Thoughts such as ‘will all my guests be able to come?’, ‘will they leave early if they have work the next day?’ ran through my head for a while! However, the reduced costs for some vendors, better availability for the band/photographer we wanted, and insisting everyone took the next day off lessened the blow. Ultimately, the guests who want to be there will be there.
Our chosen ‘theme’ was simple: have a damn good party! Plenty of laughter, fun, food and frolics with our nearest and dearest. What we ended up throwing was the ultimate Scottish barn dance filled with meaningful vows, beautiful-smelling flowers and foliage, lanterns and a musical rumpus with our ceilidh-rock band at night. One guest said they felt like they were in a whisky advert. I liked that.
My lilac-silver silk wedding dress was couture, based on my design and brought to life by Jennie Lööf – a fashion designer in Glasgow. Underneath, I had a fully boned corset to pull in my waist. I loved it, but it required many fittings and hard work to get it just right.
I also regret making the rash decision to book an amateur videographer a few months before the wedding. A costly mistake; and a truly tragic wedding video is the result! We can laugh now. Almost.”
Top tip: “I wish I hadn’t knackered myself doing so much DIY – especially the day before the wedding, which was a bit too frantic for my liking. I’d recommend hiring people that do that instead.”
Dress and hairpiece Jennie Lööf
Shoes Jimmy Choo
Bridesmaids’ dresses House of Fraser
Groomswear Slanj Kilts
Celebrant Kirsty Harvey at Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Flowers Sparrow & Rose
Cake The Honeybee Bakery
Stationery Meechpee Design
Entertainment Afton Strings and The Raggaels
Marquee Finesse Marquees
Hair Bon Vivant Boutique
Makeup Backlash Makeup
