Nadine Wilson & Chris McDonald
8th September 2019
Venue | Carlowrie Castle, near Edinburgh
Photography | Lee Fletcher Photography
“Chris and I were together for four years before we got engaged in Dubai on a surprise trip there for my birthday. He popped the question on our hotel balcony a few hours after completing our first skydive!
Our first planning decision was approximate location. We picked Edinburgh as it’s sort of in the middle of Aberdeen and Ayrshire (where we are both from).
We made a small shortlist of venues in the area to view. As soon as we laid eyes on Carlowrie Castle, we knew it was the one. We were blown away by its classic exterior and modern, contemporary interior – nowhere else we saw compared.
We live in Aberdeen, so some things were more difficult to organise. It meant a lot of phone calls and trips to Edinburgh, but our suppliers dealt with it all fantastically.
We had a glamorous, but elegant wedding in mind. We didn’t need to add much décor to the castle as its stunning rooms really speak for themselves and were in keeping with our tastes. Florist Quate & Co. Edinburgh dressed the place beautifully in abundant white blooms.
Our boxer dog, Floyd, unfortunately wasn’t able to attend. We still wanted to pay homage to him somehow, so we named all our tables after castles and had a photo of him outside each one on every table.
We couldn’t resist having a saxophonist, Trav from Saxingh, during our drinks reception. It brought an upbeat feel and we received so many compliments on his performance and how unusual it was at a wedding.
One of the highlights of the day was walking into dinner together to one of our favourite tunes, Jubel, played on the sax. It set the tone for the remainder of the night.
The speeches were hilarious. I loved seeing Chris getting roasted by his two best men!
We are delighted with Lee Fletcher’s photography. We appreciated his relaxed approach, capturing natural photos of the day as it progressed, as opposed to staged poses. He also photographed all the finer details which I’m thankful for.
I made a beeline for Opus Couture in West Kilbride when shopping for my dress. I had a particular designer in mind and it was one of the few places that stocked it. I had my heart set on an elegant, fitted dress with a long train and cathedral veil. I was adamant that I didn’t want a strapless dress – but that’s exactly what I ended up falling in love with!
Loads of our guests were young, which meant the dancefloor was never empty. Our reception was just one big party. Our first dance was garage classic Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude performed brilliantly by our band, Los Perros.
People aren’t lying when they say how quickly the day will go by! Even now, looking back, there’s absolutely nothing we would change – we loved every single moment.”
Top tip: “Other than keeping spreadsheets with bookings and deposits, I’d say don’t worry too much about all the finer details as they can go unnoticed during the day. For example, we had a welcome sign that smashed in the morning and I didn’t realise it wasn’t there until being told after the wedding.”
Celebrant Tim Maguire Humanist Celebrant
Bride’s dress Opus Couture
Bride’s shoes Sophia Grace Couture
Groomswear MacGregor and MacDuff
Cake Made by family friend
Flowers and décor Quate & Co. Edinburgh
Additional venue décor Pretty White
Stationery Paperoo
Wedding rings Mr Harold & Son
Drinks reception music Saxingh
Reception band Los Perros
Hair Family friend
Makeup Sophie Alexis Makeup
Transport Ratho Coaches
