Jules Condie and Richard Rhodes
4th November 2017
Venue | Ghillie Dhu, Edinburgh
Photography | Iris Art Photography
“Richard and I got engaged on Inchcolm Island at the end of May 2017 and decided there was no reason to wait to get married. The longer I had to plan, the more we would spend and the more nervous I would be!
The first major decision was to have the wedding in Scotland. I’m from Edinburgh, but my home and family are firmly rooted in Shropshire. We were aware that it was a huge ask of our friends and relatives from south of the border, but thankfully, they all jumped at the opportunity.
We are quite a relaxed couple, so didn’t want to conform to the ‘formalities’ of a traditional wedding. The minute we saw Ghillie Dhu, we knew that it would fit with the celebration we imagined.
Humanist celebrant, Jessie McCaffrey, exceeded our expectations. She incorporated traditions such as handfasting, drinking from the quaich, and a ring polishing by our two children, Noah and Ivy.
On top of our personal ceremony, the whole day reflected us as a couple. Our maid of honour, Erica, and our best man, Jim, are married and so they did an absolutely brilliant combined speech about us and our kids. Having their unique and humorous take on our love and friendship was a huge talking point between our guests and a definite stand-out moment of the day.
Richard and I are not naturals in front of the camera – so much so, we debated not having a photographer at all. We are glad that we decided to, as the record of the day that Justina at Iris Art produced was so natural and beautifully done. Now, we even have our wedding pictures up on the wall – a big deal for us.
As we were trying to keep costs as modest as possible, we were also unsure whether to invest in a videographer. The video captured moments and guests’ emotions that we would not have necessarily known about, so it was the right call. I’d say to other couples in two minds about booking a wedding film to do it.”
Top tip: “My main worry before the wedding was the thought of ‘all eyes on me’ but I wish I had listened to everyone when they said ‘you won’t see anyone when you walk out, you will be in a world with just the two of you’.”
Dress Dolly Blue Bridal
Groomswear Edinburgh Kilt Store
Rings Ernest Jones
Flowers Anne Whysall Florists
Venue décor All Wrapped Up
Planning app Appy Couple
Filmmaker Inspire Video
Makeup Laura Gollan
