Lorna Robertson & Graeme Cassels
19th September 2021
Venue | Lochgreen House Hotel, Ayrshire
Photography | Andy Hamilton Photography
“Graeme and I had been together for 10 years before he proposed during a walk to Inchree Waterfalls near Fort William. He asked me to take a photo of him and our dog Bindi, and got down on one knee whilst I was doing it, but it took me a few minutes to cotton to on what was happening!
Our venue deal-breaker? A dog-friendly place. It was really important that Bindi and my parents’ dog could join us. We also wanted somewhere with a relaxed feel and where our guests could stay overnight afterwards if they wanted, either at the venue or nearby.
For the package, prime date and service we received, Lochgreen was brilliant value for money. Its wedding planner Dawn is friendly, approachable and answered all of our (sometimes ridiculous) questions with knowledge and grace.
Celebrant Niki Smith absolutely nailed our ceremony. It was a mixture of emotional and funny and our guests raved about it afterwards. We wanted family members and friends to participate as much as possible and Niki helpfully shared myriad ways we could approach this. Two of my best friends did a reading for us; our mums got involved in our handfasting; and we ‘jumped the broom’ with input from another friend.
One of the hardest parts of planning a wedding during a pandemic was having to meet and pick suppliers online rather than in person. It’s always so much harder to have a ‘normal’ conversation on video call, but as soon as we met Niki and Andy Hamilton, our photographer, over Zoom, it felt like we were chatting to friends. We knew we’d found the ones for us.
We had a pre-wedding shoot with Andy a few weeks before the wedding and he was brilliant to work with. This carried across into our wedding. Even the ‘posed’ photos on the day didn’t feel forced. Andy was able to capture everyone very naturally and somehow kept our rather unruly guests under control with ease!
We both adore the photo during the ceremony where Graeme, myself and Niki are all in hysterics. I don’t even remember now what we were laughing about, but it captures the essence of our wedding in one shot.
I bought my gown at The Wedding Planner in Helensburgh. Before I went dress shopping, I had a rough idea of what I wanted, but KJ and her team at the boutique were outstanding and picked me out a dress that I would never have though of trying on if it weren’t for them.
Graeme and I both accessorised with bespoke tartan shoes. My trainers were from ScotlandShop and his brogues were from Zigzag and Zoom. He was thrilled that its custom service meant he could incorporate his granddad, dad, and my dad’s tartans on his shoes.
I was pretty clueless about wedding flowers, other than an inkling that I wanted sunflowers incorporated. Jo at Flowers at 7 in Ayr worked wonders. I loved what she produced and think the colours tied everything together.
I had a plant cutting in my flowers which was originally from my mum’s wedding bouquet when she was a bridesmaid at my aunt and uncle’s wedding. My uncle sadly passed away not long before our big day, so this felt like a nice touch.
We made charity donations as part of our favours. We bought pin badges from Cancer Research UK and Beatson Cancer Charity as we have sadly had a number of people close to us who have been affected by the disease. We also made up wee bottles of Tequila Rose. Graeme’s best man incorporated them into his speech and asked everyone to have a toast with them.
Our rings are all from Sheila Fleet. I have family connections up north and my mum and I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her jewellery! We bought our wedding rings from the company’s Orkney workshop while on holiday with my parents the summer before the wedding, so that has some nice memories too.
We were both quite worried about the first dance (to I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth), but it was actually really fun in the event of things. Our band The Socials had everyone up on the dancefloor quickly and we didn’t feel anywhere near as awkward as we thought we would. Thereafter, the band treated us to a brilliant mixture of songs – they even included a short ceilidh set.
For almost all of our 117 guests (87 daytime, 30 more at night) guests, our wedding was the first event they had been at since the pandemic. I think everyone was just delighted to be able to see each other again.”
Top tip: “Don’t be afraid to accept and change mistakes, even at a cost (within reason). We initially paid a deposit for a different venue, but Lochgreen felt much more ‘us’. We deliberated over losing the money, but once we made the decision, we both felt that it was 100% the right choice.”
Celebrant Niki Smith Celebrant
Bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses The Wedding Planner Wedding and engagement rings Sheila Fleet Hair Laura Gray Hair Bridal Beauty Makeup Lynn Brown Makeup Artistry Nails Cured by Gemma BlythGroomswear McCallsTartan shoes ScotlandShop (bride); Zigzag and Zoom (groom)Cake The bride’s friend, CaraFlowers Flowers at 7Stationery Made by the groom’s sister, KirstyVenue decor Make Believe Events Reception music The SocialsFilmmaker Something New Bespoke Wedding Films (click here to see)
