Limor Wolfe and Gillon Dobie
19th August 2017
Venue | Abbey St Bathans, the Borders
Photography | Morgan & Rose Photography
“The first major decision was our venue. We tied the knot in the Abbey Kirk, in our village, Abbey St Bathans. My mother bought the building from the Church of Scotland seven years ago and, after restoring it, we now use it to hold community events and to host weddings, parties and concerts. It is a phenomenally beautiful location with a strong family connection. We also wanted to showcase what is possible to achieve with a wedding at the Kirk. We held the reception in a marquee next to the church.
Having the wedding in Abbey St Bathans made the whole thing incredibly personal. We aimed to throw a village fete-style day that championed local suppliers. We knew from the start that we didn’t want any strong colour schemes or a top table and went for four very long trestle tables instead.
Our venue stylist, Lindsey Hunter at Get Knotted, had the idea of putting selections of potted herbs along the tables. The marquee smelt divine when you walked in, and everyone got to take some home for their garden afterwards. We loved the artichokes and figs she expertly used as table decorations.
The Rev. Stephen A. Blakey of Duns Parish Church was a fantastic minister. Limor is Jewish, so the three of us worked hard to create a ceremony which was respectful to both the Jewish and Christian faiths. It incorporated the Old Testament, with Celtic and Jewish influences throughout. We smashed a glass at the end (a Jewish tradition) and Rev. Blakey even did the blessing in Hebrew and tweaked hymns for us! Limor’s aunt sewed a huppah for us (the canopy used for Jewish weddings) and brought it with her from the States.
When a friend of mine walked up the aisle on his own, just before Limor, I couldn’t help but say to the whole congregation ‘I’m not marrying you!’ which got a healthy laugh and took the edge off my nerves.
We invited the whole village to the evening party. I’m not sure who came – we never did a head count!”
Top tip: “Book your honeymoon before anything else. The wedding, ultimately, is not for you, but your guests. You really treat yourself on your honeymoon!”
Dress Bliss Bridal
Groomswear Kinloch Anderson
Ceremony Abbey Kirk
Marquee Best Intent
Bell tents Bell Tent Hire Scotland
Catering Foukou BBQ, Splendid Catering, Big Blu Pizza Van
Drinks Vino, Tempest Brewery, Thistly Cross Cider
Flowers, décor and styling Get Knotted
Entertainment The Jammy Devils
Hair Karen Harper at Morin Harper
Makeup Karen Shields
