Kieran and Mhairi-Kirsty made Ardoch Loch Lomond their own when saying ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’ there on 7th June 2025
When Kieran and Mhairi-Kirsty began searching for wedding venues in Loch Lomond, they discovered Ardoch – a relaxed Scottish wedding venue with panoramic views and a strong charity ethos.
Their creative, music-inspired celebration blended personal vows, live performances and meaningful details, resulting in an intimate and unforgettable Loch Lomond wedding weekend.
Wedding highlights at a glance
Wedding venue | Ardoch Loch Lomond, Alexandria
Date | 7th June 2025
Photography | Lizzie Thurgood Photography
Decor | DIY styling with labelled garlands, easels and signage; personal touches throughout
Ceremony | Indoor ceremony with handwritten vows, live music by friends and an oathing stone ritual
Entertainment | The Soul Establishment 12-piece band and DJ set, finishing with Runrig’s Loch Lomond
The engagement and wedding planning journey
A shared love of music and being creative is what brought Kieran and Mhairi-Kirsty together.
He’s a freelance musician and member of The Soul Establishment wedding band, and she’s a stylist at Bijoux Bridal in Hamilton, and both have a background in musical theatre.
“We actually met when we were performing in Elf the Musical in 2017,” says Mhairi-Kirsty, who’s known as MK.
“We’ve been inseparable ever since.”
Finding the perfect Loch Lomond wedding venue
The couple got engaged in 2022, but put wedding plans on hold due to family illness. Once they got the all-clear, Kieran and MK were keen to get on with becoming husband and wife.
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But just how did they find their venue? Good ol’ Google.
“We just searched ‘wedding venues in Loch Lomond’ and Ardoch came up,” recalls MK.
“One thing that set it apart from everything else we viewed was the potential to really make the venue our own. The views are out of this world too, and we loved that every celebration there supports the CHAS charity [Children’s Hospices Across Scotland].”
Kieran and MK visited Ardoch five times while planning their wedding and fell in love with the place a little more each time.
“The relaxed feel of it really suited our personalities,” says Kieran.
We visited Ardoch Loch Lomond to find out all about weddings there
“And since Ardoch deliberately doesn’t host a lot of weddings every year, each one is special. It really did feel like our home for the weekend.
"We also really appreciated that Annie, the manager, was always on hand to answer our questions.”
Styling and DIY wedding decor at Ardoch
Like most weddings at Ardoch, the couple arrived the night before and started setting up.
“I had everything labelled with notes on what went where – like garlands, easels and signs,” smiles MK. “We did most of the decor and signage ourselves. I actually found it quite therapeutic.
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“Kieran and I also found time to go a walk to pick an oathing stone for us to use during the ceremony. We held it as we said our vows the following day.”
An intimate indoor wedding ceremony in Scotland
It might have been June but in typical Scottish fashion, wet weather prevented the couple from hosting an outdoor celebration. They didn’t mind: it was “a blessing in disguise”, they say.
“We’d written our own vows, and our friends were playing music, so being inside actually made it feel much more intimate,” smiles Kieran.
“Music was a huge part of our day overall due to how we’d met, so MK walked down the aisle to ‘One Hand, One Heart’ from West Side Story.
"We then signed the register to ‘To a Wild Rose’ played on piano and walked back up the aisle as husband and wife to ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’ by Abba.”
Relaxed drinks reception and buffet wedding dinner
After a drinks reception and buffet dinner where guests could help themselves, it was time to get on the dancefloor.
“The Soul Establishment’s 12-piece band played for us – they were amazing,” says the groom.
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“But a moment we’ll always remember is cutting our cake.
"The sun was setting and we just looked at one another and said, ‘How did we get so lucky?’
“And, obviously, we had to finish up with Runrig’s version of ‘Loch Lomond’!”
Wedding suppliers
Venue Ardoch Loch Lomond, Alexandria
Photography Lizzie Thurgood Photography
Second photographer Marion McKinnon Photography
Videography Pretty Little Films
Celebrant Janine Ryan, Thistle Humanists
Catering Regis Banqueting
Wedding dress Bijoux Bridal
Veil Sash + Veil
Hair Lisa Ivone Hair
Makeup ARK Bridal Team
Groomswear Smiths of Greenock
Piper Jonathan Graham
Cake Baking Bella, Greenock
Wedding rings Austen & Blake
Pizza van The Pizza Pie Guy
Ceremony music Gregor Keachie, Lillian McColl, Kathryn Bailie, Andrew Langford, Heather Lynn and Kirsty McLeod
Dinner music Ariana and John Black
Drinks reception and evening entertainment The Soul Establishment
