The couple basked in glorious sunshine as they married outdoors near Loch Lomond last September, and brought Balearic vibes with an amazing al fresco saxophone dance party
Laura Sheekey & Patrick Gatens
10th September 2022
Venue | Boturich Castle, near Loch Lomond
Photography | Murray McMillan Photography
“Paddy and I got engaged on 24th April 2021. We love going to Edinburgh for overnight trips and he had planned to pop the question there, but he got too excited and proposed to me in the house one night after a lovely meal.
I wasn’t paying attention as I was talking to our dog and missed most of what he was saying, but suddenly I realised he was on one knee! I said yes, of course, and next day we made a trip to ROX in Glasgow to pick a ring and drink champagne.
We didn’t want a long engagement and aimed to get married within 18 months. We had lovely days out visiting venues, including The Byre at Inchyra in Perthshire and Lochside House in Troon, but as soon as I heard that Boturich Castle near Loch Lomond was opening for weddings again, I knew we had to make an appointment to see it.
The castle has recently added a gorgeous 200-capacity wedding Pavilion with glass walls and ceilings that offer panoramic views across Loch Lomond.
However, we booked it before they had even started to build the Pavilion. It was a bit scary not knowing exactly how the venue would look, but the architects’ pictures and the views of Ben Lomond sold it to us!
We had 130 all day guests, with 40 more in the evening.
I turned to Instagram for inspiration, in particular Cedar Lake Estates
(@thesistersofcedarlakes on Instagram). They are an American wedding and events venue in the Hudson Valley and their wedding ceremony set-ups and floral decor ideas tied in perfectly with the vision I had for our wedding.
I bought loads of vases and candles from IKEA to get the look I had in mind and our amazing florist, The Bloom Room, was on the same page as me. I loved our welcome sign from Rose Signage Co. so much that I am now getting it framed for our bedroom.
Paddy and I both dislike being the centre of attention, so we didn’t want to do anything too long for the ceremony. We enlisted the services of the local registrar, who kept it personal and made sure our three boys – Sonny, Leo, and Ralphy – were spoken about and made part of the ceremony. Paddy sadly lost his dad in 2021, so we used his dad’s tie to tie the knot during the ceremony to make him part of our day.
My eldest son had leukaemia, so one of my fondest memories of the day was looking around the room and seeing that almost every one of our 130 guests was wearing the gold ribbon favour pins from Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group that I’d organised. It meant the world that a charity so close to our hearts had benefitted with a donation from our wedding.
I met photographer Murray McMillan when he photographed my best friend’s wedding, and I was bridesmaid. We hit it off as we are both from the same town (Greenock) and I appreciated his easy-going approach. Paddy and I looked at his Instagram and loved his style, so we knew he was the right guy for us.
The speeches were a real highlight. They were embarrassing but brilliant – the whole place was laughing at Paddy and I’s expense.
The sun shone and we had the most beautiful day. It felt like we were in Ibiza, especially when Trav from Saxingh played saxophone on the terrace and everyone was enjoying themselves and dancing outside!
Earl Blue and the Sessions took to the stage later and were equally amazing. Our first dance was to ‘You and Me Song’ by The Wannadies. Even now, I still have guests raving about how ours was the best wedding they’ve been to!
Top tip: “Brides: get your hair done in your chosen style, put on your wedding lipstick and try on your dress before the wedding so you can check you are happy with them all together. I also wish I had asked someone to make sure my veil and dress were sitting nicely for all the photos on the day.”
Venue Boturich Castle
Photography Murray McMillan Photography
Bride’s dress Eleganza Sposa
Bride’s accessories Liberty in Love and David’s Bridal
Bride’s makeup Ana Inga
Bridesmaid dresses David’s Bridal
Flower girl dresses JJ’s House
Groomswear Kilts 4 U
Mother of bride and groom Catherines of Patrick
Cake Jillian McMenemy
Flowers The Bloom Room Glasgow (on Facebook)
Stationery wAmazon and Etsy
Wedding welcome sign Rose Signage Co.
Favours Gold ribbon pin badges from Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group
Decor IKEA
Wedding rings ROX
Saxophonist Trav from Saxingh
Wedding band Earl Blue and the Sessions
Filmmaker Memories by Movie (scroll on to see)
(Photo: Murray McMillan Photography)
