There was only ever one venue for Rikki and Rea to say ‘I do’: the enchanting, atmospheric Neidpath Castle sealed the deal for their special autumn wedding
Borders castle wedding venue Neidpath Castle hosted these two grooms who opted for custom-made kilt outfits from Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers. They poured their hearts into creating a meaningful humanist wedding ceremony featuring personalised rituals like the oathing stone and quaich.
Photographer Lewis MacMichael was on hand to capture all the details, including the striking rustic autumn styling with celtic medieval touches, surprise full pipe band entertainment courtesy of Stockbridge Pipe Band and magician Cameron Young enthralling guests.
Keep reading to see the pictures and to hear more about how they made their wedding reflect them.
Rikki Henderson and Rea Campbell, now Mr and Mr Campbell
2nd November 2024
Venue | Neidpath Castle, Peebles
Photography | Lewis MacMichael
One of a kind: that’s how Rikki and Rea envisaged their wedding day. And, with custom-made kilts, a surprise pipe band and a six-tier wedding cake made entirely of cheese, there’s no doubt the couple’s celebrations at Neidpath Castle in the Borders truly matched that description.
“We first visited the castle when we were still dating and instantly felt a connection to it,” Rea tells us. “Later, when we got engaged and started thinking about venues, Neidpath was top of our list. We love its medieval and rustic feel, and it is just such a charming and unique place.”
Find more enchanting castle wedding venues in Scotland
Neidpath Castle historic Borders wedding venue
Choosing a venue might have been a straightforward part of their journey towards marriage, but actually meeting one another had been a little bit more of an adventure. So just how did Rikki, an onshore submersible engineer from Dundee, and Rea, a musical man from Lisburn in Northern Ireland, get together?
The couple, who now live in County Down, first met online; after five months of chatting, they eventually “bit the bullet” and met in person in Edinburgh. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Fast forward to one rather drunken New Year’s party with their closest friends, and Rikki proposed to Rea.
“It was two years and ten months from engagement to our wedding day,” he smiles. “We’ve been together six years and wanted to get married over the dates of the weekend we first met.”
Scottish wedding traditions
They knew they’d tie the knot in Scotland as all of Rikki’s family are here. “It holds a special meaning for us too,” adds Rea. “We fell in love with the views at Neidpath of the countryside and the mystical River Tweed. We even used water from the river during our ceremony when we drank from the quaich.” Rikki’s dad, Colin, poured Glenmorangie whisky into the quaich, and Rea’s dad, Norman, added the water.
And the quaich wasn’t the only Scottish tradition the pair included in their ceremony.
“We wanted a non-religious wedding and our celebrant Sarah Morrison, from Humanist Society Scotland, was the perfect fit. Rikki and I selected rituals and symbolic gestures to reflect ancient traditions, such as an oathing stone. We chose the stone from our favourite spot in Ireland, Ballintoy Harbour, the week before the wedding. It was our day, our people and our rules.”
Marching to the beat of their own drum is certainly what they did for their stunning decor. “We wanted a very traditional and medieval atmosphere, avoiding white at all costs, and it was an aesthetic that we really stuck to. We love all things historical, so did research on Celtic and medieval traditions to connect our wedding to Scottish history and folklore.
“The aesthetic was masculine and autumnal, with quite a strict colour scheme of cabernet red, dusty pink, mauve and green foliage. We also included pheasant feathers, twigs and contorted willow for extra texture and to bring the outdoors in.
“We designed our own invitations, place cards and ceremony programmes. This not only saved us money but made us feel so involved in every little part our special day.”
Custom kilt outfits, made-to-measure in Edinburgh
As for their outfits, no detail was spared, with the grooms picking their own tartan. “Rikki and I had our kilts made by Geoffrey Tailor on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. We selected all the elements of our outfits – from the buttonhole thread to the buttons on our jackets. It was a brilliant experience, and one that we feel grooms maybe don’t get to experience often.
We've got more advice on groomswear dressing if you're two grooms marrying
“We wanted muted colours that would suit the castle’s decor. Rikki opted for Weathered Henderson, and I picked Ancient Campbell,” Rea explains. “Rikki then focused on the lighter brown tones from his kilt, and I drew from the darker charcoals. This gave us our own individual look that still complemented the other’s.
“We picked Argyll jackets with stag-horn buttons, and I also went for the extra detail of having a plaid and brooch on the left side. We had our bow-ties made by Belfast Bow Company.”
The couple had their ceremony in the Laigh Hall in front of 85 guests, followed by a drinks reception in the Batik Room before the meal (from the “outstanding” East Coast Catering) and back to the Laigh Hall, with a further 15 guests, for the ceilidh.
“Rea got ready with our groomsmaids – they had an early start with hair and makeup at 8am,” Rikki says. “I spent the morning with our groomsmen, getting dressed and eating bacon sandwiches. Groomsman Andrew took on dog duties with our ‘barksman’ Angus, while my best man James piloted his drone to capture pictures of the castle from above. A sip or two from our hip flasks helped keep the nerves at bay.”
Ways to personalise a humanist wedding ceremony
Rikki and Rea were then walked down the aisle by their mums as their friend Jolene O’Hara provided vocals to some of their favourite songs. After reading aloud their own handwritten vows, the couple were treated to two readings – ‘Elements of Love’, a poem written by their friend Jane, and ‘A Red, Red Rose’ by Robert Burns, read by Rikki’s Auntie Gillian.
As guests exited the ceremony for a hot toddy in the courtyard, the Scottish touches didn’t stop there.“We’d booked a pipe band as a surprise for our guests and had arranged for photos to be taken from above while we enjoyed the music. It was a beautiful moment,” smiles Rikki.
Looking for inspiration for your own wedding ceremony readings?
“It was important that our photographs felt ‘present’ with lots of candid moments. Capturing the beauty of Neidpath Castle mattered too as the tree colours were at their richest at that time of year. Our pictures feel masculine but still have that softer, regal feel. Lewis captured our day perfectly.”
The banquet-style dinner was set up so everyone could sit around one table. It finished with Irish fudge and Scottish tablet in another nod to the grooms’ roots.
After cutting the fabulous six-tier cheese wedding cake from George Mewes Cheese, the newlyweds took to the floor for their first dance together as Mr and Mr, to the energetic sounds of the Jiggered Ceilidh Band.
“The highlight of the day was looking around and seeing everyone smiling and enjoying themselves,” says Rea. “That was truly special – it’s the kind of feeling you wish you could bottle.”
How to keep on top of wedding planning
Top tip: “Create a spreadsheet to help keep you organised and see what you’re spending. It’s also important to take time out from planning so you don’t get overwhelmed or make rushed decisions. The build-up doesn’t have to be stressful – it can be one of the most enjoyable parts.”
Wedding suppliers
Venue Neidpath Castle, Peebles
Photography Lewis MacMichael
Celebrant Sarah Morrison, Humanist Society Scotland
Groomswear Geoffrey Tailor & Kilt Maker
Accessories Belfast Bow Company
Shoes Dr Martens
Groomsmaid dresses Ever Pretty
Flower girl dresses Next
Groomsmen outfits A1 Kilt Hire
Grooms’ mothers’ outfits Shirley Moorhead, Fairytale Design, Halo Studio and Goddiva
Makeup ALX Makeup
Hair Val Smart
Catering East Coast Catering
Cheese ‘cake’ George Mewes Cheese
Bouquets and buttonholes Handmade by grooms
Flower decor Katarina and Neidpath’s in-house flower team
Stationery Designed by grooms, printed by Bann Stationery
Wedding rings Nancy Law
Ceremony music Jolene O’Hara
Drinks reception music Stravair Duo
Reception music Jiggered Ceilidh Band
Solo piper The Gravel Guy
Pipe band Stockbridge Pipe Band
Magician Cameron Young Magician
Find your own wedding venue in Scotland and start the search for your wedding suppliers on Tie the Knot Scotland's directory
