Lisa and Fraser’s small and perfectly formed Edinburgh city wedding proves you don’t need a huge budget to create something stylish and meaningful
Lisa and Fraser’s Edinburgh city wedding proves that a small guest list and thoughtful design can feel just as luxurious as a large-scale celebration.
From an intimate ceremony at the City Observatory at Collective Edinburgh on Calton Hill to cocktails at Gleneagles Townhouse and a lively evening party at Bonnie & Wild, their modern Scottish wedding combined fashion, music and creativity across some of the Scottish capital’s most iconic venues.
Wedding highlights at a glance
Ceremony venue | City Observatory, Edinburgh
Dinner venue | Gleneagles Townhouse
Reception venue | Bonnie & Wild, Edinburgh
Date | 19th September 2025
Photography | Meggy Mac Photography
Guests | 23 daytime, 70 evening
Decor | DIY florals, colourful candles, handmade confetti
Entertainment | Curated Spotify playlist
A modern Edinburgh city wedding, planned with intention
You don’t need a £40k flower budget to create a wedding that feels stylish and luxurious — and Lisa Pacitti and Fraser Brydon are living proof. Their Edinburgh city wedding was deliberately intimate, thoughtfully planned and rooted in what mattered most to them: fashion, music, photography and family.
With just 23 guests for the ceremony and meal, the couple focused their budget where it counted.
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“Small and personal was always our aim,” says Lisa.
“We wanted to have that New York or London ‘town hall’ wedding vibe, but in our home city, so every venue and detail had to be chosen carefully to achieve it.”
Fashion-forward styling, without the luxury price tag
One of the biggest savings came from their outfits. “Fraser and I challenged ourselves to find everything from the high street — and we managed it, looking very chic in the process,” Lisa laughs.
A self-confessed “fashion girly” working in the industry, Lisa embraced the two-dress trend: a sleek Reformation wedding dress for the ceremony and a Rixo dress for the party, both bought during Black Friday sales. Her makeup was done by her best friend Lucinda, while hair was DIY – another conscious choice.
Fraser wore a brown vintage-style double-breasted suit from Moss, finished with cufflinks engraved in Lisa’s handwriting. One reads ‘I love you’, the other ‘to the moon and back’. “It’s a message we’ve always written in birthday cards,” says Lisa.
DIY florals and personal details
Lisa also took on the role of florist and stylist, creating the large floral installation at the ceremony entrance and colourful, unstructured table arrangements herself.
“I used dahlias, cosmos and amaranthus – some grown in our own garden – mixed with bud vases, mismatched glass candlesticks and colourful candles,” she says.
Even the confetti was homemade, using dried petals gathered from friends’ gardens – a detail that perfectly reflected the couple’s thoughtful approach.
Choosing the right Edinburgh ceremony venue
The wedding unfolded across four carefully chosen Edinburgh venues. After getting ready at The Hoxton the night before, the couple exchanged vows at the City Observatory at Collective on Calton Hill.
“The City Chambers felt a little too touristy and traditional for us,” Lisa explains. “The Observatory’s clean, minimal feel won us over.”
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“The ceremony was relaxed and personal – exactly what we wanted. Fraser and I both agree our favourite moment was seeing each other as I walked in. We just locked eyes, and it felt like we were the only ones in the room.”
Cocktails, speeches and a proper party
From there, guests moved to Gleneagles Townhouse, where Lisa, a member, booked the wood-panelled private dining room for cocktails and canapés.
“Our guests could order from a menu we curated ourselves – margaritas and negronis were essential – before dinner and speeches in the Courtyard Room,” she says.
The celebrations finished at Bonnie & Wild in the St James Quarter, with the guest list growing to 70.
“We didn’t book a band — I spent four months putting together a killer Spotify playlist. I danced until my feet gave up.”
Music ran through the entire day, from Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of 'Friday I’m in Love' at the ceremony, to Queen’s 'You’re My Best Friend' on the way out, and Joesef’s version of 'Let’s Stay Together' for their first dance.
Lisa’s advice for other couples? “Make every decision based on what feels right for you. It’s your day – no one else’s.”
Ceremony venue City Observatory, Edinburgh
Dinner venue Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
Party venue Bonnie & Wild, Edinburgh
Celebrant Lucy Cargill, Agnostic Scotland
Photography Meggy Mac Photography
Content creation Sona Content Creation
Ceremony wedding dress Reformation
Party dress Rixo
Bride’s bag John Lewis
Hair DIY by the bride
Makeup Lucinda, friend of the bride
Nails Buff
Groomswear Moss
Mother-of-the-bride outfit Phase Eight
Mother-of-the-groom outfit Hobbs
Flowers Bouquet, aisle and mantelpiece flowers by Snapdragon Edinburgh; ceremony entrance and dinner flowers by the bride
Stationery DIY by the bride
Engagement ring ROX
Bride’s wedding ring Monica Vinader
Groom’s wedding ring Mejuri
Accommodation The Hoxton, Edinburgh
