Wedding celebrant Kara Strachan knew exactly how she wanted her own day to feel: relaxed, family-focused and full of the people who mattered most
Wedding celebrant Kara knew exactly how she wanted her own Edinburgh wedding ceremony to feel: intimate, family-focused and relaxed, followed by a bigger party in Leith.
When you spend part of your working life standing at the front of other people’s wedding ceremonies, you inevitably pick up a few ideas about what matters – and what doesn’t.
Wedding highlights at a glance
Ceremony and meal venue | Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
Reception venue | Nauticus, Leith
Date | 24th July 2025
Photography | Corinne Moffat Photography
Guests | 21 for ceremony and dinner; 70 evening
Decor | Bright pink accents and colourful flowers
Ceremony | Outdoor humanist ceremony
Entertainment | DJ
When part-time celebrant Kara married Rory, her priorities were clear: keep it small, comfortable and true to them.
The result was an outdoor ceremony with just 21 guests, dinner at Prestonfield House and then a change of pace as 70 friends and family gathered at Nauticus in Leith.
From colleagues to couple
Kara and Rory met while working as teachers, with Kara recalling “heavily flirting with Rory” during a Christmas night out.
Five years later, Rory planned to propose on their anniversary at Eleanore restaurant on Leith Walk. Despite having been ill for a week – and their daughter having both a temperature and, memorably, nits – he refused to abandon the plan.
“As soon as the ring box appeared, I got distracted by the sparkle and put it on my finger before he’d even asked the question!” laughs Kara.
Why they chose an intimate Edinburgh wedding
Kara had lost her cousin Fhionn the year before the couple became engaged, which influenced how they approached their wedding.
“We really wanted this wedding not just for us, but for our family,” she explains.
They decided on a relatives-only ceremony and dinner before inviting friends to join them for the evening.
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Prestonfield House, close to Arthur’s Seat, offered the balance they wanted. “We could have a small wedding but still have a little formality to the day,” says Kara.
They also liked choosing somewhere in Edinburgh they could easily return to in years to come.
After their 1pm outdoor ceremony and dinner, celebrations moved to Nauticus in Leith, owned by Kara’s cousin Kyle. “We knew it could host a great party.”
Pink Jimmy Choos and colourful flowers
One purchase helped set the tone for the wedding styling: Kara’s bright pink Jimmy Choo shoes.
Her daughter wore matching shoes, while Pixie Rose Flowers carried the colour through the flowers. “I love bright colours and we felt they were perfect for the vibe,” says Kara.
The colourful details contrasted with her off-white gown from Edinburgh bridal boutique Pretty Woman. Rory, meanwhile, “edged as close to James Bond as he could” in a black Reiss suit with pink socks embroidered with the wedding date.
Who marries a wedding celebrant?
Kara had effectively chosen her celebrant before she and Rory were engaged.
Bruce Aitchison of the Caledonian Humanist Association is a close friend, but Kara was determined not to take over the ceremony planning. Instead, they followed Bruce’s usual process of a Teams call and questionnaire.
“Even though he knew us well, there was a lot he wasn’t aware of, such as the story of how we got together.”
Kara did follow one piece of advice she regularly gives her own couples: reviewing the draft ceremony together.
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They kept proceedings “short and sweet”, with no readings or additional rituals, while their four-year-old daughter and Rory’s son, who acted as ring-bearer, sat in the front row.
“It’s like Cinderella!”
On the wedding morning, Kara’s daughter helped her put on her shoes and declared that her mum looked like Cinderella.
Then, as Kara and Rory shared their first kiss as a married couple, she shouted: “It’s like Cinderella!”
“You couldn’t have written it!” smiles Kara.
Both bride and groom also chose best men: Rory asked his best friend, while Kara chose her brother, who travelled from Singapore with his wife.
Another standout moment came during Rory’s speech. “It was poignant and full of love,” says Kara. “I will think back to it until my last breath.”
A Leith wedding party
The guest list grew from 21 to 70 at Nauticus, where hotdogs from Alby’s replaced formal wedding dining and Anti-Wedding Wedding DJs took charge of the music.
“The DJ made the night and managed to blend our very eclectic music tastes,” says Kara.
There were plenty of personal details too. The couple secretly found out their guests’ own first-dance songs and played them before the ceremony, while guests at the reception wrote postcards for Kara and Rory to open on future anniversaries.
Many of their suppliers were friends, including photographer Corinne Moffat. “Corinne is the GOAT. We are very lucky to have such talented friends,” says Kara.
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And did working in weddings make planning her own any easier? “It was hard not to want to be in control of every moment,” Kara admits. “But I loved planning our wedding and would do it all again if I could.”
Kara’s top wedding planning tips
- Decide how you want the day to feel. Think about the experience you want for yourselves and your guests before getting caught up in aesthetics.
- Leave room in the budget. Even with industry experience, Kara was surprised by how much costs grew during planning.
- Don’t be afraid to keep the ceremony small. An intimate ceremony followed by a larger party gave Kara and Rory the family-focused wedding they wanted without missing out on celebrating with friends.
Wedding suppliers
Ceremony and dinner venue Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
Reception venue Nauticus, Leith
Photography Corinne Moffat Photography
Celebrant Bruce Aitchison, Caledonian Humanist Association
Wedding dress Pretty Woman
Shoes Jimmy Choo
Makeup Jen Katryn
Hair Erin Stewart Hair
Nails Nails By Alana Cramond
Groomswear Reiss
Flowergirl dress Next
Cake AngeliCakes (the bride’s mum)
Evening reception catering Alby’s
Flowers Pixie Rose Flowers
Rings Austen & Blake, Jewellery by Liam Ross, Forge & Lumber
Reception DJ Anti-Wedding Wedding DJs
Transport City Cabs
