This couple booked the first venue and suppliers they encountered almost every time and they absolutely hit the bullseye! Their wedding at this castle near Inverness was a gorgeous, modern fairytale that had some special tributes to the bride's gran
Jordanne Currie and Michael Given, now Mr and Mrs Given
16th September 2023
Venue | Achnagairn Castle, Inverness-shire
Photography | Photographs by Eve
"I met Michael through my best friend Kelly. He was her ‘hot older brother’. We were together for six years prior to getting engaged in May 2021 at Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness. He’d asked the castle employees to lay out a tartan blanket and flowers, and got them to direct us to the spot upon arrival.
We always wanted a big Highland wedding. We live in Fife, but I’d spent many happy times visiting my grandparents near Fort William when I was growing up, so wanted to honour them by getting married somewhere up north.
Achnagairn was the first venue we visited. After that, no others could compare. I even got tearful during our show round as I could truly envision spending the morning getting ready there.
The venue’s wealth of on-site accommodation meant we could have all our 110 guests stay over with us. We felt so well looked after by the Achnagairn team throughout.
Pretty Woman in Edinburgh was the first place I went to try on wedding dresses seriously. I fell for the first Eva Lendel gown I tried as I felt so comfortable in it. Honestly, ‘one and done’ could’ve easily been our wedding mantra! The fact that the dress was called Rosie, just like my granny who’d not long passed away, made it even more special.
Michael’s groomsmen (another Michael) read out ‘A Red, Red Rose’ during our ceremony in my gran's memory.
Our humanist ceremony, led by celebrant Bryan Begg, was so much fun. We wanted it to be personal and relaxed and he 100% delivered. There were a few tears (mainly from Michael!).
When I look back at the photos and videos, I laugh at the pure concentration on my face trying to do our handfasting: I’d never seen one before, let alone done one.
We’d originally budgeted £42k but we ended up spending over £50k. I’d say to other couples that a wedding is probably going to cost more than you think. If your budget is fixed, I recommend discussing what things you would be happy to compromise on.
We cut costs by scaling back on some of our entertainment ideas for our cocktail hour, for instance. My dad curated a wonderful playlist for that part of the day instead.
Karen, one of our extended family members, owns Fife Flowers. She supplied and arranged all the stunning blooms for us and kindly gave us a discount. She had to work making all the bouquets and arrangements, as well as being a guest, so we are incredibly thankful to her for that!
We also debated if we could save money by not having our wedding filmed, but we’re so glad we did. The results of the video by RMH Productions speak for themselves. (See below)
Likewise, our photographer Eve Spalding of Photographs by Eve was simply outstanding. Her presence and energy really enhanced our day. Thanks to her, we have magnificent candid, natural photos that are filled with laughter and emotion to look back on.
Michael said he started the day with a bath and a beer... If you want a relaxing wedding morning, it pays to be the groom, ha ha.
Meanwhile, I was up from the crack of dawn with my five bridesmaids and maid of honour getting hair and makeup done. We were ready so early that we even managed 30 minutes of dancing around in the room to my wedding-morning playlist. We were in such high spirits that I think it really set the upbeat, fun tone for the rest of the day.
Emma, my maid of honour, was instrumental in helping me plan the wedding, right down to hand-crafting details for the table. The rust-coloured satin Six Stories bridesmaid dresses were chosen to tie in with the time of year, but I got Emma a velvet dress in the same colour from DesirCouture on Etsy to make her stand out.
The Lunchbox Boys did a fantastic job of our catering and included lots of haggis at Michael’s request. We wanted to keep our menu hearty and not overly fancy. Special mention must be made to each of our mums who spent the evening before the wedding in the kitchen keeping our arriving guests fed.
My mum also arranged singing waiters Singers Secreto to perform as a surprise towards the end of our wedding meal. They were such a highlight; they created such a good vibe and re-energised the crowd before the evening reception kicked off.
We had a live band, Borrowed Blues, who played a mix of covers and ceilidh. Our first dance was Luke Combs’ ‘Forever After All’.
Everyone said they loved the speeches. My dad’s was very heartfelt and a little insulting (in a good way)! Michael did well to not cry (much) during his, while the best man Stuart delivered an all-time comedy performance that left everyone in stitches.”
Top tip: “I genuinely believe that if brides or grooms feel stressed on the day, guests can sense it. If you’re feeling joyful, so will your guests,” says Jordanne. “So, I guess my biggest piece of advice to other couples would be enjoy the big day. You’ve done everything you can by that point, so let your happiness shine through.
Venue Achnagairn Castle
Photography Photographs by Eve
Filmmaker RMH Productions (see video above)
Celebrant Bryan Begg, Ceremonies.scot
Bride’s dress and accessories Eva Lendel from Pretty Woman Bridal Studio
Bride’s earrings Untamed Petals
Bride’s shoes Charlotte Mills
Makeup Bride did own, but rest of party by Gillian Hoban
Hair Suzanne McMahon Hairstylist
Nails The Nail Gal Edinburgh
Bridesmaid dresses Six Stories
Maid-of-honour dress DesirCouture, Etsy
Groomswear MacGregor and MacDuff
Wedding and engagement rings Ian Gallacher Jewellers
Mother-of-the-bride outfit Catherines of Partick
Catering The Lunchbox Boys
Cake Cupcake Creations Inverness
Flowers Fife Flowers (family friend)
Venue decor Eva’s Covers
Stationery DIY using Etsy shops SunnyRoseStore, LucyMarchStudio and BlushPaperieShop
Favours JoJo Co. Candle Company and Tomatin whisky miniatures
Ceremony music Family friend and Singers Secreto member Michael Allan and his sister
Piper Dougie the Piper
Singing waiters Singers Secreto
Bouquet preservation Precious Petals
