The groom’s mum is the name behind Joyce Young Design Studios. As you can imagine, the whole bridal party looked dazzling – but just wait til you see the groom’s speech…
Ian Young and Katie Connery
4th June 2022
Venue | Lochgreen House, Ayrshire
Photographer | Tandem Photo
“When your mother-in-law-to-be is an award-winning wedding-dress designer, the whole experience of finding your gown is an extra-special event,” smiles Katie. “I was actually quite nervous beforehand, wondering if I would find something that suited me, but I knew I was in safe hands.”
Katie tried on many different styles, as her mum and one of her bridesmaids watched on. “Joyce even sketched various options and showed me lots of different materials and details I could add,” recalls the bride, but in the end she opted for a luxe beaded gown called Chloe from the designer’s Couture collection.
Katie and Ian say that planning a wedding can be “quite daunting”, so it was reassuring to have Joyce in the background to call on. “She was always on hand to help and gave us loads of suggestions for suppliers. She also pointed out things to consider that we hadn’t thought about. It was great having the benefit of all that expertise,” recalls Katie.
Ian hired his kilt outfit and his groomsmen’s ensembles from MacGregor and MacDuff, a supplier Joyce had collaborated with in the past. “I appreciated their more modern take on Highlandwear,” he says. “I tried on two outfits I liked, one with a grey jacket and the other with a blue one. The latter suited me much better, so we changed the initial colour scheme to tie in with the tones in my outfit,” he tells us.
After viewing several venues, Katie and Ian fell for Lochgreen in Troon, thanks to its bright, open and airy ceremony room. “The view of the grounds and sea in the background were also selling points,” says Katie. “The venue didn’t need much more, so we were driven by a simple, elegant and classic aesthetic. I went for white flowers with eucalyptus and thistle, the blue of the thistle tying in wonderfully with the bridesmaid and groomsmen outfits.”
Capturing it all for posterity were the “amazing” Tandem Photo and videographer Knoxland Films. The latter’s efforts ensured Ian’s speech was enjoyed by more than just the guests! “That was certainly a surprise,” laughs the groom.
“Our filmmaker Gary messaged Katie to ask if he could post it on TikTok. We said yes and before we knew it, we were getting messages from friends saying they’d seen it and that it had gone viral. Reading the comments was a lot of fun. There were some lovely compliments for Katie and for her dress… not so many for me, but that’s to be expected. I am glad most people saw the funny side of it!”
Joyce tells us more about creating the bridal party’s wardrobe
As well as dressing Katie, Joyce Young created outfits for 11 more of the wedding’s core attendees – which wasn’t without its challenges, as she tells us…
“I’d thought we’d get everything made in our Glasgow studio in our quieter season, but that didn’t happen because of Covid and other factors. We ended up working on the outfits over the course of six months at our busiest period!” confides Joyce.
The four bridesmaids wore flattering dresses in a soft hyacinth blue, while the two little flower girls (Joyce’s granddaughters) had classic ivory styles finished with sashes and oversized bows. Joyce’s daughter, Susie, wore a navy double-breasted halter dress made by her mum and two other guests wore ensembles by the designer.
How did Joyce and the bride’s mum Lindsey choose their outfits? “Lindsey selected first. She didn’t want to look like a typical mother of the bride and had a more relaxed, contemporary silhouette in mind,” says Joyce. “She looked beautiful in our 1940s-inspired button-through dress topped off with a fabulous bespoke hat to match.
“As usual I left myself to last,” laughs the designer. “I found one of my favourite green-blue silk-chiffon fabrics from the 1990s in our storeroom and thought it fitted well with the colour scheme. I stayed within my comfort zone and made it into a hand-painted silk tunic worn over palazzo pants.
“Obviously we wanted everything to be perfect for Katie and Ian’s wedding (as we do for all our clients). It was quite an operation getting everything down to the hotel. I could only relax once all the dresses were hung up in the room!”
Venue and catering Lochgreen House Hotel and Spa
Photography Tandem Photo
Dresses for the bride and bridesmaids, and outfits for the mother of the bride and groom All Joyce Young Design Studios
Celebrant David Kennedy, Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Hair and makeup Tatiana Ashakova, Esteem Makeover, and Alana Pignatiello Makeup
Groomswear and groomsmen MacGregor and MacDuff
Cake Rosewood Cakes
Flowers Paper White Floral Design
Favours Limoncello and tablet
Stationery Eden Rose Design Studio
Ceremony music Harpist Philippa Smith
Reception band The Lockhearts
Photobooth Booths 4 You
Filmmaker Knoxland Films
