With a blank-canvas venue, lots of flowers and a sage green colour scheme, Lauren and Morgan had the rustic woodland wedding of their dreams at Friars Carse in Dumfries
Lauren Smith and Morgan McConnell, now Mr and
Mrs McConnell
25th March 2023
Venue | Friars Carse
Photography | Kirstin McEwan Photography
If there’s one thing the silver screen gets right, it’s weddings. Haven’t we all watched countless couples say ‘I do’ on the box or at the cinema?
Think of Maria and Captain Von Trapp tying the knot, or when Stanford and Anthony get hitched in Sex and the City 2 (with, er, Liza Minnelli as the rabbi) – there are just so many brilliant scenes to inspire us.
In the case of Lauren and Morgan, it was that old teen vampire classic Twilight that set the tone for their day at Friars Carse in Dumfries.
“I wanted a kind of rustic, woodsy wedding that still felt put-together,” explains the bride. “I took inspiration from Twilight as it has always been my dream wedding – I loved all the draping and flowers. I knew quite early on that the colour scheme was going to be sage green as it’s one of my favourite colours. Morgan and I really wanted that rural feel, and to have a woodland area to give those Twilight vibes.”
The couple were on the hunt for a venue that would let them live out their Bella and Edward fantasy. “We were looking for lots of character, somewhere possibly a bit unusual, and with nothing too modern.”
They found all that at Friars Carse – and more: "The oak-panelled lounge where we had the ceremony was full of character, and there was a lovely homely feel with the big fireplace and sofas.”
Friars Carse ticked another key box too: “We needed somewhere with a good amount of accommodation, as quite a few guests were making a long journey to be with us.”
“The grounds are stunning, and the antique feel inside the venue was right up our street”
With 92 guests (plus another 20 in the evening), the couple were able to take advantage of a post-Covid offer with a package that included venue hire, a three-course set menu, two drinks per head, an evening buffet, the honeymoon suite for two nights, decor, a piper and a DJ.
On a day of many highlights, Lauren recalls the ceremony as having some especially memorable moments… “Walking down the aisle was just the most amazing feeling, although I do think I was practically jogging rather than walking – I remember my dad whispering at me to slow down!” she laughs.
“Then, during the vows, the registrar told Morgan to repeat the words “my lawful wedded wife” and he came out with “my awful wedded wife”! Everyone just burst into giggles, me included!”
The meal that followed was delicious (Highland game terrine, chicken stuffed with haggis, and sticky toffee pudding) and then the newlyweds and their guests danced into the wee hours to the sounds of the talented Jordan Murray Band.
“We got loads of compliments about the band – I always think live music really creates a great atmosphere,” says the bride (who actually won the services of the band in an Instagram competition). “I got lots of glowsticks and glow glasses just to add a little bit of fun.”
She didn’t want a standard guestbook, so she came up with an alternative: “I asked Morgan’s sister to draw a couple holding balloon strings on a big sheet of A3 card, then bought pastel-coloured inks so people could leave their fingerprints as the balloons. It’s a nice little memento that we can look at every day.”
For anyone considering Friars Carse for their own wedding, the bride says it is a no-brainer: “It has a stunning location and such charming character. You have a blank canvas with the marquee, which is great as it means you can really personalise it to your theme.
The staff on our day were fantastic and the hotel managers were amazing at keeping us informed and ensuring it all ran smoothly.
Top tip: "Make use of all the good photo spots! There was lots of nice areas in the hotel that I didn’t even think about as I was to focused on getting outside!"
Venue Friars Carse
Photography Kirstin McEwan Photography
Wedding Dress Thistlekiss
Shoes Carvela by Kurt Gieger
Earrings Etsy.
Bride's necklace gifted from mum
Hair accessories pearl pins from Amazon and flowers from Dez Plants Dumfries
Bridesmaids dresses ASOS, Wed2Be
Groomsmen suits Slater Menswear
Grooms suit SARTO Dumfries
Registrar Dumfries and Galloway Council
Cake Made by groom's mums friend, decorated by bride and MOH
Menu/Catering Provided by the hotel
Flowers Dez Plants Dumfries
Stationery All invites, menus, table names and table plan made by bride on Microsoft publisher and then printed by Printed.com.
Table place names Etsy.
Favours Homemade limoncello in little glass bottles bought from Amazon.
Venue décor The Wedding Room Dumfries
Engagement/wedding rings and jewellery Goldsmiths
Drinks reception music The Jordan Murray Band – Solo set
Reception music The Jordan Murray Band – Duo set
Filmmaker Wooden Cinema Films
Marquee Provided by venue
Makeup Maeve at Daydream Beauty
Hair Hair And Make-Up - By Rachael McCall
Nails Beautynailsbysk
