Anna Tripodi & Aidan Robinson
27th August 2022
Venue | John Muir Alpacas, East Lothian
Photography | Jason Kenneway Photography
“Aidan proposed while on a hike up the Pap of Glencoe on an unusually hot and sunny day. After an ongoing joke/obsession with the idea of having binoculars – aka ‘nocs’, as we call them – handy at any occasion, we had brought a pair with us. At the top of the hill, 360- degree panoramic views plus the nocs gave Aidan a good distraction to get out the ring and get down on one knee.
We had the ceremony and reception at John Muir Alpacas in East Lothian. It’s an alpaca farm with a big three-peak tipi on-site, and the moment we visited, we were pretty sure it was the perfect place for us. We wanted somewhere that was quite DIY, where we could find our own caterer and supply our own alcohol. We also knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony.
The tipis were lovely inside: spacious and full of everything we’d need, from tables and benches, to a bar area, fairylights and bunting. The adorable alpacas in the fields nearby were a bonus!
Our wedding vibe was boho. Our flat is colourful and a bit eclectic, with handmade wooden furniture, rugs we bought in Morocco, prints from local Scottish artists, and ceramics from Mexico. Our wedding ended up being in keeping with that sort of style; we had wildflowers arranged in little vases on wooden stands we made ourselves, and rugs laid out to form our ceremony aisle.
Neither of us is religious, and we wanted a ceremony that felt true to us – personalised and full of joy and humour. I walked down the aisle with both of my parents, we did a ring warming, and we drank from the quaich. Our celebrant Annalese told our story beautifully, even including our silly jokes. My favourite moment might have been when we read our own vows that we’d written to each other.
We had a table of champagne awaiting everyone after the ceremony, plus an incredible grazing table of snacks. We then had the full afternoon to hang out outside, play lawn games, and chat.
For the speeches, I wanted my mum to speak along with my dad. I didn’t like how the traditions give so much more attention to the bride’s father than her mother. Both my parents and my brother ended up speaking, which was a lovely surprise. I gave a short speech, Aidan’s was amazing, his best man Dan had a crowd-winner and my man of honour Colin wrapped it up with his signature sense of humour.
We spent way too long making personalised place settings for every guest, featuring a picture of them with us. For those we had no pics with, we photoshopped them (and us) onto famous images and movie posters. I work in marketing, and a creative studio I work with offered to make something for us. That ended up being personalised keg badges for our two on-tap beers from Moonwake Beer Co. Sheriff’s Summer Ale featured our cat, Sheriff, and the A&A IPA featured us!
Our food was delicious. We had smoked fish salad with chicory, potatoes, pickled beets and horseradish to start, then a main of confit Cocklaw lamb with tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, olives, feta and pomegranate yoghurt. Dessert was a three-tier cake made by our friend Mon, a professional baker.
We both love to dance, so there was dancing aplenty. Our DJ did a great job – we gave him a playlist of songs we love and he built from that. Our first dance was ‘Love Is A Wild Thing’ by Kacey Musgrave. A lot of people commented on how lovely and how ‘us’ the ceremony was. But I’d say the highlight for most was the party.”
Top tip: “On the day, make a conscious effort to periodically get together, stand in a moment of quiet, and just take it all in. Notice all your favourite people there all around you, and appreciate the amazing day. It flies by, so we were really glad we did that a few times!”
Venue John Muir Alpacas
Photography Jason Kenneway Photography
Celebrant Annalese McDermott, Humanist Society Scotland
Bride’s dress Bliss Bridal Studio
Bridesmaid dresses chosen by the bridesmaids individually
Groomswear Own suit
Engagement and wedding rings Macintyres of Edinburgh
Hair and makeup JD Bridal hair and Makeup
Cake Friend Montserrat del Castillo
Caterer Barbarella Beets
Flowers Lottie Longman
Stationery and decor Made by the couple
Ceremony and drinks reception music Spotify
Reception music DJ Mark, Hi-Life Entertainment
Lawn games Amazon
Transport AC Taxis
