Natasha Mann & Dino Forte
24th August 2019
Venue | Cormiston Farm, near Biggar
Photography | Mirrorbox Photography
Dino and I got engaged on 4th August 2017 in Ponza, Italy. We had rented a small boat for the day, stocked with pizza and prosecco. It was heavenly.
We both agreed that we wanted our wedding to be in Scotland (we are based in London). Cormiston Farm was the only venue we saw and we booked it straight away. We were totally smitten.
We wanted the day to be straightforward and filled with relaxed summer vibes: part wildflower-strewn summer barn; part disco extravaganza. A big meal would be at the heart of things, taking up most of the day, followed by a great party in the evening.
We work both work in the fashion photography industry – me as a producer, and Dino as a set builder – so we found planning our wedding very similar to orchestrating a photoshoot. I would suggest couples start by putting an estimate together and finding out costs from suppliers. Shop around when it comes to the latter.
Creatively, I found putting together moodboards of how we wanted each part of the day to look like really helpful. We decorated the barn at Cormiston Farm ourselves. We made our own ceremony arch and decorated it with heather from a local hill. We also made our own signage out of crates and knocked-up some sandwich boards to display our printed table plan.
I went dress shopping around boutiques and hated the whole experience. I ended up buying a few online to try at home with my friend and a bottle of wine. Much more enjoyable. I opted for a Halfpenny London dress from Net-a-Porter. It was simple and just what I was looking for in terms of style and price range.
Our wedding photographs are our favourite keepsake from the day. We adored Mirrorbox Photography’s relaxed, documentary style.
Hats off to our dream caterers, Kitchen East. They made the day run so smoothly, the food was incredible and the service was amazing. Many of our guests are still raving about the porchetta rolls.
Music is really important to us. We started putting together our playlist for the wedding the year before. Sitting down for lunch, and at various other points throughout the day, we put the playlist on shuffle. When the dancing began, we gave the playlist to our DJ so he knew the vibe we wanted – lots of disco.
What surprised me most about getting married? That neither of us cried. We were both just so excited and thrilled the day had arrived. When we were halfway through eating dinner, the sun was setting and we both looked at each other, looked around the room and saw all our friends and family happy – it was the best feeling in the world.
Top tip: If you have hired a blank canvas venue and are organising the day yourself, put together a schedule, minute by minute, of how you expect the day to run and give it to all suppliers so they are up to date with timings.
Celebrant Chris Simm, Celebrate People
Catering Kitchen East
Bride’s dress Halfpenny London at Net-a-Porter
Bride’s hair accessory Tilly Thomas Lux
Groomswear Paul Smith
Flowers Schoolhouse Flowers
Cake Leith Sicilian Pastry Shop
Favours Wildflower Favours
Neon sign Solas Neon Sign Co.
Tables and lighting Hopler Wood Co.
Vase and candle holders Pops & Piaf
Reception and entertainment DJ Babes
Hair Julie McGuire Hair
Makeup Mairi Gordon Makeup
