Nikki Barrett and Hamish Livingston
31st December 2022
Venue | Falside Mill, St Andrews
Photography | Sophie Alexandria Photography
“We had such lovely comments from our friends and family, telling us that the whole day was so much fun and was just one big party. Corks were popped instantly and the drinks were flowing the whole time. It set things up so nicely for a big party and New Year celebrations.
We had visited five venues in the course of planning, but we were instantly sold on the St Andrews establishment after meeting the incredible team there. We really wanted a rustic barn, and Falside Mill has been renovated to the highest of standards – it’s so stunning. From the moment we arrived, the owners and wedding coordinator were the most welcoming, warm and friendly people. They made the whole experience so easy and enjoyable for us – we couldn’t have asked for any more from them.
With 180 guests coming from all corners of the globe, we began dreaming up ways to bring our theme to life Start planning early – we made a to-do list for each month and stuck to it as best we could, especially from about 12 months onwards.
We wanted to have a warm, cosy and romantic feeling for our day – it was midwinter, after all. We went for winter colours of green and white, but added some subtle rust and gold tones to bring the sparkle of New Year’s Eve. The venue was so flexible when it came to decorations; we had a wall of fairy lights, flower installations and around 300 candles – I wanted them everywhere!
When we were setting up the day before, the florist was arranging the flowers and had put them into the tall lily vases that I had asked for. When it came to putting them on the table, we realised that the way I wanted the tables arranged wasn’t going to work with the lily glasses. Thankfully, Ashley (the florist) was so calm and changed the arrangements to be much lower down and I absolutely loved them! Really any problem we encountered was solved by one of our amazing suppliers. Everyone was just so helpful!
To fuel everyone through to the bells, Falside helped supply mouthwatering catering options, including a fun-filled ‘host your own roast’ at the main meal.
We had loads of compliments on how delicious the food was. We’d heard from so many newly married friends who didn’t get a chance to try their canapés, but Falside arranged for us to have a whole board to ourselves, plus, champagne which was such a nice touch.
As for the meal, our starter was a sharing platter, which worked brilliantly – everybody was able to tuck into as much or as little as they wanted to. Owner and chef David also carried off the main course perfectly and even had chef hats for everyone!
It was Hogmanay, so of course we were really keen to have fireworks at midnight, but it was looking impossible to find a supplier who was available on that date. David stepped in and suggested that if we bought the fireworks, he would set them off for us.
Being able to say ‘Happy New Year’ to all of our family and friends in person was really special. Falside Mill give 110% to ensure we had the most special day, it truly is a magical place.”
Filmmaker Scott MacKenzie
Celebrant Suzanne Teed
Bride’s dress Zara dress, Savin London, Eleganza Sposa
Bridesmaid dresses Pretty Lavish
Flower girl dresses JJ’s House
Mother of the bride outfit Catwalk
Mother of the groom outfit Catherines of Partick
Bride’s shoes Charlotte Mills
Bride’s bracelet Cara, Dubai
Groomswear McCalls
Makeup Louise Ballantine
Hair Pamela Docherty
Nails NAF
Cake Sandra’s Cakes St Andrews
Menu and catering A&D Catering
Flowers Ashley Scott (Achillea Flower Studio)
Reception music The Big Papas
Stationery Etsy
Lighting Stephen Leslie Lighting
Transport Leven Coaches
Rings Cara, Dubai
