A Romantic and Bohemian Woodland Wedding

Today’s wedding got me super excited the moment I saw it in my inbox. The aesthetics are just beautiful and who doesn’t dream about an outdoor forest wedding?! The bride looks simply beautiful and I think it’s one wedding you’re going to love. So let’s introduce you to today’s gorgeous couple shall we?

PA Clare and Primary School Teacher Jamie were married on 23rd September 2017 at Harvest Moon in Tyninghame, East Lothian, Scotland.  Clare’s vision for the wedding was an outdoor boho theme with a rustic vibe, incorporating lots of the things the couple love.

“We loved the fact the venue was a working farm and there were free range chickens wandering around, as well as the beach and the woodland in close proximity. The fact there was a beach at Harvest Moon was very important to us. We had spent so many blissful days and evenings on beaches in Asia and of course Dalmore on Lewis, that we wanted to reflect the significance of that on our wedding day. We therefore incorporated a beach theme in different ways. For example the guest place names were named after a different beach we’d visited.”

Images by Chic Photography

There to capture all of the day’s memories on camera was photographer Jacqui Paterson of Chic Photography.

“What can I say? Jacqui was the only photographer I found who was interested and engaged in the ideas we had for our wedding and more importantly, was as excited as we were to be a part of it. So much so, she asked us to do a special engagement photo shoot in Glencoe, a place that has special significance for us. Needless to say we were thrilled, even more so when the pictures were featured on Love My Dress.”“Jacqui is a complete professional and is dedicated to her work and her clients. She is very easy to work with and made us feel relaxed both in front of the camera and behind it, which shows in the photo’s. She manages to capture the scenery, light and natural unstaged shots perfectly. She worked tirelessly on our wedding day to ensure we got a huge range of images, from the woodland to the beach. She even stayed an extra hour to capture the sparkler tunnel and bonfire shots at night. I cannot recommend her enough.”

“We didn’t have an official videographer but instead we asked some of our talented friends if they’d mind recording snippets of the day. In the end my dad recorded the whole ceremony on his iPad, my bridesmaids fiance recorded the speeches and our dear friends from Cumbria brought their drone and surprised us with a beautiful film they’d produced set to Caledonia, which we sung during the ceremony.”

“My hair piece was a Folky Dokey bespoke flower piece made with dried peonies, roses, eucalyptus and gypsophila. A complete showstopper of a piece. Geraldine was amazing to work with and took all my ideas on board, producing a masterpiece!”

“With the crystal detail on my dress so intricate, I wanted to keep the rest of my jewellery simple. I opted for a pair of crystal earrings bought from wedding boutique Lily Luna in Edinburgh. I carried a photograph of my late nana and granddad in a frame attached to my bouquet, as well as my granddad’s wedding ring (they were married over 50 years) in the hope our marriage will be as happy and as long as theirs was.”

“I also wore a single tier cathedral length diaphanous veil bought from Etsy which made me feel like a princess and bought two pairs of shoes for the day; heels for the day and flats for the evening. I ended up just wearing the flats the entire day! I had intended to go barefoot but with the possibility of spiking my feet on pine needles on the forest floor, I realised that wasn’t an option.”

The bride chose a simply gorgeous Justin Alexander gown bought from Pretty Woman in Edinburgh.

“If you Google images of this dress online and look at the dress I wore, you’ll see they look quite different! I’m fortunate to have a dressmaker as a mum and originally the idea was that she was going to make my dress from scratch. It was on a chance outing with one of my bridesmaids that I stumbled across my dress and, as luck would have it, it was in the sale! I tried it on and instantly loved how it felt against my skin. The material was so heavy and luxurious and it made me feel incredible. I also loved the art deco detail on the shoulder straps. I fully intended to have my dress made but I couldn’t stop thinking about this dress. I bought it there and then and broke the news to my mum later.”

“Though a process of meetings, phone calls and Pinterest boards, my dress was tailored extensively by my talented mum. She managed to transform it into my dream dress by removing the excess fabric to make it backless, more streamlined and added boning to the top to give it shape. As well as a crystal belt as my something old and borrowed as it had originally belonged to her. I loved the fact the dress was truly unique, bespoke and one of a kind.”

“As it was an outdoors wedding in September in Scotland, I knew we were taking a risk with the weather. Unbeknown to me however, my mum had kept the shawl I was brought home from hospital in 33 years ago and gave it to me to use as a cover up when I was cold. It was perfect.”

The groom wore a sporran, as is tradition in Scotland, along with a bespoke tweed jacket and waistcoat, all made by 21st Century Kilts in Edinburgh.

“Jamie also made his own sgian dubh using deer antler he’d carved himself – he’s very creative! On the morning of the wedding I gave him personalised cufflinks (one with a map of Dalmore and the other Tyninghame) signifying the locations we were engaged and married. I also got him a pocket watch, again with a map of Tyninghame and engraved with J&C – Until the end of time. To finish his look off, he wore a red tie which the two best men and three ushers also wore.”

“The best men and ushers also wore their own kilts. We didn’t want them to be identical as they each have their own style and kilts are traditionally worn to represent ones own clan.”

Clare and Jamie first met on an online dating website three years before Jamie popped the question whilst on a clifftop hike during a trip to the Scottish Highlands.

“We met through Match.com in the summer of 2013 but due to work commitments and distance, our first date wasn’t until October of that year. Jamie lived in Edinburgh and me in Cumbria so we met halfway in Carlisle. Things developed quickly from there and I spent the following weekend with Jamie in Edinburgh then the rest, as they say, is history. The following summer I quit my job and sold my house to move up to Edinburgh to live with Jamie, but just over a year later we decided we wanted to experience adventures of a lifetime. After a few quick weeks planning, we took the daring decision to quit our jobs and rent out our flat and head off into the sunset.”

“In total we spent 4 months travelling beautiful South East Asia and covered Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Those 4 months were one of the happiest experiences we’ve had, eclipsed only by our wedding day.”

“On our return to the UK in March 2016, we took a trip to the Highlands. Jamie is a former tour guide and his passion for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is infectious and something we both now share. On our last night, 14th March 2016, we took a picnic and hiked up a cliff top on Dalmore Beach on the Isle of Lewis to watch the sun set as we’d done hundreds of times in the previous 4 months.”

“Unbeknown to me, Jamie was also carrying a ring box in his rucksack and, whilst we were watching the sun go down, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him. I was in that much shock, I almost knocked the ring box off the side of the cliff!”

“We knew this venue was the one as soon as we saw it, though it was only the second venue we looked at. It had everything we wanted; a tree house and luxury tent accommodation for our guests, a beach and the freedom to make it completely ours for a whole weekend.”

The invitations were made by Feel Good Invites after taking inspiration from our very own lovely ladies over on the Love My Dress Facebook group, and the order of service was passed over to Clare and Jamie’s friend Sarah to create.

“The invites were vintage Kraft style made by Feel Good Invites but the rest of the stationery we made ourselves and we did a lot of DIY! We made the table names from chalkboards and posca pens. The table plan was a map with pins relating to all of the beaches we’d visited, and the place names were shells.”

“I knew I wanted the order of service to be like and, after drawing it out, I gave it to Sarah as she worked in a design agency and managed to bring my vision to life whilst giving us a hefty discount at the same time. The Kraft theme continued and I also incorporated a Polaroid photo from our engagement shoot in Glencoe tied onto string.”

Clare and Jamie opted for a non-religious outdoor ceremony which they personalised themselves. Clare was accompanied down the aisle by her dad dressed in a kilt to How Long Will I Love you by Kristina Train; a stripped back and more emotional version of the Ellie Goulding song.

“One of the most important things about our wedding was that we had the free reign to personalise the ceremony and say the words we believed in, as neither of us are religious. One of Jamie’s oldest and dearest friends Sarah conducted the ceremony after a joke remark made years earlier that if ever we should get married, Sarah would be the one to marry us. It stuck and we remembered her pledge and asked if she would do us the greatest honour.”

“Although Sarah isn’t ordained to legally marry people, she conducted the service from start to finish and we had an interfaith celebrant there to officiate and make the ceremony legal. Sarah has known Jamie for over 15 years, and myself for 4, and she surprised us on the day by including her reflections on us as individuals and as a couple. It was one of the most personal and meaningful parts of the whole day. She included references to the magic of the Highlands and Scotland in general, how people find love in different ways, and how we should always treat what we have as just that – magical.”

“Our vows were kept secret from each other until the day. Jamie had surprised me on the morning of the wedding and with some help from Sarah, had the vows printed and framed with a key and the words ‘the key to a successful marriage’.”

“My bridesmaids dresses were all handmade by my mum. My two bridesmaids, Lisa and Maria, had complete free reign as to the style of their dress but I chose the fabric and colour. My inspiration for the colour was the Andaman Sea surrounding Koh Lanta in Thailand (again a beach theme!). I think the colour really popped against the ivory of my dress and I loved how they reminded me of swimming in the azure clear waters with Jamie. I also hand-made each bridesmaid a personalised thank you box containing a pair of earrings they wore on the day amongst other things.”

The ceremony aisle was adorned with gypsophila hanging from the chivari chair at the end of each aisle and the aisle was created with a hessian runner. The bride and her bridesmaids each held a bouquet and petals lined the walkway.

“We had 4 readings by Jamie’s dad, my mum, Jamie’s friend from university and our good friend Shelby. The readings we chose reflected us as a couple and were full of love, as well as being non-religious. Time Travellers was chosen for its reference to adventures and the others included In That Still and Settled Place by Edward Monkton, The One written by Jamie’s dad, and The Wonder of Today by Larry Chengges.”

The couple swapped rings, made by the same jeweller who remade Jamie’s grandmothers ring into Clare’s engagement ring, Jude Smith.

“My engagement ring originally belonged to Jamie’s grandmother and was a very traditional gold band with emerald flanked by two diamonds, which I remade into a modern style 18ct white gold band which raised the emerald to sit proud of the shank and the two diamonds on equal steps down.”

“Jude was also the perfect choice to make my wedding ring too. She created a stunning 18ct white gold ring, shaped to fit my engagement ring like a jigsaw piece. It’s very simple and delicate but I didn’t want to detract from the grandeur of my engagement ring.”

“Jamie’s ring is a solid band made from palladium. He works with his hands a lot so wanted something more durable than white gold or platinum.”

Following the ceremony guests were handed canapes whilst the bride, groom and wedding party went off into the surrounding forests for the wedding portraits. Hickory Catering then provided the wedding breakfast; a hog roast followed by pies from Mhor Bread in Callender in the evening.

“We used Patrycja from Bloomia in Dunbar as our florist. She understood my vision from day one. I had always wanted peonies in my bouquet but they weren’t in season in September so she incorporated excellent quality fake ones into mine and the bridesmaids bouquets, along with a muted palette of eucalyptus, protea, gypsophila, hydrangea, roses, berries, thistles and greenery. I wanted the flowers to be big, blousy and natural, nothing too structured. I loved it so much I didn’t put it down all day!

The bridesmaids had smaller versions of my bouquet with a fake peony each. In the marquee we used sunflowers, protea and little succulents in ceramic pots which some of the guests ended up taking home with them as keepsakes.”

Decor was also a DIY affair with all the bunting handmade by Clare’s mum. They also used numerous chalkboard signs erected around the venue, made by Clare, and used candles, fairy lights, jars, rustic ladders, homemade ivy chandeliers, white paper lanterns, beams of fake ivy and sunflowers to create the desired boho effect.

“The favours were small Kraft envelopes filled with wildflower seeds and the text ‘Let love grow’ stamped on the front, all handmade by us. Since moving into our new house we now have our own garden and wanted to incorporate this into the wedding. We liked the idea of the guests planting the seeds and thinking of our wedding when they grew.”

Opting for a cake of cheese rather than the traditional sweet option, the couple decorated it themselves with figs and grapes with it also doubling up as part of the evening buffet with oatcakes and chutneys.

The end of the day was marked by a ceilidh band, Hector’s Heroes, performing the Gay Gordon’s for Clare and Jamie’s first dance track, followed by two of the couple’s friends who are DJ’s in their spare time playing the night out and keeping the dance floor full until the early hours of the morning.

On reflection, Clare’s favourite part of the whole day was without a doubt the ceremony, which will hold a very special place in her heart forever.

“The woodland setting looked magical and ethereal, exactly how I’d always dreamed it would. I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time as I walked up the aisle, there were many tears! As we said our vows the sun started to stream through the trees and in that moment I wanted to stop time and just absorb everything; the bird song, the rustle of leaves underfoot, the look of love and happiness on the faces of all our friends and family, and the words that formed the promises we were making to each other as we became husband and wife.”

Words Of Wedded Wisdom

“Do not underestimate the time it takes to set up your venue. We had the entire site at Harvest Moon but the marquee is huge and it took a small army two full days to set up. I was up at 5am on the morning of the wedding because I wanted to add final touches but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“Delegate! I found it extremely stressful on the morning of the wedding when all the suppliers turned up and I was being asked a million questions whilst trying to get my hair done. In the end I told them to direct all questions to my bridesmaid and the best man who took away all the stress. Also, there’s a fine line between getting enough helpers and having too many people involved.”

“Be careful not to let the wedding prep take over your life and relationship. We put our blood, sweat and tears into making the day ours but always made time for us – we had days where wedding talk was banned.”

“Do a speech! I’m not a fan of public speeches at all but felt it was important to me to thank certain people myself. I wasn’t nervous at all. You’re talking to your loved ones, not giving a presentation for an interview so it’s totally different. I got so many compliments afterwards and people said it gave them a real insight into us as a couple.”

“Let go! I only started relaxing and actually enjoying it at the ceilidh band at night. Up until then I was worried I wasn’t talking to enough people or they hadn’t had enough canapes or we were running over schedule. The day goes by so quickly you really have to consciously take it in. Take a 5 minute break with your other half to just breathe and look at what you’ve created. If you’re enjoying yourself, your guests will be too.”

“I loved the fact there is such a huge variety of weddings featured on Love My Dress and I was on the Love My Dress Facebook page constantly looking for advice and inspiration. Having so many brides offering help made it feel like I wasn’t alone in the planning.”

Oh my! What a gorgeous wedding Clare and Jamie created – congratulations you two, what a fabulous job you did. A big thank you also to Chic Photography for capturing all of the magic on camera.

Until next time…

Much love,

Holly x