An Elegant May Wedding at Thirlestane Castle with English Garden Vibes

Set within the peaceful, historic surroundings of Thirlestane Castle in the Scottish Borders, this romantic May wedding was a celebration of love, family and beauty in all its springtime glory. Liza and Sam gathered their closest loved ones for a destination wedding that blended Scottish heritage with the softness of an English garden in full bloom.

The couple chose Thirlestane not only for its breathtaking setting and rich history, but because it offered space for their families to stay and celebrate together. On the day, the castle grounds were filled with pastel-coloured florals, terracotta tones that echoed the castle walls, and elegant nods to nature’s seasonal palette.

Liza wore a contemporary Anthropologie gown with delicate floral detailing and removable sleeves, styled with a matching veil and soft pearl accessories. Harper Scott Photography’s effortlessly honest, artful style was the perfect fit for this joyous gathering – a beautiful record of a heartfelt ceremony and a day full of genuine connection.

We were inspired by the history of Thirlestane castle and the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Boarders. We also leaned into an English garden aesthetic, with bright springtime flowers in pastel colours. The bridesmaid dresses were inspired by the terracotta colour of Thirlestane Castle. 

My dad walked me down the aisle to the sound of Pachelbel’s Canon.

Sam and I wrote our own vows for the ceremony and our readings included ‘I Carry Your Heart With Me’, by E. E. Cummings, ‘A Red, Red Rose’, by Robert Burns and ‘Song of Songs’ 2.8-14, 8.6-7.

We chose these readings as a nod to the Scottish history, and some of our favourite poems. We were also inspired by other weddings that we attended and were inspired by the scriptures. 

We loved the ceremony. It felt really special and brought together all of our closest friends and family who helped walk us down the aisle and read the passages.  

We chose Harper Scott because of the documentary-style photography, artistic touches, and candid style approach. We would highly recommend, Carole-Ann is a pleasure to work with and the photographs turned out beautifully.

We met in Philadelphia in late 2018 through a dating app. We had both recently moved to the city for jobs. Liza studied art in college and is a big fan of art museums, so Sam proposed at the Barnes Foundation next to a painting of one of Liza’s favourite artists in May of 2023. We were engaged for a year before our wedding in May of 2024. 

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Both our flowers and catering were by Platter & Pop. We wanted an organic, spring time feel to the flowers. I also wanted a pastel colour palette grounded in pinks, blues, and greens.

Our first dance was to Lauryn Hill’s ‘Can’t Take my Eyes off of You’. We chose this because we love the song, and wanted an upbeat song vs a slow song.

I would suggest being open to different possibilities and be flexible. I would also suggest aligning with your partner on priorities.

When you are working on a budget, you have to come up with the top 3-5 non-negotiables (food, photography, the venue, etc).

And I would have taken more time to savour the day! The entire day flew by.

We truly adore the work of Carole-Ann and Hazel of Harper Scott Photo and Films. If you love it too, you can make an enquiry via the Harper Scott directory listing here.

In the meantime, here are some more beautiful weddings captured by Harper Scott Photography.