When I was dress hunting for my own wedding gown I kept coming back to a particular dress by Ian Stuart Bridal which was in the window of a boutique in York- the train was huge and the fabric was unusual in soft blue and cream stripes.
I absolutely adored it, although actually ended up buying another gown from the same shop and same designer. Its lovely therefore, to write up a wedding today which features another pretty stunning Ian Stuart gown. Even better, the wedding takes place in the most magnificent neo-Gothic venue located on an island!
Meet Rachel, a software test engineer, and Christopher, who is self employed, who married on the 8th of July 2017 at the glorious Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, styling their day around the interior of this beautiful building.
“My father worked on the island for a number of years and we also have a lot of close friends who are originally from there. We visited the venue for the first time in October 2016 and we were in complete awe of it. It’s a very special house and like nothing we had ever experienced before with history and beautiful detailing throughout. It really felt like our own home for the duration of our wedding.”
Images by Ross Alexander
“We styled everything in line with my wedding gown and Mount Stuart’s colourful marbled interior. We matched up Christopher’s suit, the bridesmaids dresses and the floral arrangements to the different pastel shades on my wedding gown.”
Rachel wore the incredible ‘Papillion’ by Ian Stuart Bride, which she purchased from Anne Priscilla Bridal in Glasgow.
“I saw the dress advertised in a wedding magazine and from that moment on I knew that would be the dress I would wear. It was the only wedding dress I tried on in the bridal shop too- definitely love at first sight!”
“As someone who is usually quite shy and happy to go with the crowd it was an unusual choice but I couldn’t imagine wearing anything else and I love it because it gave me more confidence for taking the plunge and trying something different.”
The bridesmaids looked lovely in soft lilac gowns from Monsoon, paired with their own shoes and handmade silver jewellery purchased from a pop-up stall in Glasgow.
Flowers were the work of Paperwhite Floral Design, whose pastel floral arrangements matched the styling perfectly.
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“We met Abbie of Paperwhite Floral Design at a wedding fair and chose to have her as our supplier there and then. We picked the flowers to look uniform but rustic to match my dress and Christopher’s outfit. They ended up working perfectly.”
Christopher looked fabulous in a custom made suit which he wore with his grandfather watch. His grandfather sadly passed away at the end of 2016 so he felt very privileged to wear it on such a special day.
Rachel’s veil was also purchased from Anne Priscilla Bridal, while on her feet she wore a pair of elegant heels from Badgley Mishka.
For perfume she chose ‘Si’ by Armani, while for jewellery she opted for a necklace and earrings from Liberty In Love and a bracelet from Thomas Sabo, engraved with ‘C & R’. The bracelet was a gift from Christopher’s mother on the morning of the wedding.
Rachel was accompanied down the aisle by her father and the two walked in to ‘Canon in D’ by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
“This was a very Scottish take on the song as it was a bagpipe version. It got us very emotional.”
“For both of us, our very favourite part of the day was finally seeing each other at the end of the aisle. We had not seen each other for two whole days beforehand (which is pretty unheard of for us). It was so magical, like it was only the two of us standing in the chapel.”
“There was love and laughter throughout the ceremony. What made it very special was that our celebrant – Rev Sandy McCallum – married my parents almost 30 years ago. They were one of the first couples he married and myself and Christopher will be one of his last as he is soon to retire. It was lovely to have someone that knows us personally conduct our service.”
The couple chose their wedding rings from the Silverburn branch of Chisholm Hunter.
“Christopher purchased my engagement ring from the same store. He also surprised me by engraving both our rings with our initials and wedding date . He mentioned during his speech that this is so he does not forget to buy me an anniversary gift!”
“Mount Stuart really didn’t need any additional decor as it has such intricate detail and stained glass throughout. The weather was perfect on the day so when the sun shone through the glass it was like a prisim of multi-coloured light throughout the marble hall.”
The day was captured on camera by Ross Alexander Photography. This is the first time we have featured Ross’ work on Love My Dress so I’m delighted to welcome him to the fold.
“Ross has a natural photography style, which is exactly what we were looking for. He was a joy to have with us on our big day and all our guests loved his witty nature.”
Rachel and Christopher also chose to have the day filmed, and chose Paper Street Productions for the job.
“Christopher and I met through mutual friends in 2012. We got talking and he eventually invited me out for our first date – we have been inseparable since. Bizarrely, we have since realised that our childhood homes were literally a matter of yards apart and we must have crossed paths many times in our lives without noticing. We got engaged in September 2015 and set a date for our wedding in October 2016 – nine months prior to our big day.”
“My mother did a great job of creating the favours in the days before the wedding. We had ‘Wedding Day’ scented Yankee Candles for the women and Scotch whisky with a personalised sticker for the men. The candles were bought online and the whisky was sourced direct from the distillery from a family friend.”
The beautiful three-tired cake, with marbled icing to keep with the theme of the day, was created by Happy Hills Cakes.
“It was white chocolate, raspberry and salted caramel flavours and we received many compliments both on the look and taste.”
“The team at Hickory Food were more than just caterers – they liaised with the venue throughout our planning process and helped calm any wedding nerves on the morning of the wedding. The food and bar they provided was truly exceptional.”
The evening entertainment was provided by Mark Wild DJ and couple stepped onto the floor for their first dance to ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri.
“We picked this song mainly because we watched the movie ‘Twilight’ on one of our dates when we first became a couple but also because I cry when I hear it as it reminds me of Christopher. If our wedding had a soundtrack it would most definitely be our first dance song.”
“We had a firework display to music towards the end of the evening, provided by 21CC Group. The song was ‘Sandstom’ by ‘Darude’ and both ourselves and our guests loved it.”
Words of Wedded Wisdom
“My words of wisdom would be to cherish every moment of your big day. It is over in a flash and gone forever in what feels like a matter of minutes. Try and get some time alone with your new husband/wife straight after the ceremony to be together and take in all that has just happened . It will be one of the most special days of your life so cherish it.”
“Most importantly remember it’s YOUR wedding. So eat whatever food you want, drink whatever you want and invite whomever you want. Make it be a reflection of you and your own personal style for all to see. Don’t be scared to show your individuality. (P.S. – be sure to ask for some canapé to be put aside for you!)”
Huge thanks to Rachel and Christopher or sharing this beautiful day with us. What a treat for a chilly December day. If you’ve been wowed by Rachel’s spectacular dress then take a peek here for more Ian Stuart brides on Love My Dress (if you look hard you may even find me from four years ago!)
Much love,
Shona x
