Kirsty and Allan tied the knot on 30th April this year at The Dougarie Boathouse, part of the Dougarie Estate, located on Scotland’s Isle of Arran.
The Dougarie Boathouse is a most beautiful, exclusive hire wedding venue, located within a recently renovated, iconic listed building. This magical spot is situated right by the sea with scenic backdrops and spectacular views towards the Mull of Kintyre. There are a number of pretty churches located on the island that can be used to host your ceremony too and that’s exactly what this lovely couple did before making their way to the beautifully decorated boathouse to celebrate with friends and family.
Shoes, Accessories & Veil
My veil was also Madi Lane and also purchased in Aimee bridal Couture. It was a stunning cathedral length laced veil, I absolutely loved it. My shoes were ‘Be Mine Bridal’ which I found on Asos. They were super comfy.
I wore Le Labo Santal 33 on the day – it is my favourite perfume and Allan’s too. My for my jewellery, I wore my great grandmothers opal ring (my ‘something old’) and my sapphire earrings were my mother in law’s (my ‘something borrowed’ and my ‘something blue’).
The bridal party’s hair was done a local hair stylist, Alison Thomson, who is based and part owner at Island Hair and Beauty. I really wanted sleek, wavy hair for everyone which Alison Nailed.
Make up was by Danielle Dickson who is based at Bobby Pinns in Bishopbriggs. Danielle specialises in in glowy bridal make up which is exactly what we wanted. Everyone loved their make up for the day.
The Dress
I wore a dress by Madi Lane. Finding a wedding dress was actually not as difficult as I first thought. I went to Aimee Bridal Couture on Bath Street in Glasgow and they were honestly amazing. I went for ‘Halani’ by Madi Lane.
I really wanted a bohemian style, romantically designed dress and Aimee bridal just had everything I wanted. We had our ceremony in whiting bay church so it was important to me to have a traditionally styled dress with a twist.
Photography
Our amazing photographer was Meggy Mac Photography. Megan is from Arran originally and has photographed some pretty spectacular weddings along with lots of other events all over the world.
Her style is very candid and relaxed which we loved. My husband Allan hates having his picture taken so I knew she was the perfect choice and would put him at ease on the day.
How They Met
We are both originally from Arran but we were never friends. Allan had left high school before I started so we never crossed paths. We met over Christmas 2016 one night at a local pub when I had come back from a year in New Zealand and we have been inseparable ever since.
We got engaged in August 2020 – Allan had planned a night away at Archerfield which is just outside North Berwick and proposed when we arrived. We got married just under 18 months after.
Allan wore MacLeod hunting tartan for the day and the best men and ushers all wore Hebridien Heather tartan. They all wore charcoal tweed jackets and waistcoats. Allan went to MacGregor and Macduff in Prestwick for the groomsmen’s and his own kilts. They all looked so smart in them.
Bridesmaids & Flowers
I really wanted unique bridesmaid dresses and spent what felt like forever hunting for the perfect dresses. I found these beautiful bronze rust satin slip dresses online from Petal and Pup and they worked so well with our theme
Our florist was Charlottes Flowers who is based on Arran. I love her wild flower and rustic arrangements so picking her was a no brainer for our theme. Charlotte also grows the majority of her own flowers which I love and adds a little something special to the day.
The Dougarie Boathouse
We really wanted something different for our venue. We are both from Arran so it was really important we got married there.
The Boathouse was just everything we wanted and more for our wedding reception. It had the views and is so beautifully finished – we were sold before the renovations were even complete.
We wanted a bohemian and rustic vibe. Lots of pampas grass and eucalyptus. I loved how it all came together and it really looked amazing with the boathouse as a backdrop. I had made numerous Pinterest boards to come up with the look we wanted. We just wanted simple, non fussy and fun – and that’s certainly what we achieved.
One of my very good friends, owner of Lisa’s Balloons, also supplied a beautiful balloon garland to be attached to our synthetic grass feature wall. It was a hit for photos.
Evening & Dancing
For entertainment we had local DJ Tom McGarrigle – he is brilliant and does exactly what you want.
Our first dance was to ‘Kiss Me’ by six pence none the richer We chose it as it is a really upbeat song and easy to dance to.
Allan has two left feet so it was really important we could find a dong that he could shuffle along to.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Our original budget was £15,000 which was certainly exceeded. It’s crazy how much it is to have a wedding day but we really had the best time so it was worth ever penny.
Best parts for me were getting ready with my girls and mum in the morning – it was so fun. And another favourite was getting into the car with Allan just after the church ceremony and having a moment to let it all sink in together.
thedougarieboathouse.co.uk
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
