A chic wedding filled with personal touches at Kinkell Byre, St Andrews

Doctors Clare and Jared met in 2016 while working on a hospital night shift in Adelaide, Australia.

Clare, originally from Edinburgh, had just moved there, while Jared was from the city.

Three years later, Jared proposed to Clare at the top of a secluded waterfall in Northern Australia.

He had designed a stunning solitaire diamond with a yellow gold band for her.

“Our first priority was the venue,” Clare explains.“

We really wanted somewhere special, but relaxed.

St Andrews holds a special place in our hearts and Kinkell Byre was so magical.

As soon as we viewed it for the first time we loved it.”

The couple had to delay their wedding twice due to the pandemic and eventually got married over a year after the original date.

Fortunately, there were no apologies on the day, so they were finally able to celebrate with their 120 guests.

“We wanted the theme of the wedding to match the Byre, but also bring a luxurious feel to it,” Clare says.

“The palette was soft neutrals with a focus on florals, especially hydrangeas and calla lilies, soft textures with velvet and tulle contrasting with the old
stone walls, vintage furniture and soft candle lighting.”

Clare’s mum Sue is a painter and she made a sketch of Kinkell Byre, which ran through the stationery on the day.

A special experience

Clare wanted to design her own wedding dress and, to gather inspiration, she went shopping with her mum.

“It was such a special experience to share with her.

After we tried on dresses we sat and had a glass (or two!) of champagne together and started sketching the dress,” Clare recalls.

It was made at Caleche Bridal in Adelaide and was a strapless gown of crepe, with overlying layers of soft organza and hand-sewn lace detailing on the bodice.

“My favourite feature was an organza and tulle detachable train with an organza bow at the back.

“They even sewed in a handkerchief from my late Nanny to the inside of the dress as my ‘something blue’,” Clare adds.

Her Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra pendant with gold chain was gifted by Jared on the morning of their wedding.

Clare had five bridesmaids and two bridesmen.

“The bridesmaids all chose dresses from ASOS.

“As two were pregnant, I selected a colour and they had the freedom to choose their own style.

“They all looked so wonderful,” she says.

Jared wore tartan trews in Clare’s family tartan and Clare’s bridesmen wore kilts from McCalls with bow ties matching the bridesmaid dresses and the ties worn by Jared’s groomsmen.

Mum Sue wore a stunning tailored dress with colourful pleats by Suzannah London.

The night before the wedding, Clare and Jared invited everyone to the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews for drinks and dinner.

“It was really important to us that people could relax and mingle the night before, having a lot of guests from Australia to meet our Scottish friends and family,” Clare explains.

They also hired nearby resort Morton of Pitmilly for family and friends.

Clare and her family have been staying there since she was a baby.

“I slept at Morton of Pitmilly with my parents, brother and sister in law,” she says.

“I was so relaxed when I woke up, everyone was so excited and it was such a special morning.

“My parents gifted me three wedding bands which belonged to my late Nanny and relatives, and Jared had left me a card and a beautiful gift to open.”

Jared stayed at the Old Course Hotel and enjoyed a room service breakfast before his groomsmen joined him for some putting on the golf course.

By my side

Musician Ali Robertson played Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Elton John on piano as Clare walked down the aisle, and Clare’s best friend Gordon played cello during the ceremony.

“I walked down the aisle with my dad holding my hand.

“It was incredibly special having him beside me.

“I am so close to my family and it was so important to me having them all by my side, so my mum and brother walked down the aisle together too,” Clare says.

“Seeing Jared at the end of the aisle smiling back at me is one of my happiest memories.

“He was so thrilled to have his whole family by his side and it was so special they could travel from Australia for the wedding.”

The couple had a humanist ceremony, describing it as the perfect balance between meaningful and lighthearted.

“Jared and I wrote our own vows to one another and, whilst a little daunting, felt incredibly special,” Clare smiles.

For the drinks reception, the couple curated a fantastic selection of wines.

“Living in South Australia we have some incredible vineyards nearby so wine was a huge focus for us,” Clare explains.

Her brother Hamish and close friend Mark did an “amazing job” as the masters of ceremony and she says one of her favourite and most special parts of the day was hearing her dad Richard’s incredible speech.

After dinner, the cocktail bar opened and the band played a mix of ceilidh dances and covers.

The Australian contingent had even been practising for the ceilidh!

Clare adds; “The atmosphere was just incredible, the dance floor was such a great vibe, cocktails were in hand and kilts were swinging!”