An elegant wedding with touches of navy at Dunglass Estate, Cockburnspath

When Lucy revealed that Rory had taken one of her besties (before she moved to Australia for two years for work) to choose her engagement ring, our hearts melted a lot.

This was set to be a lovely love story.

Rory followed up his sentimental start with a clifftop proposal in Wales and they started to explore the wonderful world of wedding planning.

“We wanted to secure our venue and date first,” remembers the bride.

And when they found their dream destination, Dunglass Estate, nothing else compared.

“We just got a feeling and totally fell in love with the setting. It’s absolutely stunning.”

Next, they got in touch with suppliers to check availability, and booked the celebrant, photographer, videographer and band, whilst Lucy set to work designing the stationery and masterminding the majority of the décor with the help of her mum and her florist Rosie.

“She took our inspiration pictures and really brought them to life.

“She’s also the loveliest person ever,” smiles Lucy.

They used blues and navy throughout, added a gorgeous semi-naked cake and kept the favours simple with scratch cards that said; ‘We tied the knot, we hope you win the jackpot!’

Wedding weekend

The couple set up the venue the afternoon before the big day, then ordered pizzas and had drinks with their favourite people.

“It was great that everyone was already at the venue in the morning.

“It made things really easy – and was one of the reasons we chose Dunglass.”

Lucy loved getting ready and gives kudos to Jenny and Georgia from her style team for the massive part they played.

“They’re so good at what they do but also they kept us right with our timings and were the biggest ‘hype girls’ for the whole bridal party.

“They took so many videos and pictures and made us all feel fabulous.”

The final part of the puzzle before heading down the aisle was her gown and, despite finding the shopping experience tricky (“I’d heard of people finding their dress in the first shop they looked in so when I was on the fourth or fifth appointment in Edinburgh I was starting to worry. That’s when I booked Melle Cloche in Glasgow and found my dream dress. “It just needed me to choose another city to look in!”) Lucy picked a beauty; a sleeveless Jesus Peiro number with voluminous ruffles, a low back, a nipped waist, a long train and – much to the bride’s delight – pockets.

Because her statement shoulder detail did a lot of the talking, she kept her accessories simple with freshwater pearl jewellery and a ‘something borrowed’ veil from bridesmaid Helen.

Excited but anxious (nightmares about tripping down the aisle had not helped matters), Lucy remembers feeling “so happy” to have her dad by her side, her loved ones in the same room and Rory at the end of the aisle.

The couple adored their independent celebrant Niki Smith right from the start.

“It felt like we’d known her for years and from the very first call right up until our wedding morning, she had an amazing ability to put us at complete ease,” said the bride.

Niki wrote their story from questions they’d submitted, then revealed it at the altar.

“She had the whole room hooked. There were tears but also plenty of laughter. She told our story perfectly and set the tone for the entire day.”

A drinks reception with Bouvet, bottled beer and soft drinks followed – “Our caterers did a fantastic job of keeping guests’ glasses filled up!” – before the couple were piped into the wedding breakfast by their friend Greg, ready for a glorious sharing-style feast.

Their grilled mains (a mouthwatering selection of burgers and skewers) were accompanied by some sumptuous sides (we’re massively liking the sound of Mujadara – a combo of lentils, rice and crispy onions) and followed by a salted caramel brownie with berries and cream.

For Lucy, the wonderful words said in the four speeches – by her dad, Rory’s dad, the best men and her new husband – were one of her wedding highlights because she knew “how much love and effort each and every person had made to prepare to speak”.

Another high, though, was the reception where The Socials kept the dance floor full all night with live music and a ceilidh.

“The band was incredible and the room was buzzing. We loved seeing people enjoy themselves, realising how lucky we are to be surrounded by people who
we adore and who love us back.

“I also loved dancing with my flower girl.

“She’s a dancer and I knew she’d be itching to show off her moves.

“And we loved Loch Lomond at the end.

“Our friends had us on their shoulders and it was so much fun being above everyone… Literally on top of the world.”

The newlyweds continued to soak up the love the following day, strolling at the coast with loved ones before spending the afternoon in the sun at the Dunglass treehouse, drinking Champagne and enjoying the hot tub while reflecting on their special day.

“It’s said so many times but when the day arrives it honestly is the fastest of your life. I kept wanting to pause time to catch up with conversations and dance with everyone but it’s just not possible.

“So, live in the moment and enjoy the day with your new spouse!”