‘I do’ diary couple Lauren and Gavin’s island wedding at The Dougarie Boathouse, Arran
Lauren and Gavin
- ThePlus Audio
Please click here to hear this couples wedding story.
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For some newly engaged couples, venue hunting may feel a little daunting.
How on earth do you uncover the hundreds and hundreds of beautiful Scottish venues?
Then drill them down into a shortlist to visit?
Then decide on a clear winner, worthy of staging one of the most important days in your life – all while trying to navigate post-question-popping excitement and the other extensive aspects of wedding planning?
It’s not always easy…
But for high school sweethearts Lauren and Gavin, it totally was – thanks to a competition in Your Scottish Wedding!
“After seven years together, Gavin proposed with a ring he’d had designed at Blair & Sheridan in Glasgow and we wanted to get married relatively quickly,” explains the bride.
“The fact we won our venue – The Dougarie Boathouse on the Isle of Arran – made it possible and real all at once.
We’ll always be so grateful for that.”
Meant to be
The pair hadn’t seen The Dougarie Boathouse before but as soon as they found it on Insta, they fell in love.
“It seemed like the perfect place to get married with its rustic interior and beautiful scenery,” adds Lauren.
From there they pressed on with booking all the big suppliers and managed to save time on DIY décor due to the natural beauty of the venue – all it needed was
some beautiful blooms.
They steered clear of any specific theme and focused on keeping things simple and stress-free.
Their naked cake came from Marks & Spencer (with talented florist Eleanor levelling it up, big time!) and they opted out of favours.
Instead, they put money towards post-ceremony drinks at the bar for their guests. What a fab idea!
The big day
Lauren and her ‘maids (to whom she’d ‘proposed’ by designing a personalised newspaper with their pics and stories that was wrapped around a bouquet of flowers) had a chilled yet busy wedding morning, which zoomed by.
“Before I knew it, it was time for some of the friends I’d asked to be there in the morning with me to get on the bus.
“We always agreed the last song would be Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield and it was surreal knowing next time I’d see them would be walking down the aisle.
“My favourite moment of the wedding morning was definitely my dad seeing me and the drive to the venue.
“It felt so special.”
Dressed in her elegant, fitted gown (‘Dionne’ by designer Rebecca Ingram), Lauren made her way down the aisle as an acoustic version of Simply the Best played.
She’d kept the song a surprise from Gavin and her dad, knowing how much it would mean to them.
And when she saw her husband-to-be, she couldn’t resist excitedly hugging him before her dad got the chance to ‘give her away’!
They tied the knot in a humanist ceremony that was light, fun and a great reflection of their story so far.
Lauren had worried beforehand about stumbling over her words – but she nailed it, and just basked in the joy of standing saying her vows after all the planning they’d done.
Time to celebrate
With the sun shining, a drinks reception outside was a natural choice, “It was like being abroad,” smiles Lauren.
“We had Binky Blue playing traditional folk music, which was perfect.”
Next, it was a street food-style wedding breakfast for the newlyweds and their 54 guests.
“We wanted a relaxed atmosphere where people could get up and mingle if they wished.
“After the wedding everyone kept telling us how much they enjoyed the food so it seemed to be a hit.”
With being on the Isle of Arran it was day guests only so no new arrivals to consider, meaning Lauren and Gavin just needed to concentrate on celebrating!
After a set of brilliant speeches (“I can’t wait to watch them all back on video,” smiles Lauren), the DJ took centre stage and kept the floor full all night.
“It was lively and happy. Being surrounded by all our close family and friends at night was my highlight – particularly when Taylor Swift’s Love Story came on!”
The couple admit that not much has changed day-to-day since they said ‘I do’ but they love knowing they’re married with an exciting future ahead.
Now, Lauren’s top tips for to-be-weds would be not to overthink it (coming from an overthinker!), to do their research and to prioritise what’s important to them.
And, of course, to have fun!
“The best thing about planning was definitely getting my close friends involved.
“Every decision had to go past them and prosecco nights in, spent talking about what was planned and still had to get sorted, were amazing.
“I truly couldn’t have done it without them!”
The Dougarie Boathouse
- 01770 840259
- The Dougarie Boathouse, Ayrshire, Dougarie, Isle of Arran KA27 8EB, UK
- events@dougarie.com
- https://thedougarieboathouse.co.uk/
Ursula Kelly Photography
Gavin and Lauren’s wedding was an absolute blast from start to finish. From the flowing champagne and singing Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten during bridal prep at the hotel to the dance floor madness of Taylor Swift’s Love Story with their friends and family, the whole day was packed with laughter and good vibes. One standout moment was when they exchanged surprise gifts—before even opening them, they both asked, ‘How’s Lauren?’ and ‘How’s Gavin?’ That kind of connection set the tone for the day. The weather was unreal—blue skies, golden light, and warmth that made the Scottish coast feel like the Med. We stole every chance we could to capture incredible photos and video, from the beach to an epic sunset, but mostly, we soaked up the joy of a couple so completely in love that we felt lucky to document them.
Ursula
Here are the amazing suppliers that helped make our wedding so special
– I’d highly recommend them.
Bride’s dress | ‘Dionne’ by Rebecca Ingram at Aimee Bridal Couture
Bride’s shoes | Rainbow Club
Bride’s veil | Etsy
Bridesmaid dress | Pretty Lavish
Celebrant | Robbie Sharpe of Humanist Society Scotland
Cake | Marks & Spencer
Catering | Regis Banqueting
DJ | DJ Louis 7 Seven
Flowers | Eleanor’s Flowers
Hair | Island Hair & Beauty
Make-up | Makeup with KatieMac
Musicians | Binky Blue
Transport | Stagecoach
Videography | Ursula Kelly Photography
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- 01770 840259
- The Dougarie Boathouse, Ayrshire, Dougarie, Isle of Arran KA27 8EB, UK
- events@dougarie.com
- https://thedougarieboathouse.co.uk/