Where it all began
Nicole McMahon & Derek Leske
- ThePlus Audio
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Nicole and Derek married exactly two years after their first anniversary proposal, on home soil.
Nicole and Derek met the modern way, through an online dating app, but their love story quickly became anything but ordinary. One year in, Derek proposed at the summit of Ben More on the Isle of Mull, carrying the ring in his rucksack for days before the moment felt right.
With blue skies stretching across the Inner Hebrides, Nicole suggested filming at the summit – unknowingly capturing the proposal itself. “We floated back down the mountain,” she smiles.
The DECISIONS
Although they met later in life, Ayrshire had always been home. Dumfries House sits just ten minutes from both of their family homes so it’s central, familiar and full of memory. Nicole had planted trees on the estate as a child through a local initiative and it was where Derek’s parents first met her over afternoon tea. It felt like the natural venue choice.
They didn’t set a rigid theme. Instead, they leaned into Scotland, incorporating tartan tones, natural textures and sustainability wherever possible. Many suppliers were local; many details were handmade. Their tables were named after the first Munros they climbed together, with Ben More (the proposal mountain) as the top table.
Family was woven into everything. Their mothers made the cake and favours, while Nicole’s nanny gifted them an inscribed quaich. It was filled during the ceremony with the same whisky they’d shared on Mull.
Nicole wore two repurposed dresses from Bliss Studio in Edinburgh, drawn to the idea of giving something beautiful a second life. “I’m not very fashion-minded, so finding something that felt like me was everything.” Adding a little sentiment, her mum gifted her Gran Ena’s engagement band to wear on the day.
Derek chose a soft sage-green kilt (a nod to countryside roots and natural tones) while his groomsmen wore grey tartan for contrast. And the bridesmaids wore elegant Ghost dresses in keeping with the woodland setting – classic but comfortable enough for reeling later on.
The DAY
Storm Amy threatened the weekend, bringing torrential rain right up until the ceremony – then clearing, almost miraculously, for sunshine afterwards.
Nicole entered to Canon in D, performed by a string quartet. Their celebrant, Laura MacKenzie, told their story in a ceremony that felt grounded and personal. Family tartan ribbons were used for the handfasting and they shared a quaich filled with Mull whisky. “There wasn’t a dry eye,” they remember.
Traditional fiddle music was played during dinner, a nod to the countless weekends they’d spent walking Munros and exploring the Hebrides together. Later, ceilidh dancing pulled nearly every guest to the floor. “It was complete and utter joy,” says Nicole.
One particularly special detail: Nicole’s brother-in-law stopped a watch at the exact moment they said ‘I do’ – a time marked forever.
The REFLECTIONS
Looking back, what stands out most is the sight of almost every guest joining the ceilidh; generations whirling together. And, despite Storm Amy’s best efforts, the weather became part of the memory rather than the problem. “Enjoy the things you can’t control,” they advise.
Their biggest takeaway was to stay rooted – don’t follow trends and don’t plan for anyone else. Trust your intuition as a couple and build a day around what you genuinely love, whether that’s Munros, whisky, fiddle music, sustainable choices – or all of the above.
“Scotland has everything,” adds Nicole. “Nature, community and history. We just leaned into that.”
Dumfries House
- 01290 425 959
- Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire KA18 2NJ
- dumfries-house.org.uk
Boda Photography
“I’d met Nicole and Derek at another wedding, so it felt like I was photographing good friends. The venue was the perfect match for them – elegant, romantic and effortlessly timeless. Everything just flowed and it felt especially personal to me.”
SARAH
Here are the amazing suppliers that helped make my day so special
– I’d highly recommend them.
Venue: Dumfries House
Photographer: Boda Photography
Videographer: Michael Westcott Films
Celebrant: Laura MacKenzie
Fashion
Dresses: Bliss Studio
Bridesmaids: Ghost
Kilts: Kilts 4 U
Beauty
Hair: Ukiyo Hair
Make-up: MakeMeUp by Claire
Styling
Flowers: JG Flowers
Entertainment
Band: Little Red
Musicians: Rosewood Strings, Ryan Young
Piper: Bryce MacDonald
Other
Rings: Mr Harold & Son
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