Their story…
Brendan and Lisa had a difficult choice when it came to their wedding: Scotland or the Caribbean? Obviously, the best country won….
Okay. You live in the Cayman Islands. The beautiful, sunshine-filled, sandy-beached Cayman Islands. So why Scotland?
Despite a Caribbean wedding being a natural choice, it was prohibitively expensive to ask so many people to fly out to the Cayman Islands. Also, our friends in Cayman and the Middle East inevitably flock home for the summer each year and as Scotland is near to family and friends and easy to get to, it was our first choice. And it’s beautiful!
Can’t argue with that! But that left you planning a wedding from 7500 miles away. How did that go?
Cairns Farm Estate had a bespoke service that was tailored to our needs and eliminated the need to deal with numerous vendors etc, which was key for us (especially with a time difference of 6 hours). We had a few very early morning calls before work to sort things out but everyone was really accommodating. It can be challenging but Cairns Farm were wonderfully accommodating. We felt confident from the moment we chose the venue, our stress levels were low and our excitement levels were high. Exactly how they should be!
Who were the stellar team that made your magical wedding happen?
Isla from Flowers By Isla was wonderfully warm and welcoming. She even popped by in the morning to drop off the gorgeous bouquets and corsages.
Lyn McKenzie Hair and Make Up – what can we say? Lyn made the bridal party feel naturally gorgeous and we did not stop laughing the whole morning. We felt like we had known her for years. A talented woman!
Our photographer choice was Fern Photography. We chose Dan after meeting a few photographers over Zoom and just felt he was the most down to earth and friendly, humble and very talented. We felt nervous at our pre-wedding shoot which was included in the package but meeting Dan in person made us feel relaxed for our day. His wonderful work was sent to us quickly and we loved all the photos, both posed and candid.
Craig Heaslip Film & Photography was our videographer and the benefits of being able to see so many parts of your day months later is just incredible. Craig was so great at what he does, and also such a friendly, humorous guy.
You look like you had the best fun at your wedding. What were your highlights?
It was the BEST!! I know most will say that about their day, but we loved every moment. We had already postponed for a year due to COVID, so it was a huge relief to finally get to the day. We were so excited to bring together so many friends and family from all over the world, finally reuniting or being introduced to each other, laughing and dancing together.
The Ceremony was definitely the highlight! David Smith, our Humanist Society Scotland celebrant was phenomenal- he’s one in a million. He set the tone for the whole day, bringing laughter, tears, and joy to the ceremony. People still talk about him and we had people ask us for his contact details so they could personally thank him. It was amazing – he is a gifted speaker and a special man and we can’t really put into words the huge impact he had on our day. Brilliant celebrant!
Our band, The Rear View, were brilliant from start to finish, with a huge array of songs that got everyone, old and young on the dance floor, and also played ceilidh music and provided ceilidh calling too. We all laughed until we couldn’t laugh anymore watching our friends and family ceilidh ‘dancing’. A definite must-have at a Scottish wedding.
Sounds amazing! Did you manage a holiday before you went home?
We have family in Scotland so we were zipping around Glasgow and Edinburgh for a while. Brendan went cycling in the Highlands near Balmoral while Lisa did a stint in Edinburgh at some nice hotels and spas. After the wedding we spent four days at the Fringe Festival, which was exhausting after the wedding celebrations but it is such a great festival, you really can’t be there and miss it.
What are your top tips for other couples planning a Scottish wedding?
Would highly recommend booking Edinburgh accommodations early if you’re going to the Edinburgh Festival, definitely have a ceilidh and have David Smith marry you!
Suppliers:
Venue: Cairns Farm Estate
Photographer: Fern Photography
Videographer: Craig Heaslop Film & Photography
Hair & Makeup: Lyn McKenzie Hair and Makeup Artist
Celebrant: David Smith, Humanist Society Scotland
Florist: Flowers by Isla
Piper: The Pickled Piper
Band: The Rear View
