Their story……
Nature lovers Mia and Martin took inspiration from Scottish wildflower meadows for their beautifully bohemian Bachilton Barn wedding.
Mia and Martin love exploring woods and forests and naturally Martin chose one of their favourites, Devilla Forest, to propose while they were out on a dog walks.
“It was and still is one of our favourite places to walk the dog!” she says.
The couple had been together six years and finding a venue that fitted their style and personality, in a picturesque setting was of the utmost importance when it came to planning a wedding with sustainability at the heart.
As soon as they walked into Bachilton Barn in Perthshire they knew it was exactly what they’d had in mind and the deal was sealed when they spied the woods in the grounds.
“It has the most relaxed setting and we could add our own personal touches,” remembers Mia. “There were so many different spaces we could use and the amount of accommodation and hot tubs available was amazing. When we saw the woods and spoke with Kayleigh (the wedding manager) about the potential of using them we definitely couldn’t say no! Any way you looked you saw green space with sheep, cows and horses. What’s not to love?”
With the venue chosen they got to work on their vision for a Scottish wildflower meadow theme with a relaxed, natural feel.
They put their trust in Stunning Flowers, a Perthshire florist that bases their work on sustainability.
“All the floristry they created exceeded our expectations,” recalls Mia, “As soon as I saw the flowers I cried at how perfectly Ros had created the vision we had for the day.”
Mia loved her bespoke floral crown so much she didn’t want to take it off!
Alongside the wildflowers, Mia put her PhD studies in Entomology front and centre, adding insect touches throughout the décor.
“The aisle featured brown bottles collected from the lab I work in with pampas grass from a neighbour’s garden and eucalyptus stems, and I created the table plan using a wooden palette and set butterflies and moths in frames with matching table numbers which Martin wrote.”
Although there was a lot of DIY for their big day, Mia and Martin managed to keep stress levels to a minimum.
“Having our families help, particularly my mum keeping us on track, made it relatively stress free!” says Mia, who says knowing when to stop was the toughest task!
The bride and her mum made all the Save the Dates and invitations themselves and this creative MOB then made a dried flower wall and two dried flower installations for the arch in the reception room and the welcome sign.
Mia’s dad made the sign itself and a copper easel, and Martin was in charge of designing and painting the sign.
Keeping sustainability in mind, the table décor included log slices gifted to the couple by a local woodland group, and vases of flowers Mia and her mum had dried from bouquets over the year leading up to the wedding.
They even made their own confetti and the favours were bags of M&Ms in a card sleeve branded with a logo designed by Martin.
With so much décor to set up the day before, it’s no wonder the wedding party all took to the hot tubs at their respective cottages that night for some much-needed relaxation and stargazing. Mia and her bridesmaids were far too excited to sleep and were up watching the shopping channels at 3am!
Despite some nerves, Mia had the most fun morning getting ready for her perfect boho bride look.
Her gorgeous Essense of Australia gown with its Bardot neckline and detachable balloon sleeves fitted the bill perfectly and Meigan Alessandra Hair
styled her hair to whimsical perfection.
Walking down the aisle to Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird was very emotional for Mia.
“I couldn’t believe the day was finally here and seeing everyone we love all in one place,” she recalls. “Seeing Martin crying, overwhelmed with emotion made it all feel real.”
The couple opted for a humanist ceremony, feeling it was “most suited to who we are and felt it had an informal but personal theme to it”, and their celebrant Claire was everything they were looking for.
“Her personality and humour was very similar to ours and her laid-back but personal style was exactly what we wanted,” says Mia. “She told our story in the perfect light-hearted way and made all of our friends laugh. Many said they hadn’t been to such an amazing, personal and relaxed ceremony before!”
The informal vibe continued beyond the ceremony with an outdoor drinks reception and lawn games, followed by a family-style barbecue served at the table with a trio of desserts for pudding.
“This allowed us to have a wide selection of dishes and options,” says Mia. “We felt the serving style kept things relaxed and allowed people to choose what they wanted and eat at their own pace.”
In the evening it was back to those lawn games or packing out the dance floor to tunes provided by Jim Jam Ceilidh Band.
“It was fantastic and everyone enjoyed it, especially as many of the guests were English!” smiles Mia. “They got everyone up dancing. The atmosphere was amazing.”
Now it’s all over, Mia and Martin are loving their newlywed status and had the most amazing wedding day.
“It’s so great to finally be married and being a Mr and Mrs,” she says. “We can’t wait for the future together.”
These photos were taken and supplied by Tom Cairns Photography
“It was a spectacularly colourful wedding with so much joy and love, and I loved how invested everyone was in creating the perfect day for the couple. I enjoy spending time outside even when it’s a predominantly inside wedding. We walked from the getting ready space to the ceremony venue to the reception and found some delightfully cobbled
streets, the windy St Andrews beach and lots of autumn leaves.”
Tom
Band | Jim Jam Ceilidh Band
Bride’s dresses | Essense of Australia at Natalie Ann Brides
Bride’s jewellery | Kiri and Belle
Bridesmaid dresses | David’s Bridal
Cake | Bonnie Bakes by Karen
Catering | Delicious Catering
Celebrant | Claire Digance of Humanist Society Scotland
Flowers and bride’s floral crown | Stunning Flowers
Groom’s outfit | McCalls Highlandwear
Hair | Meigan Alessandra Bridal Hair
Make-up | Claire Park Makeup Artist
Rings | Ian Gallacher
Videography | Macdonald Studio Films
