Beautiful bride, Julia dreamed of an autumn wonderland wedding that was opulent, ultra-chic, and included an enchanted dream forest, so she created an autumn wedding inspiration board to help bring her ideas together for the big day.
With this autumnal opulence wedding theme in mind, flashes of blush pink and lots of candles were added to create a soft and romantic edge.
Words by Julia. Images by The Gibson’s.
Drumtochty Castle is an enchanting, opulent and romantic setting, and the perfect venue to celebrate our wedding in style. Dramatic views, neutral colour scheme, sumptuous stately home – what more could you want?
I absolutely loved wedding dress shopping, it was a once in a lifetime experience. I had the tale of two dresses with two different designers and completely different styles. From soft and romantic to sexy and sophisticated, I switched up my look for the evening to a reveal sleek and sexy silhouette our guests couldn’t believe it!
My first wedding dress for the ceremony & reception was a dramatic mermaid gown with an organic lace sweetheart neckline, the bodice of this Lace and Tulle over Regency Organza gown features re-embroidered lace and unique, lattice-pattern detailing an exquisitely embellished gown. A soft, textural skirt with wide horsehair finish completes the look, adding a touch of drama to this all-over beaded design.
My wedding dress style inspirations were Sofia Veraga and Jennifer Lopez.
Charlie’s kilt was handcrafted by Georgian Dress Hire using a bespoke tartan, hunting weathered Munro by Loch Carron Tartan.
His jacket and waistcoat was handcrafted by Campbells of Beauly using Harris Tweed and silk.
Just a short drive to the castle gates takes you to the serenely beautiful fairytale church of St. Palladius, Drumtochtyi’s private church where our ceremony was performed by Rev Linda Broadley.
Steeped in history and located in its picturesque setting our guests were wowed by the rich heritage, stunning architecture, beautiful stain glass windows and oak pews.
The bridesmaids’ dresses were ‘White’ by Vera Wang at David’s Bridal. I wanted bridesmaid dresses which were fashionable, modern and chic.
The style was blush with a slim mermaid fit, a v-neck and low, open back.
My brother Jonathan gave me away and walked me down the aisle to Canon in D by Pachelbel.
Sadly, my Dad unexpectedly passed away. Charlie was my rock during this time – I’d already known he was The One, but seeing how he stuck by my side during that tough time reinforced how special he is.
Our photographers were The Gibson’s. They delivered incredibly dreamy, soft light and classically stylish, timeless images. They managed to capture images which are full of emotion, intimacy and fun and captured moments as they happened to tell our wedding day story. After all… moments pass and memories fade but a photo lasts forever!
Our photographers, Scott and Chantal are the loveliest people to deal with, they are photo ninjas, managing to capture moments which are totally unobtrusive and relaxed.
With such a romantic, opulent wedding venue, we chose to let its beauty and character set the tone for the day by adding modern, romantic and elegant details in soft pastels and warm golden tones for a sophisticated and glamorous style.
The colour scheme was white, ivory, blush tones and golden hues.
My brother’s heartfelt speech was one of the most memorable moments of the day. He wowed us all by imparting his lessons of love for the future, and I loved it so much I asked him to type it up afterwards so I could have it framed for our home.
If we could impart any words of wisdom we would say…
Firstly, there’s no such thing as being too excited. Planning your big day is the most amazing and satisfying feeling, so enjoy every moment! The biggest decision you make (after your dress) is the venue.
When you fall in love with somewhere though, I think that’s how you are supposed to feel, so make sure invest lots of time and effort into finding that place you LOVE. After deciding this, the ideas and inspiration really start to flow. You have your canvas, the rooms and spaces within the venue allow you to build ideas and consider colours and styling.
wedding credits / photographer: the gibsons photography / wedding venue: drumtochty castle / brides dress: essence of australia and enzoani / grooms kilt: georgiandresshire.co.uk / brides shoes: jimmy choo / bridesmaid dresses: vera wang via davids bridal / hair & makeup: michelle reid wedding hair aberdeen / florist: nicky walker / wedding cake: liggys cakes / stationery: paper skeleton
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Wow! Such an elegant wedding! Loving all the photos!
The bride’s gown is such a sight! She looks amazing! Loving all the details on her dress!
Fantastic set of bright colourful and fun images – they couple must have loved every one of them!