This couple hosted a wedding weekend that allowed guests to enjoy both the Hindu and Scottish ceremonies, which included the groom making his entrance on horseback
Jasmine Tolat & Kevin Dow
9th and 10th August 2019
Venue | Melville Castle, Midlothian
Photography | Ryan White Photography
“We had a clear vision for our wedding weekend. We chose to have our Hindu and Scottish ceremonies on consecutive days so everyone could enjoy the different aspects individually.
Traditionally, over and above the ceremony, a Hindu wedding has many events spreading out over several days but we condensed these into one evening.
On the night before the Hindu wedding, we had a Mehndi (henna) and Sangeet (dancing) night. It was informal and a great way for all our guests to meet each other. The next day, a Friday, we held our Hindu wedding in the morning, followed by lunch.
We wanted the evening part to be relaxed, so we organised a coach to give guests the option of heading into Edinburgh to explore the Fringe. The Saturday was our ‘traditional Scottish’ wedding.
Finding our venue was a real challenge. We looked at over 20 locations in and around Edinburgh. Our criteria was incredibly specific, as it was crucial to have both our Hindu and Scottish ceremonies in one venue, but different rooms.
We also needed it to be accessible for grandparents and to accommodate those guests who were travelling from the UK and abroad. In the end, Melville Castle, in the outskirts of the city, ticked all those boxes perfectly.
We wanted our wedding to be a unique reflection of the mix of two cultures. It was important to us to incorporate both aspects of our heritage, be that our entrance music of dhol (Indian drum) and bagpipes, or having both Scottish and Indian flags flying above the castle turret. Kevin even came in on a horse for the Hindu wedding. Our guests loved it!
We were blessed with the sun on Saturday afternoon which allowed us to get married in front of the beautiful fountain at Melville Castle. Our ceremony arch was made by my father-in-law and we dressed it with ivy ourselves, along with some stunning flower arrangements by Garlands.
I started looking for my dress early in the planning process. I had it picked within a few weeks of the engagement. I found it at La Novia in Edinburgh. Liliana at the boutique was so helpful and looked after us really well. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted but in the end I went for something completely different. I adored my dress – I felt it suited me down to the ground.”
Top tip: “It is never too early to start looking at venues! It took us much longer than we thought to find the right one and we are so glad we started early as we got a pick of a few dates.”
Bride’s dress Sushma Creation and La Novia
Bridesmaids’ dresses Mix Bridal
Groomswear Bowdens Kilts
Groomsmen’s outfits Slanj Kilts
Celebrant Duncan Robertson at Humanist Association Scotland
Flowers Garlands Florist
Cake 3D Cakes
Venue decor Beautifully Covered
Additional catering Wild Fire Pizza Truck and Navadhanya
Favours Edinburgh Gin miniatures
Entertainment Grooveline and VIP Entertainments
Filmmaker Weddings Live (first day) and Solar Weddings (second day)
Hair DK Hairdressing
Makeup Fatima Alliji
