Alex and Rupert ditch old-fashioned traditions that didn't work for them (so the groom accompanied the bride to go dress shopping!) and ended up with the wedding of their dreams
Alex Addison-Scott & Rupert Goodway
29th June 2019
Venue | St. Salvator’s Chapel, St Andrews, and the bride’s family home
Photography | Iris Art Photography
“Other than to host our reception at my family home in St Andrews, we didn’t start organising our wedding with a firm idea of the day in mind. This meant the format naturally evolved during our planning process. One particular focus was trying to integrate our Scottish and English heritages.
Rupert and I met at university in Cambridge. Inspiration was sparked by the idea of combining a sophisticated Scottish garden party with a May Ball (which are hosted every year by Cambridge colleges to celebrate the end of the exams).
We originally thought about having our ceremony in the gardens of my house, but decided instead to get married in St. Salvator’s Chapel. We were lucky enough to be married by our family friend, the Reverend Bobby Anderson, who helped us tailor the traditional vows to focus on us, our friends and family.
We sought to ditch old-fashioned wedding traditions that weren’t ‘us’. For example, Rupert accompanied me on all of my early dress-shopping trips (which was a shock to many of the shop assistants). He didn’t see the final dress before the big day, but he had a good idea of what I might wear. The bridesmaids also wore white (with tartan detailing). They looked beautiful – but very unconventional.
We had lots of surprises on the day which no-one knew about apart from us. Rupert had a kilt made in my family tartan which thrilled both sets of parents. We also hired 60 Highland outfits for all the male guests (and had to guess waist, height and shoe size for each person!), and asked that they change into full Scottish attire before we launched into our ceilidh mid-afternoon.
Talking of which, the ceilidh was unforgettable. It all took place outdoors and, during it, we had a monsoon-style downpour. Unbelievably, everyone just carried on dancing as if nothing was happening! We also put on a fireworks display at 11pm. It really closed the most incredible day possible with a bang.”
Top tip: “A shared email address for wedding-based correspondence and a spreadsheet you can both access are essential.”
Venue St. Salvator’s Chapel, St Andrews, and the bride’s family home
Photography Iris Art Photography
Bride’s dress Caroline Castigliano
Catering Patrick Gilmour Event Catering
Cake Made by the groom’s brother
Flowers Oor Fleurs
Stationery Made by a family friend
Venue decor Gordon’s Cater Hire
Marquee Henderson Gray Marquee Hire
Entertainment Kilter
Hair Lisa at Spoiled Hairdressing
Makeup Karen Bowen
