Anna Elizabeth and Scott married at The Barn at Barra Castle, Aberdeenshire. Their venue choice allowed them to have floral chandeliers that tied in with the bride's 'spring in winter' décor dream
Anna Elizabeth Buchanan and Scott Moffat
1st February 2020
Venue | The Barn at Barra Castle, Oldmeldrum
Photography and photobooth | Sam Brill
“We ruled out a lot of wedding venues based on their dance floors. Our vision was of a family occasion with everyone up dancing. The Barn at Barra Castle was perfect for this and its large size meant we could invite everyone we wanted.
I had always dreamed of having hanging floral chandeliers and the beams at our venue made this a possibility. In a feat of incredible wedding DIY, my mum made the floral chandeliers. I absolutely adored them. We also had a wedding scent designed by Feather and Grey; now we can have our house smelling like our wedding every day.
I was obsessed with the Instagram feed of our florist Robin’s Egg as she makes the most amazing floral pieces. I had imagined a sleek, all-white wedding based around the idea of ‘spring in winter’. As the planning evolved, it started to include more rustic elements which I think ultimately suited the venue better. We ended up with green foliage and white flowers everywhere.
We also included bees as a recurring motif – very fitting because Scott calls me “B”. We decided on wildflower-seed favours to help save the bees. Our tables were different bee puns such as “what a bee-utiful day” and, of course, “Bee-yonce”!
Our humanist ceremony was like a huge, fun game of ‘Mr and Mrs’: even we didn’t know what the other was going to say. Louise and Bryan from Ceremonies.Scot helped us put the ceremony together and were fantastic at giving us suggestions and advice. The Mexican hug they suggested was a big hit with the guests.
The two best men gave amazing speeches. The most emotional part was hearing that Scott had text someone the day he met me to say that had found the woman he wanted to marry!
I had a pampered dress-shopping experience at Perfect Bridal Rooms in Aberdeen. My friend worked in the shop, so she managed to get it opened especially on a Sunday. I spent the morning in a relaxed environment trying on dresses with my mum and friend on hand. When I discovered my Essense of Australia princess-style dress had pockets, that sealed the deal.”
Top tip: “Don’t assume anything. Don’t take for granted that a supplier knows you want a certain thing done because that’s not always the case. To avoid disappointment, always let your vendors know exactly what you have in mind so everyone is on the same page.”
Venue The Barn at Barra Castle, Oldmeldrum
Photography and photobooth Sam Brill
Wedding dress + flower girl’s dress Perfect Bridal Rooms
Bride’s shoes L.K. Bennett
Bride’s wellies Joules
Groomswear Mains Highlandwear
Celebrant Ceremonies.Scot
Catering + chair hire Country Flavours of Alford
Cake Anne Paterson
Flowers Robin’s Egg
Stationery Amy Singer Art
Hair Michelle Reid Hair
Makeup Emma McAllister from EmHair&BeautyClinic
Reception music The Sleekit Beasties
