This couple went to town on handmade details and did as much as they could themselves. Most impressively of all, the bride even made her own dress!
This couple's spring wedding at Midlothian wedding venue Restoration Yard in Dalkeith was captured by East Lothian-based wedding photographer Morris-Jones Photography. It started with a humanist wedding ceremony outdoors, led by Independent Humanist Ceremonies, which included their children as part of a sweet handfasting.
The reception in the venue's Kitchen restaurant featured lots of DIY wedding ideas for flowers and decor. Keep reading to see photos and details from their day, and the bride even shares her advice on making a wedding dress!
Siobhan Leonard and Keith D’Arcy, now Mr and Mrs D’Arcy
12th April 2024
Venue | Restoration Yard, Dalkeith, Midlothian
Photography | Morris-Jones Photography
They say the greater the storm, the brighter the rainbow – a phrase very fitting for Musselburgh newlyweds Siobhan and Keith, who admit that after meeting on Tinder in January 2016, the first 12 months of their relationship were “stressful”, culminating as it did in the birth of their son, Theo.
“After such a hectic first year, any thoughts of getting married were put on the back burner for a while,” recalls Siobhan. It was only after their second boy, Zack, came along that the couple got engaged, six years after they met.
“It had been a running joke between us that Keith would propose one random Tuesday and, sure enough, on our first night away (a Tuesday) to celebrate my birthday at Dreamcatcher Cabins in Stirlingshire, Keith got down on one knee,” smiles Siobhan. From there, it was two years until the big day, although the couple only started planning properly around 13 months ahead of time.
Picturesque outdoor wedding at Restoration Yard
After figuring out their guest list (80 for the full day) and setting a budget (£15k), they started looking at venues, soon settling upon Restoration Yard in Dalkeith Country Park.
The beautifully renovated 18th-century stables and courtyard just outside Edinburgh can accommodate 90 during the day and 120 in the evening. “It’s very pretty as it is, so needed minimal extra decor,” says Siobhan.
“There’s also the Orangerie, a unique circular building in the park, which makes a stunning backdrop for an outdoor ceremony. Keith says his favourite moment was seeing our children walking down the aisle, then me following behind.
“I felt way more nervous than I thought I would. We’d been together for eight years, so I thought I’d be cool about it, but I cried happy tears all morning,” she says fondly.
“Seeing Keith, Theo and Zack standing there on the steps of the Orangerie meant the world. All my nerves faded. A new chapter in our journey together was about to begin.”
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Cute ways to include children in a wedding ceremony
Fiona Flanagan from Independent Humanist Ceremonies led a “sentimental but not sappy” ceremony with some funny “wildcard” moments provided by the couple’s young sons. “We included both of them in our handfasting, but Zack refused to go back to his seat – so he’s in the middle of our ‘first kiss’ photo,” laughs his mum.
Theo and Zack also took on the very important role of helping to decorate the venue. “The placecards were written by Theo and illustrated by Zack. They were so cute and funny. I noted what every picture was ‘supposed’ to be inside each card, but it was hilarious watching our guests trying to figure out what the random squiggles were nonetheless.”
“As well as writing the place settings, the wee ones picked their favourite Pokemons which I cross-stitched into numbers for each table.”
The roll call of items homemade by the bride (and family) included the cake, table flower arrangements, crochet flowers to decorate the bar area, an A-frame welcome sign and a personalised a mini post box. Phew!
“I adore making and crafting, so there were many components we DIY’d. We aimed for a colourful, mismatched vibe.”
Tips for making your own wedding dress
But the most impressive bit of DIY? The bride made her own dress! “I have been sewing for a while, so I decided to go for it,” she explains. “I had a couple of dress try-on appointments to get a better idea of what I wanted, then I spent a few months messing around with different patterns before I settled on a final design. I made a short practice version, then the actual dress.
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“I also embroidered our initials in a heart on my veil, and our children’s initials onto a bow I wore for the evening,” adds the talented bride.
Siobhan is originally from the Isle of Man, so Keith and the kids wore Manx tartan in honour of her heritage. “Lots of our guests were from the Isle of Man or England, so there were confused faces on the dancefloor when we kicked off our reception with a couple of ceilidh tunes. It caused much hilarity,” she tells us.
Restoration Yard wedding menus
The biggest winner among guests was probably the barbecue-style dinner laid on by Restoration Yard.
“Everyone absolutely loved the burgers (one of our go-to date-night foods) and the toffee apple sauce with the porchetta was so good, multiple guests literally licked the plates clean. We had so many compliments about the meal,” says Siobhan.
The newlyweds say they were “both a bit sceptical” about the idea of a wedding being the best day of your life, but have since changed their minds: “We honestly had such a fun time.”
And there was more to come.“Keith’s two brothers, Neil and Craig, both got married within seven months of us, so 2024 was a really special year for our family!”
Are wedding fairs worth it?
“Yes, go to at least one wedding fair," says Siobhan. "That’s where we found our celebrant and photographer. Even if you don’t end up booking any vendors, you’ll still pick up lots of ideas. It’s also good to set up a joint email to use for all wedding-related things – we did, and it meant we could both see what was going on with all our suppliers.”
Talking of which, the couple have nothing but praise for Dionne at Morris-Jones Photography: “We both feel awkward in front of a camera. But when we met Dionne at the fair, she was so outgoing and funny – we knew she was the one for us.
"She let us be silly and encouraged us to take funny photos as well as the more ‘serious’ ones. We love what she captured, especially all the candid ones of our kids pulling faces!”
Wedding suppliers
Venue Restoration Yard, Midlothian
Photography Morris-Jones Photography
Celebrant Fiona Flanagan, Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Bride’s dress Made her own, accessorised with second-hand white Dr Martens
Bridesmaid dress ASOS
Groomswear ManninKilt, Isle of Man, with additional hires from Klassic Kilts
Mothers’ outfits Either borrowed or found on Vinted
Bouquet and buttonholes Fawn Flowers
Table decoration flowers DIY
Rings Goldsmiths
Ceremony and drinks reception music Spotify
Reception entertainment Dance Away Mobile Disco
Transport AC's Taxis
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