Lizzie and Jordan had the stress of a Covid-enforced postponement and venue change to contend with, but their rustic, French-inspired soirée ended up being well worth the wait
Lizzie Brown & Jordan Cruickshank
19th August 2021
Venue | The Cow Shed Crail, Fife
Photography | Isaac Craig Photography
“Jordan and I met in Aberdeen whilst at university. We were together for five years before he popped the question in the city of love, Paris. It was the night before Valentine’s Day and we were walking across a bridge opposite the Notre Dame when he told me to close my eyes and make a wish.
When I opened them, he was down on one knee with a ring in his hand! It was just the two of us on the bridge which made it feel special – albeit with some scavenging rats looking on (which made for a funny story at our wedding).
We got married 4.5 years after that – unfortunately not by choice. We were originally meant to get married on 2nd May 2020, but we all know what happened next. The upshot was that we eventually had to find a new venue. We very lucky that we were able to keep the suppliers we’d already booked for our rearranged date.
Covid meant we had to make some difficult decisions about our wedding. It was stressful at the time, but with the support of our families and friends, we overcame the issues we had along the way. Dealing with these obstacles definitely made us stronger, essentially turning a negative experience into a positive one.
The minute we viewed The Cow Shed Crail, we knew it was the perfect place for our rearranged date. We wanted a rustic, relaxed setting that would allow us to add our own personal touches. The courtyard where we held our ceremony had a chic, French vibe, which ended up inspiring the rest of our plans. It was very fitting considering where we got engaged.
We turned to Instagram and Pinterest to seek out romantic inspiration. Rose gold was a key colour and we ended up having Eiffel Towers printed on our place-setting cards. The overall rustic aesthetic encouraged us to DIY some items too, including a wooden pallet ‘order of the day’ that cost us just a fiver.
We couldn’t resist booking a completely non-essential crepe van, Flipnfast. It tied in beautifully with our French theme and was a massive hit with our guests in the evening. (We had around 90 guests during the day and 30 more at night.)
Unfortunately, a few months after choosing my Stella York wedding dress, the boutique had gone bust and was unreachable. Thankfully the dress designer got in contact and forwarded me to Olivia Cameron Bridal in Falkirk. It supplied exactly the same dress and could do my alterations too. Thankfully, I was able to recover my first deposit through our wedding insurance.
My dad and I travelled to the ceremony in a horse and carriage. Lots of people waved at us as we passed through villages on the way to the venue which was lovely. We went past a paddock and the horses started running alongside us! It felt like a scene from Black Beauty – surreal but unforgettable.
The moment we were announced as husband and wife was really emotional. We were over the moon to make it official after such a long engagement.
We sought out a photographer who offered a relaxed, candid feel. Craig from Isaac Craig Photography was attentive from start to finish. He’s so easy to chat to, meaning we built up a great friendship with him. He blended into our day, capturing a multitude of photos of ourselves, the guests and all our wedding details in the most beautifully talented of ways. We are now very proud to show off our photos to anyone that’ll look.
Our ‘sparkular’ pyrotechnic finale we had whilst cutting the cake will stay with me forever. It’s one of our favourite photos. We rounded off with sparklers in the courtyard when the sun was going down – such a fun moment.”
Top tip: “I would recommend firstly setting out a budget and committing plans/suppliers/finances in a planner or on a spreadsheet. Jordan called ours his ‘pride and joy. In all seriousness, though, it was instrumental for keeping track of our day as it came together. Our £35k budget came from our own savings alongside kind gifts from my parents and my Nana.”
Venue The Cow Shed Crail, Fife
Photography Isaac Craig Photography
Minister Andy Scarcliffe, Baptist Union of Scotland
Bride’s dress Olivia Cameron Bridal
Bridesmaids’ dresses ASOS
Flower girl’s dress Monsoon
Groomswear Kinloch Anderson
Groomsmen’s outfits McCalls
Cake made by family friend, Liz Richardson
Catering Lazy Sunday
Bar Captain’s Cabin
Flowers Lavender Blue Glasgow
On-the-day stationery Winter and Simpson
Wedding invitations Edinburgh Wedding Stationery
Favours miniature gin and whisky and candle wax melts by Vestalia Candles
Hair Abigail Tooth
Makeup Jenni Rachael Smith
Venue decor Vintage Gathering
Lighting Steve Page Lighting
Piper Bagpiper Online
Reception band Groove Culture
Filmmaker Cue The Mustard (scroll on to see, no longer offering wedding videography)
Horse and carriage McIndoe Horse-Drawn Carriages
Pyrotechnics 21CC Group
Crepe van FlipnFast
