Newlywed Ellen used to keep a wedding planning diary column for us, so it was only right we followed her and Callum all the way to the top of the aisle in a restored blank canvas Dundee mill to see how it all panned out
Ellen McLean and Callum Strachan
31st March 2023
Venue | Verdant Works, Dundee
Photography | Peter Clark Photography
"Callum and I met at school in Dundee and have been together since we were 15. We did the long-distance thing during our time at university in Dundee and Aberdeen, then moved to Glasgow together after we graduated in 2018. We got engaged on 23rd December 2021.
We initially set the date at a dry-hire barn venue in Perthshire, but changed our minds after the hidden costs of a totally DIY wedding started to mount up. We then booked restored jute mill and museum Verdant Works in Dundee. It’s a true part of the industrial history of the city, so it felt like it’d be a really special location.
When wedding co-ordinator Elle showed us the huge space, we were sold. It boasts a beamed ceiling, mezzanine areas and a fully functioning jute wheel (that we got activated when we kissed to seal our newlywed status at the end of the ceremony).
It was a blank space that we could make our own.
As I’m a graphic designer, I relished the opportunity to get creative. I designed all the invites, table plans, welcome signs, place-name cards, confetti bags, stickers and wedding website.
We also made mini marmalade gins as favours (Dundee is famous for its marmalade). I loved tying in the colours and materials to the venue and its heritage, like the jute table runners and green bridesmaid dresses.
Yellow is my favourite colour so I had a yellow tulip bouquet and Callum’s squad had little yellow flowers in their kilt pins. Shout out to Callum’s mum Fiona who tied and arranged all the bouquets and generally helped us keep things on track with our wedding planning.
We wanted to involve our cat Freddie in our day somehow. My favourite wedding detail was probably naming each table after our his many moods and expressions, such as ‘Sleepy Freddie’, ‘Grumpy Freddie’ and so on.
One of the day’s many highlights was being walked down the aisle by my dad. We had a local piper, Robbie, play us in which gave the moment a real sense of occasion.
Ellen used to write a planning diary column for us. Read it here
We wanted a ceremony that focused on our love story and included some humour. We had Paul Browett of Fuze Ceremonies and we couldn’t recommend him enough – he was great and got everyone laughing.
What surprised me most about the day was the fact I didn’t cry during the ceremony! It wasn’t that it wasn’t emotional, or I wasn’t extremely happy, I just felt so calm once I was up there standing next to Callum, with no trace of fear or nerves.
Callum wrote me the most beautiful vows. I had thought mine were good, but he completely outdid me. We drank from the quaich which had been filled to the brim(!) with whisky, so instead of the sip each we thought we were going to get, Callum ended up being egged on to down it all!
Callum and I have been vegan for 10 years. We didn’t want the formality of a sit-down meal, so our caterer Grant (my old boss) made us a vegan Mexican buffet that included a range of scrummy mushroom and cauliflower tacos, vegan chorizo tostadas, crispy potatoes and salads.
Even though none of our guests are vegan, they raved about how good the meal was. For dessert, we served an amazing unconventional wedding cake from Rude Cookies.
My dad is quite shy, so while he didn’t speak, my maid of honour Minta and I did! Minta wrote a funny and wonderful speech about our friendship together (longer than Callum’s known me, she likes to point out!). She even made my dad cry with her words, which they both found hilarious.
Callum’s best man Harry was also sweet and raised laughs as he recalled antics of their time living together while at university in Aberdeen.
I had a strong idea of what I wanted my dress to look like and quite quickly found one I liked online. The only problem? It was from a Los Angeles-based label and it was going to cost a fortune to ship. As chance would have it, a friend was visiting her parents in the US at the time, so I was able to post it to them so she could bring it back to Scotland.
When it arrived, it fitted me perfectly, other than being a little long. I had it taken up by Barbra at Finnieston Alterations who took great care over the tweaks. After that, it really was perfect. I’m planning on getting it altered into a midi-dress so I can wear it again.
Our talented friend Peter Clark was our photographer. He had only done one wedding before, but I trusted him and already loved his work. We were thrilled that he was happy to do it. We did an engagement shoot with him a few months before the wedding at our favourite café, and we loved the pictures, so we knew the ones on the day would be amazing (which they are).
We had a ceilidh band from 7pm-9pm and our first dance was to an Orcadian Strip the Willow. After that, we had a curated Spotify playlist, as well as an open bar – so that certainly got everyone up on the floor.
Top tip: “Read your venue and supplier contracts carefully,” urges Ellen. “We unfortunately lost our deposit after cancelling our first venue as there was a loophole.”
Venue Verdant Works
Photography Peter Clark Photography
Celebrant Paul Browett, aka The Scottish Celebrant, from Fuze Ceremonies
Bride’s dress Michelle Mason (sourced online from USA), alterations by Finnieston Alterations
Bride’s jewellery and accessories Quiz Clothing, Etsy and Amazon
Makeup Bridal party did their own makeup
Hair Hannah Allan
Bride’s nails Sky High Studio
Bridesmaid dresses Duntery
Mother-of-the-bride outfit JJ’s House
Groomswear Slater Menswear
Engagement ring Sarah Brown Jewellery
Wedding rings Frederick Grove
Cake Rude Cookies
Catering Grant Avery, Más Mexican
Flowers M&S
Venue decor Some provided by venue; the rest was DIY with items sourced from various places online
Menus, place cards and table plans Designed by the bride (@ellenmadethis on Instagram)
Ceremony music Piper Robbie
Ceilidh band The Forth Ceilidh Band, booked through Encore Musicians
Additional reception music Spotify playlist
