Mr + Mrs: Patterson
17th September 2020 | Timeryard Edinburgh | Guests: 20
Instagram: @robbiepatterson15 @kiwinadine @flurjewellery | Photos: Claire Fleck
Tell us all about your wedding theme...
Our wedding theme was simple, elegant with a tiny bit of rustic charm. We also wanted plenty of flowers and greenery. Our theme was inspired by our choice of venue - Timberyard in Edinburgh. The venue is understated and stylish, but also a blank canvas for a wedding. Our colour scheme for flowers was classic white and green with a hint of orange/apricot. I loved the idea of bringing in some soft, autumnal shades, and having something a bit different to the traditional white and pink. The bridesmaid dresses complemented the flowers in a soft, purple-grey. Inside the venue we decorated with stem vases, and brass candlesticks, with a mixture of white and coloured candles. We had a lovely wicker hamper for cards and gifts. One of my favourite decorative features was the hanging installation our florists created! This hung quite low in the centre of the dining space, and created an amazing atmosphere.
What was the most emotional moment of the day?
Although the day was overwhelmingly happy, there were a few emotional moments. Because of the strict travel restrictions in New Zealand, my parents, brother, bridesmaids and all my NZ family and friends were unable to be there. One of the most difficult moments of the day for me was the morning of the wedding, and having all the 'getting ready' experiences I really wanted to have with my mum. It was also bittersweet not having my dad there to walk me down the aisle, and see me in my dress. I'm so grateful my brother Tim was able to fly over from Canada and be there on the morning, and we video called mum and dad before leaving for the ceremony.
What was your favourite part of the day?
My favourite part of the day was seeing Robbie standing in his kilt down the end of the aisle. I just couldn't stop smiling from the moment I saw him. Another favourite moment was reading a letter from him on the morning of the wedding. It was such a beautifully written letter, and it was so sweet and heartfelt and funny. It really made me excited for the day, and reinforced all the reasons I was marrying him. I did feel slightly guilty though, because I just wrote him a card that just said "See you down the aisle!" (he's always been better at expressing himself).
Any advice for future brides…
Although having a small, intimate wedding wasn't exactly what we planned, we are both so glad we decided to go ahead! With all of the uncertainty in the months leading up to the wedding, there was an expectation that we would postpone it, but we pushed forward... Planning and replanning every aspect of it as the guidance changed. It was such a stressful and emotional few months, but it really made us both evaluate what was important about our wedding, and why we were getting married in the first place. We decided that to us, the most important thing was being married, and making a public commitment to each other, and that is what pulled us through. On the day, it felt like every tough decision and tearful day had been worth it! The sun was shining, the venue looked perfect and the day went flawlessly. My advice to anyone looking to get married during the restrictions is: Go for it!! When you're standing up there with the person you love the most, you won't be thinking about anything else.
Did you have have anything unusual at your wedding?
Because of the circumstances, not everyone we wanted to have at our wedding could be there in person. We had family and friends in New Zealand, Holland and Scotland who couldn't be there on the day, so we decided to arrange a live stream for them! Jamie from East & West media was there on the day to capture the ceremony and speeches so our loved ones could see it all in real time! My family in New Zealand even got together for a viewing party, where they all got dressed up, had food and drink and celebrated with us. It was definitely an unusual way to celebrate with them, but I'm so glad they could still be a part of our day.
Tell us about your wedding favours...
As wedding favours we chose to get pin badges from Macmillan, and make a donation on behalf of our guests to the charity. We figure that most wedding favours are just a keepsake, and decided rather than buying something for the sake of it we would much rather spend the money on a charity that holds meaning to us.
What was your first dance song?
We had a reception lunch at Timberyard, and later in the day an evening reception at another venue. Technically we weren't supposed to have a first dance, because of the rules around music and dancing at receptions. However my bridesmaid Lisa wasn't taking no for an answer! She sweet talked the venue staff into letting us have a first dance... And surprised us both when our song started playing! We had our first dance to 'Couldn't Love You More' by John Martyn, which we think captures how we feel about each other. Lisa even managed to persuade the venue staff to let other couples come up and dance in their own households (and with social distancing). It was such a sweet and unexpected part of the day!
What was the worst wedding planning moment?
The worst wedding planning moment was definitely finding out that my family in NZ couldn't come. With covid came lots of rules and restrictions regarding weddings, which we were upset about and then reconciled with. But one by one my bridesmaid's flights got cancelled, and then my brother and his partners' flights got cancelled, and my aunties and uncles too. But each time I told myself...at least my parents can still be there. When my parents flights were eventually cancelled I was really, really upset. I tried to picture each part of the day without them and couldn't. I second guessed our decision to go ahead no matter what, and really struggled with what to do. It was the roughest part of the wedding planning for me, but I'm so glad we found a way to involve them in the day, and I can't wait to celebrate with all my NZ family when we can eventually go back to visit. My brother Tim was amazing too. As my only family member who could be there, he decided to make the trip from Canada despite having to self isolate for two weeks on either side. He never complained once, helped out with wedding prep, and was there on the day to walk me down the aisle and represent my family who couldn't be there.
Tell us all about your wedding cake...
Our cakes were from Cuckoo's Bakery, which is our favourite places to get cupcakes, and one of my regular coffee spots. We decided to opt for 2 main cakes and some vegan cupcakes. We went in for a cake tasting, and it was just amazing... We liked all 6 of the flavours we chose to taste, and the decision was so difficult! We ended up bucking tradition and choosing lemon and white chocolate for our main cake. This had the most delicious lemon curd layer! Our second cake was Sticky Toffee, and it was rich and indulgent and delicious. Both were covered in a rough buttercream icing, and decorated with flowers from our florist. We went for the vegan chocolate oreo cupcakes, and they went down a treat.
How did you choose your venue?
One of the big reasons we chose Timberyard as a venue was their amazing food. Robbie and I had a 7 course tasting menu at Timberyard the evening after we got engaged, and it was some of the best food we had ever eaten! We continued to go back for lunches and dinners, and brought all of our family and friends along on separate occasions to "show them then venue" and every time the food was perfect. They have seasonal menus, grow and forage a lot of their own ingredients, and the food is unpretentious and delicious. Everything is perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. We also love the vibe in Timberyard - the stark white walls, rustic wooden floors and benches and beautiful outdoor courtyard just make the experience even better. Even the wooden beams they use for the tables have a fascinating history! They don't actively promote themselves as a wedding venue, but when we found out they held a select number or weddings each year it was a no brainer for us that we would have it there.
Did you make any Wedding DIYs?
From the time we decided on our venue, I knew I wanted brass candlesticks on all the tables! So a few weeks later the hunt began. Because they were too expensive to buy new, I scoured every charity shop in Edinburgh, and kept going back again and again and pestering the managers to see if any new ones had turned up. They looked stunning on the day alongside our coloured candles and stem vases. Its so great having them after the wedding as well, to decorate our new house and have that special memory attached to them. I also make my own jewellery (I have started a small business @flurjewellery while on furlough) so I was determined to make some special pieces for myself and the bridesmaids. I ended up making some delicate pearl earrings for myself, and some pearl necklaces for the bridesmaids that matched their dresses.
Tell us all about the dress...
Sadly, as my mum and 2 of my bridesmaids were in NZ they weren't able to be there for dress shopping. However, my mother in law and sister in law (who was also a bridesmaid) really stepped up, and were there supporting me at every appointment and dress fitting. Without them sitting patiently as I tried on the 20th dress and telling me how beautiful I looked in all of them, I don't think I ever would've bought one! I wanted my mum to be a part of the process too, so made sure to send pictures of all my options, and video called her when I found 'the one'. I ended up choosing the beautiful, classic 'Devany' dress from Ti Adora. On my wedding day I wanted to feel the most beautiful I had ever felt, and this dress really made me feel that!
Tell us about your Honeymoon...
As we have just bought a house, and travel options were limited, we decided not to do a honeymoon, and instead spent a few nights at Prestonfield House. It was so extravagant and indulgent... Just the best experience! We slept in, lounged about in robes, ordered room service, wandered about the grounds with the peacocks and cats. As a surprise Robbie booked us a private dining experience in the Salon Prive one night, and we sat in this tiny private turret room, with candlelight. Looking out over the grounds. We had the most delicious champagne dinner there...It was so romantic and special!
Venue: Timberyard, Edinburgh
Photographer: Claire Fleck
Videographer: Jamie Stevenson (East & West Media)
Stationery: Etsy
Flowers: Vision and planning by Emma from Stems, created by Liberty Blooms and Stockbridge Flower Company
Cake: Cuckoo's Bakery
Décor: Mixture of Etsy, handmade & charity shop finds
MUA: My sister in law and bridesmaid, Bryony
Hair: Emma Blaik Hair
Dress: Ti Adora
Shoes: Office London
Bridesmaids dresses: ASOS
Suits: Graeme McGrath
Wedding Rings: Annie Smith
Celebrant: Linda Keys
From Brides, With Love xo
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