After their planned destination wedding was cancelled due to Covid, our beautiful Berta Bride Courtney married Gavin in an intimate beach ceremony on the Scottish island of Tiree, which the couple organised in just 5 weeks with the help of family and friends.
How We Met
I first met Gavin when he came in to have his haircut at the salon I worked at , after 9 months and many flirty appointments he finally asked me out ! We had 3 special months of dating, but I had already planned and booked a year-long trip to Australia. Leaving was heartbreaking, but we still kept in touch and after 4 and half years of leading separate lives I decided it was time to come home. We met up in Sri Lanka for a 2-week holiday, which on reflection was a bit crazy after so many years apart, but we hit it off straight away and the rest is history.
The Proposal
Gavin proposed on our one-year anniversary in our apartment in London, I came home from work to find candles, fairy lights, rose petals, Polaroids of us scattered on the floor and Gavin on one knee on the living room floor. I instantly started crying and didn't hesitate to say Yes! We then went to see Gerry Cinnamon that night and travelled to Glasgow the next day so that we could share the news and tell our family in person.
Wedding Style
My ideal wedding style was always going to be cosy rustic/ Boho. I think my inspiration comes from living in Byron Bay which is a bit of a Boho hippy town. I knew I wanted loads of dried flower, Pampas, fairy lights and candles.
The Wedding Ceremony
We got married on the beach under a DIY flower arch that my mum made from copper poles and dried flowers.
The Wedding Reception
Our reception venue was a hired bamboo Dome and our furniture was from a vintage hire store. The whole thing was DIY with lots of dried flowers in an eclectic mix of vintage vases from a charity shop and lots of candles and fair lights. It was a massive family effort to get it all looking the way we wanted, and we couldn't have done it without their help. A big shout out to my mum who was a total hero.
The Wedding Dress
I had many a Pinterest board on what kind of wedding dress I wanted and ended up with something totally different. I knew for sure it had to be Berta and wanted something simple and floaty and not too over the top. After trying on a few dresses I put on "the one" which was figure hugging, backless and covered in beads. With the addition of a full tulle over skirt and cathedral length sparkly veil it was nothing like what I had planned but the sparkles and pearls had me and I knew it was the one. I also loved that I had two different looks for day and night.
Being an Opus Bride
Opus were amazing from the second I walked in, to helping me choose the right dress and then the fittings, they were so kind, patient and professional. I felt quite anxious before my appointment as there is so much pressure to look and feel your best, and you can feel vulnerable with little insecurities creeping in, the girls at Opus made me feel like a million dollars and that I was never asking too much of them. They are all about positive body image and feeling beautiful in your own skin and this is what makes them so special. I got the dress of my dreams that fit me like a glove and I couldn't recommend them enough to new brides.
Memorable Wedding Day Moment
The entire room singing along to 'Your Song' by Elton John when we had just sat down to dinner, so not much alcohol had been consumed at this point. Sitting at the top table looking out at the people we love most swaying and belting out 'Your Song' was such a funny and special moment that I will always remember.
Getting Married during Covid-19
We had originally planned a large destination wedding in Croatia as I had always wanted to get married in a hot country and loved the idea of everyone having a holiday. Unfortunately this was cancelled 5 weeks before our wedding date which was obviously very stressful, and we had to make a decision of what to do. The most important thing for us was marrying each other so after a bottle or wine (or two) we decided we didn't want to wait another year and made the decision to get married on the Isle of Tiree. We had been living here with family for 3 months and had fallen in love with the island as it is such a stunning place. It was a bit of crazy decision and trying to organise a wedding on an island in 5 weeks with an ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions was stressful, there were a few freak out moments, but in the end it was the best thing we could have ever done.
We are so delighted with how our day turned out and having a micro wedding made it even more special and for any other couple wondering whether to do the same thing I would say go for it. It also brought down costs and made everything feel more intimate.
Suppliers
Photographer - Northern Aye Photography
Wedding decor - Atlas Domes and Virginias Vintage Hire
Catering - Regis Banqueting Ltd.
Florist - Supplier Of individual dried flowers - Barn Florist
Hair and Makeup - Me!
Music - Numerous Spotify Playlists throughout the day
Cake - Lovely Little Cakes