A beautiful courtyard wedding in the heart of the city at the Timberyard, Edinburgh, followed by The Rowantree

 

Rosemary and Ian managed to remain calm on the run-up to their wedding.

Choosing not one, but two, gorgeous venues that didn’t require much dressing meant they didn’t have to coordinate a lot of extra décor details, and took planning in their stride.

Then on the actual day, they went from a gorgeous outdoor ceremony and fine dining at The Timberyard to dancing in the street, and then a proper party at The Rowantree, captured beautifully by SG Mark Photography.

Here’s how they pulled it off…

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Rosemary and Ian met on Tinder and married six years to the day since they got together.

And Ian swept Rosemary off her feet, with a surprise proposal. “He turned up on the beach while I was on a girls’ holiday in Ibiza,” she smiles.

And keeping things sentimental, Rosemary’s engagement ring is a dark sapphire with diamonds on a white gold band, inspired by her mum’s own ring.

Embarking on planning, the first thing they did was draw up their guest list and then a chance spot on Instagram led them to The Timberyard.

“There were images of a wedding in their courtyard and I loved it,” says Rosemary. “We never considered anywhere else after that.”

At the start of their planning journey there was no particular theme.

However, Ian knew he wanted something bold for his suit and once he’d sourced the perfect one from Twisted Tailor the rest of the details fell into place.

And ever the fashion-forward groom, he had several alterations made to get the turned-up look to the trousers her was after.

With his floral suit decided, the couple got creative, using old Kilner jars Rosemary’s grandad used to bottle fruit in for their table flowers.

“We used a mixture of artificial flowers with real hydrangea and rosemary leaves for a more natural looks,” she says.

“I also used chalk paint to make a frame for Polaroid guest photos to be strung up.”

When it came to her own wedding look Rosemary knew she definitely didn’t want a big ball gown.

At first, she experimented with a satin skirt with pockets and a separate top for a relaxed look but the result was frumpier than she’d imagined.

So, she went shopping in November 2020, when Covid restrictions limited how many people she could bring and also meant her mum couldn’t come up from England.

But with Ian’s mum at her side she found her stunning ivory sheath Maggie Sottero gown in Emma Roy of Edinburgh, before scouring the TK Maxx jewellery section for months to find a selection of accessories.

While some brides go in for elaborate bridesmaid proposals, Rosemary isn’t actually sure she officially asked her girls.

She had her sister and her best friend. “It wasn’t a case of choosing them,” she remembers. “It was just always going to be them.”

And for her ‘maids she scooped the biggest bargain, finding their gorgeous dresses “by total luck” on sale in the M&S outlet for less than £4 each.

The night before the wedding the couple had a big meal with all their family.

“It was great because the day goes so quickly that you feel you barely see anyone,” says Rosemary.

Then they had rented two apartments in the same building – one for the boys and one for the girls – meaning the mums and photographer could flit between both camps.

After wakening up every hour, Rosemary eventually got up around 6am to write a letter to seal in the couple’s box during their ceremony.

And when everyone else got up they had the most fun relaxed morning in their matching pyjamas, exchanging gifts.

Walking down the aisle, Rosemary was calmer than she expected but also emotional.

“It was just lovely having everyone you care about in one place, especially after being apart during Covid,” she says.

She admits their song choice for her entrance – Weathered by Jack Garrett – was rather unusual.

“The lyrics talk about keeping each other young and reminding each other who we are when we are old,” smiles Rosemary.

“That made the whole thing really real as I had played the song so many times and imagined the moment.”

The couple married in a “really relaxed and not overly soppy” Humanist ceremony, conducted by Beverley Bryant, who tailored it to reflect them and kept it honest and true to who they are.

“She kept it really light-hearted and included lots of personal stories that made it feel really unique to us,” says Rosemary.

“We were laughing all the way through the ceremony.”

The bride’s mum also read a medley of poems by Ogden Nash that had the men rolling their eyes and the women chuckling.

Following the ceremony, Rosemary and Ian treated their guests to “the most amazing pink bubbly” and incredible food selected by the restaurant using seasonal ingredients.

And a top tip from the bride: “Cut corners on the things nobody will remember like invitations and place cards, and then be generous with the food, drink and entertainment.”

Ian’s speech was really personal, mentioning most of the room by name, while his best man Lee had everyone entertained.

He played a video where he appeared to have forgotten his speech and was having to race home before running into the room, speech in hand.

Rosemary’s dad sadly passed away a few years ago so she gave a speech in his place, bringing tears to the eyes.

After dinner, it was time for Rosemary’s unexpected highlight of the day.

The entire wedding party walked from The Timberyard through the Grassmarket to The Rowantree, accompanied by piper Louise Marshall.

“This was absolutely amazing and everyone was dancing all the way and people at tables started clapping and cheering,” she smiles.

“It was such a buzz. It was an electric atmosphere in the Grassmarket with all our guests dancing along the street and really getting into the spirit.”

When they reached The Rowantree, a harpist entertained everyone, playing Ibiza dance classics before the DJ from Tartan Entertainment and Shades of Sax kicked in.

“It was an epic party!” says Rosemary.

“The dance floor was just electric all night.”

And now it’s all over she has one piece of crucial advice to to-be-weds; “Plan it like you will only do it once, and then do it…. once!!”