A gorgeous autumn wedding brimming with personal details at Guardswell Farm, Kinnaird

Emel and Kenneth first met on Tinder way back in August 2014 but didn’t actually meet in person for a couple of months – what the bride calls “a typical
modern love story!”

Then five years later at Halloween Kenneth proposed on a beach in Emel’s family’s hometown in Karamürsel, Turkey.

“My Turkish family, including my Nine, have missed out on most milestones in my life, so it meant the world that Kenneth chose to propose there,” she smiles.

The couple actually spied out their wedding venue while they were still in Turkey.

Kenneth saw pictures from another wedding at Guardswell Farm and they arranged to see it as soon as they were home in Scotland.

“It was the only place we went to see,” explains Emel.

“Also, the next winter date they had available was 13th November 2021, which seemed to be fate since 13 is my lucky number.”

Knowing it was The One, they secured their date and happily agreed to Guardswell’s sustainability principles whereby everything they sourced was either local, reusable, or sustainable.

No problem for this organised bride.

“I absolutely loved planning and would do it all over again,” she says.

“I love a project, and this was the perfect thing to keep me going through the pandemic.

“I kept saying how much I’d love to do this as a full-time job.”

Emel did all the stationery herself and styled the venue with the help of her talented florist Amy Annand – “she was an absolute powerhouse and a pleasure to see in action,” says the bride.

Emel initially set out with a typical autumnal colour palette which tied in beautifully with Kenneth’s family’s Buchanan Ancient tartan.

“But it quickly started to evolve into something a bit more dark and witchy and was quite an eclectic mix of cool grey, blue and purple tones, with warm burgundy, green and gold,” she says.

And loving the styling project, Emel discovered amazing small businesses to make things like their banner with the Harry Potter quote or the bouquet ribbon with her favourite Dermot Kennedy lyrics.

Emel says as a plus size bride she expected shopping for her dress to be awkward but she needn’t have worried.

As soon as she stepped into David’s Bridal, she fell in love with the first dress she tried.

“The consultant was amazing and made me feel stunning,” she remembers.

“Not only did every dress fit, but most were actually big so I never felt out of place or like I was trying on a tiny sample size like I’d dreaded.” Emel went shopping with her mum, sister Kadriye and Auntie Karen who sadly died last year.

“It was special that she got to be there to see me in my dress as she was always looking forward to the wedding,” says Emel.

Kenneth had always wanted to get a kilt made in his own tartan and actually ended up having more fittings with Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers than Emel did for her dress.

And not to be outdone, the couple’s Labrador Sirius was made a matching tartan bowtie – cute!

“Having our wee Sirius there was a bonus,” says Emel. “He slept all the way through the ceremony and we walked back down the aisle together as an official family which was so sweet.”

After all the planning the weekend of the wedding arrived and they spent the night before enjoying some bubbles and charcuterie with friends.

Then Emel was up bright and early at 6am and felt pretty calm on a dog walk with Sirius.

That feeling of calm continued as they all got ready.

“I think the fact that we had the most beautiful sunny weather the entire day definitely helped,” says Emel.

“It was as though the day was made to be perfect.”

As she was going into the ceremony Emel’s parents surprised her with a piper playing on the lawn.

Then their humanist celebrant Linda Stewart came to check on the bride before she walked down the aisle – “one thing I’ll be so grateful for.”

Linda created a beautiful ceremony that was funny, emotional and personal to Emel and Kenneth.

“Everyone was laughing and crying at the same time,” smiles the bride.

The couple wrote their own vows and were choking back tears as they delivered them.

“We both included Hamilton lyrics without knowing the other had, so that was a funny and special moment that only we got,” says Emel.

After their “I do’s” they treated their guests to a fabulous drinks reception while Bespoke Catering served up a menu of food inspired by some of their favourite
places, like the cauliflower fritters they love from The Fishmarket in Newhaven or the pear cheesecake from Cardo in Peth.

Looking back she says it’s a blur but she enjoyed every moment of it.

And keen for another project to sink her teeth into she adds to-be-weds can hit her up for a hand with planning.