A luxe wedding with pretty red accents at GG’s Yard, Laggan

 

 

London couple Hannah and Sammy first met as freshers at Bournmouth University and when he proposed they knew they wanted to head north of the border to say “I do”.

They looked at venues from castles to byres but knew when they walked into GG’s Yard it was the place for them.

Hannah and Sammy fell for the light and airy décor, cute accommodation “snugs” and, most of all, the the incredible views.

The couple tell us all about their big day below with beautiful pictures by their talented photography Hayley Palmquist Photography.

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Hannah and Sammy first met when they were 18-year-old freshers at Bournmouth University.

“We came across each other in our local student club on army night fancy dress,” remembers Hannah.

“Sammy likes to tell everyone that I’d already spotted him through Facebook and was desperate to meet him!”

After a few years of dating they moved into their first home together and it was the eve of their 10-year-anniversary when Sammy popped the question.

In his words his romantic proposal went like this: “Sammy and Hannah go for dinner.

“They eat Thai food. Hannah, in a hangry mood, whinges about how they’ll ‘never get married’.

“Sammy had to take this verbal abuse, smug in the knowledge he had an engagement ring in his pocket.

“Twenty minutes later, Sammy gets down on one knee outside our home, in the snow, during The Beast from The East.”

That’s dedication!

When it came to planning this is one organised couple and they both really enjoyed the process.

“I work in marketing and Sammy works in public relations, so it’s not uncommon for us to be organised and plan ahead,” says the bride.

Scotland bound

Although they live in London they both knew they wanted to hold their wedding north of the border.

“We’ve had a few road trips in Scotland so it has always been a special place for us,” says Hannah.

“We planned a week road trip to visit 10 very different venues, ranging from castles to barns.

“GG’s Yard was the first venue we saw on our trip and I think we both knew instantly it was the one.

“The views were the winning factor for us as we knew we would remember them forever and be able to get some fantastic photos.

“We could just picture ourselves getting married there.

“Plus Sammy’s grandad grew up nearby so there was a nice connection there too.”

The couple also loved the fact they could do everything in one location, after asking so many guests to travel.

They loved the on-site accommodation, the “snugs,” which meant the bridal party and a few guests could stay the night before and the night of the wedding.

And right from the start they wanted their wedding to be relaxed and not too formal; “more of a big party with all our favourite people in one place”.

With that in mind, they didn’t set out with a chosen theme or colour scheme but knew they loved the look of an autumnal wedding.

“Pinterest was great for providing inspiration on themes and the finer details,” says Hannah.

“Plus, I have the best big sister who puts Monica Geller to shame for organisation skills!”

The look of the overall wedding started to take shape after Hannah took her bridesmaids on a shopping trip for their dresses and came across the White by Vera Wang collection at David’s Bridal.

“I really wanted my bridesmaids to feel comfortable on the day so I left it up to them to decide which dress they wanted to wear.

“I was lucky that the one they chose I loved as much as they did!

“It was a simple but classic style, in a beautiful navy colour but what we loved the most was the added touch of velvet.”

Navy and velvet became the starting point and they used navy velvet ribbon in the bouquets and buttonholes.

Check mate

Sammy chose the perfect navy check suit from Next and the theme fell into place.

Hannah also wanted some red accents and tied them in with her lipstick, in the florals and men’s ties.

As a nod to their Scottish location they also incorporated thistles in the flowers, name cards and a gold thistle wax stamp.

“It took a very long time but it’s the little touches for me which make all the difference,” says Hannah.

There were plenty of DIY touches to this wedding with Hannah and her sister making all the name and menu cards together, a memory she’ll treasure.

Hannah worked with her florist Lauren at Fleuressence, who created beautiful unstructured bouquets with plenty of green foliage, thistles and berries mixed with white anemones and roses and white and red ranunculus.

Lauren also created their gorgeous wedding arch which properly showcased their neon “The Jamiesons” sign.

Modern classic

When it came to her own outfit, Hannah knew she wanted something classic that she would look back on in 20 years and still love as much.

She booked an appointment at Suzanne Neville’s Knightsbridge store and took her mum and dad.

“With two daughters he has put up with a lot of girl talk over the years but we know he loves it really,” she smiles.

“He was the most prepared on the day and knew every bridal colour, shape and style you could think of!

“The whole experience with Suzanne Neville is one I won’t forget.

“I also got to meet Suzanne Neville herself who was part of my first fitting

“To say I was fan-girling would be an understatement.”

Hannah chose ‘Venus’ and was able to add her own details, opting for a different belt and skirt.

The night before their wedding, GG’s Yard offered Hannah and Sammy and their bridal party a night in their ‘Hut on the Hill.’

Staff dropped them off in Land Rovers before picking them up at the end of the night.

“They provided a barbecue and it was the perfect way to spend the night before, with family and close friends,” remembers Hannah.

Getting ready in the morning, Hannah’s bridesmaids surprised her with a gorgeous Mrs hairclip which she wore all day.

Her dad also presented her with a Tiffany bracelet with a red heart to match her lipstick and for her something borrowed she wore her mum’s diamond earrings.

Hannah and Sammy’s celebrant Karen Clendinning was brilliant and helped them really personalise their ceremony.

“We also decided to write our own vows together,” says the bride.

“We knew we wanted them to be personal and doing it together took the pressure off having to come up with something on our own.

“Sammy works in PR so I knew his would be so much better!

“We just added one thing of our own at the end, inside jokes that meant a lot to us.

“Mine was to not raise my voice just because I am hungry and Sammy promised to always have fresh water ready for me.

“It made everyone laugh and it’s something people comment on to this day.”

Hannah and Sammy were determined they didn’t want a videographer but struck gold with their photographer Hayley.

She created GIFs of special moments throughout the day, including Hannah’s dad seeing her for the first time, walking down the aisle, and the confetti shot.

“This was such a unique way of capturing these moments for us,” says Hannah.

“I would highly recommend speaking to your photographer about this.”

When it comes to advice, Hannah says go with your gut.

“You’ll find everyone has an opinion and it can get very confusing,” she says.

“We both knew what we wanted so just made it happen.

“We changed the florist quite last minute as for me there was something missing, and it was one of the best decisions.

“Again I trusted my instinct and managed to get the wedding arch of my dreams because of it.”

Looking back they can’t choose a single best moment.

“The whole day was perfect for us,” smiles the bride.

“It sounds clichéd but it was honestly the best weekend of our lives and one we will talk about forever, or for as long as people will allow us to.”