Kim & Robbie were married at Colstoun in 2017, I first published this blog a couple of months after that date and it was one of the most popular posts ever published on our old blog. As a result of that I thought it was only fitting that I repost it on our new blog, we are so glad that they agreed to share their story and some of the beautiful memories they have from their wedding at Colstoun.
1) How did you find out about Colstoun? what made you choose us as a venue?
We spent hours, days and weeks trying to find a venue that was unique and one which would provide a different experience than a typical function suite.
Myself and Robbie always had the idea to hire a rustic old barn and use our own unique touches to make it beautiful. When Robbie found Colstoun after using a good old google search we instantly got excited as it was already beautiful.
The minute we came to view Colstoun we fell in love with the charm of the grand old house, the unique idea of getting married in a Poly Tunnel and the extremely beautiful Coach House which is like nothing we had seen before, we knew instantly this is where we wanted to get married.
2) Your dress was so beautiful, can you tell us the story of how you found it?
I had no idea what type of dress I wanted and always found the idea of trying on wedding dresses a bit of a daunting task. I heard so many brides talking about a new bridal shop in Haddington and thought it would be good to support a local business.
I remember walking into the shop and I was completely overwhelmed with the choices. Naydene, the owner of Sophia Grace Couture, looked at my shape and asked what I had imagined I would look like on my wedding day. Naydene collected 6 different dresses and pointed out a dress I wasn't sure about and thankfully she did. I left this dress until last and when I walked out the fitting room and I looked in the mirror I got a rush of excitement and knew it was the one, I felt like a true bride and thankfully when my bridesmaids saw the dress they all felt the same - the tears in the room confirmed this!
3) What was your favourite moment of the weekend?
It was the party, and what a party it was!
From the first dance to the last song the dance floor was packed. Our band, The Trueloves, were fantastic entertainers and everyone loved the mixture of songs. The option to dance the night away in the Coach House, sit by the fire pit or get a polaroid picture in our makeshift photo booth complete with hay bales under the marquee suited every single one of our guests. The evening reception is a night I will never forget. The guests who were staying were then invited to continue the party in the Library in the main house which was just fantastic and lasted until early hours on the Sunday morning.
4) What did you find the most challenging aspect of planning your wedding?
Well I have to admit that I am a bit of a perfectionist and that stems from my role as a Wedding Co-ordinator a few years back. I knew exactly what I wanted (which Robbie just agreed with - obviously!) on the day, it was just a case of tying down the suppliers as we were engaged and married within 9 months!
I kept spreadsheets, a wedding planner and a wedding app on my phone to ensure I didn't miss a thing. I thoroughly enjoyed the planning process however I must admit collecting 100 addresses for our invites wasn't the most enjoyable!
5) Do you have any advice for couples that are currently planning their wedding?
Create a spreadsheet and list everything you need to book or buy for your day, have a column next to each item for budget and then actual cost and update this as you start to book, confirm and buy things.
Also, you shouldn't overthink the day, just enjoy the planning, although it is a huge task remember that you're not there to impress anyone, you are there to marry your partner and make good use of the time you have with family and friends. I used to see so many brides come to me when I was a Wedding Co-ordinator with ring binders and plans upon plans which would drive them and me crazy... keep it simple :)
I had so many thoughts going through my head the day before, thinking it wouldn't go to plan and on the day even if those things had happened it couldn't of ruined what a magical day we had.
Happy wedding planning to all the Bride & Grooms out there, it really will be the best day of your lives!
Suppliers:
Photographer - Camera Shy Photography - Facebook | Insta | Web Caterer - Appetite Direct - Facebook | Insta | Web Florist - Save the Date Collective - Facebook | Insta | Web Dress - Sophia Grace Couture - Facebook | Insta | Web
Band - The Trueloves
Special Mention - Thank you to Lyn and the family at Colstoun, you made the planning of our day exciting and made us feel at home from our first visit until the day we left as Husband and Wife.
