A stunning Carnbooth House Wedding with a Mori Lee Dress and DIY elements.

May 1, 2014 Real Wedding Features

Today I am thrilled to share this stunning Carnbooth House Wedding with a Mori Lee Dress and DIY elements.

Images of the day were catured by Wilson McSheffrey Photography.

I spoke to the happy couple about their love story and their day…

Tell us a wee bit about yourselves

“Our names are Julianna and Rhu. We live in the west end of Glasgow.”

“Julianna works in business development for a publisher and Rhu is a nuclear engineer.”

How did you meet?

“We met in Halls of Residence in our first year at the University of Edinburgh.”

“Julianna and I were next door neighbours in Holland House Block B.”

“We ended up being part of the same group of friends that all still keep in touch today.”

“We were kind of instantly attracted to each other, but both came to Uni in relationships.”

“It took 3 years for us to finally both be single and give it a shot in our fourth year.”

Tell us about the Engagement

“On the weekend of 6th October 2012, I asked Julianna if she wanted to take a trip to Campbeltown in Argyll.”

“I lived in Lancaster and she lived in Glasgow, so when I came up we liked to do things just the two of us, so this trip was no difference.”

“My Grandma lives near Campbeltown, so we went and stayed with her, helping out around her house and cleaning the place from top to bottom.”

“I’d planned this trip to kind of throw her off the scent.”

“On our way back, we stopped off at Loch Fyne Oyster Bar for lunch and then carried on towards one of my favourite drives in all of Scotland, the Rest and Be Thankful.”

“I’d planned to propose looking out over the glen, but when we pulled off the road, some 200 leather-clad bikers had stopped off to get some bacon rolls.”

“In a mild panic, I continued on the Forestry Commission road that went around the corner away from the bikers but kept the views.”

“I pulled over and we both got out to admire the views. We stood on top of a rock, and when the moment was right I turned to her, got down on one knee on the rock, and asked her to marry me.”

“She lit up and said ‘Yes’ straight away.”

“In total shock, she said she wanted to get back home quickly to get some champagne.”

“I had already prepared for this, going to the boot of the car and getting out a bottle of pink bubbly for her.”

Tell us about your wedding planning journey

“We planned our wedding over about a year and a half.”

“I, Julianna, wanted time to handcraft as many items as I possibly could for our wedding. We also both needed time to save money.”

“We saw just about every venue in Scotland which could hold around 150 people for dinner. We then saw the Carnbooth House Hotel and loved it.”

“We then stayed one night for dinner, bed and breakfast (without mentioning that we were wedding venue shopping) and were blown away by the service and the standard of food.”

“Once we had nailed down the venue, I started making the placecards – I individually hand-stamped each letter so they took months, but were easily done in front of the TV after work.”

“I made lanterns and candle holders, designed the evening invitations, orders of service and the bridesmaids dresses.”

“To be honest, I didn’t want to just pay someone else to do all these things – I enjoy doing it and I think every little piece of the day felt more personal.”

“Some things I had to hand over, however, like the lighting, which was rigged up in the marquee, and the flower arrangements.”

“I shopped about for everything that I couldn’t do myself, and went with companies that I really trusted to do a good job – and it paid off.”

“Everything was very calm and well-organised up until about the week before the wedding, when you suddenly realise that it is upon you and it is easy to get stressed.”

“I didn’t lose it until the day before the wedding when I did have a cry in a nails salon.”

“I soon moved on when my mum and sisters descended on my flat to take over any ribbon-tying, confetti-cone-folding or any other task that needed doing.”

“I couldn’t have done any of it without my bridesmaids and family to keep me sane and to always be on hand to help.”

When did you get married?

“We were married on the 1st of February 2014.”

What was the best bit of your day?

“The wedding mass, the dancing, the food, the people, the speeches… it’s hard to pick the best moment from the greatest day of your life.”

“To have so many people that we loved together in one place, and for everyone to be so overwhelming happy for us, was truly one of the most amazing things about our wedding day.”

“Julianna had put so much effort into making the day special, making the day a success and when it all just kind of came together and our months of preparation played out during the day, we both could not have been happier.”

“The dancing was incredible. Our band, A-Side Soul, we’re a real hit on the night.”

What advice would you give to other couples getting married?

“It is never too early to start looking for invitations!”

“I would advise anyone to make that their priority after venue – there are so many companies out there and a lot of price and quality differences so take your time wading through them and also be ready to pay for quality (and it will be more than you expect.)

“We had no idea invitations were going to be such an expense.”

“We saved a lot of money for our wedding, which meant staying in a lot and saying no to a lot of activities and nights outs.”

“Our advice would be to go out for dinner one night a month, or go out dancing and drinking – do something together that doesn’t relate to the wedding and allows you to spend time together, enjoying being a couple.”

“The wedding can become all-consuming and feel like a demanding child in your relationship.”

“Spending some wedding-free time will remind you why you are marrying each other – and that is what it is all about.”