I have the lucky job of looking at photos every day that make my heart beat a bit faster. But these images right here from Laura Gordon? They did even more than that; they left me utterly speechless. Overlooking the fields of Scotland, atop a cliff, vows were recited in front of friends and family, the castles in the background no match for the newlyweds’ love for one another. A picture is worth a thousand words, so without further ado, let’s head to the VAULT to see all this breathtaking beauty.
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From the Bride… Mark and I were introduced on a whim in the most fantastically absurd message. At the time I was living in Virginia and was moving to San Diego the next week. Mark was living in Australia but was on a six month holiday, traveling throughout Europe and playing cricket in the UK. It was a completely random and chance introduction but as soon we knew each other, we knew that we had found “the one” in each other. After an international romance that involved a few transatlantic flights, many late night and early morning Skype dates (we despise time zones), and endless Whatsapp messages, Mark decided it was time to ask for my hand. I flew to Australia and he proposed on the shores of the Indian Ocean in the secluded wine region of the Margaret River, Western Australia. The proposal was as perfect, spontaneous, and intimate as our relationship had been and I couldn’t get “Of course!” out soon enough.
As plans for our wedding began, we quickly realized that an intimate wedding was something very important to us. Since our relationship had been international, as were our families and friends, we decided only to invite immediate family so that we would all have a week together to get to know one another better. Our mutual Scottish heritage (along with an unrivaled love for the history, landscape and culture of Scotland) made the scenic county an easy choice. Crumbling Dunnottar Castle sits on a mountainous peninsula on the East Coast surrounded by black sand beaches, wild fields and sheer cliffs… and as soon as we saw it, we knew this was the perfect place for our ceremony.
Mark wore his Clan Kilt, the Grant Hunting Tartan, and I had a shawl made as well so that I could wear it after the ceremony. Good thing, too, as the cliffside where we married was quite windy and cold! I wore a Matthew Christopher gown with a long sleeve cover perfectly created by Harriette Gordon. My “something blue” was an antique aquamarine ring that my grandmother had given to my mother, and her to me.
The details of the day were so important to us as we had such a small wedding. A favorite moment of the wedding was the local bagpipers who piped me down the aisle to Canon in D… the sound of the pipes echoing over the wind and the Scottish countryside was undeniably beautiful. Another favorite aspect was the gorgeous silk ribbon conceptualized by Sara Russell and calligraphed by Written Word that was used for the traditional hand fastening ceremony. It was calligraphed with our favorite song lyrics, “so please put your sweet hand in mine and float in space and drift in time,” in gorgeous gold ink and was fastened over our hands by my sister to traditional celtic vows.
There were so many other special moments and pieces of our day, I can’t even name them all. Luckily, we had a brilliant photographer and videographer who were able to catch every part of it and eternalize it for us. I am so grateful for the beauty we now have forever thanks to Laura Gordon and Paul Moody.
Photography: Laura Gordon Photography | Cinematography: Before Your Eyes Cinema | Floral Design: Forage & Fleur | Wedding Dress: Matthew Christopher | Cake: Francie Buns | Invitations: Written Word Calligraphy | Ceremony Venue: Dunnottar Castle | Reception Venue: Banchory Lodge | Calligraphy: Written Word Calligraphy | Vintage Car: Eagle Cars | Bagpipers: Thistle Piping | Event Planning + Styling: Wedding Sparrow | Kilts: Houston Kiltmakers | Paper Goods: Written Word Calligraphy | Plates: Restoration Hardware | Robes: Gossamer | Vow Book: Wedding Story Writer