Real Wedding – Ashleigh and Craig’s Scottish Wedding

Have you ever dreamt of a fairytale wedding? A castle, a dress fit for a princess and all your family and friends there to celebrate with you. Well, for one lucky bride, this dream wedding became a reality.

Bridal makeup artist and mum of two Ashleigh married the man of her dreams, Craig Donnelly, in June 2017. Thanks to her job, Ashleigh has extensive experience of the wedding industry so she knew the best venue. She could not have chosen better than the breath-taking Airth Castle in Stirlingshire.

The gorgeous 14th century castle was the perfect backdrop for their wedding pictures. They had exclusive access to two of the castle’s lovely suites, not to mention the stunning grounds. There was plenty of space for all the guests to enjoy.

Ashleigh and Craig went for a vintage inspired theme with a touch of modern glamour. This timeless classic mixed with a modern twist gave Ashleigh the perfect theme to work with. The venue, decorations and accessories matched everything perfectly.

Ashleigh tells us she loved choosing her suppliers for the wedding; here are a few of the fantastic people who helped create the perfect day.

Ashleigh’s Dress and Bridal Party

For this bride-to-be, her dress was one of the first things she had envisaged for the special day. She finally found the perfect Kenneth Winston dress at the brilliantly named Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Bridal Boutique.

In keeping with the vintage Gatsby theme, the bodice of the dress was adorned with over 20,000 crystals. Moreover, the fishtail style of the dress became a glorious trumpet skirt that just looks stunning.

Her bridesmaids had gorgeous rose gold Debut dresses from John Lewis that complemented her own bejewelled ensemble perfectly. The mother of the bride wore a lovely royal blue dress, from Catwalk Falkirk, with a matching fascinator.

Ashley and Craig had their two adorable daughters as their flower girls who wore vintage styled peach dresses from Monsoon. To make the day even more special, it was their youngest daughter’s first birthday so they had a cake for her and all the guests sang happy birthday during the speeches.

“It was so lovely to share our special day with our special girl and we will always get to share our wedding anniversary with her birthday.”

Alterations

Every wedding dress will need alterations – unless you are very lucky – and Ashleigh’s exquisite Kenneth Winston needed the usual adjustments. Due to the embellishments on the dress, intricate care and lots of time was required to get it just right.

Andrina and her team from Fabricated Bridal Alterations were excited to take on the challenge and painstakingly took off each individual bead to make the adjustments before carefully sewing them back on as if nothing had changed. They also created a stunning silk tulle belt that was a bespoke design for the wedding dress and the perfect match.

Hair and Makeup

Ashleigh’s had the brilliant hair stylists, Star Hair Design, create a fantastic look for her and her bridesmaids. As Ashleigh says, “They went above and beyond their duties. They were with me from the moment I woke up to the minute I walked down the aisle.”

The award-winning team created a stunning updo for Ashleigh, making her look truly gorgeous on the day. They even helped to fix her dress at the top of the aisle.

Ashleigh’s stunning makeup was created by none other than the talented bride herself. As the owner of her own makeup business, Ophelia Bridal Makeup, Ashleigh created a lovely look that enhanced her natural beauty perfectly.

The Décor

With Airth Castle as the backdrop for their wedding, Ashleigh and Craig used Ivory Tower to decorate the venue and make it truly a spectacle to behold. We spoke to Laura from Ivory Tower who said, “Ashleigh was a stunning bride and an absolute pleasure to work with. Her attention to detail was fantastic and we loved her décor choices, it complimented the rest of her wedding perfectly.”

The bride, groom and all the guests were amazed by the result and the attention to detail was perfect. The Dunmore Suite was decorated in line with the vintage-glamorous theme with rose gold sequined chair hoods and table runners.

The Cake

Ashleigh and Craig chose Three Tiers and Tea to make their wedding cake and had the all-important consultation with Brogan to go through colours, tastes and ideas so that they could come up with the perfect cake.

Three Tiers and Tea provided a stunning cake complete with cupcakes that matched the colour scheme. Ever the organised bride, Ashleigh provided samples from the bridesmaids’ dresses so Brogan could complete the perfect cake.

Delighted with the outcome, Ashleigh says, “I couldn’t recommend Brogan from Three Tiers and Tea enough, the end result was amazing!”

Music

To finish the special day on a high, the gorgeous couple had 5 Star Discos to provide their DJ set and music for the night. The newlyweds had “Story of my Life” by One Direction for their first dance and rounded off the night with “Never Forget” from Take That. You can bet that there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

DJ Graham from 5 Star Discos provided an awesome set list for the evening that had everyone on their feet with songs from the 60s to the noughties and everywhere in-between. Graham says the night was a brilliant success with a highlight being one of Craig’s friends singing a hip hop song. “It’s these little touches throughout a night that really make them special and memorable for the bride and groom and I am always happy to oblige.”

Happily Ever After…

Ashleigh and Craig honeymooned in Mexico, somewhere they had longed to visit and it sounds like it was heaven.

“We instantly fell in love with the tranquil setting of Cancun, with its crystal clear waters and swaying palm trees!”

Ashleigh planned her wedding with the utmost care and attention to detail and it really paid off. All of the suppliers we spoke to said that the wedding was stunning and so was the bride.

Craig’s small but important job was to pick his kilt which he did with great success opting for a pale blue, Hollywood Tweed kilt that matched the vintage theme perfectly.

If you are planning your wedding then take a leaf from Ashleigh’s book and do your planning and be as organised as you possibly can. Check out the suppliers on our website for some wedding inspiration with a varied selection to suit every bride and groom.

Remember, it is the little things and the attention to detail that makes a wedding extra special. Congratulations to Ashleigh and Craig. The Wedding Secret wish you the very best and a long, happy life together.