Flowers

Paxton House, which dates back to Georgian times,  is a really fascinating and unique venue for a wedding.  It provided an elegant and timeless backdrop for Joanna and James’ special day recently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joanna arrived in a showstopping classic car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pausing outside the Picture Gallery with her father and three bridesmaids who wore heavenly green dresses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Picture Gallery is sensational and houses a collection of over seventy paintings dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many of which have been loaned by the National Galleries of Scotland.  It’s one of the very few houses in the Scottish Borders that can accommodate up to 150 guests for a ceremony and dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very special moment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This lovely image shows the scale and grandeur of this fabulous room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking out at the end of the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paxton has the most incredible reception rooms with an outstanding collection of Chippendale furniture.  Drinks receptions are held in these rooms and guests can take in the fascinating surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The magnificent steps at the front door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite its size, Paxton has got a lovely friendly and warm atmosphere.  It’s supported and loved by many people, many of whom volunteer to work in the house and grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many photo opportunities.  Here’s a great group picture taken from the main steps towards the beautiful parkland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pretty entrance to the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A beautiful bride!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Departing in style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing Joanna and James every happiness in their future lives together.

With many thanks to Phil Nunez for the images in this post.  Contact Phil Nunez to see more of  his classic and documentary-style  photography.

 

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Blogging has been around now for some years and is a great way to find out what’s new and interesting in the wonderful world of weddings. How brilliant then, for Wedding Magazine to initiate the first blog awards to acknowledge all the work that these brilliant writers do to endlessly enlighten, inspire us and promote so many fabulous ideas.

Here’s the list of winners, so if you want to keep up with the best, check out what they have to say!

BEST BRIDAL STYLE & FASHION BLOG: Love My Dress annabel@lovemydress.net
Highly Commended: One Fab Day

BEST REAL-LIFE WEDDINGS BLOG: Rock N Roll Bride kat@rocknrollbride.com
Highly Commended: Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

BEST BIG DAY INSPIRATION BLOG: Brides Up North julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk
Highly Commended: OMG I’m Getting Married

BEST DIY WEDDINGS BLOG: Bride De Force bridedeforce@gmail.com
Highly Commended: Bespoke Bride

BEST WEDDING FLOWERS BLOG: Flowerona rona@flowerona.com
Highly Commended: Boho Weddings

BEST ALTERNATIVE WEDDING BLOG: Rock N Roll Bride kat@rocknrollbride.com
Highly Commended: Festival Brides

BEST LONDON WEDDING BLOG: London Bride hello@london-bride.com
Highly Commended: B.Loved Weddings

BEST INTERNATIONAL WEDDING BLOG: Style Me Pretty info@stylemepretty.com
Highly Commended: The Pretty Blog

BEST WEDDING BLOG NEWCOMER: Wedding Sparrow sara@weddingsparrow.co.uk
Highly Commended: Style And The Bride

BEST DESIGNED WEDDING BLOG: Rock My Wedding info@rockmywedding.co.uk
Highly Commended: Rock N Roll Bride

EDITOR’S PICK: Before The Big Day georgia.peters@yahoo.co.uk

We were delighted to be able to get involved in this prestigious event by creating 15 special buttonholes for the VIP goodie bags. Each one was different, some for the girls and some for the boys. It was a lovely opportunity to use a quirky mix of materials and to showcase how individual you can make them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve got quite a collection of brooches and accessories, so we picked out some interesting little numbers such as this ‘love bird’  and perched him on top of an ivory rose looking back at a pearl and gold wire heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the more flamboyant (and Scottish) groom, how about this stag’s head and feather brooch.  We wired up little beads, pearls and crystals in complementary colours and finished with a tartan ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for the sporting enthusiast, three little vintage pheasant brooches, lurking in the greenery!  It never ceases to amaze us how many different brooches we keep finding, each one a little masterpiece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This buttonhole we named ‘knight in shining armour’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and for any flying enthusiasts or pilots out there, how about this buttonhole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve made loops of pearls and crystals and used a pretty four leaf clover brooch for this example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This feminine buttonhole has a really pretty pale blue flower brooch to which we we’ve added pearls, lace and a subtle pale pink ribbon to finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butterflies are always popular and here are two hovering together.  We found a little green heart to add to the stem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beautiful brooch in gold would look perfect on almost any outfit and we kept it simple with some ivory feathers and pearls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for the extrovert, how about bit of bling with this diamonte and red buttonhole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty pink butterflies and leaves in burnished gold are finished with a small heart for this example

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a small bow brooch with crystal dropper was the perfect addition to this one which was finished with a subtle green ribbon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feathers, diamonte, stems of crystals and a silver flower brooch made up this buttonhole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and blue was the basis of this one. We added some pretty crystals, diamonte, tiny white flowers and finished with a colourful ribbon.  A sparkling diamonte heart added the finishing touch here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An intricate carved bird in this mother of pearl brooch was the inspiration for the final buttonhole to which we added pearls, little flowers and finished with an ivory ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big thanks to www.aikmansmithphotography.com for the images.

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Donna and Penny’s Civil Partnership at Aikwood Tower earlier this summer, was a joyful and colourful occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their ceremony in the Laich Hall was conducted by Humanist Celebrant,  Susan Douglas-Scott and Scottish Borders Registrar Pam Douglas and was a wonderful mix of warmth, humour and poignancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna and Penny had a beautiful colour scheme which they wove into their invitations and flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating their Partnership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drinks took place in the Laich Hall and garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then a delicious dinner in the Cart Shed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna and Penny met through their love of cycling and the table plan was based on their cycling experiences in many countries.  They also raise money for charitable causes and are off soon to Vietnam to raise money for the Carerers Trust.  It’s a fantastic cause.  Check out Carers Trust if you’d like to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We absolutely loved the following sequence of shots that Sheila Scott took in the garden!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone was in high spirits and it was a real highlight to be involved in this happy day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy cycling Donna and Penny!

Many thanks to Sheila Scott for the images.

 

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We love creative projects!  We made these rustic circles as a central focal point for a country marquee wedding recently.

The centrepiece was a 6′ diameter circle combining driftwood and twisted hazel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little lights, ivy and hydrangeas in beautiful shades of purple and pink, added a fabulous splash of colour against the ivory linings of the marquee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We used our natural, sandblasted manzanita branches on the dining tables and hung candles and hydrangeas in small glass jars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The manzanita branches looked really effective against the black starlight cloth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the base of each tree were hydrangeas, orchids and pink roses for further colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The circles with fairy lights are available to hire, contact us for further details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Sarah at Pictorial Photography for the lovely images.

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We’ve got 150 fresh, stylish and comfortable white folding chairs new in and available for hire.  They look great for both ceremonies and dining and can be used inside or out – whatever the Scottish weather!  Made from the brightest, smoothest and toughest resin, they will also not mark or chip easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For decorative ideas, why not tie ribbons to the chair backs, or fit colourful fabric sleeves to the tops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or look out for vintage textiles for a different effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and prices click on White Folding Chairs

 

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I’ve seen a few things in my time as a wedding planner but a VIP  (Very Important Pig) at a wedding reception was a new one.

Olive (one of two resident pigs at beautiful Mellerstain House in the Scottish Borders) decided it was time to break free and get a slice of the action! So, one fine wedding day, she made a cunning escape and joined the party.

The ceremony had taken place, champagne corks were popping and guests were chatting.  And then, out of nowhere, our four-legged friend was spotted mingling with guests on the terrace.

Olive, who had a beautiful designer mud outfit on for the occasion, was dangerously close to the bride’s white dress.  I had a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ moment  – but, miraculously, the pig was a hit.   The guests were relaxed, the bride was relaxed and Olive was relaxed.

The Mellerstain team, headed up by resourceful Jane Malloch, coerced our hairy friend down the terrace. But, Olive started to pick up the pace, and did a de-tour, this time heading straight for the art gallery and kitchen.

Fortunately, Lord and Lady Haddington arrived in the nick of time with a bucket of  food which did the trick.   And, as good as gold, Olive trotted off behind her owners, back to home base – naughty old Olive!

Olive

 

 

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It’s our favourite magazine.  Loved by florists and brides nationwide, it’s always packed with great ideas.  We always suggest it as a perfect starting point for our brides to get current vibes and trends and if they aren’t familiar with flowers at all, then there’s a really helpful section on lots of different varieties of flowers at the back.

It’s extra special for us this month as we are included in the Notebook section!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We created a hand-tied bouquet, a table decoration (in one of our urns available to hire),  a buttonhole finished with hessian twine and a little necklace onto which we threaded hypericum berries and small roses.  The brief was pink flowers – we chose to combine a range of pinks with orange and greens.

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What a fantastic summer we have been having here in the Scottish Borders. Aikwood Tower, 4 miles from Selkirk, is a gem of a wedding venue that can be hired on an exclusive use basis for a house party wedding.  Polly and Ross celebrated their wedding earlier this summer with 120 guests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ross and his ushers looked fantastic in their kilts.  Get Knotted made buttonholes with thistles and green chillis.

Our rustic ceremony poles lined the aisle in the garden.

The scenery that surrounds the ancient Tower is breathtaking.  If you don’t know the Scottish Borders, take a closer look.

Sealed with a kiss (and much cheering from all the guests)!

A very well behaved and perfectly turned out visitor looks on.

Horizontal Polly

We used vibrant Vanda orchids for Polly’s bouquet and white orchids for her bridesmaids.

In the little orchard at Aikwood – check out that sporran!

A marquee adjoined both the Tower and the Cart Shed.  We decorated with our sandblasted manzanita branches and attached Vanda orchids and little tealight lanterns.  Polly and Ross also hired our rustic ceiling with driftwood and hundreds of twinkling lights.

Other dining tables were decorated with hand-tied arrangements of cream roses, vanda orchids and twisted willow to compliment the branches.  We loved the apples used for table names.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wedding ‘cheese’ cake looked colourful.  The base was the most enormous pork pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The brilliant band, Kilter, provided music for the evening …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this fearless, fun-loving couple led the dancing after dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was quite a party …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and everywhere you looked was another smiling face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…. and another

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…. and another

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and another

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polly and Ross were great to work with and we wish them every happiness in their lives together.

Many thanks to Andy of Images by Andrew Jack 

 

 

 

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Antonia and Andy travelled from Australia to get married at Aikwood Tower near Selkirk here in the Scottish Borders.  Antonia works in the events industry and Andy is a chef.  They combined their talents to create a truly gorgeous wedding day despite some hideous weather!!

Antonia hired a very special car from White Heather Wedding Cars and travelled in style to St Johns Church in Selkirk which is only 4 miles from Aikwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quiet moment before the ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Knotted created pretty gypsophila pedestals in the church …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…. and we also used gypsophila for her bridesmaids posies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antonia’s hand-tied bouquet was relaxed and contained red roses and white peonies in full bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the ceremony everyone headed back to the Tower.  The fireplace in the Great Hall makes an impressive backdrop for photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the upper gallery is ideal for taking pictures of guests down in the Laich Hall.  Aikwood is a fantastic combination of ancient and modern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It poured down – relentlessly – but this wasn’t going to stop this wonderful group of guests from enjoying themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Knotted decorated the dining tables with informal arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, alchemilla, sweet peas and peonies in a vibrant palette of reds, greens, pinks and whites.  We also added little bottles each containing a few stems of similar flowers to add splashes of colour down the tables.  Antonia and her friends had set the Cart Shed the previous evening and added runners of hessian and black and white ribbon to the place settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cart Shed at Aikwood seats up to 80 guests and it is situated right next to the ancient tower itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are lovely rustic pieces of furniture at Aikwood – the cake looked perfect on this old oak sideboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antonia had hung pretty white paper pom poms from the Cart Shed ceiling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A delicious meal was served by Marie at Delizique in Glasgow.  Some of Andy’s signature recipes were incorporated into the meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner everyone headed back into the Tower for a party in the Laich Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every happiness to Antonia and Andy in their future lives together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A million thanks to Lindsey Parker of Mack Photography for all the images in this post

 

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We’ve really enjoyed working as florist and set stylist with a great creative team headed up by Alex and Lloyd Aikman Smith for the current edition of Best Scottish Weddings.  The shoot took place recently at beautiful Cherrytrees House near Kelso in the Borders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A whole host of fantastic British designers were featured (and included two of our brooch bouquets available at the gorgeous Lily Luna, William Street, Edinburgh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherrytrees has the prettiest walled garden and exquisite orangery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out Best Scottish Weddings for the full story and watch out for lots of exciting news around the corner about Cherrytrees!!

 

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