Inspiration

The Vintage Wedding Fair at St Boswells’ Buccleuch Arms Hotel is bringing some autumn wedding inspiration to the Scottish Borders! A fabulous line-up of vintage wedding suppliers are coming along, showcasing everything from wedding stationery, hats, flowers, gifts, catering, cars, crockery, cakes, chocolate, photography and wonderful decorative ideas, all around a romantic vintage theme. I’m particularly passionate about vintage style, and I’ll be bringing along some flower and prop inspiration, as well as a vintage jukebox!

The St Boswells Vintage Wedding Fayre takes place on Sunday 25th September from 12 noon – 5pm at the Buccleuch Arms – easy to spot from the A68. It’s also a chance to check out the facilities at the Buccleuch Arms – one of the Borders’ favourite wedding venues.

Entry is free, so come along and get inspired!

Get Knotted Wedding Planners

Buccleuch Arms Hotel
Humes OutThe fitters
Cocoa Black Chocolatiers
Davina Stirrat Designs Stationery
Stems – wedding flowers
The Little Teapot Company
Best Intent – wedding marquees
Carnival Chaos – event design
Maid by Marion – wedding cakes
Countryside Cookware
The Studio at Countryside
John Laing Cars
Fiona Ann’s – wedding makeup and beauty
Kelly @ Wilsons Hair Stylists, Melrose
Aardvark – honeymoons
Love Bites – wedding cakes
Alex Martin Photography
Eden – wedding fashion
Yvette Jelfs Milliner
Michael Wares Cater Hire
Sitting Pretty – chair covers and accessories

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Cakes pops are catching on fast as a tasty and eye-catching alternative to traditional wedding cakes. They look like lollipops, but they’re actually tiny bite-sized cakes – just right if you want to offer your sweet-toothed guests something a bit different, or as a fun extra.

Cake pops can be made in different flavours and decorated in all sorts of adorable ways – to match your colour scheme or stand out as a funky talking point or centrepiece. It goes without saying that they’re perfect for kids – and they also make great favours! Could these be the new cupcakes?!

Click for more fun ideas and personal touches for your wedding from Get Knotted.

Not cake pops, but just as cute…

Visit Fifi’s Boutique Cakes for more gorgeous cakes!

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Do custom bridal shoes come more fabulous than this? Get Knotted was bowled over by these delectable bridal shoes from Figgie Shoes. The company is the brainchild of artist Deborah Thomson, who specialises in custom hand-painted shoes that are unique artworks in their own right.

Deborah works to your own ideas, motifs and images – the more creative and eclectic, the better – and hand-paints a wonderfully individual design that you’ll treasure forever. Previous brides have requested flowers, rings, names and dates, an ice cream cone, lyrics to personal songs, favourite dogs, and even the Trevi Fountain! There are no limits – as long as there’s an area to paint!

The artist describes her shoes as ‘ridiculously personal – their purpose is to try and explain, in picture and personality, who YOU are, to anyone who happens to be looking’.

Almost any style of shoe can be transformed by Figgie’s art, whether heels, flats or slippers, satin or leather. The only exception is patent leather, which doesn’t take paint well. You can either send your own chosen shoes, or Figgie can supply them, though this will mean you can’t try them on before painting. The great news is, she also creates shoes for non-brides, and well as adorable Figgie Footsies for babies and toddlers…

As Bette Midler said, ‘give a girl the correct footwear, and she can conquer the world!’ Click for more fun ideas and personal touches for your wedding.

Visit Figgie Shoes and Figgie’s Flickr gallery for more fabulous custom bridal shoes.

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Mellerstain House, Scottish Borders wedding venue

Warm congratulations to newly-weds Hardeep and Ives, who got married at Mellerstain House in the Scottish Borders, in a gorgeous spring wedding. The couple are from Watford, and met at college 11 years ago when they were 18. Hardeep works with children with behavioural difficulties, and Ives is a painter-decorator and fabulous artist. I was so impressed that romantic Ives went to Paris to buy the ring!

Hardeep’s family are from Kenya and Ives’s family from the Congo, and it was lovely to have the chance to work together on a wonderful Sikh-Christian fusion wedding. Get Knotted has built up considerable experience organising Asian weddings, and we were delighted that Hardeep was impressed with our knowledge of Sikh traditions!

The wedding started on the Friday evening with the Choora ceremony, a pre-wedding Sikh bangle ritual where the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle place red and white bangles on her wrist, with ornaments made of silver and gold tied to the bangles.

On the day itself, London and Manchester caterers Payal provided tea and samosas for all the guests before the ceremony, which was followed by the civil ceremony at 1pm.  Hardeep’s mother had made a special ring cushion, which was exquisitely embroidered.

After the ceremony, photos were taken by talented Parminder Matharu in the beautiful grounds.  Family and friends enjoyed  more of Payal’s fabulous Indian canapes and drinks were served on the lawn.

After the drinks reception, the Payal team provided a delicious Asian meal.  It was great to be working with them again – their food is always cooked freshly on site and is outstanding. They set up outside gazebos and cook with clay ovens and burners, and the smell of the curries is just mouth-watering.

There was also a feast for the eyes with everyone’s gorgeous outfits in such a lovely setting. Hardeep’s beautiful coral saree came from Santoshi in Southall, and she changed into a stunning green outfit for the evening. Her colourful bouquet was by Fiona Halliburton, who did all the flowers and supplied the large pedestals.

Speeches were all heartfelt and moving, and a painting of Hardeep’s grandparents was presented by Ives to Hardeep’s mother.

After the meal, there was a break in the proceedings – some guests went for a walk in the glorious gardens, while others went back to the self-catering accommodation in the grounds of Mellerstain. The West Lodge, Clockhouse Cottage and Courtyard Cottage are only moments from the main house, giving plenty of accommodation on-site for immediate family – 14 in the self-catering cottages and four in the fabulous main house suites –  which is important as lots of couples like to have their close family by them.

Festivities continued into the evening with DJ Bobby Singh from GTown Desi, who played a great mixture of Bhangra and British music. GTown Desi are Scotland’s No. 1 club DJs, and pioneers of the Scottish UrbAsian sound. They’re used to travelling to gigs in Cyprus, Italy and Majorca, as well as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle Mela, so it was fantastic to welcome them to a Mellerstain wedding!  Payal continued to please guests with their final gourmet menu and the evening ended with the cake cutting of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.

Photography was by Parm Matharu, who is based down in the south of England.

Inge of Cupcake & Cookie (edit: currently site not available, June 2012), based near Kelso, provided cupcakes.

Wedding stationery was designed and printed by Rikesh Majithia

Hardeep and Ives spent their honeymoon in Barbados, where they completely switched off for 11 days and enjoyed the beautiful beaches, weather and food – together with a spot of marathon training!

Mellerstain House, Sat May 28 2011

Suppliers:

Photographer: www.parmindermatharu.com
Flowers: www.flowersbyfionahalliburton.co.uk
Catering: www.payal.co.uk
Cupcakes: www.cupcakeandcookie.com
Music: www.gtowndesi.com
Stationery: www.rickydicky.co.uk

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Wedding accommodation in the Scottish Borders doesn’t come more romantic than a lovely Romany roulotte! Whether you’re getting married in the Scottish Borders area, or just looking for a really different holiday, Roulotte Retreat’s lovely caravans make a perfect base, and are ideal for wedding guests staying at our Get Knotted wedding venues – including the nearby Buccleuch Arms. They also make a magical space for a honeymoon first night!

I was new to roulottes, which turns out to be the French word for Romany-style caravans. Avril Berry and Alan Fraser fell in love with these artisan-built handcarved wooden palaces on wheels and just knew they would be perfect in their meadow retreat three miles from Melrose, below the Eildon Hills. ‘We wanted magic with elegance, luxury with simplicity, all mod cons with a genuine sense of timelessless’, Avril says. There are currently 5 roulottes with evocative names  like Devanna, Karlotta, Gitana, Maharani and Rosa Bella, as well as nearby Horseshoe Cottage, which also welcomes children.

The roulottes were brought across from France, and are set around a small wildlife loch. Each one has its own exquisitely designed interior and quirky, individual character, with sumptuous colours and textures, chic crockery and comfy facilities. You can also order special treats such as gourmet hampers, champagne and chocolates, or activities such as mountain-biking, horse-riding or Yoga for your wedding party.

With professional backgrounds in Yoga and Psychotherapy, Avril and Alan are committed to an environmentally friendly approach, and have planted lots of native trees, shrubs, hedging and wildflower meadow to encourage local wildlife. The site has solar lighting, recycling facilities, eco-friendly paints wherever possible, and the roulottes are heated using green energy logs made from compressed rapeseed. The roulottes are made by specialist artisans in France and transported by a Borders haulage company on the return journey from the continent. And you won’t find any glossy brochures – all the information you need is on their website.

Roulotte Retreat won a Tourism Innovation Award at last year’s Scottish Tourism Conference in Edinburgh – great to see a company that prioritises ethical and environmental values do so well! See below for more pix, or visit their site here.

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

I’m always looking for fun ideas to help wedding parties go with a swing, and these wedding photos by Birmingham photographer Steve Gerrard really made me smile. His Fun Booth has a set of kooky props and costumes which guests can use to stage informal pictures that bring out the livelier side of their personalities. Steve sets up an area of your reception room, and unpacks a treasure box of theatrical hats, specs, wigs, deely boppers, musical instruments…  anything colourful and daft that’ll help guests to relax. They seem to need no persuading to show off their silly side, and the result is loads of hilarity, whether you’re watching or taking part! And you’ll come away with some playful pictures that your guests will love.

Steve also offers some edgy ideas for couples looking for a daring, original look for some of their wedding photographs. His Trash the Dress sessions are a new look at portraiture, contrasting the beautiful bride and bridal gown against alterative settings, including urban backstreets, scrapyards, fields and beaches. A great way to get more out of your wedding dress (and you don’t really need to trash it…)!

Click for more fun ideas for breaking the ice at wedding parties, and wedding props for hire in Scotland and the north of England.

Visit Steve Gerrard Photography for more of his lively wedding photographs.

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Get Knotted is thrilled to introduce the newest (and oldest!) of our wedding venues in the Scottish Borders: historic Aikwood Tower near Selkirk.

Aikwood Tower was for many years the stylish home of Lord Steel and his wife Judy, and has now been lovingly renovated by their son Rory as an exceptional venue for weddings, events and gatherings. The 16^th century tower is in the heart of Borders reiving country in the Ettrick Forest, just 40 miles south of Edinburgh, and is perfect for intimate weddings of up to 40 guests. It can also easily accommodate larger weddings with a marquee on the lawn and or in the courtyard. The gorgeous grounds include a wall garden, orchard and terrace, and the whole setting is wonderfully peaceful and private.

Rory and his wife Victoria have overseen the refurbishment with great care and respect for the tower’s quirks and charms. Each room is a delight, with unusual period features, wonderful work by local craftspeople and artists, and luxurious boutique styling. All facilities are state-of-the-art, and designed for outstanding comfort. It’s a thoroughly endearing place, steeped in history and romance, and will be the talk of your guests for years to come!

For larger weddings, Aikwood has excellent relationships with local hotels and B&Bs, who can provide special rates for guests travelling from further afield. We also work regularly with a range of fantastic local suppliers. Visit the Aikwood Tower website for more on the story of this fabulous wedding venue, and its long connections with the worlds of literature, politics and even magic! And take a look at Get Knotted’s other beautiful wedding venues in the Scottish Borders.

I’ve met up-and-coming Scottish Borders wedding photographer Alex Martin at several Get Knotted wedding venues, and she’s gained a well-deserved reputation for stylish images that capture wedding couples and guests looking their relaxed, natural best.

She puts her success in dealing with people’s wedding nerves down to her own recent experience! ‘I was dreading having my photo taken on my wedding day, but my photographer made it such fun that he inspired me. Now, when brides say to me ‘I hate having my photo taken’ (and nearly everyone does!), I use myself as an example.’

Alex trained with award-winning photographer David Bryce before setting up her own studio, and is constantly on the lookout for new inspiration – not from other photographers, but from fashion magazines and anything that can bring a fresh twist to her images. ‘My ambitions are just to be the best I can be, really. I want to be happy with my work, and I want the couple to be happy too’.

She says the key is being sensitive to the bigger picture and making sure she captures great images as straightforwardly as possible. ‘The thing that strikes me when having meetings with couples is that they are always concerned the photographer might take over their day and take up too much time. So I try my best to be as quick as I can, within reason. It’s important to make sure the couple give time to the photographer, but just as important the photographer remembers it’s the couple’s wedding day.  Most of my couples have said how happy they were with the time I spent on the day, and they didn’t even know I was there’.

Alex is based in the Scottish Borders. She has photographed weddings at several Get Knotted wedding venues, and often travels to weddings in Northumberland, Edinburgh and Glasgow, too. Visit her website for a look at more gorgeous photographs!

Visit Alex Martin Photography for more gorgeous photographs, ring Alex on 07976 392879, or email Alex Martin.

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.

Silhouette art is a fascinating Victorian form of portraiture that ties in beautifully with a vintage wedding theme. If you’re looking for a great talking point and a memorable way to entertain wedding guests, why not hire a silhouette artist?

Alison Russell specialises in creating silhouette art at wedding and other events, and has cut paper portraits of many celebrities and public figures, including Princess Anne, Shirley Bassey, Gordon Ramsay and Jonathan Ross.

She was also commissioned by Mclaggan Smith to cut the silhouettes of Kate and William for their mug design to commemorate the royal wedding, and often works at festivals and events  such as Royal Ascot.

‘It only takes only a few minutes to create a paper portrait’, she explains. ‘I enjoy the challenge of capturing the essence of the human spirit, and the likeness can be kept and treasured for years.’

Guests receive their portrait in a special card that can also be custom printed to include specific details, such as the names of the wedding couple, date and venue, to create a perfectly personalised memento to take home and frame.

Alison learned her timeless art from her grandmother, Mary-Lou Russell. ‘She was a painter and silhouette artist for more than 50 years’, she says. ‘I watched her technique, and cut my first silhouette when I was just eight. Then I kept practising on friends and family!’ She went on to study for a BA degree in Illustration, and also carries out commissions from her London studio.

On Alison’s website is a fantastic video showing the artist in action, and there are lots of examples on her blog.

Email: Alison Russell

Vintage-inspired weddings are a huge trend that looks like staying with us for a long time to come, so I was delighted to discover London-based company Lovely Favours offering deliciously pretty wedding favours and gifts with a vintage theme.

Lovely Favours specialises in hand-crafted stationery made using beautiful vintage prints, set off with unusual ribbons, lace, pearls, brooches and buckles.

Their stationery collections include save the date cards, invitations, table plans and names, order of services and favours to carry your chosen theme throughout the day. Everything is tailored to your wedding, so the tone and styling can be fun, formal or luxurious.

They also have pretty vintage props and accessory ideas with a theatrical flair – perfect for setting a romantic mood at your vintage wedding! Click for more ideas on a vintage wedding theme.

Visit the Lovely Favours website, email Lovely Favours or ring 020 8969 6650 for more vintage wedding ideas.

Lindsey Hunter of Get Knotted is a wedding planner for Scotland and the north of England. She’s the in-house wedding planner for four lovely Scottish wedding venues: Mellerstain House, Aikwood Tower, Hoscote Estate, and the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. For more wedding inspiration, visit our gallery.