If you're a fan of a royal wedding, you're going to be absolutely smitten with today's real wedding, which boasts all the epic glamour of a international, star-studded affair, but with a much shorter guest list! American couple Olivia and Ryan brought their nearest and dearest to Scotland for their big day, and honestly, it's like something out of a movie (a movie that we would immediately add to our saved list on Netflix, we hasten to add!) Inverlochy Castle Hotel was the setting for their impossibly stylish and delightfully whimsical day, and Craig and Eva Sanders Photography captured the whole thing in a truly beautiful set of images, which we couldn't be more excited to share!

How gorgeous are these girls!? Between Olivia's stunning custom-made wedding dress, and the pretty-in-pastels bridesmaids, we've got so much style inspo for you in this post!

The stationery at this wedding was next-level! It was designed by the bride and created by US stationer Wouldn’t It Be Lovely. Olivia tells us, "we had hand-dyed unicorn pastel papers, individually hand-calligraphed and wrapped in tissue, painted with a watercolor of the castle. The invitations were all stamped with a custom monogram wax seal and hand-delivered in a box tied with a unicorn-inspired ribbon."

Olivia and Ryan tell us that they met in Maine, where Ryan was living and Olivia was visiting her Dad’s summer home. "We had several mutual friends and connected via social media," Olivia says. "We did long distance for two and a half years before moving to Chicago together – a place we picked as a fresh start! It was a very untraditional beginning, but we have experienced so many different phases of our relationship in just five years together, and we’ve gotten through it all very nicely!"

Ryan had his New Year's Eve proposal planned down to a tee, but it didn't go exactly as he had hoped! "He expected that during the proposal, he would be surrounded by several loud and excited people counting down and celebrating," Olivia says, "but instead, the whole restaurant was very quiet and everyone remained seated at their own tables! All of the sudden, Ryan tried to get me to stand up to count down with him. I was so confused as to why he wanted me to stand up in the middle of such a sophisticated, peaceful restaurant so naturally I refused. Finally, he just got down on his knee! I was so stunned and didn’t believe it was happening."

It didn't take this couple long to settle on a castle wedding in Scotland, Olivia tells us. "This was originally Ryan’s dream, and I was more than happy to oblige!"

Ryan and his groom's party fully embraced Highland dress, as did many of their guests. "We were able to get all but two of the American men to wear kilts," Olivia tells us. "They all had so much fun!"

Olivia's breathtaking long-sleeved wedding dress was a custom creation by Ersa Atelier, featuring delicate lace and elaborate pearl and crystal beadwork, and, as you'll see later, a removable tulle overskirt! She accessorised with a veil from her grandmother’s bridal shop in Dallas, Mockingbird Bridal, a Sapphire ring from her bridesmaid (her something blue and her something borrowed) and her grandmother's earrings.  

This pair put the interests of their guests at the forefront of their plans, right from the beginning. "We wanted it to feel like a relaxed and luxurious vacation and not a stressful wedding obligation, both for me and Ryan and the guests," Olivia says. "Everything was impeccably planned so that it was a seamless travel experience. We wanted to keep it to a small number of people so that it was very intimate and romantic and we wanted to create lasting memories with those people that are the closest to us – this was not just one wedding day but a multi-day adventure!"

The First Look moment always makes me teary!

The couple also spent a lot of time on the aesthetic details of the day. "From the colours to the flowers to the invitations to the dress, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted," Olivia says. 

Inverlochy Castle Hotel turned out to the be perfect venue for Olivia and Ryan's big day. "We wanted our guests to have an incredibly pampered time if they were going to travel so far for us, so we took over the castle for three nights and days, which allowed us to all be together for a long weekend in the same beautiful and luxurious place. I have very high standards when it comes to accommodation and service, and Inverlochy overdelivered. It was truly an incredible three-day experience!"

Olivia's girls wore mix and match bridesmaids dresses in complimentary pastel shades of pink and purple. This is such a lovely way to style your wedding party - as well as looking fabulous, it guarantees that everyone will be happy with their outfit!

There's nothing more romantic than an outdoor ceremony with a jaw-dropping view!

Olivia describes the day as, "relaxed and intimate. It was a luxurious, elegant, whimsical fairytale! I felt like we were surrounded by only people that truly know and love us. Two of my closest friends couldn’t travel abroad, but I was able to keep in touch with them via Marco Polo video messages all day. Both of my grandmothers were able to attend which was very special. I didn’t feel any stress at all on my wedding day, I just felt like I was hanging out with my best people and was about to go marry my best friend. Despite being such an elegant and impeccably-planned event, it felt very comfortable and low-stress."

The reception rooms at Inverlochy Castle Hotel are so opulent! We love that the couple went big on the florals.

We are fully on board with Olivia's advice for other couples planning a wedding! "Don’t feel obligated to do what everyone else is doing, or what your family wants you to do," she says. "Stay strong and follow your own desires – it will turn out better than anyone else can possibly imagine!"

For their honeymoon, Olivia and Ryan are planning a Mediterranean cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer. "We are so excited! What’s great about a cruise is that we can unpack in our room and not have to worry about travelling all around Europe. It should be wonderful!" 

Thanks so much to Ryan and Olivia for giving us a peek behind the scenes of their big day, and to Craig and Eva Sanders for sharing the incredible images. We won't forget this one in a hurry!