Today we bring you a special celebration, in one of the most unusual venues we've featured on One Fab Day. Megan and David, are a supremely elegant couple, very much in love, who share a passion for the arts. Every element of their day reflects that passion and how they've created their life together - what more could you want in a wedding? Surrounded by interesting art work, colourful rolls of yarn, they danced into the night, in their respective skirts (you'll see what I mean). Dream team Craig & Eva Sanders captured the day and we're thrilled to share the snaps with you today...
Megan gave us the tale of how they met - it's a long time ago, back when they were baby-faced newbies at university..."We met on our first day at university. I was the first girl Dave spoke to. We spent about a year liking each other but were both too shy to say anything! We were on different courses and stayed in different halls but we had a lot of mutual friends, including our Best Man, Chris, which meant we would see each other out and about. I think he knew there was something going on before we did! We finally got together at a Christmas party in second year, that was eleven years ago and we’ve been together ever since."
Years passed, the couple were blessed with a little one, and the time finally came for the big question to be popped, but it wasn't simple as Megan explained... "Dave spent a lot of time planning the proposal and kept it completely secret from me. He chose the ring and enlisted some help from family and friends to try to get an idea of what I might like. When I think of some of the casual chats I had with my sister, Emma, about ring shapes and stones, I can’t believe I didn’t realise! He waited until the weekend before I was due to return to work from maternity leave. He told me that he was taking me out for afternoon tea as a treat to take my mind off it (cake will distract me from anything!) In the morning he sneaked out and met my Dad to ask for his blessing. We walked up to the Caledonian Hotel which serves the most delicious afternoon tea, Dave having hidden the ring in his sock! He told me afterwards that the ring had come loose in the box and rattled all the way there. The proposal was really emotional and romantic, we tried to be as discreet as possible and not cry too much but when the staff at the hotel realised what was happening they presented us with a piece of cake with “Congratulations” iced in chocolate!"
How gorgeous is bride Megan? Her stunning beaded gown is a Jenny Packham, don't you know, and it looks absolutely stunning on her. Megan added extra 1920s glam with a head-dress from Pan Pan Bridal.
The couple chose a really unusual space for their wedding but it wasn't in order to be "weddingy" in fact, the opposite was the case - Megan and David were looking for something to help them achieve their dream of a simple celebration about family and friends "We wanted the wedding to be a truly happy celebration, without getting too caught up in a wedding fever. We knew as long as our guests were happy, we would be too, so we tried to keep the planning as simple as possible. We chose to get married in the centre of Edinburgh in a single venue so that everyone could get there easily with plenty of options for accommodation. We really wanted everyone to be included so all the guests were invited for the whole day. Our main concern after that was lots of food, wine and dancing!"
The place they found was the Dovecot Studios - a unique space with huge history but I'll explain more of that later... first the ceremony...
There's one proud papa...
We had a Humanist ceremony and that really set the tone for the day. It was such a personal, emotional and happy ceremony which everyone felt part of. We also celebrated our marriage with a handfasting and celtic well-wishing at the end of the ceremony. We are going to frame the knot, surrounded by all our guests’ signatures.
Woohoo, it's official for Megan and David!
A main priority for Megan and David was the photography, although before their engagement, like many couples it hadn't been something they had thought much about...Photography was not something I’d thought about at all until I started to read lots of wedding blogs and I quickly realised that not all wedding photos are the same! We found that we liked photos which were natural and light. I found Craig and Eva’s website through the Glasgow Wedding Collective and thought they took the most beautiful photographs I had ever seen, really capturing not only the details but also all the emotions of a wedding day. They are such lovely people and I was absolutely delighted when they agreed to take our photographs.
Megan and David loved the natural style and lightness of Craig and Eva's work, as you can see from their portraits they are exactly that and simply stunning...
My friend Natasha is very creative and talented. She made our bouquets, buttonholes and all the floral displays. Using the tulips we bought in the supermarkets the day before and greenery from our garden. She has a fantastic eye for colour and design and gave us more than we could have possibly asked from a professional florist.
So your probably getting curious about Megan and David's venue. Colourful balls of wool, twine and yarn, epic wooden beams, where on earth are they? This incredible venue is called the Dovecot Studios, the building is the most amazing place, it was once a Victorian swimming baths but has since been converted into a weaving studio and gallery. For Megan and David it was love at first sight, and I can see why... We loved it as soon as we walked in, there is so much space and light. Dave and I both studied arts subjects and university and we had been hoping to find somewhere that reflected our interests. We were able to get married in one of the galleries, surrounded by a beautiful exhibition. We then had drinks and canapes on the Balcony overlooking the Weaving Floor where we had the main reception. It was fantastic to be able to use the entire building.
Another important part of choosing the Dovecot Studios was their Events Planner, Kirsty Sumerling. She was wonderful to work with and did everything to make the day perfect. We could not have asked for more from her.
How adorable is baby Charlotte?
There is so much colour not only from the work on display but also from the shelves of yarn on the surrounding walls. When the couple decided to get married in February, Megan was really excited about being able to have spring flowers, particularly tulips. She envisioned lots of vibrant, rainbow displays and the backdrop of The Dovecot Studios made everything look really unique.
We weren’t so keen on having a formal wedding cake so my mum baked us a huge selection of cakes and meringues. She spent weeks planning all the different flavours and finding gluten and dairy free recipes so that everyone would be able to have some. It was really important to her to contribute something from home and they looked and tasted delicious. It was an extremely generous gift." A nice way to include friends and family is to call on their individual talents like Megan did with her Mum, and her pal Natasha contributing her creativity with the flowers. It does sometimes feel like you shouldn't ask too much of them, but your loved ones really do want to get involved, so if they're offering help, don't just say "oh it's all fine, don't worry" - take the offer and ask them something very specific, just don't ask them to do something that will totally overwhelm them!
The actual wedding was very personal, happy, relaxed, colourful and bright. It was a real celebration - one big party with everyone we love.
So what advice did Megan and David have for brides and grooms planning their day... Don’t get too stressed with the planning, it will all be fine! I know that everyone says that, but it felt like we spent more time worrying about the table layout than we did about actually getting married! In the end, the ceremony was more beautiful and heartfelt than I could have possibly imagined and if I’d known that beforehand, I wouldn’t have worried about anything.
Huge congratulations to Megan and David on their bright and colourful wedding day. What a treat to be able to share!
And a big thank you goes to Craig and Eva Sanders for sharing their work with us at One Fab Day. To see more pop over to www.craigevasanders.co.uk.
The Wedding Details
- Ceremony and Reception: Dovecot Studios
- Photographers: Craig & Eva Sanders
- Wedding Dress & headband: Jenny Packham “Eden” dress from Pan Pan Bridal
- Bridesmaids dresses: Freja Designer Dressmaking & Monsoon
- Shoes: Russell and Bromley
- Catering: Appetite Direct
- Groom(smen)’s suits: Bowdens
- Make Up & Hair: Christine Alison from Makeup by Chris and Jay Calder at Dickson Reid
- Wedding Bands: Mcdonald Greene Jewellers
- Ceremony/Reception Music: The Erskine Quartet & The Jiggers Ceilidh Band
- Humanist celebrant: Dorothy Nowak
