Scottish Backyard Wedding

Where did you get married?

The Griffin House Bed and Breakfast in Warrensburg, New York. Their restaurant, called Grace’s, was the site of our reception. The grounds were gorgeous and full of flowers, so we chose to have the ceremony outside near their guest house.

What was your budget?

Our budget was around $5000, and we were able to keep within that amount. Our goal was to keep it simple and elegant, and to make sure everyone felt welcome.

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

My husband’s family is Scottish, so we wanted to share those traditions with our guests. We had a Scottish ceremony, which included me receiving a sash of his family’s tartan. It also meant that the groomsmen were dressed in kilts and our ceremony music was performed by a close friend who is a bagpiper.

Other things that meant so much to me were how many friends offered their services to help us have a wonderful day. Besides the bagpiper, we had several people all help out to make things happen. My college roommate, an amazing pastry chef, did our wedding cake while doubling as a bridesmaid. Another wonderful friend who attended the same art program as I did graciously supplied the photography for the entire day.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Our wedding was an 11:00 ceremony, so we had a luncheon reception rather than a dinner. This helped a lot with the cost, and it meant that we could spend more time with our guests throughout the day.

Also, we didn’t do it with the goal of saving money, but we found that when items were purchased locally, handmade, or we made them ourselves, we liked the results much better and they ended up being less expensive. Cheeses in the appetizers were from Oscar’s Smokehouse , which is just down the road from the reception site; most of the wedding party’s gifts were purchased through Etsy , as were our wedding favors; and our wedding rings were made by a friend of the groom’s family, Walker Metalsmiths .

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Choose 3-5 details that are really important to you – if you need to worry, be concerned with these things rather than stressing about every little detail. For example, the color of my bridesmaids’ dresses were really important to me, but not so much the style, so I let each girl choose her own dress. It was worth it in the end – I felt pretty peaceful and was able to enjoy the day.

What was your biggest splurge?

My shoes. And lots of nice scotch for the guys.

What was your favorite detail? What project are you most proud of?

One of the gifts I gave to each bridesmaid was a small personalized scrapbook tin (from Waisze on Etsy) and on the patterned paper inside, I collaged tiny photos of myself with each girl.

My other favorite detail from that day was entering the reception room to find a row of tiny vases, each with a black-eyed susan, lining the fireplace mantle. Grace’s manager had picked them from her garden that morning especially for us.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Besides ending the day with a husband? 🙂 In between dancing traditional Scottish reels, our bagpiper “Rickrolled ” the guests while my maid of honor sang along. It was hilarious.

Vendors:

Venue: Griffin House Bed & Breakfast
Photographer: Alison Tyne Photography
Cake: Holly King, friend of the bride and groom
Tartan and Kilts: Burnett’s and Struth
Flowers: A Lasting Impression Florist
Rentals: Advance Rental Supply
Ceremony Music: Hollis Easter , friend of the bride and groom
Hair: Touch of Class
Makeup: Spa Studio at Union Square
Wedding Gown purchased at Lily Saratoga

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