Inspiration

Nearly five years in the business and I'm the first to hold my hands up and say I've never heard of a Quaich ceremony. Shame on me. But I'm certainly glad I know what one is now. It's such a lovely Scottish tradition and the first of many ways this wonderful couple made their day their way. Just wait until you see their village hall reception laden with trinkets and DIY decor too, it's so beautiful.

What Made Our Day Unique

We pulled every detail together ourselves and used talents from our amazing friends and family to create a really unique day with a homespun aspect. We had family members making a tablet, carrying the cog, flipping the hall for the ceilidh, and serving the food and drinks. I also made the favours, place settings, seating chart and invites myself and sourced props so we were able to create something which we felt really represented us as a couple. I regretted doing it all ourselves at times but thankfully we have a super supportive family that pitched in with every task!

Hannah & Josh

Quaich Ceremony

A Quaich ceremony is a Celtic, Scottish tradition whereby the bride and groom drink from a Quaich cup which is also referred to as a love cup. Drinking from the same cup signifies trust and the two handles make it ideal for sharing. Hannah & Josh's cup was made from wood, but they can also be made of pottery, silver or pewter and come in a range of sizes. We're not sure what tipple they filled their cup with, but if it were me I would fill mine with the finest champagne! The perfect way to toast becoming husband and wife.

Inspiration & Styling

I am a stylist in the fashion industry for work so had an idea in my head of what I wanted the overall aesthetic to be, with the main inspiration coming from the amazing woodland landscape around Nethybridge itself. Beginning outside on the loch we wanted to tie this through the whole day and used suppliers who sourced food, drinks and flowers local to the area. I spent a LOT of late nights on Etsy collecting vintage tins and playing cards, this was quite fun and added a mystical element to the day which I loved too.

Hannah & Josh

Newlyweds Hannah & Josh are also part of a formidable ceilidh band, experiencing lots of weddings first hand through their work. They go on to share that if you as brides and grooms are having a good time on your wedding day your guests will follow suit, then, hey presto, the perfect wedding day atmosphere is born. I'm sure their excellent choices in wedding entertainment had a lot to do with their enjoyment too. Give our wedding directory, The List, a search to see who can add a little magic to your day. There you'll find wonderful members Virginias Vintage Hire who provided the tables at Hannah and Josh's village hall wedding reception.

Lorna Shaw

Written by Lorna Shaw

Ceremony Location: Loch Garten | Venue: Nethybridge Community Hall | Wedding Dress: Vintage | Bridal Boutique: Those Were the Days Vintage Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN | Grooms Suit: McCalls Highlandwear | Headdress: Rene Walrus | Bridal Shoes: Dior | Catering : Wild Rover Food | Drink : Majestic | Wedding Cake: Cairngorm Cakery | Florist: Myrtle and Bracken | Hair & Makeup: Jak Morgan | Entertainment: Foot Stompin Ceilidh Band | Ghillie Dhu Ceilidh Band | Decor & Hire: Virginias Vintage Hire | Transport: Bremners of Aviemore | Celebrant: Wendy Armstrong | Ice Cream: Portsoy Ice Cream | Marshmallows: Marshmallows Lady | Music: Marianne McGregor Music

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