JUST THE TWO OF US

Emily Howard & David Volpenhein

DATE: Wednesday 22nd September 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY: Bernadeta Kupiec Photography VENUE: Neidpath Castle, Peebles

Coming all the way from America to elope in a magnificent Scottish castle… Could Emily and David be any more romantic?

It was pretty much love at first sight when Emily first locked eyes on David. “I loved how he laughed easily and often, and how at peace I felt near him. We kissed under the stars and stayed up all night talking,” she smiles. Eight years later, they were engaged (David proposed with his grandmother’s breathtaking 100-year-old Art Deco-style ring) and first on Emily’s list was making “an adorable bullet journal I would undoubtedly abandon a few months into planning!”

The pandemic was a big factor while organising their wedding – and it provided the perfect excuse to elope. “We are based in Atlanta, Georgia, but David works for the US branch of a UK company,” explains Emily. “He spends several months of the year living and working there and, as I’m lucky to be selfemployed, I go along as well. Knowing we’d be in the UK, I looked at castles to rent on Airbnb – something we’ve done on trips before. I spotted Neidpath Castle and my imagination sort of exploded!”

WOODSY, ETHEREAL AND ROMANTIC

She fell in love with its wildness, its history and its landscape, and adored the idea of “exchanging sacred vows in a centuries-old place.” She adds “My mom convinced me to pull the trigger. She’s been on ‘team elopement’ for years!”

The Scottish setting inspired artist and author Emily’s dress search and her gown simply had to be visually interesting. “As an artist, colour is always on my mind. The colour scheme of the wedding was ultimately determined after I bought my dress!”

With the venue, date and dress ticked off, the rest of the details fell into place. But elopement planning from another country provided tricky – especially when restrictions around legal documents meant the couple had to pivot and marry legally before David left the US. “We had to break our wedding timeline into three acts: The legal minimony in Atlanta, true trysting in Scotland and a celebration in Cincinnati,” explains Emily, who is currently planning their big, formal gathering at home for friends and family.

The day before the wedding, it was off to Peebles Hydro Spa for a pamper then back to their very own castle for the night. Too excited to sleep well – “It felt like Christmas morning!” – they decided to watch the sun rise together over the hills as they sipped steaming cups of coffee. After Emily’s hair appointment and visit to Fountain Flower in Peebles where she put together her own bouquet, the pair wrote their vows in the castle’s chapel. “It was a pretty relaxing morning,” Emily remembers.

She walked down the aisle in the great hall of the castle (which required little décor other than pews peppered with tealights to representing family and friends at home, and a celebratory banner designed by Emily) with Unst Bridal March by Bonnie Rideout playing.

The spiritual ceremony was performed by an interfaith celebrant, Morag Cameron. She made it personal yet sympathetic to the setting, incorporating Scottish traditions. “I loved every single moment of our emotional ceremony, particularly our vows,” says Emily. “I knew it would be special; that I’d feel a shifting underneath me, but Morag really put a sparkle on the whole ceremony. I felt a lot of things in the moment and gratitude was the strongest. I was grateful for the moment, for David’s love, for the beauty of the space and the day, for my parents’ support, and for the hope of our future together.” After the ceremony, the newlyweds had “a little reception for two,” cutting their cake and popping champagne. “When our photographer left, candles still alight, we had our first dance in the chapel to Nickel Creek’s Out of the Woods.”

The epitome of romance, they were served a mouthwatering dinner at a beautiful candlelit table in their chambers; feasting like royalty on decadent delights like sourdough bruschetta with wood pigeon, parmesan-crusted salmon steak and partridge breasts with poached pear and blue cheese sauce.

Ending on a sweet note, they toasted to the day and enjoyed some big slices of wedding cake. “It was just wonderful to sink into the royal fantasy for an evening in our very own castle. What a beautiful way to mark this chapter of our lives together.” “Don’t be afraid to change your plan because it can turn out better than you ever imagined. If you get to end your day with the one you love, it’s a success.”

Emily

Dream TEAM

BRIDE’S DRESS Savin London at White Lace & Butterflies Bridal Boutique BRIDE’S CAPE VEIL Noon on the Moon BRIDE’S EARRINGS BlingBaddaBoom BRIDE’S EAR CUFF DeavogStudio CATERERS Tweed Valley Venison CELEBRANT Morag Cameron CAKE Cakes by Nikki Sloan CAKE TOPPER wireworksuk HAIR Karen at Neil Maclean Hair Studio

PHOTOGRAPHER’S CREDIT

“Emily and David had Neidpath Castle for a few nights for themselves. Moreover, they had a key to that lock and that was really amazing. We could explore almost any room. Their ceremony was very emotional, from wedding rings and tying a knot, to their intimate vows to each other.”

Bernadeta Bernadeta Kupiec Photography