WHATEVER THE WEATHER

Mairi Lawson & Scott Grant

DATE: Saturday 27th November 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography by Emilie VENUE: The Rhynd, Leuchars

After two postponed wedding dates not even the effects of Storm Arwen and a power cut could stop this couple from finally getting hitched

It was a case of perfect timing when Scott and Mairi first got together. They met through a mutual friend in the Beer Kitchen in Dundee, but only after their original plans had fallen through. She was meant to be out the night before and he had planned to be in Edinburgh.

Skip forward two years and the couple were midway through a USA road trip when Scott proposed at the Grand Canyon, with a ring he’d designed himself – with help from Dundee jeweller Lorraine Law. “I picked it up about a week before we left for the USA and had it in a pouch, stuffed in a pair of socks!” he remembers. Once Mairi had said “yes” it was only fitting for the couple to return to Lorraine Law for their bespoke wedding rings.

Scott and Mairi planned to try for a baby before they tied the knot and before little Josh was born the only aspect of their wedding they had booked was their venue, The Rhynd. “It seemed to make sense to figure out where it would be and then we could hope that everything else fell into place with a small child around taking up our energy and attention!” remembers Mairi.

The couple wanted a blank canvas venue they could do whatever they wanted with and admit The Rhynd’s free corkage was a big selling point. “We wanted to be able to treat our guests to a free bar for as long as possible and drink what we knew they’d like,” says Scott. “The best weddings are always the ones where the drink is flowing!” They fell in love with the venue’s rustic vibe and decorated with wooden “treeish” features and lots of candles.

A HITCH OR TWO BEFORE I DO

Like so many couples, Scott and Mairi were forced to postpone their wedding not once, but twice, because of the pandemic. Despite the ever-changing situation and one groomsman Dean testing positive on the morning of the big day, they handled it like pros.

But even with their final wedding date in touching distance it still wasn’t plain sailing. The day before their wedding, Storm Arwen hit the UK causing all sorts of travel disruption for guests. One friend managed to squeeze onto the last flight before they were cancelled, another couple had their boat from Belfast cancelled so had to switch to a Liverpool crossing, while one of the bridesmaids Sarah had a long and dangerous drive up from England. And far from having a relaxing night herself, Mairi, along with her bridesmaids, was layered up trying to keep warm thanks to a power cut in the farmhouse which meant the temperature dropped to just 4 degrees.

When the morning of the wedding arrived, Mairi’s farmhouse was still without power so she and her girls popped to one of the bridesmaid’s auntie’s house in St Andrews for hot showers and then were moved to another house on The Rhynd’s farm for all their wedding prep. Hair and make-up was two hours late in getting started but luckily the hair and make-up artists were completely chilled and took it all in their stride. Walking down the aisle to Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird in her stunning Finlandia dress by Pronovias – only the fifth one she tried! – you would never have known what a stressful morning Mairi had had. “I was calm and happy,” she says. “It was so good to see Scott and Josh and everyone’s smiling faces!” The couple married in a personal humanist ceremony with their celebrant Sarah Morrison ensuring plenty of audience participation. They wrote their own vows and admit there were a few wobbles getting their words out. The speeches were equally sentimental. After Mairi’s dad took everyone on a journey “talking about the environment, wars, spoons and forks” - Scott raised the bar for any groom-to-be in the room, revealing a book he’d written for his bride. Earlier in the year Mairi had released her first children’s book; Mairi Moo is Starting School about a highland cow that was worried about starting school. “I’d often joked to Mairi – the human, not the cow! – that Scotty Moo should be a feature and it inspired me to write Mairi Moo Gets Married which traced our story up to the wedding day,” he says. Scott even got in touch with Mairi’s illustrator to produce the final book with huge images displayed by his right-hand men. Good luck trying to top that speech guys! Mairi and Scott treated their guests to a beautiful sharing banquet as well as an open bar with everything from pints to prosecco and vodka, gin and rum - “Guests were very much able to fill their boots!” Then when the band started up it felt like a proper pre-pandemic wedding. “There was lots of terrible dancing,” laughs Mairi. “It felt like a party with lots of love in the room!” Now they’ve finally said “I do” Scott has important advice for to-be-weds; “Start early, don’t plan during a pandemic, try not to pick a date the day after a massive storm, if planning to decorate your venue with a child running about - don’t - make sure they’re out of the road so you can just crack on!” Words of wisdom!

“The highlight was finally getting married and seeing everyone together again. It had been a while!”

Mairi

Dream TEAM

BRIDE’S DRESS Pronovias at Perfect Bridal Rooms BRIDE’S EARRINGS WTG Henderson BRIDE’S SHOES Rainbow Club BRIDESMAID DRESSES Ever Pretty CAKE Caked ‘n’ Fudge CANDLES The London Candle Company CATERING Jo’s Kitchen CELEBRANT Sarah Morrison of Humanist Society Scotland DÉCOR Fifty Six Events FAVOURS Parkinson’s Research UK FLOWERS Acanthus Florist GROOM’S OUTFIT 8 Yards HAIR Anya Did My Hair MAKE-UP GlamRox Scotland RINGS Lorraine Law VIDEOGRAPHY AD Media

PHOTOGRAPHER’S CREDIT

“I absolutely love shooting chilled weddings with chilled couples and Mairi and Scott are just that! Their wedding was so beautiful with loads of little details. They’re such a lovely and relaxed couple, we had a great laugh on the day. One of my favourite things (that I’ve not seen at any other wedding) was how Scott published a book for Mairi and surprised her during his speech - so special!” Emilie Gray Photography by Emilie

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