Georgie + Struan by Zara Staples

We wanted to lean into Scotland’s medieval gothic feel while embracing the day’s romance.

GEORGIE —— Struan is from a village near Edinburgh and I’m from Sydney. We both moved to London around the same time in 2016. From the start, we discovered how much we enjoyed doing things together, like travelling (often) and playing tennis (badly). Our favourite thing now is pub trivia with our friends on Tuesdays. Nothing tests a relationship like a time-sensitive question no one knows the answer to!

We met at our work summer party in 2018. We had just started new jobs at an advertising agency and didn’t know many people. As I was leaving the venue, Struan approached me. He was really cute, but he was wearing the ugliest floral suit I’d ever seen, so I was torn.

We didn’t start dating right away, but there was always a spark. We spent most of that year casually flirting in the same work-friend group, but it wasn’t until December that we shared our first kiss in the back of a taxi on the way home from the Christmas party.

When planning our wedding, we described our vision as ‘Macbeth, directed by Baz Luhrmann’. We wanted to lean into Scotland’s medieval gothic feel while embracing the day’s romance. Our dress code was ‘old Hollywood glamour’: we asked our guests to dress as if they were attending a Vanity Fair after-party, and everyone looked incredible.

With its beautiful wood panelling and ethereal ceilings, Riddle’s Court was perfect for our ceremony. The Caves, an underground music venue, let us switch into full-party mode.

Being able to walk between the two venues, led by a piper, made the day even more memorable. It was only 10 minutes, but we didn’t anticipate how many tourists would stop to watch and take photos. Edinburgh’s Old Town felt like our third venue! My mum was waving at everyone like the Queen! I think we ended up in at least 100 tourist photos.

Struan’s family doesn’t have a specific tartan, which meant we could choose colours that matched our theme. We went with a purple tartan with a hint of red, which tied in beautifully with our red flowers.

My wedding dress search was more stressful. After visiting 12 bridal shops, I was starting to lose hope, especially since we were getting married so quickly. It was such a relief when I finally found my dress in a sample sale!

PHOTOGRAPHER Zara Staples, @zarastaplesweddings BRIDE’S DRESS Gemy Maalouf, @gemymaalouf GROOM’S OUTFIT, SHOES & ACCESSORIES McCalls Highland Wear, @mccalls_highlandwear BRIDE’S MAKEUP Rhona Stewart, @rhonasmakeup BRIDE’S HAIR Juile McGuire, @juliemcguirehairmakeup BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Jorum Studio, @jorumstudio GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Perfumer H, @perfumerhlondon CEREMONY LOCATION Riddle’s Court, @shbtweddings VIDEOGRAPHER Jared Tinetti @jaredtinetti FLORIST Pixie Rose Edinburgh, @pixieroseedinburgh CELEBRANT Katie Wood, @humanistsociety BAND Stravaig Ceilidhs, @stravaigceilidhs HIRE Beautifully Covered, @bcovered CATERING & RECEPTION VENUE The Caves, @unusual_venues_edinburgh PIPER Iain Grant CAKE 3D Cakes, @3d_cakes GEORGIE’S RING Robin Haydock Antiques, @robinhaydockantiques STRUAN’S RING Ruffs, @ruffs1904 BRIDE’S SHOES Anne Klein, @annekleinofficial BRIDE’S EARRINGS Carolina Wong, @carolinawongldn BRIDAL PARTY’S OUTFITS Rebecca Vallance, @rebeccavallance DJ Miss Mobile Disco, @missmobiledisco