We had a joint ‘stenny’ organised by our groomsmaids, Clair and Holly – one at home (a May Day weekend day out in town) and one away in Milan.

Planning started in July 2023, giving ourselves just over a year until the big day. Having been together for nine years we didn’t feel we needed that long to organise everything. Plus, Lewis is a born planner so it he had everything in hand!

We chose the Palm Court Hotel as it ticked all our boxes – big enough for our guest list but it still felt intimate. And having eaten there before we knew we’d get a good feed on the day.

The vibe was modern and rustic with a few traditional elements thrown in. Most importantly, though, we wanted it to be chilled and fun. Ryan’s passion for gardening meant flowers were a big focal point and we went for reds, pinks and greenery. This palette with gold accents became the overall colour scheme. Lewis did lots of the décor DIY, from making place names and the table plan to having the room scented in the way we wanted.

We always knew we wanted to wear kilts in similar colours and Georgian Dress Hire was amazing. Nothing was too much trouble. They even gave us colour samples home to help coordinate other aspects of the day with our outfits.

Our groomsmaids both wore white dresses from Coast. Because it was a same-sex marriage there was no wedding dress, so we wanted the girls to have wedding dress vibes! Alfie, our dog, made an appearance too. He wore a tweed lead and collar with a tartan bow tie to match his owners.

The wedding morning was very relaxed. It started with a private Champagne breakfast with our groomsmaids before hair and make-up began for the girls. We had a religious service that couldn’t have been more perfect. It was full of fun, laughter, tears and love – and the tone reflected our relationship.

Afterwards we went straight into the confetti shot then had group photos. And while everyone tucked into delicious gelato from Forest Farm Dairy’s truck, we headed to Union Terrace Gardens and Aberdeen Art Gallery for more pictures.

For dinner we sat at a sweetheart table so we could take everything in and reflect on the day so far. Between courses we went round to speak to our guests (we’d also invited each table up for a photo with us before the meal because we wanted to make sure we had a snap with every single guest). The speeches were both moving and full of laughter. Both of us did a speech, followed by Holly.

Our first dance was Belong Together by Mark Ambor. It’s a very new song but we felt the lyrics were very fitting and summed up our relationship. The rest of the night, the floor was never empty – the MacDonald Bros played a good mix of the classics and some ceilidh.

The day was better than we ever imagined it to be. So much love, laughter and joy, and we couldn’t fault a thing. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. And we’re so glad we had our photographer, videographer and content creator to help us document our wedding in an unobtrusive and relaxing way.

Ryan & Lewis's Little White Book

Aesthetics: Radiance Aesthetics

Band: The MacDonald Bros

Cake: Kirsty Hardy

Content Creator: WediMedia

Décor: Thoughts and Crosses

Entertainment: Forest Farm Dairy, Rhianne Armstrong - Singer

Flowers: Paper & Petals

Grooms’ outfits: Georgian Dress Hire

Groomsmaids’ outfits: Coast

Hair: Hendrix Hair

Make-up: Belle Ame Make Up Artistry

Minister: Rev. Keith Blackwood

Mothers outfit: Dressage Peterhead, Rouge Boutique

Photographer: Scott Arlow Photography

Rings: Cartier

Venue: Palm Court Hotel

Videographer: Stephen Main

Wedding scent: Jo Malone