The city of Edinburgh in Scotland is filled with charm — from every come-hither nook + cranny, to all the quirky, winding streets that sit below the castle on the hill… The jumble of medieval tenements and old buildings are full of character, and the city echoes with boisterous laughter as people come clanging out of its many pubs at night. It’s a place of beauty, both old and new, with large rocky crags, and an ever enchanting greenery that spills from the sidewalks, planters, and many gardens. It’s because of all these reasons (and so many more), that Lindsay + Ben asked Susie of Knot & Pop to help them plan a destination wedding there (with L+B living in Australia).
Enter: the secret garden! Also known as the Secret Herb Garden, the venue sits just on the outskirts of the city, and served as the main source of inspiration for the day. Edinburgh happens to be the place where Lindsay + Ben met — their first date was during a full moon (which inspired many celestial elements you’ll see below), and where they discovered their shared love for wine… Knot & Pop took in all these aspects when designing a day, fit just for them, and we stopped in our tracks the moment we saw the utterly charming secret garden!
Let’s wander through the brush + bramble to discover the magic of this secret garden in the snaps by Caro Weiss!
Hellooo, beauty!! Lindsay looked absolutely enchanting in her beaded Jenny Packham gown… That, combined with the fairytale-esque florals by Pyrus are a winning combination in our book.
As if foraged from the grounds, the main design for the wedding saw an abundance of flowers mixed with grapes, rose-hips, blackberries, tomato vines and mint leaves. Pyrus crafted one insanely beautiful floral arch to frame the couple oh-so perfectly.
The invitation + paper goods by Alice Gabb planted the seed of the idea… with a flower seed packet Save the Date (so genius)! Alice designed four different seed packets which Knot & Pop then filled with seeds for four different seasonal flowers. The “let love grow” theme took over and all other design elements followed suit, with botanical drawings + lush coverings.
Bride: For me, the ceremony was incredibly moving (I was holding back tears - badly - the whole way through); breathtakingly nerve wracking (I apparently shook so much as I walked in that my beautiful bouquet was visibly quivering!); and utterly unforgettable.
Ben and I also had a moment to ourselves overlooking the apothecary garden where our guests were mingling with canapés and drinks after the ceremony, while our photographer ran off to get some film for the camera for our portraits. Those few seconds, holding hands together, watching our favorite people in the world chatting, laughing, and enjoying themselves from afar was also pretty special.
Stolen kisses + secret gardens — could you imagine anything more spectacular?
Processional: Acoustic Version of Hysteric by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (played by the wonderful duo, The Wolves)
Recessional: Sweet Pea by Amos Lee (also played by The Wolves)
First Dance: Group Dance to Teenage Kicks by the Undertones played by The Distractions
The team at Pyrus carried on with the “Let Love Grow” theme fabulously! They created an incredible organic installation over the dining table and wove passionflower vines into the backs of some of the chairs. Herbs (from the Secret Herb Garden) and vines on the dining table itself lent an organic foraged feel. It’s difficult to tell where the natural plants in the glasshouse ended and the flowers by Pyrus began —which is exactly what L+B wanted!
The dining area saw wooden tables dressed in vines, flowers, foraged fruits, tapered candles and colored glassware, with wooden handled cutlery and lots of artisanal styling touches.
Knowing that the glasshouse would be filled with blackberries and mint at the beginning of September, the duo decided to incorporate them into the overall tablescape! They even found some signature gin cocktails featuring those ingredients, which the venue kindly rustled up for the guests.
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Lindsay shares: Two spectacular moments were when we first saw the table setting that Susie and her team had put together for us as we walked into the glasshouse with our guests after the ceremony; it was breathtaking – the stuff of fairy tales. Ben and I also got a sneaky peek at the Moon Gin Bar with Susie before it was opened up to everyone else. It was really special having those few quiet minutes together discovering the spectacular bar that had been created by Susie and her team.
Drawing on their love of wine, wine bottles formed the signage, with the table plan appearing along a Grape Corridor with name tags hanging off vines. Guests walked through the Grape Corridor to find their table number, that then lead them into the dinner reception!
Firstly: Don't be afraid to break the rules to have the day that most suits you and your guests. We broke a number of traditions and we were so glad that we did.
Secondly: If budget allows (and especially if you are planning a destination wedding), invest in a planner. Susie was a visionary and created and curated a spectacular day for us which we could never have even imagined on our own. We just turned up on the day and the magic happened around us!
Food was rich in local produce, using the best of in-season Scottish ingredients, presented in a rustic yet refined manner to suit the overall wedding feel. Come evening, Knot & Pop designed a Moon Gin Bar that appeared in a secret garden clearing. Complete with star and moon lantern decorations, and custom-made moon and star straws, the area was a wonderful surprise to the guests and the perfect place to serve the couples signature cocktails from.
As favors, guests received a goody bag with a bespoke bottled hangover cure, hand-made soaps and Scottish short bread… While L+B left with a gorgeous flower press guest book – the perfect keepsake for their memorable day.
How absolutely charming is that?! May your love bloom, Lindsay + Ben! Congratulations!
photography: Caro Weiss // venue name: Secret Herb Garden, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland // event design: Knot & Pop // planning: Knot & Pop // florals: Pyrus // wedding dress: Jenny Packham // bride's shoes: Jimmy Choo // makeup artist: AMM Team // paper goods: Alice Gabb // calligraphy: Alice Gabb // catering: Wilde Thyme // tabletop rentals: Classic Crockery // linen rentals: Knot & Pop // specialty rentals: Knot & Pop // music: The Distractions
Wow, that dress (and so many of the details) is so stunning! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful style, beautiful couple and beautiful shots.
This table setting is a dream!