Scottish Chic Wedding in Portland
Today’s wedding is a definite case of “Where do we begin?”. Everything about Meghan and Bobby’s wedding — from the lush, organic floral arrangements done by Selva Floral Design to the boho-meets-industrial vibe — is worth falling head over heels in love with. Thank you to Sarah of Hazelwood Photo for capturing the day and Social Hour Events for taking care of all the coordination!
From the bride, Meghan: We had a kind of boho, industrialist vibe in mind, with some key Scottish influences! My husband and I met in Amsterdam in the Netherlands where we live, but he’s from Scotland. His family flew over from Glasgow for the wedding and we wanted our wedding to reflect who we are now, but also where we’ve come from! We were looking for a really raw, natural and open space whose natural beauty would be our main decoration. We really wanted an unadorned and natural aesthetic. We absolutely found that in the Yale Union, a former laundry factory built in the early 1900s. The wedding took place on the top floor which has wall to wall windows and many skylights which flood the space with natural light. From there, it was really about building a wedding aesthetic that built around that gorgeous space.
We wanted the raw, white, industrial elements of the venue to be the backdrop and Sarah’s florals and floral installation that she created as an altar made up the rest. This aesthetic really captures our personal style, but we also thought it best suited the venue which we wanted to be true to and at the same time, fussing too much over any one detail seemed like it would distract from the joy of the occasion. More than anything, we just really wanted to have a lot of fun! I mentioned it above, but having a few fun elements with reference to our past and our present life in Holland was something we tried to do here and there. Merit Badge handled our bar service and they were fantastic! We LOVED them! Our two signature drinks were the “Glasgow Mule” – a nod to my husband’s native Glasgow and the “The Old Dutch Bike” a reference to our life in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. While we worked with Anders Printing for all of our signage, the creative was actually designed and hand drawn by my husband Bobby. He’s been drawing funny little sketches since the day we met and they’re one of the many reasons he won my heart. They’re so charming and cheeky and sweet. Macklochrie was the moniker we used for all our signage and was our Instagram handle as well. It’s a combination of our last names – Mackendrick and Lochrie. Although Bobby is from Scotland, my last name is of Scottish origin, so somehow this funny combination of our names is still true to both of our Scottish roots (his being a lot more recent than mine!)
We were so, so lucky to have our first choice of vendors for literally every key element of the wedding. The first two vendor wins started with Sarah Blasi at Selva Floral Design and Sarah Morrison of Hazelwood Photo. Sarah at Hazelwood Photo was referred to me by my brother and his wife. She had done a beautiful job capturing the wedding of a friend of theirs (who also happened to get married at Yale Union) and I knew instantly when I saw her work that she would capture the day in the way that we would want – unscripted and natural. Sarah at Selva Floral Design was the first vendor to be hired and frankly, I credit Sarah with not just creating the most beautiful floral arrangements I have ever seen, but for making our wedding vision a reality. You’re starting to see a lot of work like hers on the Portland wedding scene, but Sarah is really the OG of this kind of beautiful, natural aesthetic. I can’t even really explain her work in a simple sentence. She doesn’t just create arrangements, she builds installations. She’s a creative powerhouse and we’re so lucky to have had the chance to work with her. She’s an artist.
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Well, I would say that despite best efforts to stay calm and enjoy the process, you will find yourself at a few junctures where you’re just a bit stressed out of your mind! You’re pulling off a production! That said, focus on finding vendors to partner with that you can trust, who respect your vision and who are just good people! We worked with THE nicest people we have ever met and this is in addition to being really the best in the industry. Focus on finding the right space and good food and don’t worry about the rest! It’ll all come together! Try to keep it as unscripted as possible, but somehow organized and then you won’t have some kind of freakout moment if things don’t go to “plan” because there really isn’t one! It’s a beautiful party and should be a lot of fun for everyone- most of all the bride and groom! We had a blast at our wedding!
Wedding Music:
Bridal Party Processional: Bach’s G Major Suite Prelude
Boys and Flower Girl Processional: “Shebag Shemore” (Traditional Celtic piece)
Bride’s Processional: “Here Comes My Baby,” Cat Stevens (live instrumental cello)
Recessional: “We’re Going To Be Friends,” White Stripes (live instrumental cello)
First Dance: Loch Lomond
We didn’t do a traditional first dance, but we did a play on a Scottish tradition. Normally this song is played at the end of a wedding in Scotland, but Scottish weddings run LATE, so we brought it in earlier, so that no one would miss it. Basically, all the guests come together in a big circle and the bride and groom hold hands in the middle facing each other and everyone sings along and rushes in and out towards and away from us holding hands and stomping their feet. It’s honestly one of my all-time favorite moments at any Scottish wedding. It brings me to tears every time! It’s a sad song about two lovers who have to be separated, but will meet again on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland. It’s particularly special to us as my husband is from Glasgow and Loch Lomond is just outside the city, so is a much beloved local landmark.