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28 Oct 2024

Tartan traditions: Louise and Michael’s timeless Haddo House wedding

A bride and groom embrace in the gardens of Haddo House.
Louise and Michael got married at Haddo House | image: John Baikie
Louise and Michael’s Haddo House wedding shared their love for their family and Scottish heritage, with tartan details, meaningful traditions, and a stunning celebration full of joy and lasting memories.

How long were you together before you got engaged?

We were together just nine short months, but cliché as it sounds we both knew from early on that our love was something very special.

When did you get engaged and what was the setting for the proposal?

Michael proposed with my great grandmother’s ring in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea while on a cruise.

How long from engagement to the big day?

Precisely one year to the date!

Are you National Trust for Scotland members?

We are – what a great wedding gift to get membership for a year from the Trust!

What type of ceremony did you choose and why?

We have chosen to be married by a Church of Scotland minister called Ian Miller. I met Ian while performing in our local pantomime when I lived in Dumbarton.

Quote
“I used to perform ballet recitals in the Haddo hall as a child, and spent many great afternoons walking the grounds with my family. With plenty of cherished memories there, I felt Haddo House was a natural choice of venue for our wedding, and after a visit with Michael he quickly fell for the charm of the historic chapel and the magnificent gardens. Knowing that our wedding day would support the National Trust for Scotland and the great work they do was the cherry on top.”
Louise

How many people attended the wedding?

180 people.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted your wedding day to be like before you started planning? If so, did that change?

 We knew we wanted it to be focused around what’s most important to us: faith, family and friends … with plenty of fun too!

What did you decide on as the main inspiration behind the look/atmosphere of your wedding?

Family and tartan were our two big themes. We used family tartans for the save the date cards, to the bridesmaids dresses, table confetti and beyond. The stateliness of Haddo House added to the sense of occasion and grandeur of the day.

A close up of a wedding order of service booklet with two tartan hearts on the front. A small pile of order of service booklets sits to the left.
Family tartans were incorporated into the order of service booklets | image: John Baikie

How did you personalise your big day? What was important to you?

As previously mentioned, family and tartans were central themes to the wedding. We had family wedding photographs printed and placed in the entranceway with a sign that read: ’First they said I do, so that we can too’ that included our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. We also had tartan elements from both family clans in our dress and decorations

Were any wedding traditions important to you to include, and any you were keen to ditch? Did you inherit any wedding traditions from your families? 

The wedding was very traditional which was important to us. Nothing traditional was ditched.

Favourite wedding detail?

The bridesmaids all wore tartan dresses that represented their family clan tartans, and similarly the groomsmen wore kilts representing the tartan of their respective clans.

A father walking a bride down the aisle
Louise’s father walked her down the aisle | image: John Baikie

What music did you walk down the aisle to?

Pachelbel‘s Canon played on the historic Haddo Organ. We exited the church to the Wedding March — we were traditional through and through!

What music was your first dance to?

When You Say Nothing At All by Allison Krauss and Union Station.

What were the highlights of the day for you?

Walking down the aisle with my dad; the cheer erupting from our guests as we sealed our vows with a kiss; walking down the Haddo House steps with friends and family either side cheering us on and showering us with confetti; the witty and heartfelt speeches; our first dance and every dance thereafter; and our first drink as Mr & Mrs!

A bride and groom walk down the steps of Haddo House with their hands in the air and family and friends on either side.
One of the highlights of Louise and Michael’s big day was walking down the Haddo House steps with friends and family either side cheering them on and showering them with confetti | image: John Baikie

What advice would you give to brides/grooms-to-be that are about to start planning their day? Anything you wish you’d known before you started planning?

Use a wedding website — a one stop place for your guests to find all the information they need. We used withjoy.com.

What did your guests say they enjoyed most about the wedding?

The setting, food and atmosphere.

For more inspiration and info

Visit our weddings page

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