A relaxed country estate summer wedding

The beautiful Shawhill Estate in East Ayrshire stole Rachel and Callum’s hearts many years ago and they were thrilled to be able to tie the knot there. Inspired by trees, nature and having a good time, their marquee wedding is packed with pretty flowers, greenery and a whole lot of fun. Looks like the camper van photo booth was kept busy all night long…

How did you two meet?

We met at Loch Lomond and just a few days later travelled to Loch Ness to attend Rockness. While we were there, we had a really beautiful dinner at the Dores Inn which sits right on the shore of Loch Ness. That’s where we became a couple and it’s where Callum asked me to marry him a few years later.

What inspired your wedding plans?

Trees, nature and having a good time!

We were incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to get married at Shawhill Estate. Callum grew up at Shawhill Cottage – which sits immediately behind Shawhill Estate. His parents still live there.

We had intended to get married in one of the surrounding fields (after the removal of lots of sheep poo!), but Stephen and Orla Park Brown (the landowners at Shawhill Estate) very kindly offered their beautiful garden instead. It was incredibly generous of them, and it meant so much to us to get married somewhere so close to our hearts.

Laura Ferguson Turner of LFT Events was our wedding planner and we could not have done it without her! Laura was there on the day, seamlessly coordinating more than 10 different suppliers, and making sure that none of the stress fell on us. She really was incredible.

Our stationery was designed by Callum’s lovely cousin, Emma. My dad make a cake of cheese and our good friend, Moffat, made the cake!

En Croute, our caterers, provided the relaxed yet delicious menu we were hoping for.

We thought The White Band were fab, and lots of our guests told us so, too. They were great at getting everyone up on their feet. A very talented bunch.

Your photos are beautiful!

We chose The Gibsons because of the light, romantic, ‘un-posed’ feel of their work. Chantal and Scott were an absolute DREAM to work with – so positive, helpful and a real delight to have there on the day. We could not be happier with our photographs!

Any advice?


If you’re getting married in a marquee – get a wedding planner (unless the venue already provides one). We honestly could not have done without Laura on the day!

Tell us something surprising about your day…

Surprisingly, one of our very ‘best-buys’ for the wedding was a golf cart that Callum insisted on hiring for the day. I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but it turned out to be tremendous on the day! The kids loved being driven around on it, and it was great for nipping up to the house to retrieve forgotten items.

Also surprising – we had glorious weather on the day! A true rarity!

Great advice here on marquee weddings – there can be so much extra work involved, so investing in a wedding planner could be really beneficial. Congratulations Rachel and Callum – we loved getting to share your day! x