Real Wedding – Danielle & Adam Stokes – 10th September 2022

We had this wonderful couples wedding at Kinkell back in September 2022. Everything down to the flowers, decor and music was absolutely stunning! The couple really made the byre their own by incorporating little touches of how they met within their decor. They have kindly taken the time to tell us a little bit about what went into their planning and big day!

Firstly a little bit about you..

How did you two meet?

We met at our local badminton club in Aberdeenshire back in 2016. It was both our first time at the club. We then went on to have our first date – a bar crawl of Aberdeen on 10.09.16. Exactly six years before our wedding day!!

Where did you get engaged?

Adam schemed a “surprise” lockdown proposal at The Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews! He was down on one knee and I still had my mask on!! St Andrews really does hold a special place in our hearts.

Finding your venue and planning the wedding

What was it that first attracted you to Kinkell? Was there something that stood out when you knew it would be the perfect place for your special day?

So many elements!! Firstly, we really wanted a rustic barn style wedding in Scotland. The photos, the location, versatilely, the ability to put out own unique stamp on it and location of course! Kinkell ticked all the boxes and the vision in our heads! The friendliness and helpfulness of Sophie during our first and subsequent tours made us confident that we’d be well looked after on our day and the lead up. It was also a good halfway point for our immediate families who are based in Aberdeen and Glasgow.. and dog-friendly!

Tell us a little bit about planning your wedding. Where did you start?

AN ORGANISERS DREAM!! The planning started in my phone notes well before the engagement! (not to Adam’s knowledge!) We were gifted a wedding planner book and created a monster spreadsheet with a task list and dates. Once we were engaged we fairly quickly decided on a vibe, chose a rough date and a shortlist of venues pinned on Google Maps.. well 40.. then Adam whittled down to 5.

How did you decide on a colour theme or style?

Our vision was rustic Scottish with a hint of indie rock and autumnal colours. We didn’t want a fully traditional wedding, we wanted a bit of edge, our favourite music and cool personalised decor on the day… which Kinkell was perfect for embracing!

Where did you find your suppliers?

Kinkell Byre recommendations page, word of mouth, Grampian Weddings Facebook and old friends!

Is there anything you wish someone had told you about before about planning a barn wedding?

Pick out the things that mean the most to you – food/ entertainment / photography etc. and focus on those. It is a LOT of work but so so worth it. Don’t fuss over and overthink the little things as you’ll be on such a high on the day you won’t notice!

Was there anything that was really important to you both to have?

Cracking entertainment – especially the music! We had Alex Graham Piano playing at the ceremony and drinks reception – he fully embraced our indie rock song requests and was admired by many of our guests! We also had Bahookie Rock Ceilidh for the Evening party who fit the bill perfectly. And obviously all of our family and friends there which we are super grateful of with the post-covid timing.

The Big Day!

Tell us about your wedding day, what are your highlights and favourite memories?

Too many parts! Seeing the venue come to life from the scribbles and Pinterest boards! Our ceremony was amazing, hats off to our celebrant Gary Smith who told our story in such a fun and witty way. The family feast meal – where we selected one surprise guest at each table to be the dedicated chef! Dancing with all our friends and family together.

Have you any advice for other couples that are planning their wedding?

Plan early and have the wedding party all on board to help with ideas and set-up – it’s lots of fun! Remind yourself what the day is really about – to celebrate the two of you! It’s easy to get carried away in the planning. Also don’t threat if you get zero sleep the night before – adrenaline pulls you through and it’s just the best day!! The staff at Kinkell are absolute stars who will go above and beyond to make your day stress-free.

How is married life treating you?

The post-wedding high was magical. We are enjoying making our house more homely and looking forward to our next adventure with our delayed honeymoon next month! We are now 6 months on we have received all our photos and our highlight video – so emotional to watch – such special memories to look back on in the most perfect venue: https://youtu.be/UrcMeE8MppA

(this was written back in March!)

Supplier Shout Outs

Photographer: Rosie Davison Photography

Lighting: I-light Stephen Leslie

Florist: The Flower Ranger

Hair Style & Make-Up: Kirsty MacPherson

Dress: Avorio Bridal – Rebecca Ingram by Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaids Dresses: Ivory Grace – Rewritten

Catering: Scott’s Catering

Decor: Own/Scott’s Caterhire

Cake: The Cheesery

Band: BAHOOKIE