Real Wedding – Lois Mackenzie & Lewis MacMillan- 7th September 2021

Lois & Lewis from the Isle of Lewis got happily married at Kinkell Byre on 7th September with their gorgeous dog Jess. After postponing 3 times due to covid, they say the wait was worth it to spend some quality time with their friends and family. Read about their day below!

How we met

We met 9 years ago when we were just 16 and 15. We were good friends for a year before we both finally admitted we liked each other. We were two awkward teenagers in school, before spending 4 years long distance while we were at university. After graduating and both moving to the same city, we got engaged 6 years from the day we got together back home on the Isle of Lewis.

What attracted us to Kinkell

I think we came across Kinkell on Instagram before we were even engaged through an ad or something. We both said how beautiful it was and if we were ever to get married we’d have to go and see it. We visited as an engaged couple just a year later and didn’t need to look anywhere else.

We loved everything about it, the style, the location and the fact that it was dog friendly because having Jess there was a must.

What inspired our wedding planning

I think the only thing we focused on was that everyone had so much fun.

By the time our third date came around we’d been engaged for over 2 years and just wanted to have a great day with loads of dancing.

We always imagined our day would be full of friends and family and loads of laughter, so making sure the day was fun for everyone was always on our minds.

What did we both enjoy planning

The set up the day before was our favourite part. Our friends are stationed all over now and it’s been a few years since we were all together.

It was so great to spend the day before having fun setting up, catching up and eating Greggs together.

We also did a lot of DIY items in the lead up which was always really fun. We spent nights with friends in our flats decorating jars, painting signs and collecting trinkets. It made the lead up so much more special having all these little things to do.

About the day

The day was a blink of an eye! But every moment was so special. From seeing family we hadn’t seen in years, to having Jess potter about stealing all the attention.

The dinner was like a game of musical chairs and it was so fun to see everyone moving all over during each course.

Being on the dance floor again was so, so fun and was made even better when our caterer took out a pakora bar at 10. A dream!

What made it so special

Being able to have the day we imagined before Covid. Having a full wedding with all our friends and family was so important to us. We sometimes wondered if waiting was the right decision but when we saw everyone ceilidh dancing and shooting tequila at the bar, we knew it was right to wait.

Favourite part of the day

The best part of the day was just coming out of the ceremony room and then seeing all our friends and family for the first time as a married couple. There was so much love and hugs and it was the best feeling after postponing so often.

Our incredible driver from View from the Slow Lane also took us for a spin in the VW after all the photos were done so we could have some time alone. He snuck us some Prosecco and sandwiches and we were able to catch up on the fact that we’d actually just gotten married!

Advice to other couples

I think the age old advice goes without saying, soak up every minute because it really does pass in a blink of an eye.

Also having that wee spin alone was really great to catch up and have some time together before you go back to the day.

How is married life treating us

Married life has been treating us great. We had a short staycation honeymoon before picking up our new puppy and Jess’s new sister, Mara. Married life is filled with border collies and toilet training, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Suppliers:

Photographer: Jenny Appleton

 Wedding Car  – View from the Slow Lane

Catering: Regis Banqueting 

Decor: Fifty Six Events

Florist: Amy Annand Flowers

Cake: 3D Cakes

Band: Norman Mackay Ceilidh Experience

Dress: Anne Priscilla Bridal

Make up: Claire Park

Hair: Claire Adamson