You don’t need us to tell you that micro weddings are a necessity right now because of the ol’ C-word. But what you might need us to reassure you of is how beautiful, romantic and completely special they are.
We are so privileged at AMM to have attended some stunning micro weddings over the past few months, and we’ve been blown away by how utterly gorgeous they all were, from the brides themselves right through to the style and ambience of their days.
But don’t just take our word for it!
Keep reading to be inspired by two breathtaking AMM brides who held a micro wedding during the coronavirus pandemic and enjoyed every moment of their intimate celebrations. Plus, we’ll be telling you exactly what we’re doing at AMM to ensure your safety while we get your glam on.
A Lochside Micro Wedding
Vanessa and Ruaidhri had initially planned a big wedding with around 150 guests at Dundas Castle to take place this September – but then Covid struck.
“It remained very important to us to get married when we originally intended and so we began working on planning an elopement ceremony,” says Vanessa. The couple rebooked Dundas for a big celebration next year, but decided to go ahead with an elopement on 2nd September so that they’d at least have the joy of becoming husband and wife in 2020.
It wasn’t easy – Vanessa was a Canadian citizen at the time, living and working in the US, and she had to obtain a visa to marry Ruaidhri in Scotland. This meant travelling to Canada, quarantining, waiting for her documents to be processed then travelling to the UK where once again she had to quarantine. Phew!
“I landed in the UK on 14th August after not seeing my fiancé in person since January,” recalls Vanessa. “I quarantined through 29th August, drove with my fiancé to Edinburgh on 30th August, and finally managed to get married to him on 2nd September!”
The couple stayed at Prestonfield House the night before the wedding, then enjoyed a luxurious breakfast together the following morning before getting ready separately. Naydene from Sophia Grace Couture came to steam Vanessa’s dress, Pyrus Botanicals delivered the bride’s bouquet and AMM arrived for hair and make-up duties.
“I had spent a lot of time looking over AMM’s Instagram page at styling they had previously done for other brides. I don’t typically wear much make-up, if any at all, and so I really wanted a natural look. Hair-wise, I wanted a natural, loose, low up-do.
“The AMM team was incredibly friendly and professional. They reached out to me before the wedding to ask about my style preferences, and offered that I share my Pinterest board with them. I showed them the styles I had in mind, and they completely delivered. I felt so pampered, and truly did feel beautiful (you can ask my husband – hopefully he will agree!).”
A beautiful bride needs to travel in style, so Ruaidhri’s parents surprised Vanessa by arranging a luxe wedding car to transport her to the ceremony at Dunsapie Loch, Holyrood Park.
Just nine guests were in attendance at the micro wedding, and the couple live-streamed the ceremony on Zoom so that Vanessa’s close family and friends could watch from home.
Afterwards it was back to Prestonfield House for post-ceremony drinks, canapés and cake (made by talented friend Hannah) in the venue’s iconic Leather Room. Then, the newlyweds headed to St Anthony’s Chapel to privately exchange vows and have a sunset shoot with their photographer and videographer.
“Though it was a challenge to put the day together with all the restrictions and the rules constantly changing, and in particular for me not being able to have my family in attendance, the intimacy of the day ended up being perfect,” says Vanessa.
“We were able to really appreciate the day, and take time to ourselves to be present in the moment together, exchange our vows meaningfully, and just really celebrate our new marriage. The outdoor setting and bespoke elements of the elopement really made it feel one of a kind. After all of our anticipation, it was the perfect day.”
Vanessa + Ruaidhri’s Dream Team
Hair and make-up: AMM
Photographer: Shot by Claire Fleck for Colin Ross
Videographer: Lawson Films
Wedding planner: Timeless White
Celebrant: Gary J Smith Humanist Celebrant
Flowers: Pyrus Botanicals
An Intimate Pub Wedding
A micro wedding had always been on the cards for Oxford couple Rebecca and Rubehn. Originally they’d planned to exchange vows in late March at Claigan Beach on Skye followed by a reception at foodie favourite The Three Chimneyswith just 18 guests, but then lockdown came into force.
At first, they postponed their wedding until October, but the ever-changing regulations – which differed between Scotland and England – made it a logistical nightmare. In the end, they took the difficult decision to cancel the wedding in Scotland and marry somewhere closer to home.
“It was such a hard decision, but it was made easier by the fact that we decided to keep all of our amazing Scottish wedding suppliers,” says Rebecca. “They were so flexible and made the whole situation much better than it could have been.”
Six months after their intended wedding date, on 29th September, the couple made their union official at the local registry office. Afterwards, they got changed separately into their wedding finery and made their way to their wedding venue, Brill pub The Pointer, where they started their day afresh with 13 guests.
“My grandad held another ceremony for us, and read all the words,” recalls Rebecca. “Although it wasn’t the legal ceremony, that’s the part that felt the most like our wedding. It was very small and intimate, and absolutely beautiful.”
Speaking of beauty, Rebecca looked absolutely jaw-dropping in a chic and modern Kelly Faetanini dress with hair and make-up that perfectly complemented the look.
“I am absolutely horrendous at doing make-up on a day-to-day basis and because I don’t wear it myself, I didn’t want anything too heavy,” says the bride. “AMM did an amazing job – me and my bridesmaids all looked so natural and it lasted all night. I felt so comfortable, and the most beautiful I had ever felt in my whole life.”
Post-ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests took a walk to a nearby windmill to get some spectacular photos taken, then returned to the cosy warmth of the pub for speeches and dinner.
“Because we hired all the rooms at the pub, we were allowed to stay up in the lounge area, so we managed to have a few drinks and a little bit of a dance,” says Rebecca.
“One of the best things about our wedding was that you could see and talk to everyone and they all felt very much included.”
The couple had to make difficult decisions relating to their guest list because of the restricted numbers – poor Rebecca wasn’t able to have her sister there – but that aside, they had a perfect micro wedding and don’t feel like they had to compromise.
“I think people should stop postponing and just make the best of things and get married now,” advises Rebecca.
“It’s a shame when people say they’re going to wait two or three years. If you can be brave enough to reduce your guest list, you can have an amazing wedding. Make the most of it and just remember the whole industry is there to make it work for you!”
Rebecca + Rubehn’s Dream Team
Hair and make-up: AMM
Photographer: John Johnston Photography
Videographer: MacDonald Studio Wedding Films
Flowers: Fabulous Flowers
Dress: Ellie Sanderson
Feel inspired?
If you’d love to have a micro wedding like these two stylish couples, we’ve got you!
AMM have strict measures in place to ensure your safety when providing hair and make-up services during Covid-19. We have a certificate from Guild Training International which verifies that we have satisfied the requirements for the Covid-19 Infection Prevention and Control qualification.
Our team are all trained in PPE and will be wearing masks, and we’ll have a sanitising station for all clients.
We work on one client in a room at a time, and our kit is sanitised between each client. We also use track and trace.
We’re fortunate to have a team of artists, so if anyone does have any symptoms we would arrange cover for your team as the health and safety of our clients comes first.
Got any questions? Get in touch with us to find out more – we’d love to hear from you!
