When a Scottish heart meets an Australian soul, magic happens. And for Fi and Nathan, that magic looked like tartan ribbons, ceilidh dancing, and a whole lot of laughter under the Margaret River sun. From the sound of bagpipes echoing through the gardens to handfasting and a shared sip from a traditional quaich, their day honoured Fi’s Scottish roots in the most beautiful ways, all of which was captured by Luke from Photogerson and Harry from No Ordinary Love. With family and friends flying in from the UK, and a celebration that blended Scottish tradition with Australian charm, this was one unforgettable “tying of the knot.”

When Fi’s roommate Linley organised end-of-financial-year work drinks with her coworkers and invited Fi along, she had no clue it would be the night she met the love of her life. Enter stage left: Nathan! “The night started at local bars and ended with everyone at Linley’s (and Fi’s) house, where Fi and I struck up conversation and started getting to know each other, through a memorable mix-up involving red wine and the wrong bedroom! It’s a story we still laugh about, and sets the tone for our relationship: real, a bit chaotic, but always honest and full of fun moments.”

Nathan carried around the custom sapphire ring that he and Fi designed together for over a year, waiting for the perfect moment to bring it out. After several failed attempts and many reminders from his mum, Nathan finally found the moment. “He proposed on a birthday trip to Rottnest Island, waiting until we were alone in our room after dinner. It was private, heartfelt, and just what I had wished for: no big public gesture.”

Fi is Scottish, and had always dreamed of a traditional Scottish wedding. Nathan jumped fully on board with this dream, donning a McGregor tartan kilt rented from House of Tartan, alongside his groomsmen and family. “As part of the traditional attire, Nathan also provided his groomsmen with authentic sgian-dubhs (knives) to wear on the day. It meant a lot to me that everyone wore kilts, creating a genuine Scottish atmosphere for the wedding in Margaret River. My dad even brought his own kilt all the way from the UK!”

Fi’s wedding party was made up of her friends from school/university who flew in from Scotland, and her two close friends she’s made since moving to Australia. The girls wore a collection of rust, burnt orange and blush dresses in a range of styles that came together perfectly.

For her own look, Fi picked out the stunning Martina Liana 1453 gown from Tuscany Bridal. It had everything she wanted: comfortable, elegant and a little bit sexy. The perfect combination for their Scottish ceilidh reception. “I loved the sleek, slimline silhouette and the beautiful satin fabric. I also had a little McGregor tartan rose in my hair,” she shared.

Flowers were created by the talented Nardine from Scentiment Flowers, full of stunning Australian natives that matched the bridesmaids. “Each bridesmaid had a slightly different bouquet, all tied with the McGregor tartan ribbon. I loved how the pops of colour brought everything to life!”

Their venue of choice for this Scottish wedding was the beautiful Riverglen Chalets, found in the depths of Margaret River. “We rented out the entire venue, which included 16 chalets, so everyone attending the wedding could stay on-site. This was especially convenient for guests who had travelled from the UK, and having everyone in one place made it easy to catch up with everyone at the Friday night BBQ and Sunday breakfast,” they explained.

“Our reception took place at Margaret River Distilling, located at the same site. It was fantastic to have both indoor and outdoor spaces. We kicked off the evening with a cocktail hour featuring their range of gins and whiskeys, which we served throughout the night alongside the usual beer and wine.”

To kick off the ceremony, Scott from Perth Bagpipes began to play as Fi and her dad walked down the aisle.

If there was only one thing Fi and Nathan wanted their ceremony to be, it was fun: mission accomplished with the help of Diane Moore. “We included two readings: one was a passage from “The Winners” by Fredrik Backman, read by Fi’s dad; the other was the song “Soulmate” by Flore Cash, read by one of Fi’s bridesmaids. This is also the same song that played when Fi and I signed our marriage certificate, performed by Dan White from South Sound Events,” Nathan explained.

“The ceremony featured several traditional Scottish elements, including a handfasting using the McGregor tartan ribbon. A handfasting in Scotland is an ancient Celtic ritual where the couple’s hands are bound together with a cord or ribbon to symbolise their union – it’s actually where the phrase “tying the knot” comes from. We also shared some sentimental whiskey from a quaich, a traditional Scottish two-handled cup, which symbolises trust, friendship, and unity. The couple drinks from the two-handled cup together, each holding a handle to show mutual trust.”

The top five things that made this Scottish wedding so special to Fi included:

“1. Having friends and family who had travelled from the UK to be there.

2. Having the Scottish wedding I had always dreamed of.

3. Having such an amazing group of friends and family in Australia who also came down to Margaret River for the wedding.

4. Having the best husband, who is also my best friend.

5. Having these amazing memories of the best day of our lives.”

Since their wedding, Fi has had many friends celebrate their own weddings, so she has a list of advice locked and loaded for occasions just like this:

“1. Get an on-the-day planner, if you don’t have an event planner, they are the glue that holds the whole day together! They think of everything, plus it takes so much of the stress on the day away as they are the go-to person.

2. If you choose not to get a videographer (which I couldn’t recommend having a wedding video more), make sure you get someone to film your ceremony and speeches – it’s such a whirlwind of a day it’s so nice to have the raw cuts of those to look back and watch

3. Photos – don’t assume you will get photos with everyone, assign someone in the bridal party to make sure you get photos with key groups of friends, we didn’t have a long list of photos for the photographer to get, which is exactly what we wanted, but you are so busy you forget to get those photos with some of your friends!”

Luke from Photogerson was the photographer for Fi and Nathan, and they couldn’t have picked anyone better to join their day. “Luke is an exceptional wedding photographer who brings a relaxed yet fun vibe to the day. His approach to photography is not just about taking pictures; it’s about creating a memorable experience for couples on one of the most important days of their lives.

From the moment you meet Luke, his warm and welcoming personality puts you at ease. We could not have felt more stress-free, which allowed us to fully enjoy our day without worrying about the camera. His laid-back demeanour helps to capture genuine moments, making it feel more like a celebration with friends rather than a formal photoshoot. Luke’s presence added to the fun of the day,” shared Fi.

“I could not be more obsessed with all our photos! Luke absolutely excelled at capturing both the big moments and the intimate details that made our wedding so special to us. His keen eye for candid shots ensures that every emotion is documented beautifully, from joyful laughter to heartfelt tears. Hiring Luke as our wedding photographer meant choosing someone who not only delivered breathtaking images but also enhanced our overall wedding experience. His relaxed yet engaging style, combined with his talent for capturing authentic moments, made him the absolutely perfect choice for our wedding day!”

When your wedding gallery looks this good, it’s hard to pick just one shot as your favourite. For Fi and Nathan, two shots stand out: “So hard to pick just one, but it is between the one of us doing the dip kiss as we walk down the aisle with the petal confetti, we had zero time to practice, so it was a last-minute decision the day before to do something as we walked down the aisle! I also love the one of us holding hands walking through the trees in our couple photoshoot, and there is a sunstar popping through the trees.”

Nathan and Fi were in their element in the DIY department, taking care of everything from the invites to the bunting and well-wishes. “Canva really was my best friend! Nathan made our cards and well-wishes box from old jarrah decking we had from renovating our house. Our bunting at the reception was photos of us with everyone who was at the wedding. I made most of the signs, including a glass welcome sign. We also had a little wall of photos of Nathan and me. We had bows on our chairs at the ceremony with white and McGregor tartan ribbon and little reserved signs. I also lined an old denim jacket with the McGregor tartan and added some pearls and “bride” to the back in case I got cold!

Thanks to their wedding coordinator, Erin Hansen, their wedding was truly unforgettable! “She thought of absolutely everything and made sure they ran so smoothly; she is worth her weight in gold!” Fi shared.

“It was filled with fun and celebration alongside everyone. We felt incredibly grateful to all the guests who had flown in from the UK, making it even more special. All we wanted was a big party, and that’s exactly what we got.”

Instead of a first dance, Fi and Nathan joined their guests in a Scottish ceilidh! “Dan from South Sound Events was awesome, he is so talented! He played acoustic guitar at our wedding ceremony, which was amazing, and he learnt a favourite song of ours, which was really touching to hear during the ceremony. Dan has such a warm personality, and you could tell he loves to be able to share in these experiences with others. Dan also DJ’d during the reception between our Scottish ceilidh dancing, and he is hands down one of the best DJs I’ve heard – flawless mixing and chose some awesome songs based on only a few suggestions we provided him.”

Congratulations to Fi and Nathan on creating such a vibrant, joy-filled celebration – and a big thank you to Luke from Photogerson for capturing it all so beautifully.