Oliwia and James live in Fintry, Stirlingshire, and married there on 30th August 2025, atThe Tin Shed at Knockraich Farm. It’s the part of Scotland where they first met, and where they recently bought their first home together.
Their ceremony brought together Scottish and Polish traditions in the most personal way; Oliwia’s dad baked the bread for the traditional Polish vodka and salt ceremony and her brother Cyprian tied the handfasting knot in Ferguson and Stirling tartans. Bagpipes played Oliwia down the aisle and Auntie Linda, James’s mum’s best friend, officiated the ceremony. As a beautiful ‘something old’ touch, on her right hand, Oliwia wore her late grandmother’s gold ring with a red stone, a piece her gran had worn every day of her life.
Oliwia wore the Berkeley gown by Freda Bennet, which she discovered at Emma Roy of Edinburgh. The colours of this joyous day were pinks, reds and oranges, and they ran through everything: flowers, streamers and a heart-shaped chocolate raspberry cake from Rude Cookies. Enjoy!
I hope you adore these beautiful, celebratory images by the wonderful Solen Collet as much as we do. Solen is a wonderfully talented photographer and we are thrilled to be able to recommend her to you.
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We were inspired by a mix of retro and rustic styles. We love mid-century style and wanted our wedding to reflect that. We’ve always liked the combination of pink and orange – it’s fun and full of energy, but still worked really well with the relaxed feel of The Tin Shed. We just wanted the day to feel laid-back, authentic, and a little bit unusual – nothing too formal, just very us.
The Venue & Location
Our venue was The Tin Shed at Knockraich Farm in Fintry. We chose The Tin Shed for its rustic charm and its beautiful setting in Stirlingshire – the place where we first met and recently bought our first home together.
The venue, which is family-run, has so much character on its own, yet still offers enough flexibility for us to add our own personal touches and decorations.
The team has been incredibly warm and accommodating, and we love that they’ve been so open to blending our Polish and Scottish traditions to make the day truly ours.
The Ceremony
My mum accompanied me down the aisle, which was a really special moment for both of us.
In this tradition, the parents present the newlyweds with three symbolic items – bread, salt, and vodka. The bread represents the hope that we will never go hungry and will always have a home filled with comfort and abundance.
The salt is a reminder that life isn’t always easy, and that facing challenges together will make our relationship stronger.
The vodka symbolises joy and celebration – the wish that our life together will be full of laughter and shared happiness. Even more special was the fact that my dad baked the bread himself for the ceremony.
It was such a heartfelt moment and a beautiful way to blend both our cultures and families.
We had live bagpipes for the ceremony, which felt special and fitting for the setting. My maid of honour, junior bridesmaid, and flower girl walked in to Loch Lomond, and when it was my turn, the bagpiper began playing The Rowan Tree. It was such a moving moment and made the walk down the aisle feel unforgettable.
Our ceremony was officiated by Linda Robertson, or as we call her, Auntie Linda. She’s James’s mum’s best friend and has been like family to him all his life. Having her as our registrar made the ceremony feel incredibly personal and meaningful.
We also included a hand-fasting as part of our ceremony, with the knot tied by my little brother, Cyprian, using Ferguson and Stirling tartans – a lovely way to symbolise the joining of our families. We also shared a drink from a quaich, a traditional Scottish cup that represents love, friendship, and trust.
This was followed by a Polish Vodka and Salt Ceremony, led by our parents, which was a special way to honour my heritage. The mix of Scottish and Polish traditions made the ceremony feel so personal and unique to us.
We didn’t have any formal readings, but the ceremony itself was very personal to us. Auntie Linda made it so special with her words and stories about us – it felt genuine, heartfelt, and perfectly captured who we are as a couple.
Our rings were made by Ian Gallagher, a local jeweller. We loved the idea of supporting our local jeweller, and the whole process felt personal and relaxed. My ring was made to measure and fully unique, which made it feel even more special. The rings turned out beautifully.
We chose Solen Collet after coming across her Instagram page and instantly falling in love with her effortless, cool, and slightly retro style. We’re not fans of overly posey photos, and her natural, documentary approach felt like the perfect fit for us. On the day, she was so relaxed and friendly, which made us and our guests feel completely at ease. We’d 100% recommend her to anyone looking for something a bit different and authentic.
We first met on Hinge during the Covid pandemic and had our first date at the Allan Park Hotel in Stirling, just as the restrictions were easing off. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Our relationship grew as we built a life together in Edinburgh’s Leith area, shared countless adventures, and adopted our little dog, Bonnie, from Poland in 2021 – instantly turning us into a family of three.
How They Met
In 2024, during a trip to Sicily, James proposed on a hotel balcony overlooking the sea and Mount Etna, just after a wine tasting. He had been hiding the ring in his backpack for a week! I was completely surprised.
We have been engaged for about a year before we got married – and we couldn’t be more excited to start this next chapter together.
James’s wore tartan trews (in Ferguson ancient tartan) a midnight navy velvet jacket and black bowtie – all from Kinloch Anderson in Edinburgh. He also wore his late dad’s watch, which was special for him. His dad had a real love for watches, so it was a meaningful and personal way to have a part of him there with us.
The Reception
Streamers were provided and installed by Peace in the Neighbourhood and our banner was made by Tara Collete. Everything else, apart from stationary was DIY – items sourced on Amazon or other online providers.
We gave our adult guests mini bottles of alcohol, which went down really well. For the little ones, we had wedding-themed colouring books to keep them entertained!
We chose Regis Banqueting as our caterer and opted for a relaxed barbecue buffet with a variety of meats, fish, and sides. For dessert, we had a buffet table with lots of mini desserts – it was a real hit!
In the evening, we served tacos along with a homemade Polish countryside table prepared by my family. It featured traditional smoked meats like sausage and pork loin, sourdough bread, pickles, and smalec – a spreadable lard with meat pieces that’s a true Polish delicacy. My family even built a little “strzecha” (a rustic hut-style display) especially for the occasion, which made it feel extra special. The Scots loved it!
Our cake was made by Rude Cookies, whose retro style we absolutely love. We went for a pink, two-tiered, heart-shaped cake with red and cream ruffles – it fit perfectly with our theme. It was chocolate with a raspberry filling and tasted just as good as it looked – absolutely delicious!
It was also special that the ladies who run The Rude Cookies have Polish roots – and if I may say so, Polish people are fantastic bakers!
We took a first dance to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You‘, by Frankie Valli. It’s a song we both really love and felt like the ideal choice for our first dance. It’s upbeat and fun, so it didn’t feel too serious, and it was the perfect one for our guests to join in with.
We had Miss Mobile Disco, and Tami was fantastic! They played a great mix of songs, including plenty of Polish tunes, which made the night feel really special. It was the perfect blend of both our cultures and kept everyone on the dance floor all night.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Plan, plan, plan well in advance! I kept several spreadsheets to track our spending and make sure we lined up our suppliers early – they book up so quickly. Being organised really helped everything run smoothly.
But most importantly, remember to soak it all in and enjoy every moment. The day goes by in a flash, so take a step back and appreciate it as it happens.
We did go over our original budget, but we don’t regret it. We’re really proud of what we managed to create and how we planned and saved to make the day exactly what we wanted, without putting ourselves into massive debt. It was worth every penny for a day that felt so true to us.
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