We caught up with beautiful Ronald Joyce Bride Karen to hear all about her December 2020 wedding at The Orocco Pier, South Queensferry, Edinburgh.
“I met Graeme back in August 2013, and he proposed in lockdown on our 7th anniversary 3rd August 2020.
I had an idea of what I didn’t want in terms of my wedding dress but was open to suggestions of what to try on. Since we decided we didn’t want to wait too long, I booked an appointment at a local bridal store who I’d heard a lot of great reviews about. I only tried on maybe 6 dresses and knew the one I picked was the one!
The dress I chose was Ronald Joyce’s Cathleen gown, style 69423. I purchased it from Olivia Cameron Bridal in Falkirk. The gown is a classic A-line shape made of lace with a sparkle tulle underneath. It has a classic V-neckline with sheer back and beaded straps. When I went shopping for my dream dress we had already chosen the venue and the gown suited it perfectly. Fiona, the owner of the store, knew the venue well and was able to give support in what type of gown would suit the venue best. I wanted an Art Deco feel to the wedding day so this dress was perfect for that too. I tried another gown which I did like as I remember saying it felt like something I’d wear on a night out, but Fiona advised me that your wedding dress should be something completely different, something spectacular that you will only wear once in your life! The gown suited my shape and Fiona supported me in my decision. Being a lower key wedding, I also didn’t want a gown that was too overpowering for the venue or the day.
I accessorised the gown with a feather stole for pictures after the ceremony. It was a sunny but cold December day and there was snow on the ground, so this finished the look perfectly. I had so many compliments about how amazing it looked. I had low key jewellery with Art Deco style pearl earrings and a 1930s inspired vintage crystal hair vine headpiece for my bridal updo.
As for the planning, we did plan to have 20 guests following the Covid guidance at that time. We were to have a ceremony in the venue and then a meal for 20. However, the guidance changed on Saturday 19th December and we were then unable to have anything but the ceremony. Despite all the restrictions, we still had a really special day. For us it was about the marriage and making those commitments to one another with our family. Even though we couldn’t have a traditional wedding, it was still special in its own way.
The best bit of the wedding was having family and friends present. The funniest bit was being asked to take the groom’s left hand and taking his right – especially being a teacher, this was quite a funny moment! It snowed for 10 minutes after the ceremony which was nice for the photos. Due to the fact we did not have the meal because of the Covid changes, our photographer asked us if we had any special places we would like pictures taken. The Kelpies is close to our home and a place we often visit so we drove there and had the most amazing pictures!”
Photography by Emma Gray.