“to love and to cherish” – Crear Weddings 2011 (part three)
Our Weddings and Wee Weddings in 2011 were events “to love and to cherish“. They will stay in my memory, I know. Why should that be? It isn’t the sometimes variable weather; it isn’t even Crear itself, which is a fantastic place to photograph and with a wonderful atmosphere. It always comes down to the people – the special couples who choose to be married in this unique corner of Scotland, many of whom choose to come back and visit us again and again. This collection of images is from the latter part of the year.
A lovely late summer wedding for Nicola and Stewart
A theatrical display for Crear Flowers at Hanna and Billy's fantastic wedding.
Leanne and Steven's small wedding was a great success
No excuses needed for revisiting Emily and Robert's wonderful wedding.
Kate and Eddy's wedding was a stunning event from start to finish.
Julie and Phil's 'Wee Wedding' was an exceptional and exciting occasion.
Some images from some of our special autumn and winter 'Wee Weddings' - clockwise from top left are: Clive and Lisa; Robin and Sarah; Christopher and Jayne; Pauleen and Paul; Scott and Sarah; Mike and Tara; Kevin and Charlotte.
Crear's own Jean and Jim brought a bright splash into November.
Andrea and Pete complete our 2011 review with an energetic child-friendly exuberant winter wedding.
Photography through the year has been by Katrina Lithgow, Kathryn McGeachy and George John Stewart of CREAR PHOTOGRAPHY. Flowers were by Gill Stewart of CREAR FLOWERS. Catering was by Alan Boslem and his expert team at CREAR KITCHEN.
This completes our round up of 2011 weddings at Crear – although it is far from complete with so many we have been unable to feature. 2012 already looks set to be a great and exciting year at Crear; no matter how you look at it you have to ‘Love Crear’.
We have plenty of gorgeous weddings to show you yet; more tempting and mouth-watering delicacies from Alan at Crear Kitchen, and a cornucopia of floral abundance from Gill at Crear Flowers. Watch this space: all Crear is here!
“from this day forward” – Crear Weddings 2011 (part two)
Sometimes people will say “What is Crear?” I could say that Crear is a ‘state-of-mind’, or that it is a fabulous wedding venue, or that it is a fantastic creative space. Well, it is any and all of these things.
In Spanish it means to create, which is remarkably appropriate, even if it is not where Crear takes its name. Crear is a place next to the Crear burn, near Kilberry in Knapdale, Argyll and is probably the gaelic criathar, meaning a riddle or sieve. So it is a place for taking the essential out of the mixture, just as one would when panning for gold.
With Crear weddings, the gold is the joining of a couple in a beautiful lasting relationship, set into the amazing surroundings looking across the water to the Inner Hebrides. It is no wonder that Crear is so popular with wedding couples and artists alike. Have a look at some of our summer 2011 weddings…
Fiona and Philip married amidst a flurry of creative expression
Victoria and Simon thrilled at their wonderful Wee Wedding
Stine and Inge from Norway were exuberant and very very stylish for their sun-blessed Wee Wedding
Sara and David made a beautiful couple in a lavish Crear wedding
Jennie and James made Crear their own for a lovely happy wedding day.
Natalie and Nigel were married at local Achahoish church for their Wee Wedding.
Another Natalie, but with Robert in a stunning Crear beach wedding.
Siobhan and Paul were treated to a concert by Alessandro Taverna at Crear after their Wee Wedding
Olwen and Michael complete this selection of our summer weddings, with their lively and lovely day.
Photography was by George John Stewart of Crear Photography. Flowers are by Gill Stewart of Crear Flowers, and catering by Alan Boslem of Crear Kitchen.
If you would like your Crear wedding featured on our Love Crear blog, please contact george@crear.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you.
“to have and to hold” – Crear Weddings 2011 (part one)
2011 – despite the difficult economic climate – has been a vintage year [in more senses than one]. Our couples have been as inventive as ever in creating their ‘look’, and thus given us at Crear a real thrill of excitement as the months have passed. We hope that with the photographs we are about to show you over the next few weeks, you will be as excited as we are; hopefully encouraging you with plans for your own Crear wedding in 2012 or beyond, or maybe even helping you to look at Crear as a venue for your unique and memorable ceremony. Here are the first of many images; some you will have seen before, some we hope to show you more of in the New Year, but we are sure you will agree with us that they were all memorable and wonderful Crear weddings.
Harriet and Sam were amongst the first of our 'Wee Weddings" in 2011
Not a wedding, we know, but Steven Osborne's first ever concert visit to Crear was something to celebrate. The fact that he returned twice revealed his passion for Crear's unique 'space to create'.
Kate and Steve developed a strong visual style for their Crear wedding
...every detail was considered from floor to ceiling.
Tim and Lucy confirmed their commitment to 'The Big Adventure' early in 2011
Ina and Brian and two of their witnesses - which one caught the bouquet?
The sun shone and there were flowers in abundance for Charlotte and Steven's exuberant wedding.
...as you can clearly see!
Another 'Wee Wedding'...and more canine witnesses for Lucy and Paul.
Lorna and Matthew chose seasonal colours for their wedding
"To have and to hold...from this day forward"
More to follow…
Small Weddings in the Crear Studio
Weddings in the studio at Crear have an enormous range. The creativity our couples inject into their weddings is simply stunning and never ceases to amaze. And this applies from the largest to the smallest event.
Our studio can accommodate up to around 100 in a wedding party, but we have had beautiful Wee Weddings here also (with just the happy couple, their witnesses and the celebrant). The focus here is on our Small Weddings.
The images you see have been chosen from mostly Small Weddings (with a couple of Wee Weddings), to show that our Studio is very adaptable no matter the size of the event.
What constitutes a ‘Small Wedding’? For Crear – as always – it depends on what you want to create with your event, but generally, anything between 15 to 40 guests could be described as ‘Small’.
All of our weddings are special in their own way, but often the smaller weddings have a personality where an intimate and happy atmosphere will thrive more easily. We hope these images will give you an idea of what we mean. Most featured are around the 18-20 guests mark, but one wedding had less than a dozen!
Not all of the weddings we have featured over the months have been Wee Weddings or Large Weddings. Many have been Small Weddings, into which every bit as much love and attention has been poured. Someone said, “small is beautiful” – they were not wrong.
All photographs by George John Stewart for Crear Photography.
A Most Elegant Crear Wedding for Susan and Roman
One of the more unusual of the many beautiful weddings we have had at Crear in 2011, was the marriage of Susan and Roman. Susan is local to Argyll and Roman is from the Ukraine, so the mix of Scots and Ukrainian influences in the wedding design was unique and refreshing, making for a wedding to remember.
With a bi-lingual menu and Order of Service for the ceremony, as well as some lovely Ukrainian wedding traditions, Crear put on its best face to show the unique beauty of Argyll.
Susan’s wedding dress was simply styled and elegant. The myriad buttons at the back set off the look to great effect. With Roman every bit the dashing groom they made a perfect couple.
The guests – many of whom had travelled great distances to find Crear’s corner of Argyll – enjoyed the sun. Traditions were observed; speeches made; blessings exchanged and much merriment and fulfillment ensued.
The cake was a tremendous creation, which along with a traditional and intricately decorated Ukrainian bread provided an especially moving point in proceedings.
And if the weather is in any way fine, then a trip to Crear’s beach is essential. Susan and Roman took this opportunity for photographs with close family and friends, but also to relax in the warm West Coast air as the afternoon slipped quietly towards evening – with the wedding meal and more festivities to come.
All the photographs in this blog were by Kathryn McGeachy of Crear Photography.
A Very Special Wedding Indeed
The 5th of November 2011 was an extra special day for everyone at Crear. Our housekeeper Jean married her beau Jim, after a whirlwind romance which saw them getting engaged only a few months after meeting for the first time!
Everybody loves a fairytale and Jean and Jim’s story is just that, with a thoroughly modern twist.
They had both been young (ahem), free and single for a good few years and lived almost 150 miles apart. Jean’s daughter Clare had encouraged her to join an internet dating site and by coincidence, Jim’s friends had exactly the same advice for him at around exactly the same time…
The dating site paired them up and very soon they were sending emails back and forth. It was only a matter of time before they were both keen to meet up in person.
After enjoying their first date together, Jim dutifully escorted Jean to her home which she shared with Clare. Jean was no sooner inside the door when she received a text message from Jim (still on his way down the stairs!) which simply said “You are the one”.
One, two, three…Awww!
Everybody at Crear knows Jim, a local to the area, our barman on the odd occasion and quite obviously a closet romantic…so we were all surprised and delighted to hear that his new partner of only a few months was to become his wife. Jean soon moved over to join Jim and by a stroke of luck, Crear were recruiting a new housekeeper at that very time. Jim already loved Crear and after visiting for an interview, Jean also caught the bug. Shortly afterwards, the official venue for the Kirkland-Paton nuptials was decided!
Our VOWS award-winning wedding event manager, Wendy McArthur oversaw the wedding plans and was most disappointed when Jean failed to meet her promise of becoming bridezilla! In fact, the exact opposite happened and both Jean and Jim made all the staff feel very welcome to join them in their weekend of celebration. From everybody at Crear, a huge thank you for that.
The wedding day itself was many things. Happy, sad, exciting, terrifying (see picture of Jean and her son Brian waltzing down the aisle!), moving, hilarious, tearful, joyous and ultimately full of true love. The love of two people who are very clearly made for each other.
Jean looked stunning in a chiffon-over-satin gown encrusted with crystals and matching chiffon stole (something borrowed). She hilariously described her hair as looking like “mount Everest” before realising that she was just out of her comfort-zone and it was in fact absolutely beautiful. An apology to the hairdresser followed swiftly!
Jim wore traditional Scottish dress and looked rather dashing in his kilt, if we do say so ourselves. Was he a true Scotsman? Well, we’re not sure if we want to know that! He was advised not to turn and look at his bride-to-be approaching and everybody but Jean, it seems, saw him exclaim “WOW” as she took her position at his side.
The studio was adorned with White and Blue bunting and many, many twinkling fairy lights. Jean’s mothers china cups (something old) were filled with fresh flowers and placed on the tables. Our florist, Gill Stewart, even had some of the Roses dyed Cobalt Blue to coordinate with the colour scheme.
The meal that followed, prepared by our Crear Kitchen chef Alan Boslem, was utterly to die for. Food that would warm the cockles of your heart followed by a selection of cakes and desserts that would expand your waistline on sight! It was their wedding day though, so hey, they deserve it!
The ceilidh dancing and DJ went on long into the night. It was the 5th of November and Jim has a penchant for setting off really, really big fireworks…so a big fireworks display in the evening it was! At the end of the night, all the guests left feeling well fed, watered and very, very blessed that they were able to share in such a special day.
Congratulations to you both from us all. May you share many happy years together.
And finally, we would like to thank Jean for allowing us to post THAT picture of her son Brian walking her down the aisle where they both look, quite frankly, terrified! Jean would like us to point out that it was simply nerves and of course, Jean and her new hubby are blissfully happy!
A very happy ending (or beginning…) to a truly heart warming story. x
Steven Osborne returns to Crear – 2.30pm Sunday 11 December 2011
E-mail: concerts@crear.co.uk
Steven has formed a close relationship with CREΛR – and this is his third visit this year! He is keen supporter of our ‘Piano in Peril’ appeal.
We look forward to seeing you there, at this last concert in our 2011 season at CREΛR. If you cannot make it to this concert then there will be much to tempt you in 2012. Details to be announced.
Picture Perfect Crear
All of our blogs feature photography, and most is our own Crear Photography. Our location and the wonderful West Coast scenery of Argyll is a major attraction for all who come to Crear. Our wedding couples, the artists and musicians who bring their talents to this unique place all testify to the unsurpassed beauty to be found here. There is a special calm and peace that resonates only in certain precious corners of the globe and this is one of those precious corners. It is a paradise for the photographer, for the artist, for the lover – for all who love life! We at Crear are especially blessed at the amazing ever-changing light on the land and sea, and our wedding photography is always spiced with that soft, seductive, romantic light.
Here are some images of the last year or so at Crear. Take your time and let the music of Argyll wash over you…
And coming up over the next few weeks…
Crear Flowers goes from strength to strength – ‘Love Crear’ of the Year 2011 – Crear Kitchen full flavour – More weddings and Wee weddings – and so much more. A lot to look forward to, and we look forward to meeting you again.
Crear Kitchen Catch-Up
We thought we should give you a quick photo-update on Alan and his Crear Kitchen team. We have extolled Alan’s virtues and his award-winning culinary expertise in the past, but make no excuses for putting all his beautiful cooking before your eyes once more.
Of course, Alan is able to provide his expertise at locations other than Crear, and will create the very best in Scottish cuisine for your special event. Anywhere. Anytime. As you like it.
So if you would like to know more about Crear Kitchen just contact us at 9 Newton Place, Glasgow G3 7PR or phone 01880 770369.
www.crearkitchen.co.uk
“Everything we hoped and dreamed and much, much more.”
This is the story of Emily and Robert’s Crear wedding, as told by Emily…
We met whilst studying at Glasgow University – in the library! It took a while for Library Girl and Library Boy to speak but we have been together ever since.
I grew up on the West Coast and spent much of my childhood sailing and exploring there, so it was just perfect when Robert chose a beautiful, remote beach near Arisaig to propose. As we sat on the beach enjoying a glass of wine and the evening sun Robert spun onto on one knee and popped the question… I had no idea he had been planning it.
I began searching for wedding venues and it didn’t take long! We knew we wanted a small wedding with our closest friends and family and we also knew it had to be on the West Coast. We found Crear early on in our search and didn’t visit a single other venue, we both just knew that Crear was for us. My parents keep their boat in Tarbert, so it was an area we knew well and therefore already had special memories for us. Adding our wedding to these memories was simply perfect!
Once back in Edinburgh we decided on a humanist ceremony early on and once we had met Annie Loughlin we knew we had made the right choice. Annie is truly special and did everything she possibly could to ensure we had the wedding ceremony we wanted and that everything was truly special to us. The humanist ceremony allowed us to create the wedding that represented us as individuals and also as a couple.
Our theme for the wedding was inspired by a card that Robert gave me. The card had simple tartan hearts and inspired our wedding invitations, from there everything just grew. We wanted to keep the decorations simple, stylish and Scottish. In the main hall we combined white paper chains with white paper heart bunting and the tartan heart theme continued with our favours, orders of service and small cut out fabric hearts for table confetti. We both had a great time making and creating the little touches of our wedding.
Again we wanted the flowers to be simple and give a little nod to Scotland so a combination of White Roses and Thistles seemed perfect. Gill made our beautiful bouquets and button holes but we took on the task of table flowers ourselves and were very pleased with the results – the white jugs with beautiful white roses and thistles looked stunning.
We would love to go back and remove the seaweed that hurricane Katya left on the beautiful beach where we had photos taken, but alas it all adds to the story. And as always, we wish the day lasted longer, it seems to just fly by! One of the things that added greatly to our wedding was having our closest friends and family together and seeing their enjoyment of the weekend and of a part of the world that is very special to us.
We used a large local shooting lodge for our school and university friends to share for the weekend and they had a truly magical time on the Friday night and post wedding on Saturday with log fires and sing songs round the piano. All of our friends commented that they now understand why we spend so much of our time travelling west! Our cake was lovingly made by our friends Rob and Deborah, having never made a wedding cake before I was speechless at the result. Not only did it look stunning but it also tasted amazing!
Our wedding has been everything we hoped and dreamed and much much more. Thank you to everyone who made our day more than perfect – the food, the dancing, the weather and the company were exceptional! Crear, you are without a doubt a magical place and will have a special place in our hearts forever!
The words were supplied by Emily and images chosen by Emily and Robert from photographs taken by Kathryn McGeachy and George John Stewart of Crear Photography. The flowers for the bride and bridesmaids bouquets, the buttonholes for the gentlemen and the ceremonial table flower display were created by Gill at Crear Flowers.
