Abby and Stuart's three-day wedding weekend at Harvest Moon, East Lothian

Abby and Stuart got married at Harvest Moon, a beach and forest venue on the East Lothian coast with beach huts and tree houses for guests to stay in, and they made a three-day weekend of it. A pre-wedding barbecue, a humanist ceremony deep in the pine forest, a ceilidh with limbs everywhere, then lawn games and a pizza truck the day after. Harvest Moon had been high up on my bucket list since I looked at it for my own wedding, so when Abby and Stuart got in touch about their festival, beach, forest, camping, DIY, tree house wedding weekend, I knew I HAD to be involved.

Day one: beach huts and a barbecue

Guests travelling from far and wide arrived to see Harvest Moon for the first time, checked in to their beach huts, and had a pre-wedding barbecue.

Day two: chairs carried into the pine forest, and baskets of cheese

A relaxed morning for both sides of the wedding. Family decorating cakes and prepping the venue, others carrying chairs deep into the pine forest for the ceremony.

Everyone had been asked to bring their own cheese, so as guests arrived there were baskets full to the brim with all the wedding cheese you can imagine.

A humanist ceremony in the forest at Harvest Moon

Kathryn the Humanist delivered the most personal, tearjerking (even for me) ceremony, telling the story of Abby and Stuart and how the world brought them together.

They actually met in prison. (On the right side of the bars, I have to add.)

After a colourful confetti throw in the forest we sent the guests away for a drink while Abby and Stuart went for a wee wander amongst the pines. Abby was six months pregnant, so we absolutely had to get some photos of her with her bump in the forest too.

Hand-made mugs, speeches and Hickory Food in the marquee

Harvest Moon’s marquee was filled with personal and DIY touches, including favours for every guest: hand-made, hand-fired mugs. I’m sipping coffee from mine as I write this.

Some world-beating speeches, including one of my favourite father of the bride speeches, then food from the team at Hickory Food.

Golden hour in the dunes, then a ceilidh with limbs everywhere

After dinner the sun began to set and we ran down to the beach for photos in the dunes. A chance for Abby and Stu to dip their toes in the sea and run along the sand together as a married couple. Then straight back for the band.

The ceilidh band roared into action, and to say it was lively is an understatement. I see a lot of ceilidhs, but this one had limbs everywhere, people on the floor and flying through the air. I LOVED it.

Day three: lawn games, volleyball and pizza

If all your guests are travelling from around the world to a small corner of East Lothian, you might as well make it a weekend. Honestly, more couples should. The wedding day goes in a blur; the day after is when you actually get to talk to people. Day three was lawn games, volleyball and a pizza truck churning out pizzas.

Somehow Abby and Stu got some of the best weather Scotland has had in years. Three dry days of baking sunshine is unheard of, and it suited this outdoor, DIY, beach and forest wedding down to the ground.

Three days, no schedule to speak of, and I’d go back tomorrow.