Wedding Planner Scotland - Q&A with Cat of Fin Flükra
Photo by Walnut Wasp
Cat is the spectacular, spectacle wearing lady person who is the creative genius behind Fin Flükra. Planning Scottish elopements and micro weddings is her bag, jam and everything in between!
Hi there, I’m Cat, Wee Wild Wedding’s wedding planning wizard – try saying that five times fast! I am a unique mix of Monica Geller (73%) and Phoebe Buffay (27%). I’d say that’s the perfect combination for a wedding planner. I’m super organised with the ability to look at things from a different angle and throw in a random idea or two that you might just fall in love with! Check out my website here to find out more about me and to see what my past couples have been saying. But for now – onto the questions!
Photo by Euan Robertson
What planning is included with the package? Are there any planning add ons you can choose?
You get up to 16 hours of me and my wedding planning & admin support wizardry in your package.
What does that mean for you as a couple? Well, first and foremost I’ll help you nail down the perfect place to say I do. Your ideal spot to get married.
From there I’ll also be on hand to help you decide on the accommodation you want. Anything from a tiny, boutique hotel to a remote self-catering cottage or, if you’re having guests join you, then you might be after a bigger house with more of a party vibe. Whatever your thoughts are I’ll help narrow down those options so you can then make the perfect choice for you both.
I also liaise with the rest of the WWW team. That could be anything from gathering info on your picnic choices to helping sort your flowers or arrange hair and makeup. It could be additional add ons to your day like a musician (as you can imagine bagpipers are pretty popular!) or giving you some options for an afternoon activity. Basically anything and everything you could possibly need! Having me on hand to help you source and sort out all of these things means that you can just show up, relax and enjoy your day.
In terms of my package add ons, I have an ‘on the day coordination’ option. This can prove beneficial for a couple who are having more than a handful of guests.
I’ll be there, in the background, keeping an eye on things, making sure people are where they’re meant to be at the right time. That means you can just go with the flow, knowing that I’m there to oversee all the little bits and pieces.
Photo by Harper Scott Photo
Now that you’ve worked on a few elopement / micro weddings, what are the benefits of a Wee Wild Wedding compared to a larger wedding?
To put it simply, less stress, less time spent planning, and more freedom on the wedding day itself.
Bigger weddings naturally involve a lot of moving parts. More guests, more details, more things to think about. That means that they generally require a lot longer when it comes to planning. All of these things can add up to couples feeling overwhelmed and just a little bit stressed.
A smaller wedding with just the two of you, or the two of you plus a handful of nearest and dearest, is going to be a lot less stressful overall. There’ll be fewer things for you to organise and consider meaning that the whole thing is going to take less time to plan.
It’s all about freedom and flexibility for me. The team at WWW are so adaptable and we know Scotland well! So if, for example, the weather doesn’t play ball, we have experienced that a hundred times before. We all know that if we just wait a bit then it’s pretty likely the weather will change. We’ll just push the ceremony back by five or ten minutes and wait for the clouds to clear! We all love that we can be a little more relaxed with the wedding day timeline. We’re able to go with the flow without annoying a caterer or chef who is trying to get hundreds of meals out on time!
Finally, and most importantly, you get to put your relationship first. There isn’t a need to prioritise your guests and their entertainment. Now of course, you want to know that your loved ones are being looked after and having a good time but ultimately a small wedding allows you to do your day your way, without the outside pressure of having to think about dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of other people.
To sum it up, a micro wedding or elopement allows you the opportunity to take it all in and be truly present on your day. Sounds great, doesn’t it?!
Photo by Karol Makula
As a couple, what other things should we be thinking about in terms of a smaller wedding that we wouldn’t normally have to for larger weddings?
If you haven’t been to a smaller wedding or elopement before then your day will feel a little different. It won’t feel as formal as a large event and the wedding won’t have to run to an intricately planned out and detailed timeline.
Smaller affairs have a much more relaxed vibe on the day, from getting ready right the way through to the ceremony and beyond. The team has worked together for such a long time that it feels like a group of pals coming to hang out and work at your wedding! Which of course adds to the lovely, chilled-out feeling.
All of that allows you both to relax, be present and enjoy. You can embrace your surroundings and enjoy the decisions you’ve made for your day. And if anything changes? Well, we’ll roll with it! There is no need to worry about logistics in the same way as there is for a larger wedding. Things can, if needed, be changed right up to the day. Here at WWW, we all know each other inside out, we work together on a very regular basis so, as a team, we just roll with any changes. That might be the weather not playing ball or a guest stuck in traffic and running late. Whatever it is we’ll sort it!
Photo by Joy Story
What are some of your favourite details that you’ve seen at elopements / micro weddings so far?
I firmly believe that just because your wedding is small doesn’t mean that you can’t go large, and a little bit extra, on the details that will bring you joy!
That could be a boujee mini wedding cake – one of our couples recently had a brightly coloured unicorn cake! Or maybe you want a stunning floral archway as a backdrop to your ceremony? How about having a record player to play some vinyl on so you can enjoy your first dance outside. It’s your day so include anything and everything that makes you smile.
Of course, details don’t have to be things. You could have a post-ceremony hike, a wedding morning dip in the loch or do a shot together once you’ve tied the knot! Embrace your wedding day and take advantage of the freedom you have to include whatever you like.
Any tips for couples planning a micro wedding?
My biggest tip for couples is to just do it!
So many couples tell me they’re worried about backlash from people they don’t invite, or they’re concerned about offending someone. If your gut is telling you to have a micro wedding or elopement then put all those concerns to one side and follow your heart.
Of course, afterward, you could have a big old party to celebrate and invite loads of people! That way you get to enjoy your special day together followed by a shindig a few days later when the pressure is completely off. Lots of couples do that and are so happy they chose to do things their own way.
Secondly, if you are inviting a few guests then get them involved! That could be during the ceremony or afterward but it’s so, so lovely when parents, siblings, children, and/or close friends have their own little role to play in an elopement. I’m a big dog lover so if you tell me you’re bringing your pooch along then I will be jumping for joy. Just saying…
Ultimately, my top tip is “you do you”. Have a think about what is most important to you both. What do you enjoy? What makes you both happy? And then all you need to do is have a ceremony and wedding day that reflects that!
Photo by Joy Story
Have you noticed any micro wedding trends – colours, locations, set up options etc?
I’ve got to be honest, I’m not big on trends. Instead of following the crowd, I think couples should do anything that is absolutely them.
Having said that, there are things I do love seeing on a wedding day. Particularly at an elopement or smaller wedding.
One is couples getting ready together. Actually spending their morning together, chatting away, getting excited, and building up anticipation before they head out to say their vows. I love that!
Another thing is location. Choose somewhere that means something to you as a couple. It could be your home, a public park where you walk the dog together or somewhere you met for your first date. With an elopement or small wedding you don’t need to get married at a typical wedding venue. There is so much more variety and choice when it comes to where you’re going to say those vows to each other.
What opportunities does a micro wedding give that a normal wedding doesn’t?
Simply, an abundance of flexibility and freedom.
Say you both decided, today, that you wanted to elope or have a micro wedding. Just you, your other half, and maybe a handful of friends and family.
If you put your mind to it you could get it all planned and done in a little over a month! Isn’t that great?! You just can’t do that with a bigger, more traditional wedding when you’re waiting on RSVPs and have the caterer waiting on your final guest numbers!
You can also throw out all the traditional wedding norms. Don’t want to wear a typical wedding outfit? Then there’s no need to. Wear whatever you like and embrace your own style.
You also don’t have to plan a full-on 12 / 14 / 16 hour celebration. You could choose to just have a ceremony and then have the rest of the day to yourselves. Or say your vows, have a few photos, and head off for a lovely meal. You could even plan an afternoon nap! Or a hike, or some time out on your paddleboards. Anything you like!
For me, that’s the biggest opportunity. Freedom to be yourselves. There’s just nothing better than that.
Photo by Euan Robertson
Follow the links to see more of Cat’s work
Website – finflukra.com
Facebook – finflukra
Instagram – @finflukra
