Luxurious Scottish-American nuptials at Cambo Country House that put family first

Stefani Martuscello & Ewan Simpson

29th June 2022

Venue | Cambo Country House and Estate, Fife
Photography | Dougi McMillan Photography

“Ewan and I met in 2015 when I was a single mom to a five-year-old boy, Logan. Shortly after we began dating, we were surprised to learn we were expecting! Although it happened quickly, the growth of our family catapulted our relationship and rather than rush to the courthouse to marry, we decided to focus on fostering our love and growing our family.

It wasn’t until after our second child was born and we became a family of five that Ewan surprised me with a proposal. We had enjoyed a beautiful autumn hike with our family to Hanging Lake in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, when Ewan got down on one knee in front of our children, his parents, and several other hikers and asked me to be his wife – naturally, I said yes!

Our original wedding date was 10th June 2020. Living in Colorado and preparing for our wedding in Scotland was no easy task under normal circumstances. Throw in all the fears and unknowns around a worldwide pandemic and we knew we needed to pivot somehow.

At the point the world shut down, we were only a few months away from our big day and very invested in our venue, suppliers and travel plans. Much more devastating to us than the thought of losing money, was the thought of giving up on our dream wedding. We discussed it and determined we would stick it out for however long we needed to.
Thankfully our venue and suppliers were more than understanding and flexible. We postponed our wedding not once, but twice! First to June 2021, and then again to June 2022.

As soon as we stepped foot onto the driveway at Cambo Country House in Fife for a tour in early 2019, we could see it was ideal. It oozed romantic charm; was located amongst beautiful scenery with room to explore; and offered comfortable accommodation for all of our guests. We had 40 guests in total: roughly 20 from the USA and 20 from the UK.

We chose a humanist ceremony officiated by celebrant, Andy McSorley. Our love story is personal and unique, so our vows were written by us, for us. We also included a family circle of promises with our children. Our nephew, Noah Moomey, composed an original song which he played on the piano for our wedding procession. The ceremony was a wonderful combination of heartfelt storytelling and promises solidified by vows, not just between us, but an unexpected and affectionate promise from Ewan to Logan.

I’m so glad to have found wedding planner Coorie. They really helped manage a lot of the coordination in the weeks before. Having Emily from the company there on the day removed any stress and allowed us to relax, be present, and truly take in every moment.

We loved photographer Dougi McMillan’s personality. The importance he placed on us and our children feeling comfortable with his photography style really endeared him to us. The resulting photos are the perfect reflection of our day: dreamy, emotional and intimate.

My makeup artist Jennifer Mathieson was outstanding. She calmed me with essential oils, helped me look and feel absolutely stunning, and gifted me the sparkly hairpins she used in my hair along with the lip liner and lipstick she used to complete my wedding look.

There were so many poignant moments. The first look with my dad while the skirl of the pipes radiated throughout the house was unforgettable, as was the explosion of emotion when my dad turned me to face down the aisle and Ewan’s tear-filled eyes locked onto mine.

We were also deeply touched by the sweet speeches our fathers, best man, and my sisters shared. The most stirring toast was offered as a surprise from our 12-year-old, Logan, where he shared his love for Ewan and gratitude for having him in his life.

We’d change absolutely nothing about our wedding – unless reliving it again was an option?! Everything was special and it felt so magical.”

Top tip “Trust your instincts and decide what’s most important to you at the outset to serve as the backbone and driver for all the decisions to come.”

Venue Cambo Country House and Estate
Photography Dougi McMillan Photography
Wedding Planner Coorie
Celebrant Andy McSorley, Caledonian Humanist Association
Bride’s dress BHLDN
Bridesmaids’ dresses Baltic Born
Flower girl’s dress ColibriFashionStudio at Etsy
Hair and makeup Jennifer Mathieson
Groom’s outfit Kilt Society
Grooms’ party attire Kapital Kilts
Catering Pantry Events
Flowers Kim Dalglish Florist
Cake “We had sticky toffee pudding instead.”
Wedding invitations and On-the-day stationery Rebecca Wilcox; Avalana Design
Prop and furniture rental Scott’s Catering Services
Wedding rings Love from Skye
Ceremony music Pianist Noah Moomey (nephew)
Reception bands Ragin’ Ceilidh Band; Norrie’s Rock Band (family friend)
Wedding film Wild Call Films (see it here)