Happy couple married in Highlands

Georgina Porteous and Sid Innes managed a fairytale wedding day for the outlay of just £1. Picture: Hemedia

Georgina Porteous and Sid Innes stunned friends and family by splashing out so little for their big day.

They also hosted a reception with a picnic, drinks, jazz music and dancing at a romantic setting in the Scottish Highlands.

But incredibly, apart from the £70 they had to pay for their marriage fees, their only expenditure was a pound on Georgina’s vintage wedding gown.

Georgina, 39, said: “I don’t see the point in these massive weddings, it takes away from what marriage is truly about.

“There is nothing to gain from spending a huge amount of money. We didn’t want or need a big, fancy affair.”

Georgina, an artist, met singer-songwriter Sid, 32, in 2009 and immediately said “yes” when he proposed in Berlin last year.

The couple, who live near Inverness, are both dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency, and they vowed to keep their nuptials as simple as possible.

The only expense they could not avoid was the statutory £70 fees required to marry, but everything else was donated to them or free.

Georgina said: “We knew we wanted a small and cheap wedding, it was a natural thing for us because we are so invested in recycling and self-sustainability. We were excited to plan it all.”

The wedding was held in a barn behind the couple’s cottage, which was decorated with locally-grown flowers and hay bales donated by farmers.

Georgina wore a 1960s hand-made floor-length ivory wedding gown she found on the website freecycle, while Sid opted for a stylish tweed suit he had bought many years ago.

Georgina’s mum Susanne, a church reader, conducted the ceremony in front of 70 guests. The couple exchanged wedding rings made by Georgina using antlers found in their garden.

They were officially pronounced man and wife by local minister Peter Donald, who had offered his services free.

An official wedding photographer was on hand to capture the occasion after Georgina, also a freelance film editor, offered to work for him in return, and guests brought all the food and drink.

Happy couple married in Highlands - for just £1