Names:Ilona and Stewart

The Vision for the day:The vision was for a classic and elegant wedding but we wanted a very relaxed party atmosphere.The Planning process:We began planning after a few months as we just wanted to enjoy being engaged for a while. I attended a few wedding fayres and bought Brides magazine but I also got a lot oof recommendations from friends etcThe Venue: Pollok House in Pollok Country Park. This was a really special place for me as I have gone there since I was a child. Its also very near where we live and we walk our dog there. We absolutely love the grounds and felt it was important to support something that is in our community rather than some hotel 2 hours out of town.

The Dress + Accessories: My dress was Jenny Packham. I knew that I loved her dresses and after that it was about finding the right one. I bought it from Cuco in Troon who I found through the SECC wedding fayre. This was the first dress shop that I went to who were honest and helpful and didn’t tell you that you looked amazing in everything you tried on. I bought my veil from there too but I can’t remeber who designed it. I had fine crystal clusters buut was quite plain.

My shoes were Jimmy Choo from Cruise in Glasgow and my bracelet was vintage and lent to me by my mother.Finding the dress: As I said above, Cuco was just great. They didn’t hold as big a range of Jenny Packham as some other shops but were willing to have dresses shipped up from Jenny Packham in London. Lynn at Cuco told me when I tried on styles that “Maybe that’s not the best for your height” which I really appreciated. I really felt they offered a very unique service and I never felt pressurised to buy any additional accessories etc.

Groom’s attire: Stewart wore his own kilt which was purchased from James Robertson Kiltmaker on Sauchiehall Street and all the orther kilts were hired from there also. Robert and Maureen the owners offered an amazing selection and service. Stewart was able to choose the type of fur for his sporran as well as all other details and it was made especially. They were so helpful in dealing with the kids for their fittings and offered a really relaxed environment.

The Readings + Music:We chose the poem “Because she would ask me why I loved her” by Christoper Brennan along with a reading from George Bernard Shaw called ”Today I married my friend”. I had asked my good friend who was doing an English Literature degree at the time and she gave me a pile of books to trawl through.

 

Beautiful bridesmaids: My bridesmaids were my half sister Xaine who lives in Canada and friend Amanda. My sister was three months pregnant and Amanda had not long had her first baby so I wanted them to feel as comfortable as possible. We opted for black as the colour as it would be too hard to co-ordinate between here and Canada. I just asked them to pick a dress they liked and it turned out they were both one shouldered so it worked out really well.

The Flowers: My florist was Ruby from Ruby Flowers, 187 Hyndland Road, Glasgow. We had numerous brainstorming meetings and she brought some great ideas to the table. I had originally wanted only white flowers and Ruby was able to advise that in a marquee they would be really lost. When went for 2 large urns for the ceremony and for numerous small vases placed on mirror for the tables.

Stationary: I used Love and Lily stationary and they really deserve a mentionsuch beautiful designs and very helpful!

The Cake:We opted to go for a macaroon tower rather than a cake. I had wanted a Laudree tower but they were unable to transport from London. I then found Felicity at Mad Hatter Macaroons and more who was just brilliant. She was able to do exactly what I had wanted from Laudree and more and matched the colours to the flowers etc. In addition I just order a classic white cake from Marks and Spencer and Ruby decorated it with flowers.

Your Photographers: The wonderful Eva and Craig Saunders. I couldn’t recommend them more and I don’t think I need to say much once you see the photographs. Eva was due around the same time as the wedding and she still attended for most of the day as well as hiring an extra photographer just in case. They were so relaxed and brought a great atmosphere to the day and they just took the MOST amazing pictures!

The Details + Decor: I used Lyndsay Barbour from Lily Special Events to assist with decor was so happy with the results. She just did all the finishing touches that finished off the room and corridors and outside smoking area. It is quite a new company on the wedding scene but highly recommended

The Honeymoon: I started a new job 6 days after the wedding so we haven’t gone on honeymoon yet! We are planning to road trip the west coast of America in the summer of 2012 either that or to hire a retro convertable and do the Amalfi coast.

Memorable moments: The taxi ride home at 5.30 am after the best after party ever with my husband, that or the first dance to a mash up of Oasis “She’s Electric” and Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” by our friends who are in a band-Everyone was on that dancefloor

Advice for other couples: Stay calm and enjoy the whole planning process, things will go wrong and not to let it bother you!