Their story…
For some couples living abroad, the biggest draw for a wedding in Scotland is coming home to be married. Paisley-born David and Victoria put their local knowledge to good use, planning their Glasgow wedding from the Netherlands…
Tell us why you chose a Scottish wedding
It was an easy decision. I (Victoria) graduated from the University of Glasgow and always had my heart set on getting married there, something that anchored us to Scotland as well as our family and childhood friends. Scotland is a wonderful picturesque land with stunning greenery, mountains, beaches and water. We couldn’t have imagined getting married anywhere else.
The two of you planned your wedding from the Netherlands during a pandemic. How did you find that?
We both have experience in event planning however we did have a lot of help from our family and friends. Due to Covid restrictions, we could only make two trips back to Scotland but everyone was very accommodating, keeping us well informed over numerous Zoom calls
Our biggest challenge was choosing a Reception venue. We didn’t want anywhere too far from the University but there are a lot of venues within a 45 minute radius. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Try to look at it practically so you can make decisions easily- choose two or three things that are non negotiable and that helps to narrow down options.
You have an enviable supplier team. Tell us all about them.
Frankly, each and every person I dealt with was superb. I couldn’t have asked for a better support team.
Motherwell-based Susanne Christyne designed my wedding gown. She was creative, handled the situation with care, was attentive and wonderful during the process. MacGregor & McDuff ensured David and his Groomsmen were kitted out in Forsyth tartan kilts.
Carol organised the ceremony at Glasgow University, helped the men with their corsages, organised the pianist and ensured the ceremony was on time. She also worked with our florist, Mark, from Eros Fairytale Flowers who made the most exquisite bouquets. If you want something whimsical, he is your florist.
Bryce McCulloch was our bagpiper, piping outside the University to welcome our guests and The Trossachs Quartet delivered an elegant tone for the canape & champagne reception.
Fiona, who oversees all weddings at Enterkine House was a dream to work with. She has 20 years of experience and was so gracious- she made us feel calm and reassured us nothing was off limits. When we originally booked the venue had a few rooms, but our wedding date, all our family could stay which was a lovely surprise. The wedding meal was fantastic as was brunch the following morning.
Helen (hair) and Lesley (makeup) are genuine artists. Everyone was absolutely stunning and we had a good laugh with them both in the morning. It is very important to ensure the team you surround yourself with in the morning makes you feel comfortable as it sets the tone for the day.
David Smith is a dear friend of ours and was our Humanist Society Scotland Celebrant. We definitely lucked out as he was the talk of the town! David conducted a professional, personal and intimate moment and he united everyone in the room. He was an absolute pleasure.
Iain aka ImacImages was our photographer and each frame was personal, non-staged, loose but polished.. He has an eye for filtering out those special moments, the ones when you think that no one is watching. He was practically invisible!
Our videographer, Lee from Nine18 Films, loves a chat which makes you feel at ease. He guides you through the process and his music collection with his videos are one of a kind, bespoke. On the day, Lee was having such a good time with the entertainment, he stayed to capture more footage.
What were the best bits?
Loads of memories stand out: walking down the aisle was dazzling, driving to the reception and celebrating with everyone. The speeches were pretty unforgettable as well as the meal.
What our guests still talk about was the evening entertainment. Entertainment was really important to us and as well as our piper and strings earlier in the day, we’d booked musical sensation, singer Emma Ochia. She started the evening with two forty minute sets and later partnered with Tartan entertainment for a couple of songs when the party got going. This wasn’t planned but showed what kind of professionals they were. Euan, who runs Tartan Entertainment supplied an incredible evening, which was geared towards every generation for music. He brought his team of sound engineers, DJ and Saxingh, a talented saxophonist who transported everyone to Ibiza for a hot minute!
What else did you do whilst you were in Scotland?
We spent the Christmas holidays with our families and friends. We visited Loch Lomond and after the wedding, we had a few days away at The Cromlix Hotel and Gleneagles.
What are your top tips?
Give your bridal team and groomsmen an agenda/itinerary for the wedding day. If they all know timings and who is in charge of what, it will reduce the stress on you.
Have clear communication with your suppliers and set expectations, don’t assume anything.
If something isn’t right on the day, it’s visible to no one!
Suppliers:
Ceremony Venue: Glasgow University Chapel
Reception Venue: Enterkine Country House
Photographer: ImacImages Wedding Photography
Videographer: Nine18 Wedding Films
Celebrant: David Smith, Humanist Society Scotland
Victoria’s Dress: Susanne Christyne Bridal Design
Kilt Hire: MacGregor & McDuff
Florist: Eros Fairytale Flowers
Makeup: Lesley Neil Makeup Artist
Hair: Helen Livingstone
Piper: Bryce McCulloch
Drinks Reception Entertainment: The Trossachs Quartet
Evening Entertainment: Emma Ochia (singer) Tartan Entertainment (DJ) & Trav Saxingh (Saxophonist)
