Scotland has many places to choose as the setting for your wedding Celebrations. I know it was hard enough for me when I first started looking, but I think for Steven and Mellissa, they knew straight away where their wedding was going to take place, and who could blame them?
Where did you get married?
We got married at The Cruin, Loch Lomond. We chose the venue because it was secluded and private and we had the option of hiring the whole venue so that it would be just our party enjoying the stunning views. Steven and I also loved to walk around Loch Lomond and it held a special place for us, it was where Steven proposed. Getting married there just felt right. The staff at The Cruin were amazing every step of the way. Nothing was too much for them and they made the organising soo much easier. I would recommend this venue to anyone wanting that personal touch to their wedding, I can not fault the staff at all.
Was there anything unique about Steven’s proposal?
Yes, the weather. It was wet and cold and we were half up Ben Luss. We loved to go walking and still do, so on Saturday 9th March 2013, we decided to go for a walk around Luss and the surrounding hills. It was freezing to the point that we had to buy gloves in a little shop in Luss because our hands were going blue (well not quite but it felt like it).
As we got to the halfway point up the Ben, we met other walkers coming back down who advised us not to go any further as it was blowing 40m/hr winds and horizontal snow. We stayed where we were for a while. I stood looking out over the Loch which was a stunning view. The weather was making the loch look steely grey, it was very brooding and atmospheric. Loch Lomond looked magical as only Loch Lomond can.
I said that the view was beautiful and from behind me Steven said ‘Not as beautiful as you’ so I turned round to tell him to stop being daft and there he was down on one knee on the cold and wet ground, with this stunning, sparkly white gold ring, asking me to marry him.
I said yes and I cried and then we decided to move away to a more sheltered spot because Steven was terrified that the ring box would get blown out of his hands. I know it doesn’t sound like the most romantic proposal, but to me it was perfect because it was just us in a place we love to go. It was one of the happiest days of my life.
So, who was team Mellissa and who was team Steven?
My three brothers were groomsmen, my sister was my bridesmaid, an old friend was my maid of honour and of course the mother of the bride.
Stevens’ best friend was his best man, and he had another friend as a groomsman, plus there was his mother and father. His sister, her husband and child were also included. However our table arrangements were done so that there was no top table. They were round tables and those sat with the bride and groom were the grooms parents the brides mother, the maid of honour and best man.
Who were you superstar suppliers?
Venue & caterer – The Cruin, Loch Lomond Castle Estates.
Photographer – Jo Tunney of Feelin’ Groovy Photography
Florist – Memory Lane Flowers
Hair stylist – Megan Crocket
Make-up artist – Susan Wilson
Wedding dress – Alcanar by Pronovias, bought from Avorio
Bridal Shoes – Bridal shoes by Rainbow from John Lewis, Red bridesmaid shoes from New Look, chocolate brown bridesmaid shoes by Rainbow bought from and dyed by John Lewis.
Accessories – Bridal Jewellery from Bernstones Jewellers.
Veil, bridal sash, headband, bridesmaids’ hair combs and jewellery custom made by Karen Lyden at Bridal Bliss Online
Groom’s outfit – MacGregor and MacDuff
Bridesmaids’ dresses – A Sorella Vita dress in cranberry bought from Perfect Bridal Rooms.
Second dress style known as Charlie, in chocolate brown, bought from Brides of Southampton.
Stationery – Kirsty Boyle at Caesers wedding supplies
Cake – MacDonald Cake Company
Band – Corra (winners of Vows Awards 2014)
Transport – Mother of the Bride taxi service! My mum was great, taxiing us around for photos around Luss
Venue Dressers – Happy Talk
Humanist Celebrant – Morag Webster – Fuze Ceremonies
Wedding rings – Ernest Jones
Tell us a bit about the ceremony?
We had set up playlists on our iPad to play at different points throughout the ceremony. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Enya’s Flora’s Secret, while signing the register, instrumental versions of Here comes the Sun and Eight days a Week were playing, and then when we walked back down the aisle as Mr & Mrs there was I Want to Hold Your Hand was playing. As for symbolic gestures we had a sand ceremony with bright pink and turquoise sand and a handfasting ceremony using a lovely red ribbon.
What made your wedding that little bit extra special?
We spent a lot of time designing and creating everything to our taste. It wasn’t just the stationery we customised, but the cake, flowers, bridal and bridesmaids’ accessories. They were all made to our design and colour scheme. By choosing a Humanist ceremony, we also felt that it would focus on us as a couple and our journey so far together. Morag spent a lot of time getting to know us as individuals and as a couple so that she could make the ceremony about our love rather than a religion. We wanted our day to be about us.
Sum up your wedding in 100 words (…or a little more if you need it!)
The day was perfect. After all our planning and stress of organising, the day went exactly as we imagined it to be. Everything came together perfectly, from the stationary to the venue decorations, everything complimented each other. I couldn’t have imagined it going any other way. Even the weather was perfect. It was a little wet as it rained occasionally but that gave the photographer amazing shots, we actually had a rainbow out over the loch just after we were married. Finally I got to marry my best friend, the person I couldn’t imagine living without.
What one piece of advice would you give to others planning their wedding?
Planning! Planning!! Planning!!! We booked the really big expensive things within two months of getting engaged, 18 months before the wedding. Book as much as you can afford to as soon as you can and then you know how much you need to save to pay it off the month before the wedding. Give yourselves time, 18 months to two years. We paid everything off, nothing went on credit. Don’t start married life in debt for just one day, even your wedding day. Have a budget and stick to it, don’t go crazy and keep adding things you don’t really need, it’s about you and your partner after all. Be smart with your money, shop around and look for the best deals, talk to suppliers face to face because you may be able to work out a tailored package for less. Finally be organised, keep records of payments and emails (set up different folders for different suppliers), have budget planners and guest numbers kept updated (I love spreadsheets, never used to but they will be your friend, trust me) and talk to your partner, involve them in everything because it’s their day too!
