Real talk with bride Hazel

We caught up with reel bride Hazel to get all the goss leading up to her big day. It truly is an honour to hear all about the personal touches that go into each and everyone of our customers’ weddings.. We hope it provides you with a little inspiration for your special day too!

THE PROPOSAL

We would love to know how he did it? Did you see it coming?

Neil proposed on 1^st October 2020 on my birthday weekend away at a beautiful hotel in Pitlochry, Scotland. We originally had a holiday to Dubai planned for that time but unfortunately it was cancelled due to Covid. Instead, he booked a weekend away to ‘celebrate my birthday.’ He organised a private dining pod experience at the hotel, and when I walked in there was a big bouquet of red roses on the table and champagne waiting for me. At this point I’m wondering, but not daring to hope that it could be more than a special birthday dinner. After a few sips of bubbles, Neil asked me to open the card next to the flowers. I started reading a beautifully written note and as I read one line after another I knew where it was going. I started crying and saying ‘omg it’s happening!’ As I looked up from the card he was down on one knee with the open ring box. It was super intimate, just the two of us. Such an amazing moment.

We had actually been to look at rings a whole year before and I tried one on that I really liked during that shopping trip. He saved for months and went back to the shop in the July to buy me that ring. He knew he wanted to propose in Dubai so he held on to it for 3 months before he finally got the chance to propose, despite not making it to Dubai! We called our friends and family straight after to share our news. My mum and dad already knew as he’d been to visit them earlier in the week to get their blessing, which I found so lovely.

THE HEN DO

What did your girls plan for you? Was it what you expected or more?

The hen weekend was EPIC! My maid of honour and bridesmaids absolutely pulled out all the stops to make it an unforgettable weekend. We hired a villa just outside of Marbella, about 10 minutes from where my sister lives. As she was maid of honour she got into the villa well before we arrived and decorated it with balloons, cakes & all sorts of hen party goodies for us arriving. The first day we spent by the pool, laughing, drinking and playing games. There was only 9 hens and everyone is best friends so it was just fun and laughter the whole time. We spent the weekend going to nice restaurants and beach clubs etc. One night we had a chef come to the villa to cook us a BBQ by the pool which was fantastic! I absolutely loved my hen weekend and it was a great to dress up in all bridal attire for 5 days!

I later had another hen party at home where all my friends and family who didn’t come abroad could come. It was just drinks and nibbles at a bar in Glasgow, but it was an amazing night surrounded by all the ladies I love dancing the night away!

THE VENUE – Lochside House Hotel

Did you know what you wanted from day one and do you feel you achieved this?

I always knew I wanted somewhere in Scotland that was stylish and modern. I love the castles in Scotland and they make for a stunning backdrop, but most have very traditional décor. While stunning, they don’t really fit my style, so the hunt was on. We only viewed two venues. The first didn’t quite live up to the photos we saw online, so that was out. The second venue we visited I didn’t think I was going to like but just went to see it for the experience. As we drove in, the grounds were breathtaking. Set on the banks of Loch Lowe in the Scottish countryside, it was just gorgeous. We were shown around the venue and the coordinator took us to the reception room. It was an empty shell. All we could see was a huge room with floor to ceiling windows on three sides overlooking the loch and hills. They were renovating and adding a big extension. Obviously, we couldn’t see how it would look when finished but the coordinator showed us visual mock ups of how it would look. It was everything I was searching for. Bright, elegant and glamourous. We were sold. We decided this was the venue for us, without even seeing it finished. When it was finally complete, we went back to see it and it was everything we hoped it would be.

YOUR OUTFITS

Tell us about your breathtaking dress? How many did you try on? Was it exactly how you pictured or totally different?

Ahh the dress! It really was my dream dress. People often say you end up going for something completely different to what you thought you wanted. This wasn’t the case for me though, as mine was everything I thought I wanted. I didn’t rush the process though; I let my stylists pick out lots of different shapes, styles and colours for me to try just to be sure. I visited two stores. My mum and sisters came with me to the appointments as I wanted to do a dress reveal to my bridesmaids on the day of the wedding. I’m glad I did it this way as it’s now a very special memory I hold with my mum and sisters. I tried on a dress I thought could be the one on the first appointment but didn’t want to commit straight away. The following day I went to another bridal store but none of the dresses I tried in that store compared to the dress from the previous day. I took some time to think things over then went back to the first store. I tried on a different (but very similar) dress to before by the same designer and that was it, that was the one! I wanted to make it unique to me so I picked straps, balloon sleeves and an over skirt from 3 other dresses and mixed & matched them with mine to make my dream wedding dress.

Let’s talk boys. Did you let him choose what he wore?

I originally wanted the men in black tie but Neil insisted he wanted to be in a traditional Scottish kilt for his big day. As I made every other decision, I let him have this. It’s his day too after all! We went together to choose the kilts. He opted for navy and brown which tied in nicely with our neutrals & gold colour scheme. We compromised and the boys all wore bow ties with their kilts, made with the same tartan. It looked so chic!

THE STYLING AND DÉCOR –

How would you describe it? Did you have anything bespoke?

I was going for elegant, sophisticated glamour. We wanted the whole vibe to feel opulent, so opted for neutrals & gold throughout. To achieve this we used big, bold statement pieces for the tables and back drops using a mixture of white & cream flowers with no green foliage. The centre pieces were large arrangements on tall gold stands on all tables. To save money and use our décor wisely, we used all the décor from the ceremony room as table décor and backdrops in the reception room, and it worked really well! The table plan was my favourite décor choice. I asked our décor company to make a bespoke piece for us drawing on inspiration I had taken from Pinterest using clear stacked boxes with candles and flowers. It was magical and our guests loved it.

REAL CONFETTI MOMENT

Did you always want a confetti moment or was this something your photographer suggested?

A confetti moment was always on my must have list. It’s the moment of the day that perfectly embodies the phrase ‘newlyweds’. Our confetti moment was lovely. I hadn’t planned it properly and didn’t know who would be throwing it. As it would happen, all of our guests lined up, all 120 of them, and we walk through a shower of fluttering confetti. The freeze-dried hydrangea’s were ideal for this stunning flutter effect and the photos speak for themselves! Our venue only allows biodegradable confetti to protect the environment so Petals and Roses real dried petals were a great choice. More is more when ordering confetti, and some of our guests took a huge hand full meaning we had to ration towards the end when handing it out! Another tip is to put your confetti into a basket to offer to guests instead of packets or cones. Some guests will tip it over the bride and grooms head instead of throwing it in the air which can unfortunately risk ruining your shot.

THE HONEYMOON

Where did you go and would you recommend to others?

No honeymoon booked yet. We’re waiting until next year so we could get the kids away this year. No idea where we’re going yet!

Tips

The day itself can be very overwhelming. Do anything you can to relax you during morning prep so you’re ready to take everything in as you walk down the isle. Steal a few minutes alone with your new husband/wife after the ceremony before partying the night away with your loved ones.

Featured Supplier List:

Venue: Lochside House Hotel

Decor: Jam Events Live

Flowers: I Am Flowers UK

Dress: Sophia Grace Couture Calla Blanche Dress

Kilts: Macgregor and Macduff

Rings: Bercotts

Makeup: Ash Macmua

Hair: Cameo Bridal Styling

Photographer: The Vedrines Photo

Confetti: Petals & Roses

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