Wedding | Laurie & Craig

The Anti-Bride
Jun 4
6 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We got engaged in 2022 in Lake Como on August 12th after being together for 8 years. Craig proposed with a custom-made ring by Katie Lees Jewellery that he designed.

We then got married in August 2024 around 10 years to the day from when we first met. We met when we both worked in a nightclub in 2014 and have been inseparable ever since. We initially bonded over our shared love of music and dancing but since then, we have grown up together, our interests and humour intertwined.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We initially discussed getting married abroad but it was quite difficult finding everything we wanted in one place. I (Laurie) knew I wanted something that felt like a big dinner party, because Craig and I love food so much, it was important to us that our guests felt they were having a gorgeous dining experience. The logistics of finding somewhere abroad with the aesthetic as well as the food experience we were looking for proved to be challenging so we decided to look closer to home.

I was looking online one day and the Parlour Room at The Gleneagles Hotel caught my eye, the space was exactly what I had in my head, large fireplaces, ornate mirrors and dramatic curtains. After visiting the venue and meeting our soon-to-be wedding planner Leilah, we secured the room for 25th August 2024.

The Gleneagles Hotel is located in Auchterarder just outside Perth. We currently live in Glasgow with my parents based in Fife and Craig’s parents in the Highlands, we thought this was a perfect middle ground for our families to travel to.

How many guests did you have?

32.

What was your budget?

We had a figure in mind going in but didn’t want to compromise on the experience, so we did go a little bit over.

Tell us about your outfits.

Craig was looking for a simple suit for the day, something that he could wear again. He wanted to be able to try lots of things on as well as potentially get it altered in the same place and Slaters was the best local option. Craig tried on suits with friends and found a few styles that suited him perfectly. After some deliberation, he settled on a classic black dinner suit.

After visiting only one wedding dress shop, I immediately knew I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for. As gorgeous as these dresses were, I had a very particular style in my mind that I wasn’t seeing on the hanger. A friend suggested looking into getting a dress custom made, I had never considered this before as I didn’t think it was an option! She told me to have a look at Flossy & Dossy, another local business. I met with Wendy who is Flossy and Dossy who changed my whole perspective on looking for a dress. Wendy made the process feel effortless and exciting. She listened carefully to my ideas, guided me through fabric choices, and brought my vision to life in a way I never imagined possible.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

Having a small gathering made it possible for us to truly cherish every moment with our guests, especially our immediate family. It meant that they weren’t just a part of the celebration, they were at the heart of it. Their love and support made the occasion even more special, and knowing we had the time to truly connect with them was one of the most meaningful aspects of our wedding.

Craig works as a Director in hospitality and we are both massively into good food and drink, choosing a venue that excelled in both was a top priority. We wanted our wedding to feel like a big vintage-style dinner party and Gleneagles provided exactly that. We wanted the whole weekend to be a beautiful experience for our guests. With an overnight stay at the hotel, this allowed everyone to fully immerse themselves in the celebration and also try the famous Gleneagles breakfast!

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Over the years our friend Elise Bell has gifted us with so many beautiful prints she has created, when it came to our wedding it felt only right to have her artwork included throughout our day. Elise Bell designed our entire wedding stationary, including invites, menus and other printed material bringing a special personal touch to the day. Having her work woven into our day made it feel even more meaningful, turning our stationery into something truly bespoke and memorable.

Any tips for couples getting married?

We really wanted this day to be a celebration of our love with all our favourite people. We would suggest doing exactly what you want when you can because it’s your day and it should reflect what makes you both happy! Whether it’s a small ceremony with a few family members or a big party, prioritizing what feels right for you will make the day even more special.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

All our vendors were incredible. We were so lucky to get to work with all the amazing people we did. Almost all of our vendors were local businesses, and we truly think this is what made it so special.

Melody Joy – Melody is such an incredible photographer and creative and I had been a big fan on her work for a long time before our wedding. Even though we knew how amazing she was, we were completely blown away by our photos. Melody captured the day perfectly and was such a calming and supportive energy for us.

Cheryl Bryson – Cheryl worked her socks off to get my hair ready for the wedding! I wanted to have extensions on the day, but finding ones that matched my hair texture and colour was no easy task. Cheryl and I went through around 5-6 trials to get them completely right, and her patience, skill, and dedication made all the difference. On the day, you wouldn’t have even known I had extensions in but more than that, I felt absolutely incredible! Cheryl is my mum and I’s usual hairdresser, and it was just so lovely having a familiar face on the morning of the wedding.

Claire Nisbet – Claire made us all feel so beautiful and special on the day. My initial inspiration for make-up was to have something similar to Lana Del Rey however after working with Claire and getting a clearer idea of what works for me, we went for something more ethereal and minimal. Claire walked me through this process with such care and attention to detail and I couldn’t have been happier with my make up.

Wendy at Flossy and Dossy – Designing the dress with Wendy was an experience I will never forget. Wendy was so patient and truly understood what I wanted, even when I wasn’t sure myself. Her dedication and craftsmanship turned an idea into something real, something that felt entirely my own. Seeing the final dress come to life was magical, and knowing it had been created with such care made it even more special.

My dear friend and maid of honour, Elise Bell is a talented artist. As part of our wedding, we could not imagine having anyone else creating our invitations and stationary. We worked with Elise to take parts of the table decor and the food we had and incorporate that into our menus. It was so special having Elise involved every step of the way and it was such a beautiful special touch to our day. Everyone absolutely loved their personalised name tags knowing that our gorgeous friend printed each one by hand.

Photographer: Melody Joy Photography @melodyjoyco | Flora: Ochre Botanicals

@ochrebotanticalsstudios | Ceremony & Reception Location: Gleneagles Hotel @thegleneagleshotel | Celebrant: Sharon Campbell Celebrant @sharon_wedding_celebrant_ | Makeup: Claire Nisbet Bridal

@clairenisbetbridal | Hair: Bryson Hair @brysonandhare | Catering & Beverages: The Gleneagles Hotel @thegleneagleshotel | Cake: Designer Cakes by Paige @designercakesbypaige | Stationery: Elise Bell @_elisebell | Entertainment: Ciorstaidh Beaton @ciorstaidh_harpist | Dress: Flossy & Dossy