I love blogging about weddings I’ve actually attended, and Lauren and Andrew’s day was no exception. It was a blustery day in Scotland in July, but as soon as I arrived I could feel the warmth of the wedding filling the hotel. That sounds cheesy, but with both families welcoming us at the door, the soft lighting, the calm and comfortable atmosphere of the open plan hotel entrance, and a warm reception from the hotel staff, I was quite at ease from the minute I arrived. It was such a relaxed and calm ambience, much like (and credit to) Lauren and Andrew themselves, and I could really feel the love for this special couple.
The venue for the day was the Radstone Hotel, in Larkhall, close to where Lauren and Andrew are from (just outside Glasgow). Lauren said they wanted their wedding to be somewhere local so it was convenient for most of their friends and family to travel to. They decided on the Radstone because it was also far enough away to have lovely green scenic photos, too.
The hotel was unassuming from the outside, but I remember thinking how glamourous it was when we stepped inside. The entrance was very modern and open plan, and there is a massive contemporary statement chandelier that adds a bit of opulence to the lobby. This was the setting for the whole day, and despite my own wedding having totally separate ceremony and reception venues, I always think weddings that have everything under one roof are slightly more relaxed.
Lauren credits the venue and said the hotel could not have been more helpful and accommodating. As a vegan, it was obviously important to have amazing vegan food incorporated into their day. The Radstone served her a vegan breakfast and lunch the day of the wedding, and they were happy for Lauren to tell them what food she wanted for her meal and bought in vegan wine especially. They even allowed her to give the chef a recipe for an Oreo cheesecake to make sure she had a dessert she loved!
Dress
Lauren’s dress was from Ivory Pinks in Bothwell, a suburb close to where the couple live. The store is well known in the area for the exclusive designers it carries. Lauren’s dress was by designer Nicole Spose, and Ivory Pinks are the exclusive stockists in Scotland. Nicole Spose’s dresses are distinguished in the bridal world for her Italian style and sophistication – and I think you’ll agree that Lauren’s dress was just that.
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen
Lauren’s gorgeous bridesmaid dresses were from Asos, but she bought sparkly belts from Etsy and got them sewn on to the dresses when the alterations were done. I am an Asos addict and I think their wedding selection is the perfect mix of classy and modern, as so many bridesmaids dresses can look quite old fashioned due to the cut or colour, but these are just perfect – I adore the colour.
The groomsmen’s kilts were hired from The Kilt Centre in Hamilton and are in the tartan Lionheart. Call me biased, but I love a man in a kilt!
Hair & Makeup
Every time I meet Lauren (or stalk her Instagram...!) her makeup is absolutely flawless. The kind of result that would take me hours – perfectly blended eyeshadow, eyeliner, contouring, you name it. So I wasn’t surprised when she told me she is quite picky about the kind of makeup she likes. Quite rightly, as she seems to have it nailed in my opinion! Lauren wanted someone she could trust, so enlisted Our Vow. The Our Vow team consisted of Stacey to do hair, and Gillian, a friend through one of Lauren’s bridesmaids, to do makeup.
Flowers
Lauren’s flowers were from First Blush and were a mix of peonies, hydrangeas, sweet avalanche roses and some pink astilbe special to her bouquet. She wanted her flowers to look modern, but still soft and romantic – and aren’t they just?
Cake
Lauren and Andrew had two cakes on their wedding day! A three-tiered cake (as seen in the photo) and a smaller vegan and dairy free one to cater for eight guests at their wedding (including herself). Lauren asked her cake maker (Louise Barrie Cakes) to match a photo she found on the internet that fitted in with their main wedding colours. A lovely touch was the lace applique that tied in with Lauren’s dress. Their personalised cake topper (so cute!) was from Etsy.
Décor & Details
Lauren and Andrew’s day was very classy and subtle, but one thing that did strike me was how much thought (and work) had been put into all the little details. From the save the dates, to the invitations, right through to the table settings, they all flowed seamlessly and were gorgeous. Lauren taught herself calligraphy especially, and each single item was individually crafted by hand. You could tell that every detail was a labour of love and done with precision, rather than looking messy or ‘homemade’. For favours, Lauren bought little chair favour boxes from eBay and filled them with Mr and Mrs sweets from Hobbycraft. She then added a little personalised sticker from another Etsy seller. There were also personalised miniature bottles of whisky available, which went down a treat, too.
Entertainment
After going to a few weddings where DJs packed out the dancefloor, Lauren and Andrew ditched the band they had previously booked and went with solely a DJ instead. This was a bold move, in my opinion, but they invested in a DJ they could trust and took control of the song choices – to quote Lauren, "no Grease or Steps!". Their DJ was Iain MacLeod from Atlantic Disco, and I can vouch for both him and the song choices!
A nice surprise on the night was a photo booth, which Lauren said was a last-minute luxury. It had a sparkly backdrop and was open ended at both sides, so you could watch on when everyone was getting their photos done – this was entertainment alone! It meant you could have a giggle and join in the fun while you were waiting your turn, without feeling like you were waiting in line in a queue. Lauren and Andrew’s photo booth was by Blushbooth and they said it was money well spent. Blushbooth print two copies on the night, one for you to keep and one for you to pop in the couple’s guestbook – a great idea for the guestbook, and some of the entries were beyond hilarious! Copies of the photos are also available online a few days later.
Photography & Videography
Shaun Murawski is a friend of the couple but is also an accomplished and acclaimed photographer and was chosen for his laid-back style. Lauren and Andrew wanted to keep the amount of posed shots to a minimum so that they could spend as much time as possible socialising with their guests – I felt completely the same, Shaun helped them achieve this with ease and fitted in perfectly with their day.
Their videographer was Neil from Tickly Feet Productions. Lauren and Andrew thought the use of music in his videos was cool and wanted both a highlights video to share on social media, as a well as a private longer version.
A final word from the bride:
“Overall, I would say Andrew and I wanted to have a really relaxed day where we got to spend as much time enjoying ourselves as possible! I can speak for us both in saying that we had so much fun and danced and photo booth-ed all night!”
Thanks to the new Mr and Mrs Ure for letting me share their wonderful day! And top marks for the hashtag by the way, in case you hadn’t guessed already, it was #ForeverUres!
All photos watermarked ‘devinebride.co.uk’ are my own. All other photos are kindly c/o Shaun Murawski.
CONTACTS AND SUPPLIERS
Venue: The Radstone Hotel, Larkhall
Bride’s dress: Nicola Spose at Ivory Pinks
Bride’s shoes: ‘Gemini’, Carvela by Kurt Geiger
Bridemaid’s dresses: Asos with added sparkly belt from Etsy
Groomsmen’s kilts: Lionheart tartan from The Kilt Centre
Hair & Makeup: Gillian and Stacey from Our Vow
Rings: Chisholm Hunter
Flowers: First Blush
Cakes: Louise Barrie Cakes
Cake topper: Etsy
Favours: eBay, Hobbycraft and Etsy
DJ: Iain MacLeod from Atlantic Disco
Photo Booth: Blushbooth
Photography: Shaun Murawski
Videography: Neil from Tickly Feet Productions
Never miss a post by subscribing to my blog – if you're viewing this on a computer, there’s a big box just below, at the bottom of the page, where you can enter your email address
and you’ll get every post delivered straight to your inbox!
