COLOURFUL + COMPLETELY THEM: A BAaD GLASGOW WEDDING

Ryan and I actually knew of each other from school, though we were a few years apart. We properly crossed paths years later, after I finished my first teaching placement at his mum’s school. He happened to spot me walking across the car park while picking her up, sent me a message… and from that moment, we’ve been together. We’ve now been together for nine years – essentially growing from young adults into who we are today – so family, sentiment, and meaning have always been at the heart of our relationship.

When planning our wedding, we wanted it to feel accessible, fun, and deeply personal, with details that reflected us and our story. Glasgow was the perfect choice. Our families are spread across Ayrshire, England, and even Holland, so the city felt central and full of energy.

We also loved the vibe of BAaD – it matched the relaxed, cool atmosphere we wanted. It held special meaning for Ryan too; his gran used to take him around the Barrowlands markets when he was little, and since she’s no longer with us, choosing a venue in that area felt like a quiet way of honouring those memories.

Jess, our venue coordinator, was an absolute dream. No question was ever too small, and she was so accommodating – even letting our family make our wedding cake and tray bakes so we could add an extra personal touch.

Flowers were another huge part of the day. I used the same florist my sister did nine years earlier; her work is pure floral art, and I couldn’t imagine trusting anyone else. We wanted the flowers to be the main visual feature, keeping everything else simple so they could shine. Our families helped pack everything up and bring it to the venue, and watching it all come together was genuinely magical.

My outfit came from Opus Couture, and the whole experience felt really right from the start. I knew I wanted a two‑piece, and they happened to have one – I instantly loved the top, but the skirt didn’t feel like me. The team were brilliant; they went into the back and found a completely different skirt, and when we put the two pieces together, it just worked. It became a totally unique combination that no one else will ever have, which made it feel even more personal. I chose my dress on the very first appointment, and Opus were so thoughtful throughout. They even helped me pick between two sets of earrings I couldn’t decide on, and they got it spot on.

Ryan’s outfit was a kilt from MacGregor and MacDuff, and he kept the whole thing a surprise. Only he and his best man knew what he’d chosen. The shop helped him decide between a brown tartan and an Arran Mist, and told him the brown suited his complexion better – and they were absolutely right. What made it even sweeter was that we somehow managed to guess each other’s outfits quite well, even without seeing them.

My maid of honour wore a beautiful canyon‑sunset coloured dress from Melle Cloche, and my florist matched roses in her bouquet to the exact shade. Only my mum and sister came dress shopping with me, which made it really special, and we kept my dress a secret for two whole years. It was such a lovely little bubble of excitement. Everything came together in a way that felt personal, thoughtful, and completely “us.”

We had a registrar‑led ceremony, but we made sure it still felt completely personal to us. We wrote our promises together, which felt really natural and true to who we are, but kept our individual vows a surprise until the day. It added a quiet bit of suspense that made the moment feel even more meaningful.

We included two readings – one from my brother and one from Ryan’s sister. They read I Like You and an excerpt from Absolute Beginners by David Bowie, which is my mum’s favourite love song. Having that woven into the ceremony felt like a small nod to her and to the things that have shaped our family.

One of the parts that meant the most to me was the music. My brother‑in‑law sang me down the aisle to “Selfless” by The Strokes, one of my favourite songs. Hearing it live, in that setting, was something I’ll always hold onto.

The space itself was decorated in a way that felt simple but intentional – a hanging floral piece that framed where we stood, and an aisle runner that pulled everything together without taking away from the atmosphere. It all felt calm, personal, and exactly how we wanted that moment to feel.

Our reception was just really us – relaxed, fun, and full of things that felt personal. For the drinks reception we used one of our own Spotify playlists with all our favourite songs, plus some African music as a nod to Ryan’s parents and grandparents who grew up in South Africa and loved it. It was a nice way to include that part of his family’s story.

We had Vanilla Velo serving ice cream with personalised wafers, and it was honestly such a hit. People were straight over to it.

We also surprised everyone with a video we’d made. We started it with home video tapes of us when we were little, then moved into photos and footage from our relationship, and finished with our engagement video set to Life With You by The Proclaimers. No one had a clue it was coming, and it ended up being really emotional. We didn’t see everyone’s reactions because it played before we were welcomed in, but our photographer and content creator caught everything.

My brother‑in‑law MC’d the evening, which kept everything flowing and felt really natural because he knows us so well. Once we came back in, we cut the cake – Ryan’s mum made it for us. It was elderflower and lemon so it could be served as dessert after dinner, and it was genuinely delicious.

Our first dance was to a version of Perfect Day by Caro Emerald, and then the band took over. They’d taken all our requests on board before the wedding, so the set felt really personal. It turned out they actually knew my brother‑in‑law, so they even let him get up and sing “Rollin’”, which was honestly so fun and one of those moments everyone talked about after.

We also had a pizza buffet from Nonna Said, and it was so good – exactly the kind of food people actually want at a wedding, and everyone went back for more. After that, the photo booth opened and guests took the funniest pictures – we got a digital copy of everything and honestly laughed so much looking back at them. Our guest book was a “draw yourself” one with blank faces people could sketch onto, and it ended up being hilarious.

For the last hour we switched back to another Spotify playlist we’d made with all the biggest tunes, handed out glow sticks, and everyone just went for it. We finished with Loch Lomond, and our friends threw us up in the air – such a good ending to the perfect day

Our advice, if we could pass anything on, would be to trust your suppliers. They do this all the time, and they genuinely want your day to run smoothly. Ask questions, clarify things, double‑check details – none of that is annoying. It actually makes everything easier for everyone.

The other big thing is to focus on you and your partner. It’s so easy to get pulled into what other people might expect, but the best decisions we made were the ones that felt right for the two of us. When you choose things because you love them, the whole day ends up feeling like your wedding, not a version shaped by outside pressure. And honestly, make decisions based in love. If something feels right, go with it. If something doesn’t, you don’t need it. Keeping that mindset made everything feel calmer, more intentional, and exactly how we wanted it

Venue – BAaD

Photographer – Lauren Stirling Photography

Second Photographer – Steven William Weir

Content Creator – RSVP Content Creator

Ice Cream Cart – Vanilla Velo

Confetti – Your Confetti

Makeup – Jenna Clayton

Hair – Heather Robertson Hair

Decor – Make Believe Events

Florist – A Curious Arrangement

Band – Sneaky Treacle

Dress – Opus Couture / Maggie Sottero

Kilt – MacGregor and MacDuff

Breakfast – Fig & Olive Catering

Rings – Katie Lees Jewellery

Evening Food – Nonna Said