Romantic, windswept and with a picture-perfect stag loitering in the background: we are swooning over Laura and Jake’s engagement shoot. Inspired by their mutual love of hill-walking they took to the hills and embraced the otherworldliness of Glen Etive.
How did you meet?
Jake and I first met in September 2006. I was moving from Glasgow to London to study Fashion Journalism at university. Over the summer, before starting my degree, I had a weekend job in Currys and I thought the easiest thing for me would be to transfer to the store local to my campus. Well, Jake was the manager of that store! He had no idea I was hoping to transfer to the store and likes to joke it was my mum (who was with me) who secured me the job. I remember not being very impressed with the store at first and wasn’t sure if I would want to work there!
We ended up working together for 6 months but nothing really happened during that time. In fact, we only ever really spoke at work nights out, but a spark must have started back then as I drunkenly called my friend from the toilet on Jake’s leaving night saying I liked him. Jake left the company and it would be another 4 years before we saw each other again. Fast forward to March 2011 and I was moving back to London for my first proper ‘fashion’ job and called on Jake to put me up for a couple of nights while I found somewhere to stay. A couple of nights turned into a couple of months and from there we became a couple!
Where and when did the proposal happen?
Jake proposed to me in our hotel room in Copenhagen in March 2016. I knew Jake was going to do it. Nothing can be kept a surprise from me! I was driving out to my mum’s house in Airdrie with my friend after work. Another friend called to say my taxi was arriving soon. I had signed onto my Uber app on her phone the week before and it alerted her about the taxi. I asked where the taxi was going and she said it was outside my flat and heading to my dad’s address. I knew the only reason Jake would be going there would be to be traditional and ask for my hand in marriage as we were going to Copenhagen 3 days later.
I had a tiny scream in the car as I was driving around the M8, trying not to crash the car from the shock. So all weekend I was on edge that he would do it. We were out exploring Copenhagen and we walked down a cute little side street and I was like OMG this is the perfect moment, it’s going to happen right now! Well, it did not happen right then. The perfect moment for Jake to do it was when I was in the bath shaving my legs. Not romantic at all but I’m quite laid back about things like this so it suited us and he did it when one of our favourite songs were playing so it was still special.
How did you pick the location for your engagement shoot?
When we started wedding planning, we had a list of requirements and one was that our wedding venue was surrounded by lochs and mountains. We wanted a very Scottish outlook for our Scottish/English wedding. Sadly, that was the one thing we had to sacrifice as we couldn’t find a venue that had our other requirements as well as the location. I felt having our engagement pictures in the type of scenery I had wanted to have our wedding photos was a good compromise.
Jake and I spend a lot of time hill walking and I love the dramatic landscape of Glencoe and Glen Etive. It is other wordly! Driving along the A82, you can’t help but be stunned by the views. I was so excited when Ingeborg agreed to do it as I knew the photos would be stunning. The engagement shoot was exactly one year after we were engaged so it made it even more special. It had snowed during the week of the shoot and there was still snow on top of the mountains which made it look even more dramatic. We were very fortunate!
I wanted the shoot to look quite styled and I felt my embroidered maxi dress from ASOS and Jake’s jeans and blazer combination complemented and contrasted against the surroundings perfectly. And yes, the photo of the deer is real and, yes, it stood there posing away behind us!
And what about the big day itself?
The big day is on 15th July 2017! We’re taking over Fasque Castle in Fettercairn from the Friday to the Monday. It’s a 2 hour drive from us in Glasgow and we kept getting asked why there. It is the only venue we liked out of the 16+ we visited!
We drove all over Scotland in search of a venue that had our main requirements (30+ bedrooms, weekend hire, modern) and it was the only venue that didn’t leave us with dread in our stomachs so I guess that is a good sign!
All 63 of our guests are able to stay on site across the main building and cottages. Half are travelling up from London so we really want it to feel like a holiday home from the weekend. We have afternoon tea, a pub quiz and pianist/vocalist planned for the Friday afternoon and evening so everyone can relax and get to know one another. On the Saturday, we will have a humanist ceremony in the main hall. This is what I am most looking forward to out the whole weekend.
What I like about Fasque is that once we arrive on the Friday, we can relax and not worry about driving to multiple venues. We want a really laid back, informal weekend. Essentially a big party where there is no curfew or closing time and where we are married in the middle! On the Sunday, we have a big sports day planned. Expect 5-a-side tournament, potato sack race, 100m sprint, medals, drinks and a few surprises!
So much pretty. Anyone else opted for a special location for their engagement shoot?
Photography by Glitter & Twigs Photography
