Danielle Connelly & Simone Varese
15th September 2018
Venue | St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, and Carlowrie Castle, Edinburgh
Photography | 1500 Photography
“Simone and I were together for two years before he proposed on a trip to Monte Carlo. He got down on one knee at Café De Paris in front of hundreds of onlookers. It was the most amazing surprise I have ever had!
Although we considered marrying in Italy, after some thought, we booked Cameron House for our reception venue. However, nine months prior to the wedding, it went on fire and we were forced to find a new venue, rearrange our date and, consequently, some suppliers.
It was a stressful time. With all of the more ‘exciting’ things to book, insurance slipped down the list of priorities and we forgot to organise it. I would urge other couples to sort it early on. We frustratingly lost deposits for vendors that could not accommodate our new date at Carlowrie Castle. That said, the team there were outstanding and really helped us to pull everything together. They went over and above to give us the best experience possible.
It was important for us to have our ceremony in a Catholic church. St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow was central for many of our guests and the interior is simply stunning. We obtained permission from the church to have our own parish priest Cannon Berry perform the ceremony which made it really special for us.
We wanted to have a mixture of Scottish and Italian traditions, ensuring all of our guests felt comfortable. It was a priority that everyone felt relaxed and had a great time, with fantastic food and drinks on the go.
Decor and floral arrangements were high on my list of priorities. My vision was of a classy, elegant and romantic setting. I opted for neutral colours like cream and gold and used them throughout, with the exception of the groomsmen who wore navy.
Photography was one of the biggest decisions for us.
We didn’t want to spend too long away from our guests and I wanted traditional ‘posed’ shots as well as natural pictures capturing the day. When we met with Stuart from 1500 Photography, we instantly felt at ease as he understood exactly what we were looking for.
It was an emotional day. The speeches by Simone, the two best men and my niece (who was my maid of honour) were both hilarious and tear-jerking and it was touching watching all of the people we love having a brilliant time together and celebrating with us.”
Top tip: “I am so glad we opted to have our wedding filmed too. It meant we could see the reactions from the singing waiters we booked. Our guests were absolutely thrilled and were up dancing and singing through the meal. It really set the party tone for the evening!”
Bride’s dress Martina Liana at Eleganza Sposa
Bride’s shoes Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaids’ dresses Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Bridal Boutique
Groomswear Forbes Tailoring
Rings Mr Harold & Son
Flowers and decor Supernova Wedding Design and Flowers
Cake Special Days Cakes
Stationery Angels Creations
Reception music Fresh Entertainments
Singing Waiters Singing Waiters by Secret Opera Singers
Filmmaker Bridal Arts Studio
Transport Palladium Executive Hire
Hair Natalie McIlroy Hair and Lynzi McQueen Hair
Makeup Farah Hussain at Image Beauty
