Planning Diaries: bride-to-be Antonia shares her wedding plans

Seven months to go! Teacher, model and fitness instructor Antonia Healy is set to marry professional footballer and coach Craig Watson on Saturday 28th June 2025 at a surprise location in Marbella

November 2024 update

Craig and I have finalised our bridal party! I love that his four groomsmen are all his best friends from primary school. To make the moment special, he took them out to dinner to Oro, an Italian restaurant in the southside of Glasgow, and gifted them each a personalised bottle of MD 20/20 (classy touch, right?). 

As for me, I’m having eight bridesmaids and one ‘right-hand man’. I don’t do things by halves!

Each of my bridesmaids holds a special place in my heart, so reducing the numbers just wasn’t an option. I then had to plan how to tell them. Helping me out were my right-hand man Adam and MOH Stephanie. I got them to tell the others that they’d planned a ‘surprise engagement dinner’ for me, and they were all invited. 

Of course, the real surprise was on the girls – I was proposing to them as my bridesmaids! We celebrated at Banca di Roma in Glasgow’s Royal Exchange Square, where the team at Thrill Events had beautifully decorated the private room.

Leah from Iced by Leah made the most stunning cake, plus personalised biscuits for each of the party. The Drinks Co provided bottles of custom cocktails that I tucked into their gift bags, alongside perfumes from The White Company – the scents Capri and Amalfi were a nod to our engagement on the Amalfi coast. It all came together perfectly.

After all that excitement, preparations for the big day are well underway. Craig is having a bespoke suit made by Suited and Booted in Glasgow. His first fitting is this month, and he’s keeping the final design a secret from me, which is exciting. 

Meanwhile, I’m working with Opus Couture on my dream dress, created from ideas I’ve sketched and discussed in detail. The manager, Susan, and I have had five meetings so far to make sure every detail is just right. My first fitting is scheduled for mid-November – I can’t wait!

See stunning wedding dresses by Opus Couture photographed at the Corinthian Club in Glasgow

What’s next?

The wedding is in Marbella, so my sister (who’s my chief bridesmaid, role model and best friend) and I are heading there in December to view a few villas for our wedding accommodation. Plus, Craig and I have an appointment coming up at Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh for a wedding scent experience. So many special moments ahead!

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September 2024 update

Craig and I have been together for 13 years this year, and I have been getting a French manicure for every holiday ever since just in case! We first met when we were just 15 and 16 in 2011, we moved in together early 2021 and then two years later planned the trip of a lifetime to the Amalfi Coast.

We visited Positano, Amalfi, Capri, Sorrento and finally Massa Lubrense where we stayed at the famous Maya Beach Hotel for our final three days of the trip.

It was there that Craig finally got down on one knee.

It really was worth waiting over a decade for! He had a photographer set up in the cliffs across from where he planned to pop the question to ensure the moment was captured perfectly.

Craig and I chatted about where and when we would get married. It’s always been a dream of mine to get married abroad and Craig loved the idea too!

We discussed Italy, but the lack of flights from Glasgow really put me off in case anything went wrong. We then considered Mallorca as that’s where we had our first holiday together when we were 17 and 18.

I flew out and viewed a grand total of 10 venues in 48 hours! Some of them were honestly spectacular, but none of them ticked every box for me.

I discussed the problems I was having with the venues in Mallorca with my wedding planner Scott at Sunshine Weddings Spain, who then suggested we look at Marbella or Costa Del Sol.

I flew out again for 48 hours and viewed 12 venues this time and eventually found the one. I had visited much grander venues, but this blank-canvas setting was just so us – chilled, modern and offered panoramic sea views. We are keeping the location secret so it can be a surprise for our guests.

The next thing I did was discuss stationery with one of my bridesmaids who owns b.ink design. I also spoke with my florist Deseos Florist. I’ve changed my mind a couple of times on what I would like, but she has been very patient and understanding.

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The last thing we made sure we had booked was our legal ceremony here at 23 Montrose Street at Glasgow City Chambers. Craig and I really want our Marbella wedding to be the day we ‘officially’ get married, therefore the Glasgow date in May 2025 is going to be very small with just our best man and maid of honour as our witnesses. 

To us, our wedding in Marbella is the day we finally get to become husband and wife after being childhood sweethearts for 14 years.

What's next

We are now moving on to planning our bespoke looks from Opus Couture and Suited & Booted. As someone who does bridal modelling as a job, this has been the hardest decision thus far!

Going bespoke is the only way I could accommodate my ideas and make it individual to me. Of course, Craig knows exactly what he wants!