From a proposal under the mistletoe to becoming ‘the De Castros’ upon marrying in the Trossachs, David and Brent’s wedding journey has love and laughter at every turn
Brent Cosford & David Richardson
1st June 2019
Venue | Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel and Spa, Aberfoyle, Trossachs
Photography | David Grant Simpson Photography
“David and I started out as roommates. We met one night to discuss the room, but there was an instant attraction for both of us and we hit it off over a bottle of wine. We both tried to keep things platonic in the beginning, so as not to risk ruining a lovely living situation. We stayed up night after night, getting to know each other, realising we had so much in common and were both geeks at heart!
After about a month, we spent a lovely Christmas together and then on New Year’s Eve, David raised mistletoe above my head and we had our first kiss. The next day, we made our relationship official and went on our first date.
Three years later, on Hogmanay 2017, David had hung some mistletoe in the room and invited me for a kiss. He then got down on one knee and said “Three years ago, we kissed for the first time beneath this mistletoe. I haven’t stopped loving you from that moment. Will you marry me?” I cried and said yes!
We had originally planned to have our wedding this year (2020), but David pushed for the ‘why wait another year?’ rhetoric. We are so grateful we forged ahead, otherwise our wedding would have been right in the middle of lockdown and cancelled.
We travel a lot in our motor home and our favourite place, with the happiest memories, is Aberfoyle in the Trossachs. We went to view Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa in June 2018. The wedding coordinator sat us by the feature windows, presented us with afternoon tea and we soaked up the stunning views of Loch Ard and Ben Lomond in the distance. We booked it there and then.
We chose an intimate humanist ceremony, shared with 55 guests, officiated by the wonderful Senga Ishaq of the Humanist Society Scotland. We chose to walk down the aisle together, holding hands. We also included a hand-fasting, a reading of our favourite poem (The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer) and lit a candle for the people that weren’t able to be with us. Our vows and finally saying ‘I do’ were both emotional and unforgettable.
We both changed our surnames after marrying. We are now Brent and David De Castro. The surname was my great grandparents’ original name, so it just felt right!
Our wedding invitations from Gorgeous Invites set off our inspiration and colour scheme. They were a sparkling midnight blue wrapped in a large gold satin bow. We added many personalised items, made by family and friends, that tied in wonderfully with the look. In particular, we loved the large wooden engraved balloon feature with our names that was made by David’s mum and dad, James and Joyce.
Our first dance was to Dolly Parton’s The Story. This is ‘our song’ and perfectly expresses how we feel about our relationship and our past. Our time together hasn’t been a Disney fairytale. In a relationship, you need to compromise, work as a team, hold the other person up when they need you to lean on – and ultimately inspire each other to do the best you can in every aspect of your lives.
Our photographer David Grant Simpson was incredible. He was down to earth, took the time to get to know us, did his research and put us at ease. He was extremely pleasant and professional. He captured the candid moments, but also made some of the photos seem dramatic and stylish. If you need a photographer, he’s your guy.
Hats off too to our florist Endrick Blooms. We supplied our budget and desired colours – and they just made it happen! The flowers were stunning and they went above and beyond on the day.
In terms of keeping on top of the wedding planning, we would suggest asking someone for help who’s been through it all before – there may be something you haven’t even thought about that someone might mention. Also make sure you put everything in your calendar, big or small, including meetings, fittings, tastings etc. We constantly used memos on our phones.
We were surprised at how quickly the actual day is over. Savour every moment because it goes by in a flash. We now understand why so many people renew their vows – we want to do it all over again already.”
Top tip: “Stick together on your wedding day. You’ll feel like a bit of a rag doll pulled in all directions trying to talk to everyone, but remember the day is about the two of you. Stay together and move around the room as a couple.”
Venue Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel and Spa, Aberfoyle, Trossachs
Photography David Grant Simpson Photography
Brent’s suit Marc Darcy
David’s Highlandwear MacGregor and MacDuff
Celebrant Senga Ishaq, Humanist Society Scotland
Cake Rosewood Cakes
Flowers Endrick Blooms
Stationery Gorgeous Invites
Venue décor Lilly Cole Events
Balloon art J&N Balloon Art
Wedding rings Chisholm Hunter
Ceremony music Heather Branigan violinist (friend)
Reception DJ Diamond Discos
Caricaturist Edd’s Heads
Wedding film Alasdair Barron
