Autumnal wedding at Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort with local suppliers

Elis Irvine and Jamie Stewart

 28th October 2023

Photography | Clyde Wedding Photography
Venue | Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort

Sometimes, things take you by surprise. Like a sudden downpour that escapes the skies in the middle of a Scottish summer’s day, or when ‘one drink’ with a friend turns into getting the last train home as you’re having too much fun to call it a night.

In the case of Elis and Jamie, they went along to an open day at a local venue, hoping to find some suppliers. They certainly did not expect to book that very venue on the spot (or, indeed, to be wearing slippers when they eventually married there…)

The couple were in the early planning stages at this point and had visited only one other venue. Gleddoch Golf and Spa Resort, near Langbank in Renfrewshire, wasn’t really on their radar.

“We decided to go just to get some ideas on decor, and maybe find some suppliers, but we fell in love with it as soon as we arrived,” recalls the bride. “It’s such a stunning place, and the views over the Clyde are amazing – we could just picture ourselves getting married there.” 

For the open day, the venue had been prepared as if a wedding was taking place, which delighted Elis and Jamie. “The Garden Room was set up for a ceremony and it looked amazing. We decided then and there that this was where we wanted to tie the knot.

The pair had always hoped to say yes to somewhere on their doorstep, as they were keen to employ local suppliers and make things easy for their friends and family: “We didn’t want our guests to have long journeys,” the bride comments. “We have elderly grandparents and they’re not really able to travel too far, so Gleddoch’s location was an important factor in our decision. Most of our guests actually booked themselves into the hotel for the nights before and after the wedding.”

The couple had hoped to marry on 13th October, as that would have been their 13th anniversary, but unfortunately the date wasn’t available; even so, Jamie and Elis knew this was the venue for them and their suitably Scottish celebrations.

“We wanted an elegant sort of classic look with some traditional Scottish elements, and we felt the Gleddoch tied in really well with that,” explains the bride. “We had some ideas in mind for our theme and when we saw the venue we thought, yeah, this will look really good! Being here and seeing it set up for a wedding gave us some inspiration when it came to choosing specific items as we knew they’d fit really well with the surroundings.”

The couple describe their day as running like clockwork, thanks to the hotel staff, with coordinator Kirsty Thompson heading up the event: “She helped us massively with the order of the day, as Jamie and I weren’t too sure what would work best. We stayed at the hotel the evening before, so Kirsty and her colleague Charlene checked in on us throughout the morning and made sure everything was running on time.”

There were many wonderful moments during the day, but the bride says one really stands out: “One of my favourite moments was my dad walking me down the aisle. He passed away from cancer two months after our wedding, so it’s such a cherished memory.”

Talking of walking down the aisle, the bride’s footwear wasn’t quite what she had in mind… “The strap on one of my shoes broke as I was getting ready, and my only options were black trainers or slippers – thankfully, it was a white furry pair, so that’s what I wore,” she laughs. “Luckily, my dress covered them and, to be fair, my feet 
didn’t hurt at all!”

The couple held their ceremony in the Garden Room, which was then turned over for dinner while everyone enjoyed a drinks reception in the Dram Bar. The pair (who opted for a package that included a menu upgrade because they booked at the open day) are self-professed foodies, so the cuisine needed to be spot on. As Elis recalls, it couldn’t be faulted: “In the run-up, we were asked to select two starters, two mains and two desserts from the menu and were then invited to the hotel to sample these. We ate in the Vista restaurant and it was a gorgeous day.

We were given a little card so we could note down any comments, but we honestly couldn’t fault a thing. The food was delicious!” 

The couple were also asked to select three canapés for the drinks reception and five items for the evening buffet as part of the package.

And it wasn’t just coordinator Kirsty who made their day what it was, says Elis; every member of staff contributed to it being so special. “Not only is the hotel itself beautiful and the setting breathtaking, but everything about our day ran so smoothly – and that’s down to the experienced staff who pulled it all together. So many of our guests commented on how good the Gleddoch’s people were. They went out their way to fix any issues and nothing was too much of an ask.”

Venue Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort
Photography and film Clyde Wedding 
Photography
Celebrant Cindy Cosgrove, 
Fuze Ceremonies
Bride's dress David’s Bridal
Bride's alterations and veils Abigail Westrup Bridal
Bride's jewellery Copper Lane Gift Co, 
Lace & Favour
Bridesmaid dresses Ever Pretty
Flower girl dresses Next
Hair Hair by Hayley Sweeney
Makeup Lesley Neil Makeup Artist
Groomswear MacGregor and MacDuff
Bride's engagement and wedding ring Flawless Moissanite 
Groom's wedding ring
Forge and Lumber
Cake Kristen’s Kupcakes
Flowers Flower Vogue Greenock
Stationery The couple made their own
Favours Bride made iced biscuits and 
personalised scratchcards
Venue decor Purple Willow Weddings
Reception music DJ Steph Gee
Other entertainers Singing Servers
Transport Wilson’s Buses