Beautiful Falkirk wedding with tips from industry expert bride

Natalie Godfrey and Chris Rock

9th September 2023

Venue | St Bernadette’s Church and Glenbervie House Hotel
Photographer | Casey Stewart Photography

Natalie manages one of Scotland’s leading occasionwear boutiques, Frox of Falkirk, so took her mum Maureen and groom Chris’s mum Karin shopping there. “We have over 2,000 outfits in the shop, so to make life easy, I pulled out some looks I like that I thought they would like too. It was a very relaxed, smooth experience as they tried on an array of styles.

“They ended up with stunning outfits that complemented each other perfectly – my mum in a teal mikado Teresa Ripoll dress and Karin in a dipped-hem satin Couture-Club dress.”

The process wasn’t quite as straight­forward when it came to Natalie shopping for her own dress… “I was apprehensive about finding my gown. I have modelled in bridal shoots and that meant added pressure because so many people, Chris included, had already seen me as a bride. I was genuinely worried I wouldn’t find the one,” admits Natalie.

“I visited a few lovely boutiques, but left feeling disappointed each time – until I went to Bijoux Bridal in Hamilton and encountered a Ukrainian designer called Milla Nova. This label isn’t stocked in many UK bridal shops, which I think is why I was so drawn to it. In the end, I fell for a plain mikado satin fishtail with Bardot sleeves, appliqué flowers and a huge overskirt. So many guests commented on how my dress was so different – exactly what I had hoped for!”

“My experience shopping at Bijoux was fantastic throughout, from the moment I booked the appointment, right up to receiving a message the day after the wedding offering us their congratulations,” she smiles.

Natalie and Chris wanted a traditional Scottish church wedding, followed by a big party in the evening, and thankfully the bride knew the right people to make the magic happen. “As I have worked at loads of wedding shows, I was fortunate to have connections to a lot of suppliers. I feel like having these good relationships already in place was such a help. And if I didn’t have someone in mind to provide a service for a particular part of the day, I would tap into other suppliers’ expertise and they gave me recommendations.

“We had such a positive experience with all of our vendors – so much so that I’ll be recommending them to customers in the shop wherever I can. It has also been lovely to draw on my own experience when chatting to brides and mums in store and at shows,” she adds.

One area of planning that Natalie wishes she’d been more prepared for? The final few weeks before the wedding. “I don’t think anyone ever conveys just how incredibly busy the last month of planning really is. Even if you’re the most organised bride in the world, there will still be last-minute things to attend to in the lead-up. Make sure you factor in this time,” she cautions. “It can be difficult, especially if you’re juggling wedding plans with work and family life.”

Natalie also advises newlyweds to take as much time out with their new spouse on the day as they can and to enjoy every minute – just as she and Chris did. “There are too many highlights to recount, but our wedding reception entrance really was quite something,” remembers the bride. “We asked all the bridal party to wait outside the ballroom with us before we went into the evening reception. We told them that they would all be announced into the room separately to the sounds of a song we’d chosen for them – but they had no idea what the song would be!

“Their faces were a picture, and the rest of our guests absolutely loved it! Chris and I made our entrance to ‘We Will Rock You’ with everyone clapping their hands, before the doors opened and ‘Party Rock Anthem’ was blasted out – the perfect songs for the new Mr and Mrs Rock!”

Natalie’s insider tip: “Don’t sweat the small stuff! Speaking of which: if the weather forecast says it’s going to be warm, take a fan with you! We had an unexpected heatwave on the weekend of our wedding and the fan I had came in very handy.”

Photography Casey Stewart Photography
Ceremony venue St Bernadette’s Church, Larbert
Reception venue Glenbervie House Hotel
Bride’s dress Milla Nova from Bijoux Bridal
Bride’s veil, headpiece and bridesmaid dresses The Bridal Boutique Stirling
Mothers’ outfits Frox of Falkirk
Hair Kerrie O’Donnell and Nicola McMillan, Sorella Hair and Beauty
Makeup Karen McCallum and Anna Shields, Create Makeup Studios
Bridal party accommodation The Coach House at Glenbervie Estate
Filmmaker Cinematique Film Co (video below)
Groomswear JH Kilt Hire
Engagement ring ROX
Wedding rings McMaster Jewellers
Flowers and floral decor Trudi Todd Flowers
Venue decor Lights Candy Action
Cake Thistle Do Nicely
Table plan and welcome sign Print it Pretty Events
Favours Tequlia Rose and Laphroaig miniatures
Drinks reception music Bride’s friend Angela sang
DJs Matt Downs and Michael Smith
Saxophonist Chris Hardie Saxophonist
Transport Carrs Loch Lomond