Bride Laura tells us all about her glamorous day at this exclusive East Lothian venue, complete with four-course menu, fireworks and elegant 'no colour' decor
Laura McFadzean and Elliot Proudfoot
24th August 2024
Venue | Gosford House, East Lothian
Photography | Craig & Eva Sanders Photography
Couples are always being encouraged to ‘make the day your own’, ‘fill it with your personality’ and ‘be true to yourselves’. Sounds great – but how exactly do you make that happen? And how do you know if you’ve done it right?
Perhaps it’s best to take some inspiration from Laura and Elliot, who tied the knot in August at a big bash in East Lothian. “It’s funny, but we didn’t actually use any signage or props as such, but everyone said they knew straight away whose wedding it was,” smiles the bride. “I think it was a perfect reflection of us.”
Choosing a ‘no colour’ colour scheme was one of the ways the couple achieved the chic, timeless look they were hoping for, explains Laura: “I had quite a clear vision of what I wanted, but I was also inspired by the venue itself. I wanted to complement the colours within the gorgeous marble floors and allow the many artworks to speak for themselves.”
She settled on all-white floral arrangements with no foliage, combined with white candles, limewashed chairs and off-white table linen.
“We wanted a very elegant, romantic feel to the day,” explains the bride. “And to tie everything together, we requested black tie as the dress code for our guests.”
“I think everyone was in awe of the venue (as were we), the food and the bath filled with champagne bottles – what’s not to love? Poise Candle Events dressed the venue and I need to give Annette at the company a shout out as she was unbelievable on the day.”
With just 12 months between the wedding and the engagement (which was a special sunrise surprise in New York City), the couple kept to a strict schedule when organising their day.
“We had a look around two venues when we got home from New York, but we absolutely fell in love with Gosford House,” recalls the bride. “We loved its exclusive air – only a very limited number of weddings are hosted here each year. But Elliot was very quiet when we went to the viewing, so I thought he wasn’t sold on it. But as soon as we walked out, he turned to me and said: ‘That’s the one.’ I think I burst into tears!”
Once the date was secured and the couple knew when they’d be celebrating with their 100 guests, the first thing the bride did was book makeup artist Stacey Toner (“Priorities!”).
Start the search for Scottish bridal hair and makeup artists here
She and Elliot also started working on putting together a top team of suppliers, including husband-and-wife fine art wedding photographers Craig and Eva Sanders.
Instagram is the perfect place for looking at a photographer’s work,” smiles Laura. “We chose Craig and Eva Sanders as they have a wealth of experience and are just an all-round lovely couple. I loved the images from the weddings they’d shot previously. On our day, Eva kept saying, ‘It’s high fashion!” It made me laugh. I think she and Craig were excited to capture the venue too, as it’s so beautiful.”
Another top priority for Laura and Elliot was the menu. “The food from our caterer, Culinarians, was out of this world. We are foodies, so a lot of thought went into our meal and it was so worth it – our guests are still talking about it.” The menu was as stylish as the rest of the day – think burrata with white peach, limoncello shots, beef rump fillet and coconut panna cotta.
Read about other amazing Scottish wedding food and drink suppliers here
Making the day their own was crucial to this couple and they were determined to do it their way, even if that meant deviating from the norm. “Our wedding was probably quite untraditional in a lot of ways,” recalls the bride. “I lost my father two years ago, so I walked down the aisle on my own, and I did the second dance with my mother. She also did a speech, as did Elliot’s dad.”
They kept their bridal party and groomsmen to a minimum too, enlisting Laura’s best friend Lauren as maid of honour and Elliot’s best friend Ryan as best man: “We had all our friends there on the day, but neither of us wanted the added pressure of a large bridal party. We wanted Lauren and Ryan to enjoy the day as much as everyone else, so they were not tasked with anything other than being witnesses and being present for us on the day.”
All the prep was going smoothly – until the bride embarked on finding her dream dress.
“I just thought it would have been easier than it was. At the first store I visited I didn’t have a great experience,” Laura says, “so I was quite hesitant going into Opus Couture. The sales assistant there was so good. I must have tried on about 18 dresses, but I found the one!”
In the end (with the help of her mum, grandmother and sister), she settled on a dress from the Berta Privée line, and even designed the scarf that was attached to the dress by the seamstress in Opus Couture.
A party look was on the agenda too: “I knew I’d spend all night on the dancefloor so I wanted a dress to change into. I found a gorgeous full-skirt satin mini with a corset bodice online at Rosie Etienne Bridal.”
And party the couple did. The day may have started out with a “sweet and fun” ceremony conducted by Candice Dillen of Humanist Society Scotland, but things were turned up a notch for the evening celebrations.
As well as being entertained by a DJ, singer and saxophonist, guests were treated to signature cocktails, personalised napkins and little pizza boxes (from ‘Proudfeet’s Pizzeria’, a play on the newlyweds’ surname) for the evening food.
Despite having a full-on day, the couple say they wouldn’t change anything about it or the team of suppliers who helped bring it to life. “We had family travel from all over the world – they made such an effort and it meant so much to us. Seeing everyone in one room with the biggest smiles on their faces was priceless,” says Laura.
“I love that nothing has changed between me and Elliot, other than us gasping if the other says ‘my husband’ or ‘my wife’! My best friend is now my husband. I feel so lucky.”
Top tip: “There is a whole wedding world out there that you didn’t know existed, and it’s all too easy to get lost in it. Stay true to yourself and don’t get wrapped up in trends or worry about what everyone else might think. Getting married is the most expensive party you will ever throw, so make it your own!”
Laura + Elliot's wedding teaser by RHB Wedding Films
Venue Gosford House, East Lothian
Photography Craig & Eva Sanders Photography
Filmmaker RHB Wedding Films (see teaser above)
Celebrant Candice Dillen, Humanist Society Scotland
Bride’s dress Berta Privée from Opus Couture
Bride’s evening dress Rosie Etienne Bridal
Bride’s shoes Amina Muaddi
Bridesmaid dress Meshki
Groomswear Forbes Tailoring
Hair Shirley McCann Hair
Makeup ARTSY Stacey Toner
Nails Nina at NE Beauty
Cake Liggy’s Cakes
Catering Culinarians
Flowers Save The Date Collective
Stationery Eleanor Isobelle Art and Laila Lettering
Favours DIY from Etsy
Venue decor Poise Candle Events
Rings Laings
Ceremony music Tsvetelina Likova Harpist
Drinks reception music Frances Maddin (vocalist), Euan Stevenson (pianist)
Reception music Tartan Entertainment
Fireworks 21CC Group
Transport A1 Coaches
