Nikita & Matthew's Wedding Story
What made you choose Crieff Hydro?
Friends of ours were married at the Crieff Hydro a few years before and I was completely blown away by the style of the venue and the service – there was really no contest! And true to our expectation, it was everything we wanted in a wedding venue: elegant and sophisticated surroundings; the coordinator, master of ceremonies and staff were so friendly and professional; and the food is to die for! All through the day my guests were coming up to tell me what a great location we had chosen for the wedding, and now, after seeing mine, another friend of mine is even looking to have her wedding here too!
What would be your one key piece of advice bride to bride & groom to groom?
Bride to Bride: I would advise a bride to work up from the bottom up. It is easy to get pulled in to picking the dresses first, or the centrepieces but try to pick out the fundamentals first. Start with the venue, the flowers, the cake, the DJ and then move on to the dresses, favours, etc., after that. Personally, I felt it helped keep control of the whole wedding and kept me organised.
Groom to Groom: Just give the bride control over the day… It is easier that way!
How did you meet, who proposed and how did they do it?
We met when we were both teenagers while we were working at Homebase. It was my first job, and Matthew was my first ever boyfriend! We hit it off right away and in the time we were apart, we kept in touch until we got back together.
Matthew proposed on his 30th birthday. He was actually planning to propose the day after while we were walking around Loch Muick, but I actually took the day off to surprise him. I pretended to get up early to go to work, while I was actually downstairs getting the house decorated and bringing out the cake and his presents. After I realised he was set on a proper lie in (he does love a lie in!) I put our fancy breakfast on a decorated tray and woke him up. I gave him his presents, then he told me he had a present for me – and popped the question!
How did you know that your partner was ‘The One’?
You never think the person you meet when you are 16 will be the one you end up marrying, but equally, I always knew that when we broke up (always amicably!) it wasn’t the end. In fact, whenever we bumped into each other we always grabbed a coffee and it was like we had never been apart! That and he always made me laugh, always made me feel safe and happy.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Our favourite part of the day had to be the ceremony – just because it was so beautiful, everything was perfect and it was amazing coming up the aisle to see Matthew waiting for me. It felt so surreal walking past all our family and friends, it was very emotional.
What song did you choose for your first dance?
For our first dance we chose “Feeling Good”, by Michael Bublé as we both wanted something a little different, romantic but not overly so. We thought that it perfectly summed up how we felt on the day.
What was the most romantic thing about the day?
The most romantic part of the day was when we were off to get the photographs at the View Point. I think this was because it was our spell of alone time during the wedding, and it was such a beautiful spot. We were all excited from having just finished our ceremony and it just felt really surreal.
Did anything funny happen/unexpected on the day?
Matthew had told me the night before the wedding that I wasn’t to worry, he would deal with everything on the day. So when the day arrived and he’d lost the marriage schedule there was a bit of a panic. His sister, also one of the bridesmaids, saw him running around (apparently he’d gone through his room, his parent’s room, and all the bags but just couldn’t find it anywhere!) Thank goodness she mentioned it to me, because the whole time I had it sitting on the dressing table. It’s one of these things that’s pretty funny in hindsight- so is the fact he thought I would let him take charge of the paperwork!!!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day would have to be during the ceremony when we heard for the first time the three things we love most about the other. Although we live together and have been together for so many years you don’t always say these things out loud and to be honest, some of what Matthew had said surprised me (in a good way!) I know I surprised him with mine!
