Louise and Stuart

How did you meet?
We met in a night club eight years ago.

Describe the marriage proposal.
Stuart took me to the Hilton hotel in Glasgow for an overnight stay. While getting ready for dinner he got down on one knee in the bedroom and asked me to marry him. The ring was absolutely perfect. I'd seen it in the January of 2000 and told him that it was what I wanted. He bought it and kept in his room for nearly a year before actually giving it to me.

How long did you spend preparing for the day and how was it?
We spent two and a half years planning our big day. With hindsight there were a couple of very stressful times, but once the day began I knew it was going to be perfect. Having a long engagement meant that I could arrange everything exactly as I wanted and it also meant that we could get all our suppliers booked early and not be rushing about at the last minute. Being a very organized person, I made endless lists of what to do and even gave Stuart a copy of what should be happening every month in the run up to the wedding. I made all my own wedding stationary - invites, RSVPs, menus, table numbers, seating plan & thank you cards. I also made special thank you cards for my parents and the bridesmaids. I had them all in tears the morning of the wedding.

I also designed my own wedding dress, and got a local dressmaker in Glasgow to make it. The final result was stunning and everyone on the day kept telling me how wonderful it was. We really did have the most fantastic day better than we ever imagined.

What type of wedding ceremony did you have and where?
We had a very traditional wedding service in our local Church of Scotland parish. It was also perfect in that I had a trumpeter play a voluntary for the processional, then we had the wedding service and while we were signing the register my friend and bridesmaid sang the Millennium Prayer along with some of the pupils that I teach. The pupils had given up their lunch hours to practice and even travelled 30 miles to attend my wedding and sing.

Where did you hold the reception and what was it like?
We held our reception at the Beardmore Hotel in Clydebank. It was the perfect setting overlooking the River Clyde and since it was a nice day our guests could have drinks outside on the patio. I had planned exactly what all the tables would be like and the centerpieces. However, when I arrived they were slightly different from what I had requested. Fortunately this didn't put a dampener on the day - we were having such a great time. The end of the night finished with the band singing Loch Lomond and then everyone went out to the patio for the fireworks display. The display ended with a heart and our initials. Perfect - I was having a heart theme!

Is there anything you'd like to change, with hindsight?
There really is nothing that I would change about our day. You just have to accept that things probably won't go completely to plan and once the day arrives, there's nothing you can do about it.

What advice would you give to couples currently planning their wedding?
Give yourselves plenty of time to arrange the wedding, the best things come to those who wait. Use the Internet!

Is there any other detail that you would like to share?
One of the funniest parts of wedding was when I went to the toilet before going down the aisle. I had a nine foot train so instead hauling it up I stepped out of my skirt and went that way. The funniest was when my two and a half year old flower girl walked down the aisle very well holding my bridesmaids hand. But when the first hymn started she decided to dance at the altar. When her aunt signed for her to come to her, she put her hands on her hips and shook her head! This really lightened the whole day and took the pressure off us.