JUMP TO IT

DATE: Saturday 24th July 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY: Eric Pomphrey VENUE: Back garden

The pandemic forced Susan and Jenny to slash their guestlist and switch their wedding from a winter celebration to a beautiful summer garden party, but they embraced the change and really loved planning. And these stylish brides were always going to have a stunning wedding, however they tied the knot. “We enjoyed planning as it was on a smaller scale and more personal,” smiles Susan.

The couple first met in Alston Bar and Beef while Jenny was working and Susan was in for lunch with friends. They hit it off and three years later Susan proposed to Jenny under their Christmas tree.

From the beginning it was important for them to find a venue where they could choose their own catering and the original plan was to marry just after Christmas with 150 guests but when restrictions kicked in again they pushed the date back to July and cut their number of guests to 50. They chose Jenny’s brother and sister-in-law’s back garden for their celebration, and it was lovely to have that personal connection. The brides stuck to a scheme of greens and natural colours with flowers and foliage setting the tone and they either sourced or made all of the décor details themselves.

These fashion-forward brides had a clear idea of what they wanted - no dresses. Instead, they opted for gorgeous jumpsuits. However, due to the pandemic they had to order online with Susan getting a beautiful French Connection number and Jenny sourcing a lovely ASOS Bridal one. “We both wanted something comfy, classic and simple,” says Susan. They accessorised with individual flower pins for their hair, made by their florist Nicola at Olive Flowers Glasgow, navy shoes to add a splash of colour and cool sunglasses.

The women originally intended to have eight bridesmaids – to be dressed in navy Boden jumpsuits - and two bridesmen. “However, as our numbers ended up so small and the day happened in a different way, they were just guests,” says Susan.

Susan

Waking up on their wedding morning the brides both felt relaxed and just excited for the day ahead. “Other than a stress with the prosecco cart not delivering glasses the morning was very calm,” says Susan. They walked down the aisle to a song that was personally composed for the occasion and played live by Jenny’s mum’s partner Donald MacLellan. “We both felt very lucky and it was a lovely moment walking with two people who mean a lot to us, Jenny’s brother and my dad,” remembers Susan.

The couple chose to have a humanist ceremony and have a close connection with their marriage officer Maria Cairnie which made it all the more special. “We didn’t write our own vows but selected poems to be read during the ceremony which resonated with our journey,” says Susan. “We felt very emotional saying our vows.

Susan and Jenny held a drinks reception before and after the ceremony and they made sure they joined in before their “I do’s” so they could enjoy as much time as possible with their guests. Then following their ceremony they all feasted on a brilliant barbecue, catered by Regis Banqueting in a fun and relaxed reception. “Jenny’s brother wrote a speech which made reference to our journey in a way that was emotional and understood by the guests,” smiles Susan. “It was very special.”

Reflecting on their big day, Susan says it feels “amazing” to be married. And while planning was far from plain sailing with the change of venue and date, they loved how it all worked out. “Covid was initially the toughest thing about it but that turned out to be a blessing as it made our day more special and intimate that we could have hoped for,” she says. They had great fun working with people they have relationships with and putting together all the small touches. And they say it was so special to be surrounded by the people they’re closest to.”

CAKE Cara Mancey CATERING Regis Banqueting DÉCOR James Stapleton Balloons FLOWERS Olive Flowers Glasgow HAIR Niche Salon Paisley JENNY’S JUMPSUIT ASOS Bridal MAKE-UP Laura Craig MARRIAGE OFFICER Maria Cairnie MUSICIAN Donald MacLellan

RINGS Etsy SUSAN’S JUMPSUIT French Connection TRANSPORT Acacia Coaches

PHOTOGRAPHER’S CREDIT

“It was a pleasure to photograph Jenny and Sue’s wedding. Because of Covid they decided to use their sister-in-law’s garden and I was a little bit hesitant because it wasn’t your normal location with multiple places to set up wellcomposed shots, plus they had instructed me that didn’t want any traditional wedding photographs, they just wanted me to capture the essence of the day in a fly on the wall way. My nerves were quickly removed. The combination of all these elements, plus the fab weather gave me a great opportunity to capture some beautiful moments that Jenny and Sue seemed incredibly happy about. Lovely couple, lovely day and lovely memories.” Eric, Eric Pomphrey