In his words | new columnist Philip spills the beans on wedding planning
- ThePlus Audio
- ThePlus Audio
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Philip Petrie and Brian Fraser met back in 2014 and, after a first date that lasted an epic eight hours, they knew there’d be loads more to come.
Following a brief stint of long-distance dating they moved to Glasgow in 2015, already joking that Brian would be the one to propose when the time came.
And when he did, boy did he do it in style!
“Visiting London was a Christmas tradition for us but this time Brian booked a stunning Hilton Canopy, not the much smaller hotel I thought we were going to,” Philip remembers.
Once inside, they were treated like royalty with rose petals everywhere and chocolates galore.
“Brian said it was because I’d had such a tough year (my number one cheerleader, my mum, passed away in July 2022) but little did I know there was more to come.”
Innocent and “totally gullible”, Philip fell for the tall tale that they’d been randomly chosen for a private tour whilst enjoying a tipple at London’s iconic Shard.
And when they returned to their previous spot on the viewing deck it had been totally transformed.
“The tourists were gone and there was a red carpet, candles, and a light-up sign that read ‘Marry me’. I was absolutely stunned and said yes immediately.”
They quickly got into planning mode, having already secured some suppliers by January.
And since then it’s been smooth sailing with no dramas and just making the most of every moment, which we love to hear.
The Perfect Setting
When it came to finding a venue, location was key.
“Our families still live in the northeast and we still have friends in Aberdeen, but our lives are now in Glasgow so we wanted somewhere easy to get to from both cities,” explains Philip.
A random suggestion from a work pal led to a viewing at Dunkeld House Hotel in Perthshire and the grooms were instantly blown away by the beauty of the luxurious country house, as well as its calm, natural surroundings.
“All our boxes were ticked to the point we asked if we even had to visit other venues. In the end, we didn’t because we’d instantly fallen in love.”
Philip admits that Brian is ‘Mr Organised’ and has taken care of most things but he’s pleased to report that his three big tasks – the cake, the videographer, and a dog chaperone for their Schnug (a pug/ miniature schnauzer cross) Jones – have also been ticked off the to-do list
White Party
Next on the agenda is outfits and they’re going all-in with their beautiful winter white wedding theme.
“Because there’s no bride to upstage, we’re encouraging women to wear white dresses or something monochrome.
And we’re thinking matching white tuxedos…”
We can’t wait to hear more.
