In this episode of Let’s Talk Weddings with Your Scottish Wedding, Lesley is joined by bride-to-be Claire Payling as she shares the story behind her upcoming Mallorca wedding. Claire talks about her surprise proposal at Gleneagles, the excitement of planning both a small legal ceremony in Glasgow and a larger celebration at Finca Son Mir, and the process of finding the right venue, planner and suppliers abroad. From content creators and photographers to dresses, shoes and beauty preparation, she gives an honest insight into the decisions that have helped bring her vision to life.
Claire also reflects on the support of her fiancé Ollie, her family and bridesmaids, as well as the joy of sharing the experience with the people closest to her. Drawing on her own work in the wedding industry, she offers thoughtful advice for other couples: choose suppliers you genuinely connect with, avoid becoming overwhelmed by online opinions, and focus on creating a celebration that feels right for you. It is a warm, funny and personal conversation about wedding planning, lasting relationships and enjoying every stage of the journey
Bride-to-be Claire Payling joins Lesley to share the story of her Gleneagles proposal and the planning behind her dream Mallorca wedding. From choosing trusted suppliers to balancing a legal ceremony in Glasgow with a celebration abroad, this episode is full of practical advice, personal moments and wedding-day excitement.
Let’s Talk Weddings EP 5
Welcome to Let’s Talk Wedding with Your Scottish Wedding. I’ll be your host today, Lesley Trainer, and I am so excited. I’ve got the beautiful Gayle and Gary in the studio today. Hi, guys. Hi. Hey. Aw. This is very Oprah, isn’t it? Oh do you like it, this- It’s very posh. Oh it is. It is, very much. If nothing changes- Nothing changes.
It’s lovely. Thank you for having us. Uh-huh. No thank you for, for coming on. I’m so excited. We’re not used to posh places, are we? No no. I’m sure you are. ‘Cause yous have obviously led a very glamorous life, have you not? Oh that’s a lot of rubbish. Is it? What are you talking about? Well your acting careers and, like- Oh.
I paid her to say that. Did you, aye? Thanks. Thanks for that, Taylor. No bother. No bother. Not as glamorous as you would think. So is it just what we see then that, that looks very glamorous, whereas in the background it’s just not glamorous? Like- Les, I’ll have you know, it’s hard work. Oh I know it’s hard work, 100%.
Yeah. Like, 100%, I get that. No it, it’s, it’s lovely. I mean, being an actor is is not for the faint-hearted, put it that way. No. Especially when the world is a-changing, eh, Gary? It’s changing very much. No it’s, it’s, it’s tough. Mm. And you need to be well, you need to be thick-skinned at points- Mm. Yeah.. and be tough, ’cause, you know, you, there’s a lot of, lot of, uh, refusals- Told you’re shite sometimes
and knock-backs. Yeah. but we’ve been lucky enough. Oh listen, really, we’ve been very lucky. Uh-huh. Very lucky. Uh-huh. Maybe, I mean, you’ve been doing it a long.. You, child. Can I tell a story? So really quickly- Oh here we go. Shut up. So- See you. Right. Can I just say before you start the story- Yeah.. so just so that people know, so Gayle, you were in River City for a long time.
Yeah. And Gary, you were in Mrs. Brown’s Boys. Yes. Yes. Yes. So just so that people know that. So- He was also in Take the High Road. << Daew, naew, naew, naew >> Oh. But yes, that, that’s- So my very first-ever boyfriend’s wee brother was in Take the High Road. What’s his name? And I went to go on set. It was so my boyfriend’s name was Barry Brown.
I can’t remember his wee brother’s name. It made that much of an impact on you, Lesley. Ah, that was a- Little wee pest. Little wee pest. But do you know what? Take the High Road just was my school because I lived down in, I’m from Bredalbane. Uh-huh. Uh, and I live in the Vale. Yeah. And they would obviously film round about us- Yeah
and that was the kinda local school, the Vale. Yeah. And they came down to film, and we would do wee bits and bobs as extras. I mean, and I had to say a line. They were like, “Can you just say bye-bye to..” And it was your sister, the girl Shona, who were in the school. Oh and you were up on the season with her.
Yeah. And I was like, “See you later, Sarah.” Like, gave myself lines, right? But Gary was there, and I remember you were like that, “Hi. Hi.” You were dead nice, actually. I mean, and then you turned out to be- Well yeah, nice.. and then I turned out to be this. Yeah. Nice. Aye. But I remember it being, I was probably about 13, 14, Gary, when I first clapped eyes on you.
And then it was years, and years, and years later until we actually finally got together. Destiny brought youse together. Well and the color of her hair. But uh, the two gingers. But uh, no, I, as Gail said, I started when I was 12. Mm-hmm. Were you 12? 12. Right. And The early, uh- Child, child actor.. a child actor.
Uh-huh. Tell
the story about the audition and- I know, the audition. So I remember it was back in 1992, and what was happening was that STV were going around various schools looking for kids to, to go and audition, but it was blonde-headed boys they were looking for. Right. And my drama teacher, Terry, had.. and Mandy had said, “Oh I’ve got a blonde, but I’ve also, I’ve got a ginger.”
Uh-huh. And they said, “Oh well, send him anyway.” And I- You’re more strawberry blonde, to be fair. Yeah. I, no, I was lot, lot, lot ginger then. Right. Just gray now. And I was going, going white now. Tell no porkies. And uh, hanging about with you. And uh, so we, we went.. I remember saying to my mum, because I had never from a background of acting- Yeah
we were a working-class family, and- You’re a Pollok, aren’t you? Yeah fae the Pollok. Oh sorry, the Pollok. And uh, and I said to my mum, “I’ve got this, uh, chance,” and, uh, off we went. I remember it was at Goldbergs at the time. Yes. Do you remember Goldbergs? Off I went to get a new rig out. Aw. A style card, mum.
You had a style card. We had the style card. Well I’ll tell you this, that’ll tie in with what I’m gonna say. And off I went to the Pollok centre, now Silverburn, get a new rig out- Yeah.. and jumped the 48 bus to Cowcaddens, and there I walked into a room of 50 children, all blonde, and me. Right. So the- So so the good thing is you stood out.
Yeah exactly. Oh I certainly- Exactly.. I certainly stood out. Cut a long story short, a couple of auditions, and they offered me the, the job. Amazing. And it changed my life. Yeah. It changed my family’s life. Wow. And uh, great memories. Martin McManus, James, and Blythe. It was a fantastic, uh, opportunity, uh, and a lovely time.
Yeah. From that job, I was able to pay my mum’s style card off. Yes. And that was- And that was the Taggart.. my proudest moment. And that was from Taggart. Absolutely. Yeah that was Taggart. Uh-huh. And I remember you saying- Aye, wee Betty was no longer in any debt. Uh-huh. She’d been.. I was the baby of the family.
Uh-huh. She’d been paying this card off for years. Forever, I know, because the interest on it was so high. It was. It was. Isn’t that so lovely? But no, and that was me, that was sort of me put on the road to, uh, uh, to acting, and that’s when I got the bug. How great is that though? so that’s, that’s the lad up.
And that’s a very proud moment, isn’t it? It was. To, to help your family. Aye, I was proud and, uh- You’re very giving.. the wee boy fae Pollok- Yeah doing a police drama He’s made good. He’s made good. He’s, he’s, he’s still doing the drama. Do you know, the m- the most I’ve kinda done for my parents is I’ve, I’ve, I have got them a couple of holidays to Tenerife.
Lovely. Not, I’ve not paid any cards off or anything like that. You could have bought them a couple of Vesta curries as well. I mean, come on, don’t be hard on yourself. But now I’m out of job, I’ve not got much to offer anymore. Oh no, you’re only having a rest. You’re gonna get snapped up- I’m having a rest, aye
so you’re not gonna be out of work for too long, lady. Oh good. So don’t, don’t. ‘Cause you’ve got lots of.. But so, and we always gonna touch obviously that, you know, River City’s now finished. So what’s next for you? Because are you now, am I right in saying that you’re training to be a celebrant? Is that right or is it wrong?
So- Oh she’s past that point now. She’s past that point. There’s no returning. She’s past that point. She has her wings and she’s flying. So I think- Amazing.. as a, as an actor I do a l- well, myself and Gary host Yes.. a lot. We, as we do for you- Yes yes.. at Your Scottish Wedding Awards- Yes.. which we had a total ball.
Last year was our first year. The best, the best. And it was great, wasn’t it? And uh, yeah, we are obviously, we do this and we’re obviously, yeah, we’re, we’re out there available. And I think as a, as an actor, you need to wear a lot of different hats. Of source. So Gary- It does, uh, celebrate funeral celebrancy Yes And I said, “I quite fancy that.
That’s a really nice thing to do for someone” Oh. So I got lumped with it. So from February I’ve been going out shadowing him, and let me tell you when I tell you he is the best in the business no, it’s- No you are. Shut up. So he’s really good- Uh-huh.. and he’s been such a great mentor. Yeah. And I’ve done maybe about 10 funerals now.
Have you? And I’ve enjoyed it immensely, just being for the families. What a special thing, though, to do for somebody because it’s one of those things, isn’t it, where you’ve lost a loved one and you just don’t really know who to reach out to. Uh-huh. And if you can get somebody- Aye.. who’s going to be incredible at telling that human being’s story.
Such an honor for a celebrant- Yes.. you know, for us to be given that role. Uh-huh. You know, I sort of fell into it. I’d lost my brother six years ago, and then my dad three years ago. Left Mrs. Brown. Yeah. Uh, I’d moved back to Glasgow, and I was just- And we’re glad to have you back.. well, thank you. Uh, but I was just lost.
And of course- Yeah.. when I look back now really, you know, we’re coming out of COVID. I’d just had a, a baby who was premature. I didn’t obviously have the baby, my wife did. Yes. Lost my brother then- Yeah.. you know, everything was just all- A lot.. on your plate. Yeah. Uh, then Dad passed, and it just something, you know, I had many people in my life that passed.
Yeah. And of course loved them and missed them. But something with a parent, it just- Yeah.. something dies with you. Yeah. Yeah. and it was a, a friend of mine, uh, my cousin’s, uh, husband who’s a funeral director, and he said, “You should possibly look into doing this.” Uh-huh. “I think you would be good- Uh-huh
because of Jared and your dad. You can be empathetic, et cetera.” Yeah. Or not find a public speaking. Absolutely. All this carry on. It’s using your skillset as well. Yeah. Like mostly- Absolutely.. and actually I remember saying to Gary a couple of months ago, “Gary, you’ve got such a good why you do this.” Yeah.
“And I don’t know what my why is. And- Then when I started, ’cause I’m quite an analytical person, right? And I thought about it, and when I go to a funeral, sometimes you don’t know any more about the person when you go in to when you, you leave. Yes. And it’s their last show, it’s their last send-off.
Absolutely, it has. It’s really a special thing. It’s, it’s their celebration of life, isn’t it? Yeah and it’s a big responsibility. Yeah. And actually, that’s where my why came from, ’cause I would, I would always be like, “That was shite.” Like, give the, give that person the best that they should- Yeah.. you know, work hard on the eulogy and writing it- Absolutely
and actually using your skillsets. Yeah. Public speaking- Yeah.. writing, being creative- Yeah.. with the stories that you’re fed from the family. Yeah. And you’re only given a short snippet of that person’s life. I know. Because you can’t fit it in- Of course you can’t.. to just one service. No of course. But it has been, it’s been an eye-opener.
It’s been quite a beautiful experience, actually. Yeah. And it’s lovely when you walk away as, as we do- Yeah.. and the family are so grateful. Yeah. And they’re so.. They can’t thank you enough. Absolutely. You get the wee message the next day. Yeah. That’s nice. “You made it so special.” I always wait on that, you know?
And you walk away, ah, you walk away, and you just think, “Okay that’s why.” I think it takes a special person, though, to do that job, whereas I couldn’t. I would just be a blubbering mess. I’d be reading everything. Well I am sometimes. And I would just be crying. I honestly would be crying. Like, if somebody cries- Yeah
in front of me- Yeah.. I immediately just cry. Actually, you’re emot- you’re emotional. Because I’m like, “Oh my goodness.” Like they’re, they’re hurting, or they’re sore. Yeah so I couldn’t do it, so hats off to you guys for, for going down that. No thank you. And- We, we need more people like you in the world.
No as they say- Yeah.. as I always say to families, you know, they say, “You enjoying it, Gary?” And I say, “If we can use the word enjoy, I enjoy giving back.” Of course. I enjoy making you walk away from your loved one- Yeah.. knowing that you have done your loved one proud- Yeah yeah.. just by the help of, of me.
Absolutely. We’re there to narrate their story. Yeah. and of course, as Gayle’s saying, the experiences and comedy may be pulling into that empa- Yeah.. being empathetic, all those little things. And here we are falling into that. Uh, will I ever act again? Never say never. Absolutely. But for me, and this- Door’s always open.
Uh-huh. For, for me, doing this journey was, it was, that’s what I found I had to do. That’s where you were, the place that you were at. Yeah yeah. and it’s turned into this is a, a new business. A career. Uh-huh, which is very exciting. Yeah. But you’ve also written plays, Gayle. Like, you’ve.. Was it just last year you did that?
Like, share. Last month. So well, last month, and actually I did, uh, an adult panto, so that was a bit more risky. Love it. It was very. So tell us, so where did the inspiration for that come from? Like- Well I think, uh, I mean, it’s just, it’s working class humor, isn’t it? I mean, sometimes it can be a bit smutty, but, uh, I don’t think anybody ever goes, wakes up in the morning and goes, “I’m a writer,” right?
Unless you’ve, you know, you’ve went to university. Yeah yeah. You’ve done a, kind of, writing course. Yeah. I’ve just, kind of, fallen into it. And I think, like, when I’ve spoken to production companies or maybe been in something- Uh-huh.. they’re like, “Gayle, do you have voices in your head?” And I’m like, “Well aye.”
You know, characters. Yeah yeah, yeah. That’s what I mean. And I think that- Beautiful.. yeah, I just I think, uh, yeah, just starting something, having a vision, having characters in your head, like really- Uh-huh.. analyzing people. Uh-huh. I enjoy that. Very creative though. Yeah. And I, I, it was actually the l- the one last month was in Aurum More.
Right. And I’d written it with a lovely guy, Mark Pye, and working class story about bingo, but it was about friendship, love, like, you know- Nice.. stakes are high. Like, you know, all the, the working class themes that we expect, and then the adult panto was an absolute godsend. It was a hoot. Yeah. And that was probably..
I’m really, really proud of that, ’cause it was good, wasn’t it? No it was very funny. It was funny. I, I got to see it. It was very good. Yeah. So will you resurrect that again this year, or- Yes. We’re doing, uh, Jack with a Big Beanstalk. Oh. Uh, that’ll be going out in February actually. I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Oh she, she needs to wash her mouth out. That’s what she needs to do. But do you know what? It’s like you can go anywhere with something like that, and actually the beauty of that was that when I f- first put that out and you do a table read, you’re like, “I don’t know how this is gonna go.” Yeah. And actually when the first night we went up, it was like bang, bang, bang, and then you would land a joke.
Yeah. And I thought, “Right okay. All of that’s working. It’s all right. You’ve learned as you’ve went along in your life.” Yeah. Because you don’t know. Yeah. And you did enjoy the audition process, finding Jack and the big beanstalk. The beanstalk and his big beanstalk. That was, kept you busy. But it was, it was actually the wizards were the big boss.
And we had Sanjeev Kohli in, uh, play the big boss. It was hysterical honestly, and it was really good, and everybody was really on board. Yeah. I, it was just a, it was actually just a lovely team to work with. Uh-huh. I think I would talk to Gary when I was writing the panto- And I was like, “Gary, it’s gonna be shit.
It’s gonna be this, it’s gonna be that,” and oh, and I’m walking in this park, walking the dogs, and he’s like, “Will you cop yourself on? I’m burying people every day. Go and see a ward of dying children and then you’ll know what the..” You know? Absolutely. That is nothing. And he does, he puts me in my place- Yeah
for that because you’re in- So that’s perspective, isn’t it? And you’re put, and you’re- Not very much.. you’re creating, you’re making people laugh. You’re- Yeah.. you’re giving back as well. Yeah. Yeah. That’s it. But you’re entertaining. Like, you’re having a laugh. Like, come on. Yeah. It’s not that deep. And- There’s a lot worse things going on
I know. And you also don’t know that what that laugh might do for somebody. Like, that might be the worst day of their life or, you know, maybe something, they’ve just had a crap day. They wish they hadn’t got out of bed. And then you’ve just made.. You’ve turned that around because you’ve made them laugh.
Well I do that for Gary every day. We speak every day. Oh the phone bills are increasing and increasing. Three, four times a day. And see if it goes straight on the answer phone, I just ping it right back. I go, “Oh no, he’s put it on DND so he doesn’t need to stop and talk to me. I’m just calling that again.”
You do. Do you do that? Short dial. No. Yes you are, pal. Boys. I know. Man talk. Love it. Oh. So obviously we’ve, we’ve touched obviously on your careers and stuff like that. Is there anything else? Like, if you could go back to, like, your sort of 16-year-old self.. Well you were 12, so you’d need to go back further than that.
I’ll go back to 16. Like, is there anything in life that yous would change? Is there anything that yous would have done differently? Or would you have gone into acting? Would you not have? Like- I mean, you know, the acting- What would you tell yourself? I would probably tell, you know, that 16-year-old to- Uh-huh
to not worry so much. Yeah. You know? I, I think with my kids now, I say, “Please don’t worry.” No. And especially the job I’m doing now. Uh-huh. That life is so short. It is, and it’s precious. Don’t worry. Yeah. Enjoy. And I wish I’d, you know, been more relaxed back then. It was always, I grew up so, so quickly- Yeah
within the acting world. Yeah. I, I, I.. Yeah I was, I wish I’d went on the boys’ holidays and just relaxed more. Uh-huh. and again, don’t be frightened about making mistakes, because you learn from mistakes. Of course. But at that time you don’t think that. And of course at 16- Yeah.. you, you thought you knew everything.
Yeah. and I, so I, I would say just enjoy and just don’t worry. Yeah. I always say there’s, you don’t fail at anything in life. It’s just a life lesson. Yeah. That’s lovely. Yeah. I don’t believe in like, you know, those losers and winners- No.. and, and all that kind of nonsense. I just think that- We’re on this planet for such a short period of time- No yeah
and you don’t know what tomorrow’s gonna bring. Yeah. So you’ve just got to- It’s so true.. ride out the storms and ride out the good times and- It’s so true. And even now, you know, the, the, since losing Dad and, and, and life has changed. Yeah. It’s, uh, changed me, uh, that my outlook is now I don’t people please the way I used to.
Yeah. I do things that suit me. Yeah. Uh, I look after my children and, and the timeframe. Yeah. I spend more time with them. I make them more priority. Yeah. I’m not chasing career. Yeah. I’m not chasing money. Because all of that really- It’s irrelevant.. yes. Isn’t it? The big grand scheme of thing. When you look at the big picture.
Yeah. And you just think, “Okay let’s slow down now- Uh-huh.. and enjoy time with friends- Yeah.. time with family- Yeah.. doing things for you.” ‘Cause it’s so precious, isn’t it? So precious. It really is. It really is. It really is. Life is precious. But I do think sometimes you get hung up with- You do.. “Oh I need to get the car.
I need to get the house. I need to do the..” Yeah. That’s it. So ’cause when I obviously started Your Scottish Wedding up- Yeah.. like, I sold my house. I sold my beautiful big house. That was huge though. It was, and we lived in a cara- we lived in a caravan for a year and a half. In a caravan. That’s it, in the caravan.
I know, I love them. is it- That’s right.. those thingy giants? What do they call it anyway? Yes. but yeah, so, so I did that, and I thought, do you know, like, we’ve had all that, but we started with nothing. Like, Ted and I genuinely started with nothing. I was 21, and we built everything up ourselves.
And I thought, do you know, you can always make money. Yeah. Like, I really, like, you really can. That outlook, because I think that, you know- Especially from somewhere like, like you’re asking would you change anything, and the worry is definitely something, or not people pleasing, or even chasing.
Now, I was always gonna act, but, uh, uh, but you chase a lot. And you possibly go into circles that you don’t actually feel you belong. Right. Okay. And that’s another thing about our industry as a whole. Whereas I’ve really stripped that back and I suit myself.. definitely. And there’s, there’s always that kind of, you have to be on on call for anyone or, like, you know, maybe be seen.
I’m not very good at that networking thing because it’s like you have to go to be seen. I, I could not. Thank you. No passed all that. I know. But I’m past it. I know. And I don’t want to be past anything. Like, I feel as if I’m quite a young-spirited person, but- Absolutely.. you know, talent doesn’t just speak for itself- Yeah
and hard work. Yeah. It’s so much more than that in our industry. Absolutely. Yeah. It’s not about that. Yeah. And especially nowadays, it’s about followers, shite like that, you know? Yeah. And that’s not to say that somebody isn’t talented that’s got all that. Yeah. Yeah. But it’s just not as simple. Yeah. And actually, do I think that if I just kinda rocked along and just kinda..
Maybe my life, I would’ve had more kids or you know, I’ve only got, uh, one wee girl. She’s amazing, and maybe that’s the way my life was meant to go. Yeah. But you know, maybe I would’ve lived a wee bit more of a family life, because I remember when I dec- when we were having Stevie, I remember saying to Jack, like, that, this is the only time we are gonna get the opportunity of a normal life- Yeah
if I’m in this career. Yeah. Because this is so, it, it, it’s beyond anything that my, my man could ever, you know, even go into, because he just didn’t understand it, right? Yeah. Yeah. So it was obviously my career would take away from him. Yeah. And actually, I didn’t never want to, I didn’t want to do that to him.
No of course. So so having Stevie really did give us a normal life- Uh-huh.. in this kinda crazy business- Uh-huh.. that you’re part of. Yeah. So would I change? I would probably just- I would probably just experience a wee bit more actually, and not pin all my stuff on- Yeah.. that career. Yeah yeah. Because you talk to people, Lesley, and they’ve had, like, five jobs.
I know. And like, I’ve had one job my whole life. No. And I go, like- Yeah.. I’ve maybe missed out on something else. So true. Yeah. Because you’ve been so like, “But I, I want the part, and I, and I forget this opportunity.” Yeah. And it’s like, but what have you left? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right? No it’s, uh, it’s so true. It’s funny, isn’t it, reflect, to reflect back and y- y- ’cause, yeah, ’cause I’d never, ever thought that I would own my own business.
I was just always brought up to, you buy a house. That’s, uh- If you buy a h- you’ve got to have a mortgage, you’ve got to be with the one company, ’cause my dad was with the same company for, like, 40 odd years. Yeah. Maybe even 50 years. And and I was just like, God, that sounds so boring. Yeah. I’ve always wanted more for myself.
Yeah yeah. Like, so so yeah, it’s funny looking back and you kinda go, gosh, I.. But here we are today, and, you know, we’re all doing the things that we want to do, and like- That’s it.. where, where we are. Happy. Uh-huh. Happy. Contented. I think it’s like we’re pivoting. Uh-huh. P- like, we’re, like, I suppose I, I’m really at a crossroads where I’ve, I’ve spoke to you about it.
Like, you’re, you’re pivoting all the time. Uh-huh. But does it really matter if you’ve got the big motor and the, the cad and- It’s only stuff. It’s only stuff. I know. Whether you drive a Micra or whether you drive a Maserati- Yeah.. it’s four wheels and it gets you from A to B. I think just not- No
catastrophizing life is a
really good thing. Uh-huh. So true. Just to go like- Uh.. you know what, it’ll come and it’ll go. Absolutely. In this job now, when you’re dealing with families, and when you meet families- Oh.. and it’s not a big, about the, the big house- No.. or the fancy cars. No. Do you know, the most touching thing is when you’re reading a eulogy or you’re meeting a family and you’re discussing the, the memories, it’s the caravan holidays.
Yeah. Absolutely. The camping trips. Yeah. The day to Largs. Yeah. Yes. The fish supper- Yeah.. and the pissing rain. Yeah yeah. And you think, wow. Yeah. That’s what everybody remembers. It’s things that cost no money. Not the Maldives. No it’s not the Maldives. It’s not, you know, look at my lovely, you know, marble kitchen.
Yeah. People don’t remember that. No they don’t. And and so by doing this, it’s, it’s just, it’s changed everything, my whole outlook on everything. Yeah. and, and I feel, and, uh, certainly my family, we’re much better for it. Uh-huh. And and we’ve, we’ve been so privileged to w- you know, I’ve worked for 36 years.
Yeah. You know, not unemployed, battered through it. Yeah. Chased a career. Yeah. Uh, finances, all this with it But when you took a step back, I thought, ah, I’ve missed out on that pissing rain with a fish supper with my boys on the beach. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s what we’re doing now. Doing now. Very true. Yeah. I love that.
I’ve I’ve got a friend who is a multimillionaire. And they say in order to keep ourselves grounded, we go back to when we just started dating and we’re going to the beach- Oh right.. with, you know, the wee disposable barbecues. Barbecues. And they have sausages and a can of beans- Mm-hmm
and that’s our dinner. I love that. Aye. It is. I love that because we’ve all started from somewhere. Yes, you, you grow into whoever it is you’re gonna be, but I do. I’m like, you’re a multimillionaire. You could literally have a chef in your kitchen, but you choose to go into the the beach- That’s quite humbling
and have- That’s special I, I think that is because they’ve never lost- No.. touch with where they started. Well as my mother and father say, “Don’t lose your old arse.” Aha. Aye. Don’t forget your old arse. Don’t forget your old arse. 100%. I’m not a multimillionaire by any means, but I mean, I remember in the days of, we called it poverty pasta.
Right. And jack- What was that?. tuna pasta. And I was like to Jack- Oh yeah, I’ve never heard of that.. “Do you, do you want tuna pasta?” Oh tuna pasta. And he’s, “Ah, nah, that reminds me.. That’s poverty pasta. That reminds me of the poverty days.” And I’m like, “All right. Okay. That’s what he calls it.” So we never have tuna pasta in our house.
I’m laughing. Do you not? But I’m like, I quite fancy- Oh God.. tuna pasta now. Are you? I mean, I quite fancy it. Wow, Ollie loves that. Aye. Me saying that, here’s Ollie- Poverty pasta.. and his poverty pasta. So aye, we’ve not quite went back to the poverty pasta, but yeah. So we call water council juice. Council juice.
Aha. Aye. Council juice wa- Yeah.. waters at the tap is council juice ’cause we buy bottled water now. But you know what? I was talking about, like, phones, and I’m really interested in that kinda like, you know, everyone’s, like, absolutely stuck in their phone. And even with, like, Stevie growing up, she’s 14 now, and- Yeah
and she went on a guide camp last year, and I said to her, “Right what’s your, uh, rose and what’s your thorns? What’s your peak and your whatever? Like, what’s your good thing and your bad thing?” Uh-huh. And uh, she said the good thing was that nobody was allowed their phones. That is good. And that we were outdoors because- Or were they all full of anxiety because they didn’t have their phones?
Well, ’cause they had enough to get on with- That’s good.. ’cause they were doing a lot of activities. That’s good. But she said, “You know, when you’re in a group of people, Mom, and they’re all on their phones- Yeah.. the only thing for you to do is go on your phone.” Yeah. True. Whereas everybody was in the same boat- Uh-huh
and they come off their phones. Yeah. So true. And I thought that, I don’t even know. Is that even relevant to what I was saying? Anyways, it doesn’t matter. Have you seen the ban, though, kids can on- Oh I can’t wait. I know. What’s this? Liv- The ban.. so they’ve banned, so, so kids under the age of 16- Yes.. are now not allowed to be on, like, TikTok, Facebook- Ooh
Instagram. They’re not allowed to have accounts. So you’re gonna be fine. No social media. I will be fine Yeah they are, you know But going back to the basics- I do.. that’s what I meant by that about obviously the, your friend on the beach with the beans and the- Yeah.. the sausages. Yeah. I mean, I’m not too keen on the sausages, the lips and lugs and that.
L- But I can, I can identify with the fact that there’s basic stuff- Yeah.. that makes you actually, that really you enjoy. Yeah. Yeah. And actually can’t wait for the ban. Yeah. Don’t know what they’re gonna do. There was a wee girl interviewed the other day, and the, she had her face on her like- Oh.. like smacked her.
No happy.. like she was raging. And the interviewer’s like, “So what was your screen time last year?” And she was like, uh, la, uh, yesterday, and she was like, uh, 12 hours. Oh. Something like that. 12 hours in a day, by the way. Hours. Mine’s about seven in a, in a week, right? So anyways, this wee girl was interviewed and she was like, “Oh my screen time was 12 hours in the one day.”
And the, the interviewer said- That’s a lot.. “And what are you gonna do then in place of that time?” And she went, “Stare at the four walls.” Like, she was raging. And I thought, “I get it.” But that worries me because- I know.. the youth, as we did in our days, not so much phones, but we always find a way around of- Uh-huh
that, so it worries me that, that things aren’t getting monitored. Yeah. That our kids are.. I mean, I try and say no. Well it’s like an ele- electronic babysitter, isn’t it? Yeah. Well it can be. I mean, we’re all, we’re all guilty of it. And we’re all guilty of it, of course we are. Yeah. Yeah. You want peace and quiet for your own kinda like- Well maybe so much that, but you know, like when we’d be traveling a lot when we lived abroad, we’d be s- the first thing we’d do is there’s an iPad- Yeah
for him to watch a movie- Yeah.. so that nobody else in the plane-.. was disturbed and that we could- Yeah yeah, yeah.. relax. Yeah yeah. Or in a restaurant. Yeah. I get all that. Yeah. But social media’s different because your, their attention spans are like that. ‘Cause they’re just flicking. I know. And I sound like an old- But you are Okay.
Yeah she’d be bottled up, honestly So that’s okay. I cannot work with him. Let me tell you, Lesley, that these, these awards are gonna be absolutely brilliant this year. I was just about to say, so we’re not doing the awards together then. Oh we’ll do it together. The two gingers have split. We’ll do it together.
Yeah they’ve split. Well sorry, what were you gonna say? No I’ve got nothing to say. Right. So that naturally just brings us onto the awards actually- Oh.. because Can’t wait.. you joined us last year, which- Yes.. I was, I was absolutely ecstatic when you guys said yes. I was like, “Oh my God, we’ve got them.”
’cause we needed a wee change. We always had Elaine C. Smith and then we just needed a wee change because you can’t, I think, keep using the same people- No.. time and time and time again. Yeah. ’cause people want to see a change. Aquavitae shelf life. Yeah. No of course. so yeah, so you joined us last year.
You’re here again this year. Yes. So the date is the 22nd of November. It’s at DoubleTree- DoubleTree.. by Hilton. Yes. in Cambridge Street again. so yeah, so do you want to tell us just a wee bit about who the opening act’s gonna be this year? ‘Cause I’m very, very- On you go. On you go.. excited. Oh it’s the super sexy, the super talented Callum Beattie.
Drum- Oh I was gonna say drum roll. Ah-ha. I mean, what, what a thrill. Callum Beattie’s, he’s- Yep. Callum Beattie. He’s a fallen sweetheart. He’s so- Yes.. brilliant. He is. And do you know what? He’s a cracking guy into the mix, isn’t he, Gary? What I love about.. I met him years ago, uh,
and his manager Dave. We became great friends. Yeah. What I love about him- Lovely.. is that in this industry you can be affected and you, you know, things can change. Yeah. He’s, he’s growing- Yeah.. and his popularity, his fame’s growing. Yeah. Yet he has not changed one bit. He doesn’t change. He’s gonna be out doing himself in schools.
Oh loves that. He’s just amazing. Isn’t he? They do so much for charity. I love that. He’s just a genuine guy. Yeah. Uh, and that’s what, uh, just makes him extra special and, uh- Yeah.. they’ve agreed to s- I know.. well, we’ve managed to tie the date down. Yeah. I’m so, so happy. I know. Thrilled. And just what an entertainer, though.
I know. And that’s such- Imagine that having your a- your, your opening act. But that’s the thing- Yeah.. because l- I mean, last year the entertainment was brilliant as well. It’s always, it’s always incredible. Such a great night. Yeah. I mean, before the dinner we had those light up things. We had everything.
Remember all of that? We were having a rave- As we was having the meal.. before we even had the chicken. It was brilliant. And actually the food was amazing. You had you’d chosen it all. What was it? It was a something Wellington. I think it was like chicken Wellington. The chicken Wellington. Yeah. It was a chicken Wellington.
Beautiful. Because usually you get your function chicken or your shin of beef, you know? Yeah. So- Whereas it was really different.. yeah, so we usually do a beef dish just because I always think beef is a wee bit more Like high-end than- Upmarket.. than chucking. But but yeah, so, and I thought we’ve done, we’ve done beef again, like for all these years- Yeah
so we’ll change it up. And chef said, “Look, don’t think that chicken’s a, a, a different or a bad option.” So he- he’s always.. Stuart, I’ve got to give Stuart a shout-out because h- he is the head chef at the DoubleTree. And he’s such an incredible human being. Like, I always go in every year and go, “I want something that nobody else has ever had.”
Yeah. And he goes, “Well here she comes.” And he’s like, “Oh no.” Absolutely. and he just always takes that brief and he just runs with it, so he’s incredible. So so yeah, I’m really excited for this year ’cause we’re, we’re five. Yes. This is- That is five years.. big year. Uh-huh And it’s been a, it’s been a big journey, but like what you’ve done- Oh it’s been a slope
in the last, like year as well. But I mean- It’s not been easy.. no, but I do think it’s all coming good.. and nothing is, but- And it’s actually such a great night. Like we had, we had a ball. No it was a genuinely a brilliant night. Uh-huh. Yeah. Everybody in the room- Yeah.. everybody knew why they were there. Yeah.
Uh-huh. They were there to enjoy. Yeah. Yeah. It was a big party. Yeah. It’s a posting awards ceremony. It went so quickly. Celebration. Yeah. When we, when we got all the papers through and looked at the scripts, it’s, “Oh my goodness, we’re gonna be here all, all, all night.” And it was like, yeah. It flew by. Yeah.
And then it just partied. And we took the cars last year. We’re not taking the cars this year. I was gonna say, you’re not bringing the cars this year. No. No. We’ll- No.. we’ll- We’ll all stay over.. maybe sh- I’m not allowed out. She gets two Proseccos and that’s her. No listen, I’m the same. I go and I say my speech, and then I come off.
The shoes are kicked off- Yeah.. and I had my flip, had my flip-flops on last year. But there’s, there’s a, there’s a, a reel of me in my flip-flops, and I was like, “I need to get nice wee sandals for this year.” Nice wee sandals this year. I’m not, I’m not doing flip-flops. Use the style card. Nice wee sand- I’ll get you a nice pair of sandals.
Oh do you know what though? It is such a great night, and it’s lovely for the whole industry to celebrate, isn’t it? ‘Cause it’s like where they let their hair down. Yeah. I think that having somebody like Calum Beaton, and we’ll obviously have a DJ and- Yeah.. that kind of thing. Yeah. And we, but that guy, that sax guy was brilliant as well.
I know, I know. He was- He was something.. Conrad. He was, he was- Conrad was great.. Conrad was amazing, yeah. he is.
The whole package was brilliant, and, and we’re so looking forward to it. Oh yeah. Yeah. So looking forward to it. Yeah so I think, like this year we are five, so we’re just pulling out all the stops for it. Yes. I’m thrilled that you guys are gonna be there again. We’ll have a couple of games as well flung in there.
We cannot wait-.. to absolutely mortify these guests. Yeah. How’s your donkey? Yes absolutely. Honest, we’re doing well. Sorry. yeah, and, and we might do a few wee competitions and stuff like
that. Yes. So so nice wee prizes- So much looking forward to it.. will be in there as well. So so yeah I’m so excited for this year. I, I genuinely am. Like, and also Like I started the awards because I’m so passionate about this industry. I genuinely am. Like, like You can see that. No you are. And I, you know, when we first met you, I couldn’t believe how passionate you are.
I could actually cry just now, you just talking about them, honestly. Like I came into this industry years and years ago started in venues and then went to Scottish Wedding Directory for 17 years. And I, that was my dream job, dream job. And then when it closed, devastated, which is obviously why we’re here now.
so for me it was important to To really have a voice for the industry because they work so hard. I mean, honestly, these people are up at, like, sometimes 4:00 in the morning, sometimes 2:00 in the morning to get to a venue or to set up or- For someone’s special day.. and then they’ve got to go back the next day- Yeah
and then collect all that stuff, and they maybe already got another wedding on that day. So I just think that’s all the things that people don’t see- Yeah.. the, the graft. They don’t. Ah. The amount of work that goes into it. Uh-huh. They just see the pound signs because obviously th- these things cost money.
Uh-huh. But it’s like the graft that goes into that- Uh-huh.. is phenomenal. Uh-huh. Yeah. And it really upsets me, like, when m- potentially wedding couples will say, “Oh why is a cake £600?” or, “Why is that £1,000 and why is that?” And I’m just like, “Because you don’t see what actually goes into it.” Yeah. No like- They’re not..
It’s just not just standing at a, you know, your kitchen sink whisking up a few- It’s not a Victoria sponge we’re talking about here, you know It’s not a Victoria sponge. These are- Lego cake. No. Ah, like, they’re making the flowers, they’re making the petals- Yeah.. they’re making- Yeah.. absolutely everything. so yeah, so I’m so passionate.
If I can give them a voice and show them, you know, like, they are genuinely.. You know, I want to look after them. It’s not my job to look after them, but I just want them to have- You’re appreciated. I want- Give them a pedestal to be seen. Uh-huh. I want them to have a night just for them. You know, get glammed up.
Yeah. It’s just for you. Let’s go, all go out, have fun. and win an award. But if you’re in that room, I genuinely.. Like, we do so many checks, like, so many checks, so if they are in that room, it’s because they’ve, they’ve ticked a lot of boxes. Yeah. You know, they deserve to be there. Yeah. So for me, this night is an incredible night just for, just for us to give back.
It’s a great honor. It really is. So important. And you can really see that, and they do really use it as their- Yeah.. their night out. It’s, it’s like a big Christmas night out, isn’t it? They go wild, and why not? And everybody’s lovely. You know- They’re like the like the-.. genuinely lovely people. Uh-huh. Oh they are.
They are. Like, this industry is incredible. Yeah. Incredible. Like, if someday, if something happens they will just swoop in to help. Yeah. Yeah. That’s kind. Like, you know, it’s everybody’s got everybody’s back, and I love that. That’s, that’s one of the things that I absolutely love. Yeah. And it’ll be here before we know it.
I know. November. And then after that’s Christmas, of course, you know. I know. Yeah. Oh I know. What you wearing that night, Gail? Oh I don’t know. Maybe something, you know, a wee skimpy number. Just- Oh.. couple of nipple tassels. Oh no. A wee, a wee thong. No again. No again.
Aw. It’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for being here. No thank you. And thank you so much for hosting again this year at Your Scottish Wedding Awards. No thank you. I really can’t wait for it. It’s like we cannot wait. We’ll have a fantastic night. We’re gonna have a great time. We certainly will.
Thank you. Yeah. And we cannot wait to see Calum and do all the The hosting and- I know.. and all, it’s all the carry on that we love, the carry on We do, and I can’t even see your new pair of sandals. They’re lovely. I know. They’re lovely. I’ll have my big heels on at the start, and then they’re getting chucked to the side.
They’re getting tossed. Ah, they’re getting chucked to the side- Good on you, Lesley.. as usual. Good on you. And then it’s just Prosecco all the way for me. I’m just like, “Right my job is done.” Whoop, whoop. My job is done. Yeah. I can’t do anything else. I’ve organized it. I’ve planned it to the, the Nth degree, so yeah.
That good on you. Yeah. And that’s not forgetting Ted either. Oh wee Ted. Wee Teddy. Poor Ted. I know. He’s the one, he’s sorting out the awards at the side. He’s my rock. Oh I know. He is your rock. Yeah. He’s amazing. Whenever I have a meltdown, he’s like, “Listen, you got this. You got this.” Aw. And I go, “Right okay.
Yeah I’ve got this. Right. Okay. That’s fine.” Jesus. He said it, so I’ve got it. Yeah. No you have got it. Amazing. Yeah yeah. Absolutely, Lesley. Yeah. You’ve done so well. Yeah. So you should be very proud, and we are so excited to see you at the five years as well. I know. Five years. Honestly, it has- Unbelievable
zipped by, zipped by. Yeah. It’s been an incredible journey. And it’s a huge achievement, so well done. Oh thank you so much. Big round of applause. Aw, thank you. Here’s to the next five years. I know. Yay. Here’s to the next five years. I’m so excited, yeah- On that note.. ’cause we got, we got big plans. So yeah thank you so much for coming on the journey with us.
No not at all. Thank you. Thank you. Really appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. No problem. Thank you. Take care.
Let’s Talk Weddings EP 13
Hi, and welcome to Let’s Talk Weddings with Your Scottish Wedding. And today I have a beautiful bride getting married 2026. It is the stunning, very beautiful Claire Payling. Hi. Welcome. Welcome. This feels so strange. Thank you so much for having me. You’re very welcome. I’m so glad that you’re here because you’re getting married very soon.
Yes, so soon. How, how long? So we are three weeks on Saturday till my home wedding. Right. And then I fly out to Majorca 10 days after that. Wow. So we’re, less than, less than six weeks for sure. How are you feeling? I feel excited. I feel really excited. I think there’s, little things that I’m stressing about, but in the grand scheme of things
I’m very much excited. Right. Let’s get into this- Okay. Okay because I want to know, I want to know when this all happened. When did you get engaged? How did it happen? Where did it happen? Tell us it all. Okay. So I got engaged in April of 2024. Aw. And me and Ollie have been together s- it’ll be six years this August, September time
Nice. We don’t really have an official date. We can’t really remember- when we actually got together. And I, w- I wasn’t sure it was gonna be on the cards. I didn’t really know if it- Really? Was gonna happen or not. We’d- kinda spoke about it, but I thought it was maybe a year or two- Okay
Down the line. Okay. And he had booked Gleneagles, Lovely we’d had a lovely, rubbish start to the year, and then he’d booked Gleneagles in the April. Nice. And we came in Sorry, we went to- That’s okay. We’ll cut this bit out- Okay. It’s okay so don’t worry. No, no, don’t worry. Don’t worry
Just take your time. So we’d had a bit of a rubbish start to the year- and then he was “Let’s just book a nice weekend away. We can chill.” And then a few days after he’d booked it, he, he came in really excited “I’ve got something to tell you.” And I was like- Right “Oh, what is it?” He said, “They didn’t have any normal rooms left so had to book a suite.”
And I’m thinking- Oh, nice alarm bells are going in my head a little bit here. I’m “Okay.” I’m thinking we could’ve went the weekend after if there was- Okay no normal rooms left. Oh, no, I’d have been like that, “No, no, splurge.” “Splurge.” To be fair I w- I wasn’t- “I’m your queen.”
I was not complaining. “I’m your queen. I deserve this.” 100%. I was “Okay, nice.” Nice. Good. And then, I had actually given blood, randomly. I’d given blood a few- weeks before and ended up with, a really big bruise on my arm. Oh, really? So the dress that I’d planned to wear
When we were at Gleneagles was strapless, and I needed something long sleeve to cover up my arms. So I’d had my eye on this Odd Years dress for- quite a while, and there were two colors: a gray and a white. So I sent him the photo. And I said, “Which one do you think I should get?” And he’s “Well, definitely the white.”
And then the alarm bells- Oh, that is too cute are going again. I was like- See, I’m so naive, I wouldn’t have picked up on any of those. Oh, well, I think- I just wouldn’t have picked up on any of those I had been, thinking about it since, the January. So I was like- “Okay, when is, when is this happening?”
And the suite, and then he said the, the dress. I was a bit “Okay.” I’d said to a few of my- I’m getting my nails done. I’m getting my hair done. I got my nails done. I’m getting the full blown. And I- Just in case. Just in case. And then I’d said to a few of my friends, “I’m not sure
I’m not sure.” I’d said to my sister, and she was “No, there’s no way. There’s no way.” Really? She was “I would have known about it.” And I was like- Oh, right, okay. Okay. And then, we got to Gleneagles. We spent the day apart because he was playing golf, and I went to the spa. Of course
Everything was so normal. The suite was beautiful. But everything was really normal. He was so calm. So I thought, “Oh, I’ve just made this up in my head. This is not happening.” he’s so unbothered. And then we went down to the American Bar for some drinks before dinner- Nice
And walked into the kinda, main hallway bit, and there’s a table that’s behind curtains. Okay. And the woman threw back the curtains, and there was rose petals all over the table- Oh, no. Cute and champagne sitting. And- That’s very cute we- I was just giggling. The boy did
Good. He did really w- he did really well. The d- the boy did good. I was just giggling. He was “What are you doing?” Did he get down on one knee? He did. He got down on one knee. Did he? And then we- Did he ask permission? Yes. He asked my- Did he? Mum and dad. That’s nice I think he’d asked them quite early on in, the January time, so- I love that
I love hearing that they’ve done the right thing. As opposed to just go full pelt, like that’s really nice. He’s really close to my mom and dad as well, so it was- That’s lovely it was obvious that he was gonna ask them. So red petals everywhere. Did he have a ring or- Yes, he had the ring
Did he? I’m very fortunate that my- He’s got good taste. He’s got good taste. But his best friend also designs engagement rings. So- Oh, right, so you were sorted anyway. So I knew it was gonna be good anyway. Let’s see. Let’s see. Oh, that’s a belter. Oh, it is for sure. That’s a belter. That was the one thing I was a bit shocked at
That’s beautiful. I was “Oh my God, it’s huge.” Listen, that’s good though. I was “I was not expecting this.” Oh, so nice though, eh? But so he designed it. And it was just, it’s perfect. I love it so much. And then obviously, so you got engaged, 2024, and you’ve been planning ever since
No, I was not allowed to talk about booking a wedding for a good six months after we got engaged. Were you not? He said, “No.” Just enjoy it. Did you have an engagement party? No, we actually didn’t. Okay. We, my friend, my, one of my best friends was getting- married a few months after- we got engaged, so we were in the swing of, organizing it all, her hen, and like- Oh, nice
The, the summer was about her. Okay. Ab- and quite rightly- And it, and it was so nice quite rightly so. Quite rightly so. Oh, that’s nice. So, so six months you weren’t allowed to do anything because it was all about your friend. That’s nice. And then you started planning. We did. What was the first thing you did?
The first thing we did Well, the first thing I did is I went on Pinterest and said- I want to get married in Italy, in Lake Como, the most expensive venue there. So you knew that you wanted to go abroad straight away? Okay. We’d been to a few weddings abroad and- loved it. Nice. Loved the week that we spent with everyone and- Nice
Quickly was humbled by Lake Como prices, so we- Oh, really? Didn’t get married in Lake Como. Expensive. Oh. But Italy is expensive anyway, isn’t it? It’s wild. But we did go and view a venue in Lake Como. And it just really- Just an excuse to get away for a weekend- isn’t it? It was so nice
Well, we have to go here next. That’s great. But we both weren’t really sold on it, and- Okay it was like what I had in my head was- It wasn’t the reality. Not the reality at all. Okay. Which is 100% recommend go interview venues because- totally what- Because obviously what you see in Pinterest and what you see on social media, like that, a lot of it, as you rightly know, it’s not true
No. It’s just not because So we went to Italy. Then when we came back, we were “Right, okay.” Italy’s a no-go. Okay. Where are we gonna get married? And we both loved, love Majorca anyway. Yes, yes. So the first thing we did was find a Majorca wedding planner. Okay. And that made, has, has made the process so easy
No, totally, because I think also, the, the unless you speak Spanish, I don’t know if you Do you speak Spanish? No. No. So, it’s just the language barrier and just, you just want to know that somebody’s- across the other side that’s got your back- and is keeping you informed as to what’s happening and what planning stage you’re at, et cetera
So that’s great. That’s great. And I think being a bride now and, being at this point of the planning stage- there is so much that I did not know- Of course about, Majorcan weddings anyway. So the wedding planners I’ve worked with have been worth their weight in gold
And obviously you said, that you’ve got, obviously, two weddings. Yes. You’ve got your home wedding. And that’s because you’re not allowed to legally get married in Majorca. Is that right? Yes, that is right. Okay. So I think there is probably ways around it that you could- get married there
Okay. But I didn’t really look into them. I just thought- Okay we’ll just get married here. We know it’s, it’s all legal and done, and then- we’ll go to Majorca and- have, have the celebration. No, absolutely. Absolutely. So when is that happening? When is your home? So my home wedding is the 29th of August, so it’s- So the end of this month
And we’re just going to Montrose Street in Glasgow. Lovely. Lovely. It’s really small. I think there’s gonna be about 16 of us, just, like- Oh, nice friends and family. That’s nice. And then maybe scoot for dinner. Like a bridal party, and then we’re going to The Dakota for a nice meal. Oh, lovely. So
That’ll be so special. And are you gonna wear your dress? I’m not wearing the same dress. I’ve got a different dress. Oh, got Oh, it’s good. Two dresses. I know. Of course. Two dresses. Many to choose. I know. Listen, absolutely. It happens once, so you enjoy it. 100% enjoy it. Oh, no, that’s lovely. That’s really nice
And then obviously, when do you, you scoot out to Majorca? So we fly out on the 8th of September. Okay. And that’s the Tuesday, and we get married on the Saturday. What a lovely time though. So you’ve got the end of August and then September. So you’re gonna have a fortnight of just wedding bliss
I know. I can’t wait. You’re gonna be on such a high. I honestly can’t wait. So obviously, a lot of your suppliers, are you taking them from Scotland across or not so much? So the only suppliers that I’m taking across from Scotland are my content creators, the girls at Paper Rings. So- Amazing I- We shout out to Paper Ring
Shout out Paper Rings. I actually work with them. So I- Amazing when I do wedding content, that is who I’m working with. ‘Cause that is your job. That is your job. That is my job. So- So it was really easy for you to go, “Wait, right guys-” “Rings on the finger.” Definitely
“You guys are gonna come with us.” That’s nice. Do what’s actually funny? I wasn’t gonna book a content creator when I first got engaged. No, shut up. What? I wasn’t. I hadn’t- You’re kidding I hadn’t done a wedding at that point. I hadn’t done- Right, okay any content at weddings. Okay. But in 2024, I don’t think it was as big as what it is now
Oh, it’s just booming now, isn’t it? It’s a huge thing now. And Chelle will laugh at me because she was like- “Claire, don’t be so stupid.” “Of course you need content.” And are you having a videographer? I’m having the full, the full shebang. Because I think it’s really important though, because these are literally the three things that you’re only ever going to be able to look back on
And obviously as we go through life, like people pass away and stuff, and these are the things that you can actually look back and go, “Oh.” like they’re such and such- and, and look back and it’s such a special thing. Definitely. And I think in general, just like the content and photographs and everything
With it being my job was something that was so important to me anyway. So the full, the full shebang. Is your photographer coming from Scotland or? No, they are based in Mallorca. Oh, they Right, okay. They’ve organized it. The, the general consensus was from my wedding planners
They sent me a huge, huge list of suppliers that- Amazing they’ve worked with and- That’s great know really well. And- Who they trust, But honestly, the standard of suppliers in Mallorca is insane. Is incredible. I’ve heard this. Oh, it’s so good. That’s not the first time I’ve heard this
I got sent about 30 or 40 makeup artists, hairdressers. Oh, gosh. How do you pick from that list though? No, that was, that was a- that was a challenge. You’re “Just give me four.” that was a challenge. “Just give me four to choose from, not 30.” I know. Wow. But honestly, I was spoiled for choice
Same with the photographers. And have you been out there though? Like you’ve been back and forth checking things out and- so I’ve only been out twice. Okay. The first time I went to view the venue with my sister. And then the second time was October last year to do our menu tasting
Oh, nice. And Ollie got to see the venue for the first time and- Nice. And what’s the venue called? It’s called Finca Son Mir. Oh, nice. So it is absolutely beautiful. It’s a bit of a blank canvas, but it’s got- I was gonna say, so talk us through the, the surroundings of it, like So it is a big kinda old style finca, but the event will be outside basically
So you- Nice you’ve got the finca as the backdrop. Of course. Of course. You’re in Mallorca, of course. Hopefully. You’d need to be out- you’d need to be outside, of course. And there’s like kinda big grassy areas, so it is a bit of a blank canvas. I get to bring in all my chairs- Oh, wow
Tables, decor- Nice whatever I want it to look like. So- Are you allowed I was gonna say, are you allowed to share anything? No. It’s Trust me, it’s gonna look amazing. She’s giving nothing away, people. She’s giving nothing away. You’ll be able to see it in the magazine. No, absolutely, 100%. ’cause you’re obviously one of our, wedding journey brides- Yes
Which is lovely. So you’ll be going into our September issue, which is going to the printers literally in two weeks time. Crazy. Two weeks time. And then by the time it comes out, you’ll already have had your, your wedding. I know. You’ll have had your wedding. Do what? I actually had – I picked up olives in Marks & Spencer the other day
And the date on them, obviously- Aw the olives dates are like longer. It was my wedding date. And I actually was “Oh, my goodness.” Not when the dates in the supermarket are past my wedding date. Don’t you think Don’t you think that’s also just another wee sign?
I, I’m a great believer in like wee signs- and stuff like that, with the white feathers and all that kinda stuff, and- destiny you’ll, it’ll it’s just Our, kinda lives are planned out for us type thing. Oh, absolutely. So I think when you get wee things like that, it’s “I’m doing the right thing.”
“And I’m doing it with the right person.” And ’cause he’s obviously like your person. He’s your rock. Is he a good influence with you, like you say? Oh, he is beyond words. Honestly, you co- like- My life has just got exponentially better since- Aw I met that man. He’s just- That is so nice
Incredible. That is so nice. He’s like my biggest supporter. I would never have I’d never be doing what I’m doing right now, like career-wise- if it wasn’t for him. Did he push you into it? And just went, “Do it.” I actually used to work- Amazing I was a radiographer at the- Right
Beatson in Glasgow. Oh, really? So and, d- it wasn’t really Think looking back, if someone had told 15-year-old Claire or 16-year-old Claire- applying for uni, I think I should’ve been “Why am I doing this?” It’s not really- not really me. Whereas now my job is so me. And it’s something
But what I do now wasn’t a job- when I went to uni. So- but he was a big, a big force in being “No, just go and do it. What’s the worst that can happen?” But I think that’s also when that you have, you are, you have picked the right person. ‘Cause I’ve been married for 29 years
Congratulations. And, oh, thanks. Thanks. But, we’ve been together for 30, 33. But I just, like marriage, I always think like the wedding is the start of the proper marriage- isn’t it? So after you’ve had your big day and stuff, that’s actually when it, when it starts. Because if you’re with someone for like maybe two, three, four, five, six years, whatever it is, and then you start after you get married, that’s when the real journey begins
That’s when the real- work begins, I always think. So, so my marriage has been incredible. He’s an incredible man, but we’ve gone through really bad times, like because I don’t- I don’t always like him. Like- No some days I want to bury him six feet under, but- Absolutely I still come back and go, “You’re my person.”
“You’re my person.” And that’s when – I would still pick you even when you’re annoying me. Absolutely. Even when I’m giving you the death stare. You’re still my person. But so it is ’cause marriage- For me, obviously telling you, who’s just about to get married
It’s an incredible journey. So as much as this is a, a wonderful journey that you’re on, you will absolutely have beautiful things ahead of you. ’cause when I was a wedding planner in a previous life, people used to say to me, “What am I gonna do, Lesley, now? What am I gonna do?” And I’d be like- I’ve said that a few times over the past couple- Oh, have you?
Of months. I’m “What am I gonna get ob- obsessed over now?” So my thing to them was, ’cause I remember one bride getting really particularly very upset. I’d done the wedding on the Saturday, and on the Sunday the receptionist had phoned and said, “You’re gonna have to come back in.” And I was “Why?”
She’s “She’s hysterical.” And I went, “But why?” Like- Oh my goodness “Did something go wrong when I left?” And they went, “No, she’s just saying, there’s nothing left now.” And I was “Right. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” Oh. “But I’m coming in my civvies.” so I just went in- in my denims and my trainers and stuff, and I said, “What’s wrong?
Tell me what’s wrong.” And she’s “That’s it.” And I said, “You’ve got a honeymoon to go to.” I know. So today- You’re just getting started today’s the first day of your marriage. Get into town, get a few cocktails, have a lovely dinner. Ground all your friends. Chat about what happened yesterday. And then in the next few days go and get, the slinkiest beautiful wee bikini.”
I said, “Start thinking about your honeymoon.” I said, “And then start thinking about babies.” “Start thinking about anniversaries. Start thinking about big birthdays together.” And she w- and see, instantly she just went, “Oh, Lesley, thank you so much.” Oh. “Thank you so much,” she said, because- I bet she’ll remember that the rest of her life
“I just wasn’t sure what was next.” No. Oh. And I was “All those incredible days, ahead of you. This is it now.” you will have big birthdays, and, babies if you want babies, et cetera. So but, she was, she was just “Oh, thanks for coming in.” No. I was “It’s fine.” but it can, it can be so overwhelming
Planning a wedding. ‘Cause it does, it consumes you. And I think- It really does it can be overwhelming, or you can, thrive off that kinda like- energy of it consuming you and being something that you’re so excited about. But, I just know that, this is just a chapter, and it’s, so exciting that this is happening
But it’s a very exciting chapter. And then, there will be other things. My sister’s just had a baby six months ago, and I’m like- Oh, nice
It’s so nice that, as- Is that a little wee boy? A little girl. Oh, lovely. It’s their second, so I’ve got two gorgeous nieces. So they’re gonna have lovely wee dresses for the- service. And they But I’m that’s so exciting, watching her become a mother and everything is- just incredible
So it’s like you’ve got all that c- And watching her daughter grow. And her first birthday. And you’ve got all that ahead of you. Her first birthday, her second birthday. And then her 18th. Oh, God. Oh my God. Let’s not get carried away. Let’s not get carried away. What do you think has been the most stressful part of planning?
That’s a tough one because I’ve actually- Not touch wood, I’ve not really been that stressed. Okay. The, my planners have made it incredible. I would say maybe before I went dress shopping- I was stressed out my box. I think as women we put so much pressure on ourselves anyway. We do. We do. We’re not kind to ourselves
No, we’re absolutely not. And I think the pressure of this needs to be the best dress I’ve ever worn or I need to feel incredible, and I had no– I was just scared I was gonna go into a shop and not like myself in anything- or that something wasn’t gonna, I wasn’t gonna find what I was looking for
How many dresses did you try on? Oh, I’ve tried on hundreds of dresses. Did you? Did you? Well, I’ve, I’ve modeled a few- for a few bridal shops before. So I kinda knew like there’s some that I liked, some that I didn’t quite like. Okay. But I did end up going with exactly what I had envisioned
Oh, really? Oh, that’s special. Who did you use? Who did you- So I went to Opus Couture. They were the first- Amazing dress shop that I went to They’re fantastic, aren’t they? Oh, I cannot- Was it Susan? So it was Sarah I was with on my first appointment. Sarah. Okay. And then appointments after that I was with Susan and
But the entire team are just out this world. They’re phenomenal. They are phenomenal. The Opus- And the first appointment- girls are great that I went to with Sarah- there was no pressure. There was no- She was really like reading my face even- with my friends being “That’s incredible
That is so nice.” And I was like She’d be “Okay, get it off. Next one.” She was And from that we ca- Intuitive though. She just- And from that we came away with- And that’s why they’re so good. We came away with, “Right, okay. You don’t like this, you don’t like this.”
This is it narrowed, really narrowed down what I was looking for- which then made the process so much easier. Aw. But once I did get out- And did you get both dresses from there? No. Actually, so I have a full wedding week wardrobe. Yay. We love that. We love the full run down. We love that
Tell us. We, we want, we want to know everything because people are getting married, so- I know they’re going to watch this and go, “Oh, that’s a great idea, Claire.” Okay. Well done. So. So you’re here to, to instill and impart all your knowledge that ‘Cause you’re, you’re now nearly at the other end
So help people, like- definitely with their journey as much as you can. So I would say wedding dress shops, there is you’ll know yourself, but there’s some that have like a different style of dress. Yes. Some have like a- Different designers. So they have like some different styles, and I knew
So first of all, the main dress is from Opus. That is the big Mallorca wedding on the day dress. Amazing. Can’t wait to see it. My home wedding outfit I struggled with a little bit- Did you? Because I just didn’t really know what I wanted to go for. I have ended up going for a full ca- a full dress
Nice. Nice. I thought- And why not? Why not? I thought, “This is actually the real, the real part.” so that was from Solace London. Oh, nice. I actually found them in Harvey Nichols- in Edinburgh. But I ended up ordering online. But really good to go and try them on in there. Of course
And then my night before the wedding in Mallorca is a gorgeous dress from Pretty Woman in Edinburgh. Oh, lovely. Alex and her mom at Pretty Woman are- so lovely and made- they are. I actually was modeling for them when I found- Oh, were you? The, the outfit that I liked. And I thought, “Guys, can you not post that?
‘Cause I really like that one.” Put it by for me. And then I came back six months later and I was “Right, that’s coming home with me.” Oh, nice. And then- so on the day is from Opus, and then I have a gorgeous day after outfit from Carolyn Baxter- Love that she’s making for me. She’s incredible
She is so cool. Carolyn’s just- Oh, she’s- She just takes things to the next level, doesn’t she? And she’s also making my mom’s dress for the day, so. Oh, is she? So we, we had Anna Rose O’Neill in, a few weeks ago. And she’s a bride, for 2026 as well, and that’s where she’s getting her wedding dress from is Carolyn Baxter
She’s so knowledgeable and just- So she is insane at what she does. And she was saying, Anna Rose was saying that the hardest part for her was, picking the fabrics, ’cause there was so many incredible fabrics. I know. It’s, it is really- That’s amazing I think almost- Isn’t it just?
Given too many decisions would be “Oh.” but it’s such a special thing to do, eh, to get something made for you. Completely custom is- incredible. That’s very special. You’re very spoiled. Yes, I am. But you deserve it. Very, very spoiled. But you deserve it. Listen, we deserve it. We live one life
Only live this once hopefully. But it’s also one life, so- Exactly enjoy it to the absolute maximum, of course. So what would you, would you give any words of wisdom for people, getting married abroad? What would you say? I would say get a planner, first of all. I have worked with
So the- my wedding planners are two sisters. Incredibly. They have also both been married in Mallorca. Oh, nice. So they- And are they Scottish or are they- They are from England. Okay. They only go over and do the season in Mallorca. Okay. Perfect. But they have been so helpful. They were also one of the only planners that we spoke to that didn’t say we need a minimum spend of crazy- Oh, really?
Crazy numbers. Really? Because I can reach out to quite a few wedding planners- and a lot of them come back like- A price tag you need a minimum spend of X amount, so. Wow, okay. That’s overwhelming when you’re in the- So just be aware of that. No, totally. But that’s a good- And that’s overwhelming, I think, when you’re in the wedding planning process- That’s good to know
’cause you think, “Oh, I’ll just do this all myself.” But there is planners out there. Wedding Besos, I think is their business name. And they’re incredible. They’re really- That’s the two girls. The two girls. The two sisters. Okay. They’re really, really good. Shout out to them. Yes
Shout out. The best wedding planners in the world. Oh, that’s so nice. That’s so nice. And obviously just, just going out and, and having, everything there. Are you gonna then honeymoon there as well? So we are gonna go to Ibiza actually for a few days after- Nice the wedding. We love Ibiza
It was actually one of our first trips that we took together. Nice. So we’re gonna go and do a chill few days. Not- we’re not partying, but a chill few days. And how many people are going out? We have 100 people coming out for the wedding. Mallorca, brace yourself. Brace yourself. We’ll go abroad
We’ll only get 50% of the people coming. Claire and her posse are coming. Claire and her posse are coming. That’s great. That’s b- absolutely brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. So Wasn’t expecting that many people, but the more the merrier. Well, I think, I think, I think everybody loves a wedding though, don’t they?
They do, and especially I was just, having a wee chat with, somebody else just, just recently and I said, “I don’t know when it is ” So ’cause I’m older obviously. And so all of our friends are married. And I’m “Oh.” So now I, I need to wait until the grandkids are getting married. So that’s gonna be a while
I’m like Anyway, anyway, but everybody loves a wedding. I know. So of course you would travel, ’cause these people love you. They love you and they want to be there- And Mallorca’s so easy to get to. Of course it is. There’s flights every day. It’s not a long flight. Is it not? What is it, like- No, I think it’s only, three hours, two and a half, three hours
Oh, that’s perfect. That’s good. Not bad. What’s, what is a three-hour flight? Oh, absolutely, when you’re getting married. Have you’ve obviously just had your hen party as well. Yes. Tell us all about it. Oh. What did you do? Where did you go? It was- What did you get up to? The best weekend of my life so far till the wedding weekend
Aw. We went to Ibiza. You’ve obviously got good girls around you. We did. There was only six of us that went. Nice. And I actually had said since before I even got engaged that I think- that’s what I would do. And yes, it was just my bridesmaids and my best friends and my sister
Oh, lovely. And it was just perfect. We did We’re quite chilled. We’re all on the same wavelength. No one’s stressing. No one’s arguing- with people. No. It was just- That’s- no drama You don’t w- you don’t want drama. No, no. No, there’s no time for drama. And we all normally go on holiday together anyway- Oh, nice
So we all know what we like to do. And all your wee quirks and- So it was just amazing. We- We were out on a boat one day. We went out for nice dinners. Nice. We were partying. Oh, it was just lovely. So good. Did you do any So I’ve, I’ve never been to Ibiza. So did you do any, ’cause there’s big DJs and stuff out there, isn’t there?
Did you do anything like that? We didn’t actually plan to. Okay. But the first night we got there, we landed quite late. And we went out for dinner, and then the girls were all kinda like giving each other the look like- We’re not are we gonna go? Are we gonna go out after this? And I ended up in, Hi, in Ibiza till, 4:30 in the morning
Did you? Oh. Go, you. And then that was me. I, I was in bed for like half eight every other night. But it was so good. But that’s good though. So much fun. And these are great memories. Was it hard picking your bridesmaids? No. You, you just knew. One of the easiest decisions. Oh, really? So my sister is my maid of honor
Lovely. And then I have my best friend from uni, Molly. Lovely. And my best friend since I was about 12, Eilidh. Aw, nice. So, they’re the three girls that know me the best, and- That’s lovely That’s really special. I couldn’t do it without them. No, I know. And have they been a good support throughout everything?
Oh, 100%. ‘Cause you’ve got to have good people around you, haven’t you? We sometimes hear some horror stories, I’ve picked my bridesmaids because we’ve been together for, X amount of years, and, we’ve been great friends and stuff. But then, – as soon as they get engaged, they’re maybe a bit jealous or- I know
They’re just not supportive, or they’re “Oh, I don’t like that dress on you.” And you’re “Well- this is actually my dress that we ” I really like that. They do, they do say weddings sometimes bring out the worst in people. But, honestly, it’s true. It’s true. But you’ve obviously had an incredible journey though
Thankfully. And it’s been And do and as it gets closer- What do you think you’re going to be like? Because obviously you are It is coming closely. Four, four weeks, four week- I know in fact, three weeks. Three weeks. It’s just- I hope I’ve s- I hope- You’re organized enough
My friends and everyone would say that I have been quite chilled up until now. I don’t know- No bridezilla moments. No bridezilla moments. I don’t think so anyway. No. No. I’m sure there might be- No people that thought otherwise. But, I feel like I’ve just been like I know what I want
Amazing. I’ve been in the industry as well. I know. It really helps. That’s been an, been an advantage that I’ve seen so many wedding days pan out. I’ve been able to think, “I like that. I maybe wouldn’t do that.” Even just down to, timings and so- there’s so many knacks to
Making a good wedding and- how a wedding runs. So, definitely have had the advantage of being working in the wedding industry to know- what to do and what not to do. No, absolutely. And I think all I need to concentrate on is just relaxing and- Absolutely soaking it in. Just enjoy it
And this might be an odd question, but shoes, ’cause, have you got high shoes? Have you- Oh, I’ve got high shoes are you changing shoes? Have you? Have you? So I’m getting married on grass, so that was- Oh, right. Okay the only thing that- for my shoes, they needed to be, a kinda
Bigger heel- so they didn’t sink into the grass. I tried on hundreds- Did you? Of heels. Did you? I would buy them all if I could. I know. I know. I’m sure I’d have to as well. But I’ve got some gorgeous Jimmy Choos for the wedding day. Oh, beautiful. And the one thing that I said about my wedding shoes was I’m not buying anything too bridal that I can’t wear again
So they are- No, absolutely. They’re certainly, I’ll get loads of wear out of. Oh, nice. And have you done anything like prep for, your skin and your hair? Because a lot of people do that. Oh, now we’re talking. Tell us, tell us everything. This started before the wedding was booked. Did it? So I- Tell us everything
Have been going to Yola at GIG Aesthetics- Wow for every month probably since It was about April- in 2024. She is the woman that genuinely walk in there and she will be “Right, you need this, this, this, and this. This, I’m not happy with this.” She- Okay is quite blunt, but- that’s okay
I love it. We love a per- We love a perfectionist. ‘Cause it’s truth- it’s truthful. So like- that’s her job. Not- That’s her job offended one bit. And even now, and, I, I’ve, I’ve had acne when I was younger and stuff, so my skin is- Your skin’s incredible- Really, like
For having acne it is good for- for struggling with my skin when I was younger. But even now I’ll go, and she’ll be “Mm, I’m not too happy. We can do this. We can do that.” So- Really? She is a perfectionist. Wow. Hope it looks good in the lights. So she’ll- Oh, you look incredible she’ll like these
You look incredible. Absolutely. Oli’s a very lucky man. Yes, he is. Of course. Absolutely. So I’ve had facials. We’ve done a combination of loads of different things. Okay. What have been the best products that you’ve used? Definitely medical grade skincare. Okay. I have That was the one switch I did when I first started
Going to her. She got me onto the ZO- skin products. And I can’t recommend them enough. They can be sometimes a bit strong, so she will- Okay switch out sometimes. But definitely going to someone that can- prescribe you a good skincare routine. Absolutely. You don’t need everything, prescription, but- No
There’s some good things that- definitely are worth the money. No, 100%. 100%. I also have been going to Rhianna at Clinic 22 for Botox- Okay which is the best thing ever. You’re not getting Botox, really? Really? You look incredible. Yes, because the Botox. Oh. It’s so funny. We actually So Rhianna is one of my clients as well
I manage the social media for Clinic 22. Amazing. So it’s a natural one- Of course that I was gonna go to her- and trust her. Of course and we went to Dublin last year- Right for, a Christmas night out. And she’d done my Botox a few weeks before- and three different people on this trip at separate occasions had said, “You look really like Margot Robbie.”
Right. And Rhianna’s sitting there “She’s never been told this before I did her Botox.” And she thought, she honestly was “Oh my God, not another one.” And now three people have said it. That’s incredible. So I mean, personally, I don’t see it at all, but, I’ll take it. I’ll keep the Botox going- 100%
If that’s- No, you look incredible if that’s a thing. But not a lot, just she knows I’d say no. No, of course. She And- ‘Cause you don’t want to overdo it- No ’cause you’re, you’re naturally beautiful, so. Definitely not. And, underarm Botox as well. Oh, to stop the sweats. Is a game-changer- Is it really?
Especially for- Is it sore? No. No? You don’t feel it? No, it’s like a little nip- but not, not sore. That’s it. And it lasts really long, and it’s just- Does it? No, completely dry. Your armpits will be completely dry. No sweat. So I’m, I’m 53, and, I’ve always I f- I was always “I’m just gonna go, grow, old gracefully, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
But now I’m looking in the mirror going, “Hmm, lines like that.” You look gorgeous. No, no, no. So I’ve got wee deep, deep lines and stuff like that. So, I was, I was, I was with, Dr. Callie Jaf- Yes and she was saying- Incredible “So we can just fix this, and we can just do that.” And I was “Right
Okay, like ” So I think I’m just gonna do it. I think I’m just gonna bite the bullet- Callie’s amazing though and just do it. She is. She’s incredible. And I feel like her clients, you can tell. They look, they all look amazing. So, that is- No, totally. So- proof is in the pudding I think I’m just gonna take the deep dive
Listen, what- Just do it whatever’s gonna make you feel more confident and better in yourself- I think go for it. No, of course. Does Ollie get anything done? Oh, no. Well- he’s, he’s, he’s booked a HydraFacial apparently. Oh, good for him. So he’s going to get his, his blackheads- I love that though
Guys are doing- taken out a lot more now than what they have ever done. He’ll actually hate me for saying that on here. I might need to cut that bit out
Just don’t show it to him. I know. Because we wa- this was, this is a real thingy though. This is real life. So you kinda just want to, to also make it okay for boys to do stuff. Absolutely. Like boys should be- I mean, I have been telling him for months to go and book one- and now he’s taking him till now because he, he wouldn’t let me near his blackheads on his nose
Okay, now you’re just rubbing it in. I know. I’m kidding. I’m kidding. So on the podcast, we do, this wee quick-fire questions. Okay. Are you good to go? Yes. Let’s go for it. Okay. So what is your favorite curse word? Oh, I don’t really swear a lot. I bet you do fudge. I bet you She’s saying fudge
That’s a safety net right there, people. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
The gym because I’ve got a wedding to, a wedding dress to be in. So that’s just your laser focus just now. Just all about the prep and everything else. Absolutely. Good for you. What do you love most in life? Oh, Ollie and my family- Aw and my gorgeous nieces and my friends. Aw, that’s lovely
Friends and family. That’s lovely. What do you hate most in life? Oh, what do I hate most in life? I mean, there’s lots of things that annoy me, but Oh, I don’t know. That’s hard. I would always say, negativity or- toxicity or, there’s no need. I just, just- Drama. No drama
Not interested. No dr- Lucky I don’t have- There you go a lot of drama in my life, so. No, absolutely, absolutely. And you kinda touched on this a wee bit earlier, but I’m gonna ask you again. If you were to go back to your 18-year-old self, what would you tell yourself today? Oh, what would I tell myself?
I would say, well, when I was 18, I probably went through, quite a bad breakup, and I think, like- Okay then now I’d be “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” it was meant to, it was meant to be. Oh, 100%, I think, everything always works out. It does. And just trust, like- and look at where you’re at now
Like trust your path is- It’s, it, is- It’ll steer you in the right direction Definitely. Trust your gut for sure. Trust your gut. That’s a good one. Absolutely, and is there anything that you would have done in your planning process that you would have done differently? In hindsight
I would’ve tried on more dresses just ’cause I love it. Tried on hundreds, but I would’ve tried on hundreds more. You’d have end up with three dresses- I know or four dresses. I know. I actually have to, mute the bridal accounts now ’cause- I can’t see any more. Don’t show me anything else. What have been your highlights of your journey so far?
My highlights. Definitely. So me and my sister went to view the venues in Mallorca the first time. Lovely. So that was a lovely trip just the two of us. We never- So it was, it was special. We never probably would’ve booked- You’ll never forget that to do a trip like that. So I really, really enjoyed that
That’s lovely. Dress shopping with, my mom and, my sister and things like that. That’s special. The dress shopping experience was just so fun. And just actually seeing Ollie get excited about it. It’s like- Oh, that’s nice do what I mean? It’s not- It’s not Girls obviously get excited- of course
But now in the last couple of weeks he’s “I can’t wait for this wedding.” Like- That’s, that’s nice he’s getting excited. That’s nice. That’s special. Rather than just being “I don’t care.” I know. Just, just you, just you plan it. Just you do it. Just do what you want. Oh, bless him. But I’m sure he’ll still want that anyway, the
You so you’re getting what you want. So final words of wisdom, like what would you say to other wedding couples out there getting married today? Okay. Or not getting married today, but like just they’re planning, they’re going through their planning process. What would you say to them? So this answer I would say comes from being a wedding supplier as well as- Yes
A bride. Yes. But I would say 100% you need to, pick your suppliers- carefully. And have a call with, like- photographer, content creators. Meet them face to face. Because you’re spending your full day with these people. Absolutely. And if you’re not vibing- it can set the tone differently for the whole day
Totally. So I think you need, a perfect team around you. So I would say don’t rush into those decisions. Find out who you’re vibing with. I also think, my bugbear, and it is a huge bugbear for, for me this year, is like I- I’m seeing a lot of wedding couples going onto, social media platforms and saying “I’ve been let down by my florist,” or, “I’ve been let down by my- Oh
Makeup artist or hairdresser.” Or, “can you recommend somebody?” And I’m just going, “Why are you asking strangers? This is like the biggest day of your life.” “Why are you asking strangers?” ‘Cause there, there is professionals such as Your Scottish Wedding. It’s a magazine full of, 300-page magazine, full of trusted suppliers
Absolutely. We’ve done all the hard work so that you don’t have to. So- so it’s, it’s a wee bit of a mission of mine to, – try and change people’s perspective. That’s actually a really hard one as well with, I would say, the good side and bad side of TikTok as well at the moment
Because there is so many opinions. There’s so many- I know “Do this, don’t do that.” Like- They just call, that’s why they call it doom scrolling, isn’t it? It’s so, it can be so overwhelming. And I have found such a gorgeous, corner of the internet on TikTok as well- that is brides-to-be, and like we all message each other- Supportive
And, get on and- Supportive. That’s, that’s good and like I love seeing everyone else’s journey- that are doing it at the same time as me. But also it can get quite overwhelming. I’ve even had it myself where I’ve been like- “I do not want to talk about wedding. I don’t want to-“
I’m signing off- for, for a week or two. And, but it can be overwhelming, so- I would say don’t Listen to other people’s opinions. No, because it’s
Just do what you want to do it’s your day. It’s your day, so have it your way. And don’t worry about what anybody else does. Absolutely. Or says. It’s been absolutely my pleasure to have you on today, Claire. Thank you so much- Well- for having me Thank you this is- Honestly crazy. First of all, what the hell?
We’ll get you back on in five years’ time once you and Ollie have been together for five years. We’ll see what’s the success of a great marriage. Well, you can tell me. We’ve got the same– We’re gonna have the same wedding anniversary. Oh, we are, 12th September. 12th of September
It’s a lucky date. It’s a great date ’cause my mom and dad got married on the 12th September, and it was my gran’s birthday. Oh my goodness. So that’s why Mom and Dad got married on the 12th September. And then I said, “Right, yous guys have been together for years.” so that’s why Ted and I picked it
Well- that’s why me and Ollie picked it too. I know. Such a special day. But have the most incredible two days. Yes. And then obviously go to Ibiza. Just have a wonderful time. Thank you so much. And enjoy this. Thank you so much for having me. You’re very welcome. It’s been a pleasure. You’re very welcome
Thank you
Host: Lesley Traynor
Guest: Claire Payling
Length: 39 minutes
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