A simple yet stylish summer wedding at Peebles Hydro Hotel
Pavlina and Anita
- ThePlus Audio
Please click here to hear this couples wedding story.
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As an assistant front of house manager at Peebles Hydro, Pavlina Valentova creates positive guest experiences most days.
But this time it was her turn as she and Anita Spurdzina tied the knot in an intimate wedding at the beautiful venue.
Originally from Latvia, Anita struck lucky during her once-in-ten-years visit to her relatives in Scotland.
“We matched online the day I swore I’d give up on online dating. We arranged a date in Edinburgh just before her flight home,” explains Pavlina.
The pair hit it off and nine months of long-distance love later, Pavlina proposed while they were holiday in the Lake District; on top of Wansfell Pike near Ambleside.
Picking a venue was a no-brainer with Pavlina having worked at Peebles Hydro Hotel for three years, and friend and colleague Lauren kindly offering to help with the wedding planning process (super-handy while Anita was based in Latvia for work commitments).
“Peebles is very special to us. The hotel is splendid and has spectacular views, and Lauren and the team supported us all the way.”
Anita’s favourite colour, blue, and her favourite flowers (wildflowers, especially cornflowers) were the inspiration behind the wedding theme, and they kept the décor simple and connected to nature.
They added some DIY details to the styling done by the venue; the guest welcome poster, menu, table settings and favours.
“We had wee gins prepared at the 1881 Distillery and added little puzzles that were a real hit with the party guests.”
When it came to their wardrobes, Pavlina and Anita had agreed they wanted a tux and a suit, mirrored colours and, of course, comfort!
After struggling to find something she liked, and realising it was too late to go bespoke, Zara saved the day for Pavlina with a gorgeous off-white tux.
She added shoes from Debenhams (swapping into Skechers for the outside photoshoot) and jewellery from her mum.
Shopping wasn’t the easiest for Anita either – “We were looking for summery outfits in the wrong season!” – but she found everything she needed for her classic look online.
Admittedly not much into accessories, she kept it simple with a necklace from her mother-in-law, burgundy socks and a matching strap for her watch.
The night before the big day, Pavlina and Anita hosted dinner at their venue with their 12 wedding ceremony guests but kept it sensible and had an early night!
Having had bleak weather in the few days before, they were delighted to wake up to sunshine and get ready for the day ahead.
They tied the knot in a civil ceremony – “Our main focus and motto for the wedding; ceremony included, was to keep it uncomplicated and beautiful,” – and said a mix of their own words formulated into vows by their registrar, Elizabeth.
“We were so grateful to share this special moment with our closest family and friends, some of whom we don’t see that often,” smiles Pavlina.
“Our wedding was small but multi-cultural; mixed nationalities and languages with English as the common language, which created a lot of funny moments.”
Fizz and gin went down well with everyone as they arrived back to Peebles Hydro and a sit-down meal followed.
There were no formal speeches but Pavlina’s brother did say some kind words before a few more of the couple’s closest friends joined for the evening.
Reflecting on their celebration, the couple say the toughest thing about planning was definitely doing it in different countries – but they admit it was lots of fun when Pavlina was able to show Anita what she’d planned and bought.
For both brides, the highlight was definitely saying ‘I do’ to their soul mate.
And now, after a year of long-distance dating, lots of video calls and not enough visits, they’re simply happy and grateful to finally be living together in Peebles.
Biggar Picture Photography
“I just loved the whole ending that Anita and Pavlina were able to have. Their small and intimate celebration was so lovely and it was amazing to see how much Pavlina meant to her colleagues looking after her on her wedding day at Peebles Hydro. Being in an environment they knew meant they were super chilled all day. I absolutely loved the matching outfits and the whole day was just a perfect way to start the next chapter in their story.”
Allan
Here are the amazing suppliers that helped make our wedding so special
– I’d highly recommend them.
Bride’s Brace | Etsy
Bride’s Outfit (Anita) | WE, VILA
Bride’s Outfit (Pavlina) | Zara, VILA
Bride’s Shoes (Anita) | Tamaris
Bride’s Shoes (Pavina) | Debenhams, Skechers
Ceremony Venue | Chambers Institution, Peebles
Cake | Cakes by Nikki Sloan
Flowers | Tweed Blooms
Reception Venue | Peebles Hydro Hotel
Registrar| Elizabeth Paxton
Rings | Arvis Kotins
Transport | BARC Travel
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