I Love You So Much I Would Marry You Tomorrow

Real Weddings – Hetland Halls Surprise Bride

Our first ‘Real Wedding’ blog is here and what better way to kick off this feature than with a SURPRISE wedding, yes you read that correctly a wedding which the bride herself had no idea was happening!

The lovely new Mr & Mrs Kidd recently said ‘I Do’ at Hetland Hall around 24 hours after their engagement! Laura and Matthew were on the first day of their Scottish road trip on Tuesday 17^th August when Matthew popped the question at around 1:30pm during a visit to the stunning Caerlaverock Castle here in Dumfries. With this itself being a huge shock to Laura she was blissfully unaware that by around 3pm that same day she would be checking in to her wedding venue…

Upon their arrival to Hetland Hall, the couple checked in to our stunning honeymoon suite which Laura still believed was just a lovely treat. However, Matthew quickly asked her “You know how you’ve always said you love me so much you would marry me tomorrow, well would you?” Laura jokingly said yes not knowing that Matthew was in fact being deadly serious and within a few moments he opened their bedroom door to reveal 15 of their closest friends and family who were waiting to surprise the bride-to-be – can you imagine the shock?!

So, Laura then quickly realised that she would actually be marrying Matthew ‘tomorrow’ – Shortest engagement ever?

Matthew and Laura’s Love Story

Before we give you the details of this amazing surprise wedding lets share a little bit about Matthew and Lauras remarkable love story! The couple met just 2 years ago through the magic of social media. The pair lived in different areas of the country at the time, but this didn’t stop them. Within a few weeks of knowing each other they had moved into Laura’s Mum’s home together and as Laura quite accurately described, this would be a challenge to any couple but with the emergence of the pandemic and all its restrictions this made it exceptionally testing. However, the couple only grew stronger and shortly after, Laura made the decision to pack up and move to Manchester to be with Matthew and his fabulous 3 children. Since, Laura and Matthew have become partners in Business and now also partners in life…

We made sure to catch up with Matthew and Laura to get all the details so now that you have the background story lets reveal all about their incredible surprise wedding day at Hetland Hall…

We first asked Laura “was there anything you were a bit scared of when you found out what was happening?”

After the shock of being told she was not just visiting Hetland Hall for a luxurious night away but for her wedding, Laura sat with her parents who put her mind at ease to her obvious questions – with the first one being “do I have a dress?!” Luckily, Lauras Mum and sister-in-law had been going back and forth between a variety of dresses for around 12 weeks prior and had whittled it down to 3 which she could choose from. Laura spent the evening deciding between these gowns before settling down to a big family ‘evening before’ meal in our Copper Beech Restaurant. Other than that, Matthew had a very well organised list of everything he had been arranging in the run up to the wedding which he showed Laura and asked, ‘is there anything on this list that I have forgotten that you would have done?’ to which Laura replied “No!” In fact, Matthew had thought of everything and more and Laura tells us that she would not have changed one thing about the day – how lucky is she to have Matthew? 

Next Laura revealed what her favourite part of the special day was –

Laura said that the best part was of course getting to marry the love of her life! However, to pinpoint a moment, after the speeches the beautiful bride loved just sitting there looking at the children and all their guests around them. It was so wonderful for the 3 kids to witness the love that Laura and Matthew share, and it meant everything to Laura that they got to see what love looks like. Laura also explained that the couple had previously touched on the idea of marriage and agreed that they would love an intimate event, which is exactly what they got and this was so special to her.

& The couples’ favourite things about Hetland Hall were…

Firstly, they loved the contrast between old and new within the venue itself. Laura explained that this helped make their photographs turn out amazing and we would have to agree. The couple also shared with us that each of their guests were amazed by our stunning interiors particularly the impressive chandelier hanging over our staircase.

Additionally, Laura and Matthew couldn’t praise the staff at Hetland Hall enough, making them feel extra special and taking care of every detail without the need to be asked. The team were sure to avoid any slip ups during check-in, to maintain the surprise for Laura and the following day reserved a perfect area in the restaurant for the couple and their guests to enjoy breakfast together. Since Laura and Matthew were continuing their trip with a luxe glamping mini moon after the big day, they were unsure what to do with the cake. Of course, this was no issue to our staff who kept it in a suitable place for a few days before the couple were able to return and take this home. So, a huge shoutout from the happy couple to every staff member they met at Hetland as they are eternally grateful!

What have you been up to since & what are your plans for your future as Mr & Mrs?

Laura and Matthew revealed to us that the day after returning home from their wedding and mini moon they kicked off married life with a sky-dive (they don’t like to do things the boring way) and are now looking forward to day-to-day life as husband and wife. They are putting everything into their businesses and can’t wait to build an amazing future for the brilliant 3 children who they are lucky enough to have as a massive part of their lives. The couple have also expressed how much they are looking forward to visiting our other RAD venues after the amazing treatment they received at Hetland and are particularly excited to experience our Spa at Lochside (we can’t blame them). Matthew also planned a party for all the guests who were unable to make the trip to Hetland Hall and they enjoyed another wonderful night of celebrations – he really did think of everything!

Finally, Laura has also made sure to take care of all the legalities including changing her last name, so it’s official and what a perfect story they have!

From all of us here at RAD – Congratulations! & Thank you to this lovely couple for choosing us to be a part of their magical day & for sharing their story with us!