Bridal boutique owner’s gorgeous Kimpton Blythswood Square wedding

Lynsey Thomson + Barry Wilson

Sunday 3rd August 2023

Venue | Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow
Photography | Lena Sabala Photography

Many brides-to-be struggling to find a dress they love will be heartened to hear that even though Lynsey Thomson-Wilson has worked in the industry for 14 years, running Aimee Bridal Couture (which has recently moved to John Street from Bath Street), she had no clue what to wear when it came to her own wedding. “My journey went from very much not knowing what I wanted, to being surprised at my choice of gown,” she laughs. “I used my knowledge to narrow down styles to a certain extent. I knew I wanted my arms covered, for instance, so a dress with sleeves (or that could have sleeves added) was a must. I also wanted an A-line silhouette to accentuate my waist and flatter my bottom half. Even so, I still tried on about 30 gowns!”

Lynsey credits her “amazing” staff with keeping her on the right track throughout the process. “I’d ordered in lots of new sample dresses from trade shows, specifically with my own wedding in mind, but one of our bridal stylists guided me in the direction of a Madi Lane 3D chiffon-lace dress called Jordan that had been on our rails for months. The team being able to pick out my dress before even I could goes to show how experienced and well trained they are,” muses Lynsey. “They also made me feel at ease, so much so that they were able to transform me from ‘boss’ to ‘bride’ – which was no easy task!”

With so many covetable dresses within Lynsey’s reach, you won’t be surprised to hear that one gown just wasn’t enough. “At night I changed into a second dress with a different vibe, a flowing, sparkling tulle style called Elodie by Australian label Evie Young (see below), but with the train cut off so I could dance,” recalls Lynsey. “Like Madi Lane, Evie Young has a special place in my heart, as we were the first boutique in Scotland to stock both of these designers.”

Cinderellas Atelier on West Regent Street was tasked with handling the alterations and Lynsey says she was thankful for their skill and expertise while tweaking the dresses and making her bespoke sleeves and veil. “Now that I’ve been on the ‘other side’, I would say that I now fully understand how anxious and emotional brides can get at the alterations stage; I maybe underestimated that a bit before,” she says.

Lynsey also admits that one of the biggest challenges she encountered was finding the time to fit in all the wedding planning. “I hadn’t realised how long it would take to plan a lot of aspects of the day. I was still dealing with 300 other brides while trying to organise my own wedding, and it took up way more time than I imagined it would. There were a few sleepless nights,” she recalls.

One benefit of being a wedding industry insider? Access to a well-stocked black book of the best vendors. “I knew exactly who I wanted to book and hire. I’d worked with most of our suppliers in some capacity before, so I trusted them implicitly and reached out to them for support,” says Lynsey. “I didn’t know how to do certain things, such as sorting out a marriage certificate, but celebrant Niki Smith helped, and in the process provided the best ceremony we could have wished for!”

Lynsey and Barry welcomed 50 guests to watch them marry at Glasgow’s Kimpton Blythswood Square and treated themselves to a longer stay at the five-star hotel. “If you’ve booked a venue that you can stay overnight in, I’d wholeheartedly say do it! Barry and I stayed for three nights, and on the last night, it was just the two of us in a wee bubble of newlywed bliss. We pushed the boat out with a spa day and it felt so special to share this one-to-one time at our wedding venue after everyone had gone home.”

Find out more about the Kimpton Blythswood Square spa and other amazing Scottish spas.

Insider tip: “I would urge other brides to start their dress alterations early, especially if they want to make bespoke changes to their gown – these can take quite a while, especially during the busy parts of the wedding season.

“More generally, trust your gut and don’t let anyone talk you into things that you don’t necessarily want or need.”

Bride’s dresses Madi Lane and Evie Young from Aimee Bridal Couture
Bride’s shoes Steve Madden
Bride’s accessories Arianna Bespoke
Bridal party alterations and fittings Cinderellas Atelier
Venue Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel
Photography Lena Sabala Photography
Filmmaker Candlelight Pictures (video below)
Celebrant Niki Smith Humanist
Groomswear Kilts 4 U
Mothers’ outfits Mia Bella
Cake CW Cake Design
Flowers and decor Floristic Designs
Additional venue decor Make Believe Events
Stationery Oh Blythe Design
Favours Handmade by bride
Engagement ring White November Jewellery
Wedding rings Diamond International Glasgow
Ceremony and drinks reception music Pippa Reid-Foster Harpist
Reception band The Lockhearts