A daring couple’s relationship reached new heights after becoming the first pair to get married at the top of a 150ft crane.
Kate and Barry Elliot tied the knot on the century-old Titan crane – one of Scotland’s most unusual engineering feats – despite their minister being “terrified” of heights.
The pair, both 35, said their nuptials as 20 of their closest friends stood alongside them on March 31 on top of the crane which overlooks the River Clyde.
Even Kate’s 86-year-old gran ventured up the glass lift to join them at the top – despite her having a pacemaker.
Mum-of-two Kate said the unusual venue choice was all her new husband’s decision.
She said: “He [Barry] is really shy and didn’t want a big wedding.
“His mum lives in Whitecrook, Clydebank, and we were driving along the road from hers and he said ‘do you think you can get married up there?’
“He doesn’t do anything normal, he’s unpredictable. He wanted an intimate wedding.”
The couple has been friends since they were 11 but didn’t get together until they were 23.
Kate, who runs an aesthetic company, admitted she was nervous about ascending the structure but said she wanted to do something out of the ordinary for her big day.
She said: “The more I thought about it, it was a good idea because it was different.
“I thought ‘when I am an old lady I can say I got married at the top of a crane.’
“It was really tight-knit, just parents, sibling, nieces and nephews and a couple of friends.
“Even my gran went up and she’s 86 with a pacemaker – she was a daredevil about it.
“She was adamant she wasn’t going to miss my wedding.
“The weather was one of my biggest worries and it was windy, but if it had snowed we couldn’t have been married up there.
“And if that had happened we wouldn’t have been able to get married because a minister can’t marry anyone in a town hall – where we were having our reception.”
The sky-high ceremony lasted 15 minutes before they all posed for some pictures.
But the paperwork had to be completed at the bottom of the crane because the minister had a fear of heights.
Kate said: “Everybody thought we were nuts. I don’t think there was one person who wasn’t nervous.”
And due to the metal grating on the floor the women were banned from wearing high heels, which Kate said caused an interesting reaction.
Mum to Laiana, six, and Kellan, four, Kate added: “All of the girls were freaking out, because they weren’t allowed to wear high heels. I made them all wear trainers.”
Kate and Barry, who runs an automation company, held a reception at Clydebank town hall after the ceremony.
The Titan crane was built in 1907 and 100 years on reopened as one of Scotland’s most unique tourist attractions, acting as a lookout point over Glasgow.
A century-old crane that has been transformed into a popular tourist attraction, the Titan is one of Scotland’s most unusual engineering feats.
