A fire feast and castle wedding in the Scottish highlands
It’s always an honour to plan for a friend, and this wedding weekend in the Scottish highlands for our dear friend Emily was truly that and more. Fire feasts, ceilidh dancing, a Scottish castle wedding ceremony and the stunning landscape of Dornie and Skye all contributed to this spectacular wedding and we are delighted to share it with you today.
We’re so lucky to plan weddings across the UK, with it’s wealth of amazing locations, and adding wedding planner in Scotland to our list was a great joy. This wedding wasn’t without the 2020 covid related challenges though. Emily, our long time friend and fellow wedding industry member, first approached us about planning party in Scotland, which was going to contain a surprise wedding for their guests! A fabulous idea, so off we went planning a secret Scottish elopement wedding, dressed up as a fabulous 30th birthday party. But along came covid and with it, postponements. We have planned a Glasgow wedding, a Suffolk winter wedding and finally a Scottish highland castle wedding for this one. But that final plan, in the highlands near beautiful Skye, with an intimate castle ceremony, a barn reception and ceilidh to finish, is by far the best plan for E&A and was well worth the stages it took to get here.
SCOTTISH CASTLE WEDDING
The ceremony. Eilean Donan is a 13th Century Castle in the Highlands of Scotland and the perfect place for a ceremony. We planned an evening ceremony for E&A, guests were lead by the groom’s uncle as he played the bagpipes and lead them over a bridge to the castle that actually sits on it’s own island at the point where three great sea lochs meet. A castle with one of the most iconic images of Scotland all over the world, to have this castle wedding in Scotland was truly spectacular. Following the early evening ceremony, where guests had entered to typical Scottish rain and wind, they exited to glorious golden skies. Champagne was drunk, the breathtaking views of the highlands and across lochs were soaked in and then it was sparklers on the bridge, to lead guests to a fire feast…
BURGUNDY WEDDING FLOWERS
We drew on our floristry training and small skill set to create all of the floral arrangements for this wedding, a personal touch requested by our friend and bride! She wanted a winter berry colour scheme, so we create a wild and free burgundy bouquet that matched her stunning velvet heels. With trailing ribbons, the rich, dark colours of the bouquet were a gorgeous contrast to the ivory of her gown. At the barn reception, we created complimenting centrepieces that ran along the two banqueting tables and were warmly lit by candlelight and festoon lighting from Dreamwave Group.
WEEKEND WEDDING IN SCOTLAND
To spread the celebrations, we planned a weekend of entertainment for E&A and their guests. Taking over a beautiful country house, Tulach Ard House in Kirkton, guests were welcomed to an evening of music and nibbles, cake and speeches. They stayed, they explored, they hiked, which we followed with the ceremony, fire feast and ceilidh.
FIRE FEAST WEDDING BREAKFAST
Wild chef, Ruaridh Emslie catered the full weekend, starting with oysters and barbecued venison during the arrival party, right through to the amazing fire feast wedding breakfast. Cooking on open flame, through the wind, rain and sunshine the highlands threw at him, Ruaridh’s amazing food was the centre of this wedding, a wedding of farmer’s daughter and chef…so food really was key!
This wedding was such a joy, and will remain close to our hearts. After a year of postponements, travel restrictions and endless changes, we arrived at a fantastic Scottish highland wedding, for a dear dear friend of ours, and it was an absolute pleasure.
V&C x
THE TEAM
Planning VC Event Curation | Photography David Conaty Photography | Lighting Dreamwave Group | Catering Ruaridh Emslie | Ceremony Eilean Donan Castle | Venue Tulach Ard House | Entertainment Blackrock Ceilidh