STATELY homes
When only the grandest setting will do for your “I do’s” check out these stunners
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This award-winner will tick all your boxes Think Balbirnie House and the word “luxury” instantly springs to mind. This stunning Grade A listed Georgian mansion has been voted Hotel of the Year at the Scottish Hotel Awards 14 times in 16 years and Haute Grandeur Best Wedding Hotel on a global level, bearing testimony to the all-out grandeur you can expect here. Built in 1777 and nestled within 400 acres of beautiful parkland near the village of Markinch, Balbirnie is ideally situated between Edinburgh and St Andrews and believe us, you can be guaranteed the wow factor for a wedding in opulent surroundings. This flexible venue can accommodate up to 216 guests for a wedding banquet and an impressive 250 for an evening reception. You’ll love the options to say “I do” how and where you want. The Millennium Ballroom is the perfect setting for larger ceremonies. Beautiful lunette windows on three sides bathe the room
in natural light and this is also where most of the hotel’s wedding breakfasts are held. If you want to soak up the true history of this stately home though, The Long Gallery is the stunning main ‘central’ room of the original house and comes complete with Georgian lunette windows, arched ceilings, and trompes d’oeuil painted into the ceiling coves. We love The Orangery’s mirrored tinted glass ceiling and floor to ceiling windows that take full advantage of views over the parkland. But if the weather holds up, why not head out onto the beautifully manicured lawns for your ceremony? What luxurious setting would be complete without beautiful bedrooms to retreat to at the end of the night? You’ll find 31 individually designed bedrooms at Balbirnie, combining period features and modern amenities. What more could you wish for?
balbirnie.co.uk
Elsick House
Live it up in your own private estate Tucked away within 1,500 acres of private parkland, Elsick House is something of a hidden gem. Home to the late Duke of Fife and his forebears the Bannermans, this stately home is ideally situated just eight miles south of Aberdeen, yet you’ll feel totally secluded in your own private estate for your wedding. Couples who say “I do” here get the run of this exceptionally beautiful mansion house and its grounds for the whole weekend. While the oldest part of the house dates back to the 13th-century, newly refurbished interiors blend the old and new seamlessly and you’ll love the light and airy reception rooms that have capacity 172 | YOUR Scottish WEDDING.CO.UK
for up to 35 dinner guests. The 11 individually decorated bedrooms, including the elegant bridal suite, mean you and up to 20 guests can call Elsick your home throughout your wedding. Larger celebrations are accommodated in the marquee which is located within the south facing walled gardens and you’ll have plenty of room for up to 200 guests. But if the weather is on your side, an outdoors ceremony is a must here. The beautifully manicured gardens are a huge draw. You can exchange vows on the lawn or in the secret garden with your guests looking on from beneath the stunning rose arch.
elsick.co.uk Jonathan Addie Photography
