After cancelling their previous wedding plans, this American couple knew the magical Scottish Highlands would be the perfect setting for their Christmas 'elopement'
Cecile Roche and Logan Jackonis, now Mr and Mrs Jackonis
23rd December 2023
Venue | Achnagairn Castle, near Inverness
Photography | Harper Scott Photo
USA-based couple Cecile and Logan, now Mr and Mrs Jackonis, met at a college holiday party in December 2016 and the pair quickly hit it off after finding shared interests in art history, Scotland and flannel shirts!
After 18 months of dating, transcontinental long distance, a heart-aching breakup and a subsequent reconnect, Logan proposed on the fourth of July weekend 2022.
Then it was all down to planning the wedding, which the couple had originally organised to be closer to home, with Cecile telling us that initially they were due to marry in a town in Arkansas where the bride’s parents lived...
“We were six months into planning that wedding, then my parents moved back home to Seattle, so we cancelled the whole thing. After scrapping those plans, we were exhausted by the whole 300+ person, domestic wedding and couldn't fathom planning that again, but in Seattle this time.”
The couple decided to elope, leaving more space for the celebration planning. “The first decision we made was to have a smaller destination wedding; second decision was Scotland; and thirdly, the venue, Achnagairn Castle.”
Nestled on a private estate, in a beautiful spot outside Inverness, Achnagairn Castle is a five-star exclusive-use venue, bursting with character. It has ample bedrooms, glorious gardens, and a fairytale ballroom that is unique in the Highlands, so it was an easy choice.
Love the thought of marrying in a castle? Check out other magical Scottish castles right here
“We loved the idea of having all our guests in one location for the whole weekend so they would have more time to spend together, effectively extending our wedding from one evening to a full 48 hours!” Cecile exclaims. “Achnagairn was big enough to host all our 94 guests completely privately.”
The bride confides that Christmas is her favourite time of the year.
When Achnagairn told her and Logan that 23rd December 2023 was one of only two dates they had available, they jumped at the chance.
“It felt like fate! I had visions of abundant Christmas trees and pine boughs, beautiful holiday gowns, crackling fires and fur throws, and halls filled with joyful holiday music,” Cecile says with a smile.
Logan and Cecile knew that their overall vision was ‘Christmas wonderland’ meets ‘Harry Potter Great Hall at Christmas’ and used florals and greenery from the idyllic natural environment and castle grounds to reach that goal.
The Christmassy dark greens, warm hints of red and abundance of pine tied together the soft candlelight to blur the enchanting inside and the gorgeous views of the Scottish surroundings.
“We had six large Christmas trees around the perimeter of the room, which helped the setting feel more intimate and cosier, while also serving as warm lighting and providing a lovely piney scent,” recalls Cecile.
As the day began to unfold, finding some private time to catch their breath was a priority for the new Mr and Mrs Jackonis. “Logan and I met in private with some champagne and got around twenty minutes to share funny stories of our mornings and reflect on our marriage.
"Right before everyone came back to the Great Hall for dinner, our wedding coordinator Cara let Logan and I enter to take in the scene in private. I was absolutely blown away by the combined work of the floral design team and tablescapes, so it was really special to just wander around together and notice details, smell the pine, and really try to imprint a mental memory before what I knew would be a whirlwind dinner and reception.”
The couple couldn’t have been happier with the outcome, Cecile remembers the positive comments from those invited. “Our guests kept telling us how ‘us’ our wedding was.”
Cecile also revealed some smaller details, “As a cheeky nod to Harry Potter, we played the John Williams orchestral soundtrack during dinner, which really enhanced the magical mood in the room.”
The subtle nod to the Harry Potter soundtrack wasn’t the only wizarding surprise instore for the newlyweds...
“My siblings had gifted me a creepy Dobby the House Elf stuffed toy that they found in Heathrow as a joke, so we had a fun time doing a silly photoshoot with Dobby getting his hair done; Dobby nursing a hangover; Dobby taking his ‘pills’, and so on. Dobby made it to the wedding party festivities too and was even photographed dancing the night away by photographer, Carole-Ann from Harper Scott,” laughs Cecile.
Concluding the wonderful day, Cecile remembers that “at the very end of the evening, only a few groomsmen, bridesmaids, and cousins remained standing. We all went to sit together and play games by the fire, and it was just so amazing to look around the room and see all these disparate people I loved all together in one place.”
Top tip: “I would encourage couples to stay true to themselves and their original plan. We planned our first wedding taking far too much input from our loved ones,” recalls Cecile. “Your guests will be happy to be there celebrating you, and everyone will have more fun if you are having fun!
Venue Achnagairn Castle, near Inverness
Photography Harper Scott Photo
Officiant “We were ‘officially’ married in Colorado, but in Scotland we had a non-legal secular ceremony presided over by Logan’s mum.”
Bride’s dress Kleinfeld Bridal New York, accessoried with Tiffany & Co. jewellery and Jimmy Choo heels
Bridesmaid dresses Birdy Grey and Reformation
Makeup Samantha Johnston
Hair Jenna Tremarco
Groomswear Kinloch Anderson with supplementary hires from Slater Menswear, Inverness
Catering The Lunchbox Boys
Cake No cake!
Flowers Wild Gorse Studio
Venue decor Eva’s Covers
Piper Spud the Piper
Reception band Little Red Wedding Band
Ceilidh band (night before wedding) Ceilidh Twist
