Erin and Joshua, now Mr and Mrs Williams, had an intimate ceremony in the City Chambers before celebrating at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh on 29th June 2025
Why choose between an intimate wedding and a big party when you can have both? For Erin and Joshua, their Edinburgh city wedding gave them exactly that: a small ceremony with their closest family at the City Chambers on the Royal Mile, followed by dinner, drinks and a much bigger celebration at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh.
Wedding highlights at a glance
Wedding venues | Edinburgh City Chambers and Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Photography | Nicole Parrack Creative
Style | Modern, elegant city wedding with candlelit details
Special touches | Piper, rooftop drinks, wedding wordsearch, anniversary cards and a visit from Hugo the Irish setter
A small wedding ceremony in the heart of Edinburgh
Edinburgh already held plenty of meaning for Erin and Joshua, who got engaged at Edinburgh Castle, so marrying in the city felt like a natural choice.
“We love the city so it made sense to have it here,” says Erin.
After spending the night before at the hotel – complete with first-dance practice and a McDonald’s – Erin headed to Edinburgh City Chambers for their intimate civil ceremony.
“I was so nervous!” she laughs.
“I hate public speaking so we asked the registrar if we could only say one word the whole time during the ceremony: a simple ‘yes’. I wanted the legal side over and done with as quickly as possible and to move onto the celebrations.”
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Once the all-important “yes” was said, a piper led the newlyweds and their guests through Edinburgh Old Town from the Royal Mile to the hotel.
A stylish Virgin Hotels Edinburgh wedding reception
For their reception, Erin and Joshua wanted somewhere that suited their modern style without needing lots of additional decoration.
“The hotel’s aesthetic really matched what we were looking for,” says Erin. “We leaned into it and used lots of candles and one long dinner table.”
Check out this lively city-centre celebration at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
The couple also made the most of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh for their wedding photographs, heading to Greyfriars Hall, Commons Club Bar and the roof terrace.
“We loved the way the staff always made sure we were both being looked after and well cared for.
“We can’t speak highly enough about Jo, our event organiser. She is the reason our day went so smoothly.”
Rooftop drinks, their dog Hugo and thoughtful details
Sunny weather meant guests could head outside onto the rooftop terrace for the drinks reception, where Erin had created a giant wordsearch to encourage everyone to mingle.
Their loved ones were also asked to write anniversary cards numbered from one to 50, giving Erin and Joshua something new to open on every anniversary.
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Then came another important arrival: Hugo, the couple’s Irish setter. A dog chaperone brought him along to join the newlyweds for part of the celebration.
“Needless to say, he was the centre of attention!” laughs Erin.
From intimate dinner to a big Edinburgh wedding party
Speeches were deliberately kept short to leave plenty of time for dinner. Guests chose from dishes including haggis croquettes or soup, beef or mushroom Wellington, followed by custard tart or cheesecake.
And then the atmosphere changed completely.
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With the intimate part of the wedding complete, more friends arrived for the evening reception and Erin and Joshua got the big party they had wanted from the beginning.
“It was full-on club vibes,” smiles Erin. “It was so much fun.”
Looking back, there’s very little they would change.
“Nothing,” says Erin. “Except maybe just hiring a content creator or a filmmaker, so we’d have more videos of our amazing day.”
Wedding suppliers
Reception venue and food Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Ceremony venue Edinburgh City Chambers
Photography Nicole Parrack Creative
Wedding dress Odd Muse
Hair Gemma Black Hair
Makeup Gillian Gray Makeup Artist
Nails Studio East
Groomswear John Morrison Kiltmakers
Flowers Flora & Fauna Event Flower Design
Cake Mimi’s Bakehouse
Favours Tablet made by a family friend
Jewellery Rox – Diamonds & Thrills
Reception music Blu Promotions
Piper Gordon the Piper
Dog chaperone Do-Good Dogs Edinburgh
