Hannah and Michael were looking for a venue with splendor to wow their guests, and Fyvie Castle delivered
Hannah Brown and Michael Mouat
7th July 2023
Venue | Fyvie Castle
Photography | Sophie Alexandria Photography
Scotland is famous for many things, isn’t it? Stunning castles, temperamental weather, good food and drink, knowing how to party… It might be unusual for a wedding to have all of the above, but that’s exactly what Hannah and Michael got when they tied the knot at the National Trust for Scotland’s Fyvie Castle last summer.
First up, a storm a few months before their big day uprooted a tree, which fell through the glass roof of the room they’d been hoping to use for their evening reception. Despite this, things worked out and actually came together even better than the couple dared hope.
“We visited 15 venues in and around Aberdeen, and shortlisted five of those, but Fyvie was the one we kept coming back to – it just couldn’t be beaten,” recalls Hannah.
“We were enchanted by Fyvie’s splendour. It felt very special to us to host our wedding in such a majestic setting."
The pair were looking for somewhere to “really wow guests from the first glimpse”, and quickly decided the impressive castle would be the perfect place to celebrate with their 95 guests (who were joined by an
additional 17 people in the evening).
“As soon as we decided to have Fyvie as our venue, everything else started to fall into place, as the castle set the regal tone we were hoping for,” the bride reminisces.
“We hosted our ceremony in the incredible gallery/music room. This was followed by drinks outdoors at the front of the castle and then by our reception in a marquee on the lawn. One of the things we loved
about Fyvie was that there were all sorts of different options for hosting the various parts of our day, which made the planning very exciting.”
Food and drink were important to the couple, so they entrusted their catering to external supplier Harry Fraser, who cooked up a delicious Scottish spread of roast fillet of prime Aberdeenshire beef with a pink
peppercorn sauce for the main, and stovies at night. The bride and groom were able to bring in their own wine and champagne (and paid only a corkage fee).
The pair also hired the castle’s four-storey Preston Tower apartment, where they spent three nights with 16 of their closest family and friends. “It was amazing to be able to stay inside the castle, and really helped facilitate stress-free preparations on the wedding day as we could all get ready on-site without having to worry about travelling in the morning,” says the bride.
“We loved that we were able to host an intimate dinner with our families the night before; then, the day after the wedding, we had a barbecue at Fyvie and played games on the lawn.”
There were other special elements too, such as singing waiters, a six-piece band and saxophonist, and a buttercream wedding cake (in July!), which helped make it a perfect day. But the couple are at pains
to credit the staff with the smooth running of their wedding: “They were incredibly supportive and offered great suggestions and advice.”
Hannah is still smiling when she talks about it now: “We wouldn’t change a thing. Everything fell into place beautifully. Seeing each other at the aisle and being surrounded by everyone we love in one room is a feeling that’s hard to beat."
Venue Fyvie Castle
Photography Sophie Alexandria Photography
Wedding dress by Enzoani, overskirt by Pronovias from Opus Couture
Bride's shoes Jimmy Choo
Bride's hairpiece Halo & Co
Bridesmaids dresses Eliza & Ethan
Groomswear Neil Selbie & Co.
Officiant Alison Jaffrey at Fyvie Castle
Cake Hey Sugar Bake Studio
Catering Harry Fraser Catering Services
Flowers Fauna Flower Folk
Stationery Hollie Bruce Designs
Favours Homemade tablet (packaging from Etsy)
Easel and postbox Fifty Six Events
Marquee lighting Alan Ritchie Exhibition & Design
Portaloos Deveron Loos
Engagement/wedding rings and jewellery Jamieson & Carry
Ceremony music Piper: Scott, Pianist: Aberdeen Wedding Pianist
Drinks reception music Aberdeen Wedding Pianist
Reception music Studio Band
Singing Waiters Right Here Productions
Filmmaker AC Wedding Films (see below)
Transport RS coaches
Marquee Esslemont Marquees
Hair Jade Blanchard Hair
Make up Jacquelyn McPhee Makeup
