This American couple played hide and seek and pulled on their cowboy boots at a fun, foodie wedding that was very much 'them'
Getting married is peak adulting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace your inner child. Just ask Texans Kristen and Joe who – with an exclusive-use Aberdeenshire castle all theirs for three days – played hide and seek with their friends the night before they tied the knot.
“Yes, a bunch of 30-year-olds played hide and seek! We don’t have castles in Texas, so getting to run around a historic building like that was a blast,” laughs Kristen.
As soon as they got engaged, the couple knew they wanted to have a destination wedding somewhere with a cooler climate. “Cluny Castle was our top choice and the first place I reached out to. I nearly cried when they told me the exact date we wanted was available.”
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With 50 friends and family members travelling from the States, Joe and Kristen sought a venue that had ample accommodation (26 of their guests stayed with them on-site) and offered “beautiful architecture and immaculate grounds”.
“I saw photos of Cluny Castle probably five years ago, long before we got engaged,” says Kristen. “I remember thinking how gorgeous it was and how cool that you could get married there, stay over and make a proper event out of it.”
The couple hosted their ceremony in the romantic stained-glass chapel in the grounds, before dining and dancing the night away in the Tenants’ Hall. “These two settings are what sold the venue to me,” muses Kristen. “And it all went off wonderfully. We didn’t have to lift a finger and didn’t experience an ounce of stress because the Cluny team runs like a well-oiled machine.
“We could not have asked for a better wedding planner than Natalie Macneil. She helped all the vendors set up and kept everything running beautifully on time. Our butler Steven was our unsung hero that weekend; we appreciated all the little things he helped with. And Cluny’s owner Cosmo was the most gracious host too.”
The costume-loving couple poured their passion for fantasy into their plans, resulting in gilded attire and a cake inspired by The Sword in the Stone. “The aim was to have all the glamour and drama that comes with a castle wedding, but in a laid-back and unstuffy way,” Kristen explains.
“We knew we wanted to be ‘extra’ with our outfits, so I had custom gold appliqué put on my dress and veil, while Joe, without knowing what I was wearing, also ended up with gold accents against his flamboyant all-black suit.
“At night, for our pop-punk/rock/metal-meets-ceilidh mash-up, the Texans in us came out and we both switched to cowboy boots.”
Authentic Scottish food was a top priority for the pair, whose feast (served by Country Flavours of Alford) centred on smoked salmon, local lamb, smoked venison and wild mushrooms. “We also had 10 Dollar Shake, our fantastic bartenders, sort out custom drinks for our cocktail hour and evening reception,” says the bride.
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“We got so many compliments on every aspect of the wedding, but the venue itself was what everyone raved about most afterwards. We’ve since talked about going back en masse for our ten-year anniversary – and if we do, I’m sure we’ll play hide and seek again!”
Ready or not, here they come…
Venue Cluny Castle, Aberdeenshire
Photography By Rhea
Officiant Sean Berg (the couple’s friend)
Wedding dress KYHA Studios, with custom embroidery and veil by bridesmaid Katie
Bridesmaid dresses “They wore whatever dresses they wanted”
Hair Simone Saint
Makeup Alana McCrae Makeup
Groomswear Soto & Co, Texas
Rings Brilliant Earth (bride); sourced from Japan (groom)
Flowers Hay’s Flowers
Stationery Handmade by the bride’s mother
Catering and reception decor Country Flavours of Alford
Bar 10 Dollar Shake
Ceremony and drinks reception music Nouveau Quartet
Piper Callum Lamont
Transport RS Coaches
