Paul and Verena, now Mr and Mrs Spence, had an intimate wedding at Ness Walk Hotel on 1st November 2025
Planning a small wedding in Inverness? Paul and Verena’s intimate day shows how meaningful a pared-back celebration can be.
With a ceremony at Inverness Registration Centre, a relaxed reception at Ness Walk Hotel and romantic photos at Loch Ness, their 17-guest wedding focused on good food, personal touches and time well spent with loved ones.
Wedding highlights at a glance
Wedding venue | Inverness Registration Centre & Ness Walk Hotel, Inverness
Date | 1st November 2024
Photography | Allan Law Photography
Guests | 17
Decor | Pink and green colour scheme, personal photo displays from 12 years together
Ceremony | Intimate civil ceremony at Inverness Registration Centre
Entertainment | Personal playlist and evening celebrations in Inverness city centre
Sometimes all you need is love, good food and 17 of your favourite people.
That was the thinking for newlyweds Paul and Verena, who hosted their ceremony at Inverness Registration Centre and followed up with celebrations at the five-star Ness Walk Hotel.
Planning an intimate Inverness wedding with 17 guests
"We were looking for somewhere that felt special to us but was also spacious and served amazing food,” recalls the bride.
“Location was another factor – we live in Inverness and our venue needed to be accommodating for our elderly grandmothers.
“Paul and I booked it in February for 1st November – which is the same date we got engaged on in 2024.”
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The happy couple ultimately decided to invite just 17 of their nearest and dearest to keep things intimate and “relaxed with no huge fuss”.
Ceremony at Inverness Registration Centre
The two of them stayed at Ness Walk the night before and the night of the wedding.
“The room was gorgeous,” smiles the bride. “We got ready together (with a glass or two of champagne!) and had some lovely pictures taken in the garden before our ceremony.”
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Paul and Verena headed to the registry office to say their vows and share their first married kiss, then decided to take advantage of a rare dry spell in the weather.
Loch Ness wedding photos at Dores Beach
“Our original plan had been to head to Dores Beach on Loch Ness for photographs before the ceremony, so we wouldn’t have to step away from our guests later in the day,” says Verena.
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“However, our photographer Allan got in touch to let us know the forecast was looking drier for the afternoon.
"Dores Beach is one of our favourite places, so we decided to switch things around to make the most of the sunshine.
"We’re so glad we did, as it was a highlight of the day for us.”
Drinks reception and dining at Ness Walk Hotel
Next up was a drinks reception (canapés, more fizz and lots of laughter). The team at Ness Walk helped everything run smoothly.
“They were super-attentive and always there if we needed anything. Fran, Kevin and Aileen all deserve a special mention.”
Keeping to their promise of simplicity, Verena and Paul had picked a package that included private room hire and a three-course-meal.
“Ness Walk offered us pretty much everything we needed, and we had the ability to personalise it as much or as little as we wanted.
Personal touches for a relaxed small wedding
“We hung up photographs of us from over the last 12 years we’ve been together – a lovely trip down memory lane – and opted for a pop of pink and green as our colour scheme.”
Relaxed and personal really was the theme of their day.
“There was no rush to sit down for the meal – we pushed it back by around half an hour as everyone was still happily enjoying the drinks reception.
"The food was worth waiting for, though, and we played our own playlist through the room’s speaker.”
No speeches had been planned, but Paul surprised his wife with a lovely, heartfelt one.
Then, at around 8.30pm, the whole crowd headed into town to a bar to carry on the celebrations.
“There’s not a single thing that we’d change about our wedding day.
“It was the perfect mix of just the two of us together and being able to spend quality time with our close family.”
Wedding suppliers
Reception venue and food Ness Walk Hotel
Ceremony venue Inverness Registration Centre
Photography Allan Law Photography
Wedding dress Hyphen Store
Bride’s blazer Oasis
Shoes Jimmy Choo
Wedding rings London Diamonds
Groomswear Groom’s own trews with jacket hired from Slater Menswear
Flowers Flo’s Flowers Inverness
Cake Cakes by Abi
Favours and stationery DIY by the bride
Confetti PrettyPartyCompanyGB and WeddingsandPartiesCo
Embroidered napkins CustomBella
Balloons Party Party Inverness
Hair Suzanne McMahon, Hår Salon
Makeup Gillian Hoban, Hår Salon
Nails Kirsty Reid, House of Beauty
Brows and spray tan Laura Phelps, View Four Beauty
