Rustic cosy autumn Cairngorms hotel wedding with northern lights

From an ill father of the bride 'attending' via video call, to aurora borealis at the end of the night, there were lots of unforgettable moments when Hollie and Andrew married at the Nethybridge Hotel

a bride wearing a faux fur wrap, veil and ivory dress snuggles into a groom wearing a blue kilt and tweed jacket. They are standing in an autumnal landscape surrounded by brown bracken and there is snow on distant hills

Hollie MacPhee and Andrew Hind

25th November 2023

Venue | The Nethybridge Hotel, Cairngorms
Photography | Weddings by Adrianna

Unless you’re eloping and it’s a conscious choice to leave the gang behind, you’ll want those who mean the most to you to share the joy of your wedding day.

When Hollie and Andrew arranged their November nuptials at the Nethybridge Hotel, they invited their close circle of friends and family – 56 guests in total – to join them in the wild splendour of the Cairngorms for a full weekend of celebrations, centred around their outdoorsy, rustic, forest-themed wedding.

One crucial guest ended up being unable to attend, however: Marcus, the father of the bride. “He’d fallen ill the week before the wedding and was still in hospital when our day rolled around,” groom Drew tells us. But all was not lost and he was able to join in at important points during the day.

“Hollie video-called her dad for a tearful and moving first look, then he watched our ceremony unfold. He was even able to make the first speech of the evening from his hospital bed, delivered via Zoom! It was emotional, but we were filled with gratitude and relief that he was still here with us to enjoy our day.

“The Nethybridge’s staff were incredibly accommodating with the last-minute changes that resulted from Marcus’s absence; they ensured he was on camera at the top table and that everyone in the room could hear and see him.”

After the wedding, so many guests told the couple how friendly, approachable and helpful the hotel team had been, which echoed their own experience.

Search for other hotel wedding venues in Scotland

“The staff went above and beyond to make sure everything ran according to plan. Our coordinator Lindsey was an absolute pleasure to work with over the two years we spent planning. She was quick to respond to emails and incredibly organised,” notes Drew. “She was at the end of the phone for everything and anything we needed. We can’t thank her enough.”

a laptop with a person on video call sitting on a top table at a wedding

a man showing a bride the screen of a smart phone as groom smiles at her

a bride looking into a smart phone on left. A smiling bride looking over her shoulder while holding a bouquet on right.

The couple live in the central belt but love spending time in the Highlands, immersing themselves in nature and the great outdoors, so they started scoping out venues in and around the Cairngorms straight after their engagement.

“Until we discovered the Nethybridge, we were wondering if what we wanted was actually possible with our budget,” Drew confides. As soon as they stepped over the threshold of this Victorian manor house, they got a good feeling.

“We were sold on the cosy lounges with log fires, the amazing mountain views and beautifully kept gardens. We loved the atmospheric Revack suite with its crisp white walls set off by glittering chandeliers. Even better, it fitted our budget!”

a bride and groom posing as the northern lights light up the sky

Marrying in November meant the newlyweds would have limited daylight hours for photographs, so Lindsey steered them towards having an early ceremony, starting at 12.30pm, which meant they had time to take advantage of the hotel’s gardens and the pine forest across the road for their couple portraits.

Darkness falling early had another unexpected benefit too: they got to see the aurora borealis!

“For many of us, me and Hollie included, it was the first time we had witnessed the northern lights – we all ran outside to watch!” laughs the groom. “The sky was filled with greens and pinks and we got a group photo with all our guests under them. It was the most romantic and perfect ending to our day.”