With lots of personal touches throughout the day, Alice and Ben had a "classic yet romantic" wedding that really represented them
Alice Walker and Ben Nicolson, now Mr and Mrs
Nicolson
13th July 2023
Venue | Achnagairn Castle
Photography | Sun & Beau
The beautiful thing about weddings? As long as you tick all the legal boxes, you’re basically free to do whatever you like.
Whether that’s bungee-jumping off a bridge with your new spouse after saying ‘I do’, having a string quartet play your favourite George Michael song, or recreating the end credits of Bridesmaids with your best girls, you can choose the darling details that best represent you and your partner.
Alice and Ben’s big day at Achnagairn was so them, thanks to all the extra little touches such as themed cocktails and wedding newspapers.
“For me, it was all about the little things,” agrees the bride. “We wanted to make our wedding our own and represent us as individuals and as a couple. The attention to detail became something our guests loved, and they told us the wedding was so clearly ‘Ben and Alice’ from start to finish.”
The couple decided to go for a “classic, yet romantic” theme that also incorporated one of the other loves in the bride’s life: books. “I studied English literature at St Andrews University and I just adore reading fiction and poetry. I wanted to include as many literary references as I could,” Alice tells us.
“I worked with our stationery designer to create personalised bookmarks instead of name tags at dinner. I picked 120 different quotes so that each guest had a unique bookmark – it did take quite a while!”
Another non-negotiable for the couple? Getting hitched in the Highlands. “Ben and I were both born and brought up in Caithness, so the Highlands are so special to us,” explains the bride.
“To be able to get married and share the best day of our lives with all those closest to us in the Highland countryside was just a dream. This part of the world played such a big part in the preparation and feel of the day that it really was like a welcome guest we had invited along.”
Part of that vision was hiring local vendors to bring the day to life: “Using Highland suppliers meant a great deal to me. Being able to source local products and services was also a really great way of showing our guests from elsewhere that the Highlands truly are a special and unique slice of Scotland.”
Guests joined the couple from across the UK and beyond, with one special person even travelling all the way from Philadelphia to join the celebrations. With so many people coming together, the couple were keen to make as much of the time as possible, so they arranged pre-wedding celebrations at the venue for guests to come together.
“We stayed overnight at Achnagairn with around 50 of our guests and held a celebration that evening with a pizza van, desserts, firepits and games,” smiles the bride.
“I spent most of the evening playing giant snakes and ladders with my soon-to-be nephews! The firepits were lit, blankets were handed out, the outdoor lighting sparkled, and our playlist started. By the end of the night we were having a massive game of rounders – during which my dad hit the ground at quite some speed. We did worry he might have concussion!”
Thankfully, Alice’s dad made a full recovery to walk her down the aisle of Dingwall Free Church where she and Ben were married in a service conducted by one of the groom’s friends.
After the ceremony, everyone headed back to Achnagairn, where “brilliant” coordinator Nicola was on hand to ensure everything ran smoothly.
From the meal (a standout starter of haggis, neeps and tatties, with a delectable chocolate mousse with raspberries to finish) to the evening of entertainment which included everything from a ceilidh to ‘passing the cog’; special speeches to enjoying the couple’s cocktails (an Old Fashioned and a rhubarb gin fizz), the pair say they wouldn’t change anything about their day.
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“I think ultimately our day was everything we wanted and even moments like being rained on while getting our pictures taken made it a day to remember,” smiles Alice. “We married each other and everything else was secondary. Seeing Ben waiting for me made everything we had experienced – a four-year long-distance relationship, a pandemic, and me completing my degree – more than worth it.
"He looked at me and everything quietened, and I was sure that whatever came next, whatever went well or wrong during the day, I had married my love, and that was the greatest joy."
Venue Achnagairn Castle
Photography Sun & Beau
Filmmaker Taylor Made Videography
Ceremony Rev. Derek Lamont at Dingwall
Free Church
Bride's dress Suzanne Neville from Eleganza
Sposa, with sleeves added by
In Stitches Boutique
Bride's shoes Monsoon
Bridesmaid dresses Jarlo London
Groomswear Chisholms Highland Dress plus
family’s own kilts
Bride's rings Emmy London
Groom's ring Ernest Jones
Cake Occasion Cakes
Night-before catering The Pizza Box
On-the-day catering The Lunchbox Boys
Flowers North Floral Design
Stationery Danielle Bleuse, Papervow,
Wedding Lux Co, Lovely in Letters, Twist
Stationery, BridesToBe by MrsK, Hewitt’s Prints
and TheKraftyroomShop
Favours Parkinson’s UK planting paper seeds
Venue decor Eva’s Covers
Ceremony and drinks reception music
Wedding Strings Con Amore
Reception band Highland Fire Ceilidh
Transport Top Class Cars
Hair Gillian Hoban Makeup
Nails Body N’ Soul
Other food suppliers Perk Coffee & Doughnuts and
Black Isle Baking
