This chic California couple travelled to Edinburgh for the wedding of their dreams

Myranda Mears and Paul Hollwedel

10th July 2023

Venue | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Photography | Melody Joy Co. 

Planning a wedding is a mammoth task. And when you’re organising it to take place in a city that is 5,000 miles away from your home, you need to be sure you’re in good hands.

Fortunately for Myranda and Paul, they had help from wedding coordinator Jamie Neil of Timeless White. It was he who arranged the Edinburgh nuptials of their dreams via countless calls and emails between Scotland and California. Any stress they might have felt soon melted away when they arrived at their venue, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, where their “monochromatic, timeless disco” theme had been brought to life.

“Jamie provided us with five options when we first began searching for a venue,” recalls the bride. “We eliminated all but one of them, and then came over to see it in the flesh. But once we got home after our visit, we realised it wasn’t right for us. Jamie then suggested the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, which turned out to be absolutely perfect.”

The couple say they were won over by the fact that the venue was big but still felt intimate enough for a bash with their 32 guests who joined them from California and Oregon.

“It is a large space but with many smaller rooms, all of which have a very unique feel,” explains Myranda. “We loved the idea of having each part of the reception in a different room: pre-dinner cocktail hour in the Cullen Suite, dinner in the Library, and dancing in the Great Hall. And from the moment you walk in and see the grand staircase, the overall aesthetic of the venue is absolutely breathtaking.”

On the day of their wedding, the couple headed to Calton Hill to tie the knot overlooking Edinburgh, with help from humanist celebrant Caroline Lambie. They and their guests then boarded the Red Bus which whisked them to the grand building in Queen Street in style. The venue (which had been beautifully decorated by event design specialists Gloam) had a stunning spread of food and drinks waiting for them. 

“Having a great choice of food and drinks was really important to us,” says Myranda. “Saltire Hospitality provided us with a fully bespoke menu – everything from customised his-and-hers cocktails (an Old Fashioned for Paul and a Mexican 55 for me), champagne, four canapés of our choice, wine with dinner, three choices for the main course, desserts, an open bar and a late-night snack spread.” 

The couple and their friends and family danced into the wee hours, with guests claiming it was “the best music they’d ever heard” at a wedding: “It was an absolute blast,” laughs the bride. “We had Sam Young DJing our wedding and he had the entire group grooving for over four hours. We also had an open bar and a table of desserts and snacks all night.”

Myranda and Paul say they would recommend their venue to any couples looking to celebrate in Edinburgh. “It is a truly breathtaking and elegant space filled with rich history, beautiful architecture, sculpture, books, three distinct beautiful rooms, and intricate hallways connecting the rooms together,” the bride reminisces. “The highlights of the day were really the interactions we got to have with our family and friends. We felt so much love and we had so much fun!”