Their story…
US couple, Ben and Christina, chose Edinburgh’s ‘other castle’ for their international summer wedding, the perfect venue to embrace Scottish roots and celebrate with their international guests.
Why did you choose to get married in Scotland?
Ben’s family has Scottish roots, and we enjoy attending the Highland festival in Estes Park, Colorado each year. Our first international trip together included a stop in Edinburgh. Whilst we were there, we visited Inchcolm Island and saw a wedding. It was stunning and we thought it would be a very cool thing to do.
When we got engaged, we decided Scotland would be the ideal setting for us.
Did you do all the planning yourself?
We worked with Tracie Walls, who originally planned our wedding at Inchcolm Island. Planning with Tracie made planning from a distance completely manageable. Tracie booked the piper, florist, celebrant and photos for us. For everything else, she met with us remotely and listened to our vision for what we wanted. Then, based on our responses, she offered us several high-quality options for everything else we selected. Thus, we got exactly what we wanted, but only had to select from a few well-researched options.
The major challenge for us was a late change in venue. Historical Scotland was completing structural evaluations at Inchcolm Island, and thus the abbey was not accessible. Again, Tracie gave us several options and helped guide us to the best one for our preferences and we changed venues to Craigmillar Castle. It was incredible, the staff were fantastic and we could not have asked for anything better.
Glad it worked out in the end! Who else did you have on your team?
We held a welcome event at The Granary with a dancer and piper, as well as whisky tasting, and had a fantastic time. Our piper, Matty and Kayleigh, the dancer (both from Pipers for All Occasions) were one of the most fun things; we don’t often get the opportunity to see traditions like that where we live.
On the day, our photographer, Teresa Sumerfield, and florist, Flowers by Isla were brilliant. Jean Bodie, our celebrant, did a fantastic job, was super helpful and made the officiant portion of the wedding very easy. We booked The Ghost Bus for transportation to the reception and enjoyed the tour on our way to Le Monde.
With all these brilliant things planned, what were you most looking forward to?
We were most excited about the fact that we got to travel to Scotland with our family and friends to celebrate such an amazing event. For several family members, this was their first trip out of the country. It was great to be able to introduce them to international travel in such a fun way, in a wonderful place and many of our guests want to return to Scotland in the future to explore more of such a beautiful place.
Other than your wedding, what else did you do in Scotland? Any recommendations?
After we married, we travelled on the North Coast 500 (NC500), as well as visiting the Isle of Skye and Isle of Lewis and Harris. The Highland landscape was incredibly beautiful and varied. One of our favourite hikes was at Knockan Crag National Reserve but we enjoyed exploring the ruins of castles the most!
Top tips?
We decided to get married in Scotland because of its beauty and the joy we felt when we saw a wedding there. The best thing we did was have a great wedding planner in Scotland. Being local, she knew the best options, vetted everyone involved and could follow-up if we were not able to reach out via email. Travelling to get married may seem like a daunting task but as a consequence, it created a day that was filled with those people who were the most special in our lives. It also made planning a wedding and vacation a ton of fun!
Suppliers:
Venue: Craigmillar Castle
Photographer: Teresa Sumerfield Photography
Planner: Tracie Walls
Celebrant: Jean Bodie, Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Florist: Flowers by Isla
Welcome Dinner: The Granary
Piper & Dancer: Matty & Kayleigh at Pipers for All Occasions
Transport: The Ghost Bus
Accommodation/Dining: https://lemondehotel.co.uk/
