Plan your paw-fect day

11.06.24

Home > Plan your paw-fect day

Can You Have a Dog at a Wedding?

The short answer is yes – having your dog at your wedding is completely possible. However, there are a few things to check and consider before you make the decision to have a pet-friendly wedding.

Dogs are family right? And for some it would be important for their four legged friend to be part of the biggest day of their lives. According to a recent survey by yappy.com over a quarter of couples are planning to include their beloved furry friends in their big day.

Allocate a Dedicated Dog-Sitter

When dogs are included in weddings, it’s likely that their main role will be during the ceremony either as a ring bearer or walking the couple down the aisle – it makes for gorgeous wedding pictures!

To keep your pup amused for the in-between parts of the wedding, consider allocating a guest to care for the dog. Someone your pet knows and trusts and is also happy to take them out for a walk during the day.

Think About Logistics

Whatever your plan is for your pet for the day, make sure you organise the logistics. Who is picking up and dropping off your pet? Who is walking the dog? Do they have everything they need? Does everyone know the timings?

Pack up their favourite things

Dogs need to be entertained and most won’t want to just mooch around a reception for hours on end. Pack your dog’s favourite toys, snacks and a cosy blanket or dog bed to ensure your four-legged friend is entertained and comfortable at all times.

For more information on Riddle’s Court, email our weddings team at weddings@shbt.org.uk or for more inspiration on weddings at Riddle’s Court visit our Instagram page

Your Wedding Cake Questions Answered

16.01.24

Home > Your Wedding Cake Questions Answered

How much does a wedding cake cost?

How long is a piece of string? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this, as the cost of a wedding cake can vary depending on a number of things, such as the wedding date, guest numbers, overall complexity of design, and venue location.

Every cake designer charges differently depending on their level of experience, ingredients used, overheads and geographical location. As an example, a simple naked cake will be significantly cheaper than a fondant iced cake covered in sugar flowers. Depending on all these factors a 3 tier cake could range anywhere from £300 – £1000 or more.

At your initial enquiry, and based on your wedding details, you will be quoted an estimated price range, which then gives you a good idea what your cake will cost. It’s also important to mention if you have a specific budget you would like to keep to as your cake designer can work to this.

Can I have a wedding cake tasting?

Every cake maker should offer a cake tasting. They can be done in person or by collecting a box of cake samples. If you have already saved your date with a cake maker, then a complimentary tasting box would likely be included.

Can I have different flavours on each tier?

Absolutely yes! We recommend choosing a wide variety of flavours that you and your guests will enjoy. A lot of couples choose to keep the top tier just for the themselves, saving that for the day after the wedding to enjoy.

How long does it take to make a wedding cake?

Your wedding cake is a minimum 5 day process – baking, filling & ganaching, covering, decorating and delivering. If your cake has a complicated design involving many sugar flowers this work would involve additional time which would be started weeks, sometimes even months, in advance.

Can I have flowers on my wedding cake?

Yes, absolutely you can! There are lots of options to choose from, whether you opt for sugar flowers, artificial, fresh or dried, there are options to suit all tastes and budgets.

Dried flowers are becoming increasingly popular for that rustic or boho look. If using fresh flowers, it’s important to make sure these are made food safe for your cake. This is why it’s usually better for your cake maker to arrange the flowers compared to a florist as we are all trained in food safety and can follow the correct protocols. It’s also important to use suitable fresh flowers which are not toxic or poisonous.

Making realistic sugar flowers are more expensive than the other flower options as they are all handmade. However, the possibilities are endless. Is your favourite flower a peony, but they aren’t in season for your wedding? You can have them made in sugar, whatever colour you like! Or maybe you love an iris, but they are poisonous, that’s no problem in sugar! Sugar flowers are food safe and will last a lifetime if stored correctly.

Every cake maker has their own preference and skill level, so important to check what options they can provide.

Music Trends 2024

18.12.23

Home > Music Trends 2024

Music can really set the scene for your wedding day, and has the potential to influence the atmosphere and the mood for each part of your celebration. When it comes time to take to the dance floor during the evening reception, most newlyweds want to sing along to a seamless blend of timeless tracks and on-trend tunes.

If you’re planning a 2024 wedding, you may be beginning to think about your music selections and which genres would be best suited to your celebration. In this guide, we round up a few trending styles of music that make for the ultimate soundtrack to your special day.

Classical

When it comes to wedding music, you need to plan for more than just your reception. In fact, there are plenty of moments throughout your day that will benefit from a little romantic background music.

While anything goes as you head into your evening party, the same isn’t quite as true for the earlier parts of your day. When it comes to greeting your guests, hosting your cocktail hour, and walking down the aisle, you’re going to want music that promotes a sense of calm, but still feels moving and timeless. For these more intimate moments, the classical genre is perfect, providing a subtle soundtrack that’s romantic, elegant and versatile.

Keep it authentic

You don’t want to base your choice of wedding songs purely on what’s fashionable and trending in the moment. While it’s true that you want your wedding guests to have fun, this is your wedding – so you shouldn’t have to sacrifice the music that you love in order to please the crowd.

The best part about choosing your wedding music is that there’s a space for every genre. Perhaps you want classical for your ceremony, rock, hip-hop and R’n’B for your reception party, and some lowkey folk music to serenade you as the night draws to a close. Experiment with your vision, and don’t be afraid to combine your tastes in order to curate the perfect trending wedding day playlist.

Small but mighty

09.05.23

Home > Small but mighty

Since the pandemic we have seen an increase in the number of our couples looking for something a little different for their big day and choosing to move away from huge guest numbers, the stress of chasing suppliers and worrying about seating plans. Micro weddings, small weddings, intimate weddings, call them what you want, these wee weddings are here to stay.

So, what is a Micro-Wedding?

To us a micro-wedding is a smaller intimate wedding of up to 20 guests. While a micro wedding is smaller in terms of guest size, that doesn’t mean the celebration has to be any less spectacular. A micro wedding is a unique celebration that combines the traditions of a full-blown wedding ceremony with a minimalist mentality. It’s intimate, beautiful, and often (but not always) budget-friendly. Couples can still enjoy the ceremony of a traditional wedding, but do it their way. Less guests mean you can spend your budget on things that are important to you to give your guests a magical experience.

What are the pros of having a micro wedding?

It’s budget friendly (well sometimes). Having a micro-wedding is one of the easiest ways to save some money because you can go as big or small as you want, you have total control of all of the details. Saving money on the guest list means that you have more freedom to splurge on flowers, catering or the wedding photographer of your dreams.

It’s intimate! Having micro wedding allows for you to celebrate with your closest friends and family. It’s a romantic, tight-knit ceremony and celebration that will allow you to interact with everyone you’ve invited.

Easier to plan! When organising a wedding for 30 versus 150 you can remove the stress and enjoy the build up to your special day. You have more options for the venue, you don’t have to worry about seating plans and too many dietary requirements.

Our intimate weddings allow you and your partner time to enjoy the romantic views over Edinburgh’s Old Town of the Pentland Hills, which is perfect for signing the register or relaxing with a glass of champagne.

Can planning a wedding cause anxiety?

28.04.22

Home > Can planning a wedding cause anxiety?

In reality the process can be frustrating and overwhelming, even if you do keep reminding yourself that it’s going to be an amazing day when it comes. All that wedding anxiety can really be worth it, but it’s often difficult to see that in the moment. The journey isn’t always easy, even when you remind yourself that you get to celebrate with your loved ones and marry your significant other with little to worry on the day itself.

For most couples, unless you have experience with wedding or event planning, this is the first large-scale event you’ve ever planned with vendors, a venue, catering and everything else that comes into play. Often it’s just a mess of scraping together checklists from different websites, creating spreadsheets, sending emails as well as keeping budgets and seating plans in check – which quickly becomes very paperwork heavy.

So what we thought might be useful is to talk through some of the big worries that can come up – and a reminder that these are all completely normal to have concerns or issues about. We want to be as honest and transparent as possible. If you do have any questions, talk to your vendors – if you have a great relationship with your venue or photographer or celebrant, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice about areas they might not have a direct impact on. They will be more than happy to help or could direct you to another individual or resource for more information.

So, without further ado, let’s talk through some of these stresses.

1.

One of these is planning – this is a huge event and it can be really overwhelming. We would recommend keeping one centralised plan, whether it’s a spreadsheet, a scrapbook or whatever works best for you to keep referring back to. Having things in one place can save a lot of headaches!

Be realistic about the money and time you can spend on organising a wedding – is it easier for you to plan a wedding in a month or two and just blitz through the process, or would a two year planning process where you can save money and spread out time work better? This is entirely dependent on your own workflow, personalities and budget, as well as any requirements for your guests in terms of the notice they need to attend.

Talk to your venue coordinator about your planning journey – they’ll often have resources like timelines or templates that they can share.  Focus on the parts that are important to you – while there will be other details you need to think about, making sure your attention is in the right places is really valuable – don’t stress about traditions you don’t care about, and make the day important for you as a couple.

Planning logistics can seem really daunting, so trust your venue to be able to contact your suppliers and get the right information to the right people. If you’re not sure about their responsibilities (e.g. if they communicate with florists or musicians directly, or if this is down to you) be sure to ask – they are there to answer your questions and have done this many, many times before!

Sometimes you can feel really out of your depth with planning and a great solution, should you have the budget, is to find a wedding planner – most are flexible in terms of the services they provide as well, from finding your venue for you and sticking with you throughout the wedding journey to just dropping in the day before and making sure things run smoothly during the wedding itself.

At the end of the day, if something small doesn’t go to plan, in a few years you’ll barely remember it – or you’ll be laughing about it instead! You’ll have so many special memories and meaningful moments, the day itself will be a blur!

2.

If your worry about wedding planning is financial, this is a really common concern.  There’s no denying that unless you have a tiny budget you’re trying to stick to, weddings can be very expensive. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either option!

Before you start booking suppliers and venues, make a detailed budget and stick to it. If you have any questions for things you might have missed, there are lots of support groups online for newly-engaged couples where you can ask what you might have forgotten about. Also be sure to account for some wiggle room there as well, as there will always be some surprise costs whether it be transport, gifts, or spur of the moment spending!

Check yourself before impulse buying decorations that you might not need. Focus on the things that will last and you’ll want to hold onto like a guest book with a polaroid camera rather than wedding bunting you’re going to throw out the day after the wedding. Consider buying mismatched decorations from charity shops or collecting wine/gin bottles for table centrepieces to keep big displays on a budget. You can also do DIY-decorating rather than shell out a lot of money for a florist. Pick up some flowers from the supermarket or Marks and Spencer’s, and the day before the wedding have a fun day doing some flower arranging with your wedding party!

Some tips for cutting back include getting married in the great outdoors, taking out the need for a venue. In Scotland, you can get married pretty much anywhere!

Another fix that can be a bit more difficult – but very effective – is cutting back your guest list. While not every couple wants to get married just the two of them, having a restaurant reception for 20-30 guests is a lot cheaper than a full on evening do with a private catering company. If you are cutting back on guest numbers there are lots of great ways to involve your guests who aren’t there in person, like livestreaming your ceremony or asking for advice about marriage to read during the ceremony or in your own time.

The thing to bear in mind is that even if you are worried about cutting back on your budget, these tips don’t make your wedding any less special.

3.

If you’re stressing about how your emotions are fluctuating, take some time to figure out the cause of the problem. Is it family and friends, the planning, the finance, or your suppliers not getting back to you? There can be a lot going on and it’s tricky to pin point where to start.

Talk to your partner or your loved ones about your feelings. This might sound super corny but it’s really all about having these open conversations about how you feel. It can be difficult, but if it’s a concern about the wedding it shows you’re taking time to process a monumental decision. Often we get swept up in the planning, but it’s important to verbalise the big feelings too.

With friends and family, be totally honest if their constant questions – or even demands! – is just making the process more difficult for you. Again this can be hard, especially if your family is helping financially, but at the end of the day it is about you and your partner and being open is the only way to move forward with these issues.

If you really are struggling, then there are lots of great courses online to help talk you through these difficult conversations. Again just get in touch with your events coordinator and they’ll point you in the right direction, even if it takes a bit of research. Suppliers are there to do their job, but they also do care about your emotional and mental well-being and how you’re coping with the process. Even if it’s just a phone call and venting for a bit, they should be happy to listen and help if they can.

4.

If your stress is around the partnership with your significant other, this can have a big impact on how you feel about organising the wedding as well. Stress and disagreements happen, and it’s totally normal to feel like someone isn’t pulling their weight or doesn’t understand, especially if the wedding planning is falling more on one person’s shoulders. Emotions are already running high and it’s understandable this can boil over. The key here again is to stay calm, talk through your feelings and focus on what’s most important to you as a couple – even if it takes a day or two to settle!

Remember to do the little things that help you remember why you’re getting married in the first place. Have a date night, cook for each other, or have an evening where you can turn off and watch a movie together. Get away from home, even if for a few days, and take a short break. Planning a wedding is a lot, and even if it often feels like it, it isn’t your whole life. Flourish and enjoy yourself! Everything might feel very high stakes, but it’s not going to be full-time forever.

To finish this up, it is really important to say that if you are having significant concerns about your mental health, again this is totally normal but worth talking through. Breathing Space is a fantastic free service in Scotland for those feeling low, anxious or depressed. Visit their website www.breathingspace.scot or call their helpline on 0800 838 587 and you can have a chat with a professional. They can offer advice or direct you to the right places, or even just listen. If you do have concerns just chat it through with your loved ones or contacts, and help realign your thoughts to what matters most.

Top Tips for Vow Renewals

14.04.22

Home > Top Tips for Vow Renewals

Why have a Vow Renewal?

Vow renewals also provide couples an opportunity to have the intimacy that they may not have had at their wedding due to putting their guests before themselves. One of the biggest regrets from couples is not spending enough time celebrating with each other on their wedding day as they would have liked – a vow renewal is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your love more personally, either alone or with your closest friends and family.

Planning your vow renewal should be significantly less stressful than planning your wedding day. It shouldn’t be as nerve racking of an experience, as you’ve already gone through the commitment to each other. This is an endorsement of that love for one another. There are no expectations of what your day should be like, other than your own. It is also an opportunity to do what makes you happy, instead of worrying whether everyone else will be enjoying themselves!

Make it meaningful for who you are NOW!

Make sure the day is focused on you and your partner and do what makes you happy. Whether that is a more opulent style or casual celebration, there are no rules! We advise couples to try to decide early in the planning process how formal your event and dress code will be, as this will set the tone for your day. It is important though when inviting your guests you clearly communicate the plan so they know what to expect.

Unlike a marriage, a vow renewal does not require a license. It is purely ceremonial, so can be conducted by anyone. Though some couples decide to have a celebrant, it is not essential, and it can be an opportunity to have a friend or family member conducting the ceremony. You can also incorporate your children or other guests who may not have been present at your wedding. For example, if you were married during the Covid-19 pandemic, you may have a number of guests you wish to spend this special day with. Having a celebrant may however, bring you peace of mind and help bring structure to the proceedings. Celebrants can also guide you on readings, poems, quotes etc. that you may want to incorporate into your ceremony. If you are using a family member/s, we recommend appointing one individual to oversee the planning of the speakers and the music on the day, as this can lift some of the responsibility from your shoulders.

The day is completely yours- no traditions needed!

As you are already married, a vow renewal doesn’t have a set symbolic act like a wedding, so again it’s up to you what you would like the climax of your ceremony to be. Some decide to buy new wedding bands, however others decide to take a different approach, like other symbols of unity. Hand-fasting is an old Scottish Tradition for wedding ceremonies but can also be effective in your vow renewal. If you have children, you could fast you and your children’s hands bound to symbol of your family and what you have shared together. Another Scottish wedding tradition you could adopt is sharing the Quaich. The Quaich is a two handled ‘loving cup’ which when drank from seals the bond of two people and seals the bond of two families, making them one. The Quaich symbolises the love and trust implied by the bond and could also be passed to family members. You could also light a unity candle or use sand-blending as symbolic gestures.

Four top tips for an eco-friendly wedding

10.03.22

Home > Four top tips for an eco-friendly wedding

Eco-friendly décor

Décor is an important aspect of any wedding, and it’s not too hard to design and create eco-friendly décor for your big day. Confetti is usually thrown over the couple after the ceremony has been completed, but this can be harmful to the environment as it doesn’t degrade naturally and is often consumed by animals afterwards. Eco-friendly confetti is now an option, consisting of biodegradable, dried out petals, which will still look beautiful and will break down naturally afterwards.

Natural materials such as hemp or pure linen can be used for most of the fabric elements of your wedding decoration, and place cards can also be made from recycled paper or bamboo. The dawn of the digital age means wedding planners can now send their invitations and save the dates out via electronic means, instead of using paper materials.

Choose eco-friendly floral arrangements

Another big aspect of wedding planning is the floral arrangements. Whilst exotic flowers may look glamourous, freshly cut stems aren’t great for sustainability. If you still want traditional floral arrangements at your wedding, you could consider using seasonal plants that are grown locally, or look for a sustainable florist in the local area, instead of transporting flowers across large distances.

Some florists may be able to use the leftover floral arrangements for compost after the wedding, or the wedding party may be able to do this themselves. Alternatively, you could look into using other forms of flora for your wedding, such as potted flowers and plants. These can then be reused at another location such as your home after the wedding, meaning they are much more sustainable than traditional, disposable floral arrangements.

Support repurposed buildings

Did you know that the construction industry in the UK contributes to two thirds of all waste and 10% of all carbon emissions? Over 50,000 buildings are demolished in the UK every year, and using buildings that have been repurposed for weddings helps to address this. With Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, not only can you celebrate your special day in meaningful, historic buildings, but you support the re-use and restoration of these spaces which is a big step in the right direction.

We’re always looking for ways to help make our restoration process more environmentally friendly, as well as ensuring that our buildings are sustainable in their long-term use (such as by using solar power). You can find out more information on how we intend to help address the climate crisis on our main website.

Choose a wedding location close to home

Destination weddings have become increasingly popular in recent years, with travel becoming more affordable. Whilst this can make your special day more memorable, keeping your wedding close to home will ultimately be more sustainable, as it means that guests and the wedding party don’t have to travel far, thus reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding.

Air travel also has a major impact on the environment, so choosing a wedding location within your home country is a good idea, and if you keep it really close to home, people may also be able to rideshare or get taxis together, instead of travelling individually.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are many other things you can do to make your wedding more eco-friendly – even a small step makes a difference!

Win a Wedding Ceremony

15.02.22

Home > Win a Wedding Ceremony

What can you win?

1. The prize for this competition is a wedding ceremony at one of our venues – there will be three winners: one for Riddle’s Court, one for Custom House and one for Strathleven House
2. Ceremonies must take place in 2022, on a Monday-Friday with dates subject to availability
3. The prize covers the venue hire for a 2 hour wedding ceremony, all onsite furniture and decoration, and event staff time
4. Drinks and canapes can be provided after the ceremony for an additional cost
5. Any additional furniture/linen can be provided for an additional cost
6. The ceremony can form part of a larger celebration where the venue can accommodate it (such as a full wedding or extended drinks reception) and the value of the competition prize will be deducted from the total cost
7. For Riddle’s Court only: a two-night stay in the King’s Chamber can be added on, subject to availability, at an additional cost
8. Capacities for the ceremony or additional wedding celebrations may vary between venues

The competition closes on the 14th March. For a copy of our full Terms and Conditions, click here.

Getting Married in a Historic Wedding Venue

10.02.22

Home > Getting Married in a Historic Wedding Venue

But different venues will have different challenges to overcome – so if you are planning to get married in a historic building, it’s important to consider the following points and ask your venue team questions to put your mind at ease:

1.

Is the building pre- or post-restoration? Depending on its current status, it might be a bit run-down, or recently done up. There can be restrictions both ways in terms of décor and affecting the historic fabric of the building, or there might be a lot more DIY involved than you’d intended – but on the plus side, you might have complete free rein to hang lights from the ceiling or stick things to the walls!

A building that has already been restored or has been maintained might not allow the same level of attachment, but you can rest easy knowing that facilities such as lifts or disabled toilets have likely been considered and implemented as the building has been changed to fit 21st century needs. If you are wanting to attach things to walls or ceilings, ask the venue if there’s any flexibility to use these ideas with their newer fixtures, like wrapping lights around a bannister or using shelving rather than Blu-tac.

2.

How can you use the history to your advantage? You can entertain children with historical activities, colouring in, quizzes, or ‘I Spy’s’ in the rooms. If you have a smaller wedding party, ask your venue team to take them on tours of the spaces or have information cards for guests to start conversations.

Chances are the venue team greatly value the history of the building, and will be more than willing to talk about it to your guests and will be passionate about bringing its stories to life in lots of different ways!

3.

What kind of storage is available? While some grand country houses will have stacks of rooms suitable for furniture or decoration storage, other historic venues don’t have the same capacity – for the simple reason that they probably weren’t built with weddings in mind!

Always check with your venue that they have the space for the things you need, like a kid’s room, a bar area, storage space, a room for the band to wait before setting up, or anything else that comes to mind. If they have been hosting weddings for years then they likely have systems in place that work really well, so will be able to recommend how to use their space to make your day run smoothly.

4.

What is the flow of visitors or tourists like? There’s no denying that people love to see a historic venue, especially if it is normally open to the public, like a country house whose grounds are publicly accessible or a historic building in the centre of the city. Ask your venue if the space will be used for other purposes, or if you have exclusive use, and how they will manage the public if they try to visit the grounds.

5.

Don’t get stuck thinking that just because it’s a historic venue, there’s only one way that it can be set. While some of the features may feel more traditional, there are infinite ways that you can use your creativity to showcase your own personality – it is your day after all! If you’re not looking for a wedding designer, simply talk through ideas or ask for advice and inspiration from your venue team.

Ultimately having your wedding in a historic venue is a truly memorable experience, and one that is incredibly unique! Use all of its spectacular features to your advantage, and trust your venue team to show you what can be possible – and you’ll never forget it.