Over the last two weeks we've posted 2 Question and Answers with couples who've had their weddings at Colstoun, It's amazing how many of you have been reading and sharing these stories! Kim & Robbie's Q&A has been our most successful post ever (read it here), this week is really exciting as we hear from Kathryn & Dan, I've been especially looking forward to this Q&A because I get to include the video of their wedding made by the awesome Bowery Productions (link to their website is below). I hope you enjoy watching the video and reading all about Dan & Kathryn's amazing weekend and remember to share the post and comment. If you'd like anymore information about having your wedding at Colstoun or available dates please send an email here.
How did you meet & get engaged?
We met through our local hockey club in South West London. We also lived on the same street in London so couldn’t avoid each other. 8 years later we got engaged on North Berwick beach (about 7 miles north of Colstoun) while we were visiting Kathryn’s parents after camper vanning round the West Coast of Scotland.
How did you find out about Colstoun, and what made you choose us as your venue?
At the time we were looking for venues Colstoun wasn’t as easy to find as it is today. In fact, Kathryn stumbled across it when looking through wedding photographers on Instagram. After a bit more online research it was easy to get in touch and arrange an appointment to view the house and venue.
Having been to many weddings in our 8 years together we had a clear idea about what we did and didn’t want from a venue; the bar had to be in the same room as the dance floor, we wanted people to be able to stay close to the venue, and have scope to make a weekend of it.
Colstoun stood out from the beginning. Not only did it meet our criteria, it exceeded it. It manages to retain its character and history, the coach house is a great space, and there is so much to explore throughout the house and grounds with many unique features.
What was the most memorable part of your weekend?
There were so many memorable moments it is hard to pick a specific one. Some of the memories that will stick with us the most are;
Having all of our family, wedding party and friends staying in the cottages together on the Friday for a pre-wedding celebration
Watching our parents sing Guns N’ Roses during our ceremony
The weather… not a cloud in the sky
In reality however we just look back on how much fun we had during the whole day and weekend.
How did personalise your wedding day? Did you have a clear vision or were you open to ideas from your suppliers?
We wanted to make sure we had personal touches during the wedding. While we had a clear vision we were open to ideas from our suppliers and worked with them to turn the vision into reality. Some specific things we did were;
A humanist ceremony in the poly tunnel: neither of us are religious so didn’t want a church wedding. We also felt that civil ceremonies can be a bit short. Humanism allows for more of a celebration and, better still, the humanist society in Scotland is legally recognised so no need to attend a registry office beforehand.
Brewed our own beer: why buy when you can brew… we went to the Stewart Brewing craft beer kitchen a few months before the wedding to brew our own IPA. It went down a treat.
Espresso martini’s: A round of these after the dinner along with the coffee gave everyone a little pick-me up
In terms of decorations Adelaide's Secret Garden (link below) provided some great guidance in terms of flowers for the day. She has done a number of weddings a Colstoun and really knows the space. Similarly, Appetite Direct (link below) – our caterers – know the venue and how everything works. This really put us at ease.
The Colstoun philosophy is that the house is essentially ‘yours for the weekend’ this allowed us to put our own stamp on things. We felt that other venues would have a much stronger view on what can/can’t be done. Many of our conversations with the team ended in – ‘if you think you can do it and it won’t break anything then go ahead’.
The combination of this philosophy and the knowledge and experience of our suppliers resulted in a day that went smoothly. Many of our friends have said it was one of the most relaxed weddings they have been to.
Do you have any advice for couples that are currently planning their wedding?
Don’t sweat the small stuff: Not everything will go to plan on the day. But don’t worry too much about the little things – no one will notice
Trust your suppliers: It took us a while to trust everyone but by then end we knew we were in safe hands and after the event wondered why we ever worried
Focus on what people want – food and booze: Put energy into getting this right and make sure you have enough. Rather than favours we went for cocktails.
Utilise the whole venue: If you are getting married at Colstoun use it to the max. We had people staying in the house and each of the cottages. We had a wedding party supper and drinks reception on the Friday and hog roast on the Sunday. This turned it into a whole weekend event and gave people the opportunity to explore the uniqueness of the house.
Venue: Colstoun Coach House
Celebrant: Humanist Society Scotland | website
Ceremony and reception singer: Yasmin Worral via Freak Music | website
Ceilidh: Friend of a friend
DJ: Pinup Nights (no website)
