Festive Christmas Wedding Weekend at Drumtochty Castle
Photography by Emma Lawson PhotographyHannah & Jon’s wedding was pure magic—and let’s be honest, their Labrador, Bowie, totally stole the show as the ring bearer. Bowie’s not just any dog; he’s basically family, having been front and centre at birthdays, weddings, and all the big moments. So, of course, he had to be the star of their big day, too.
The couple said “I do” at the stunning Recommended Venue, Drumtochty Castle, opting for a full weekend of fun instead of just one day. And why not? It meant everyone could kick back, catch up, and make memories before the main event. Friday night kicked off with fizz, fish & chips, and a good old singalong by the fire—Hannah’s dad even busted out his guitar to lead the crowd through 500 Miles, Hey Jude, and Angels. By the end of the night, everyone was feeling the love (and maybe a little hoarse from belting it out).
The wedding itself was packed with personal touches that made it so them. They had a quaich ceremony with local Fettercairn whisky, a handfasting ritual, and a traditional blessing to tie it all together. Oh, and let’s talk details: olive green bridesmaid dresses, festive ornament favours, Hannah’s stunning custom Emma Beaumont gown complemented by her gorgeous makeup thanks to Recommended Supplier, Kelly Daun Makeup, and a surprise fireworks display to end the night with a bang. It was festive, fabulous, and full of love all captured by the Recommended Supplier, Emma Lawson Photography. The couple also chose their Recommended Supplier, The Wedding Shop, for their gift list.
Festive Christmas wedding weekend at Drumtochty Castle with a green colour palette
Our highlights of the day were when we both stepped out of the church, jumped in our car and drove the few minutes up to the castle. We were alone, just married and together after spending the night and morning apart. We walked into the castle, just the two of us, were handed a glass of champagne and were just bursting with happiness, watching the day we'd planned come together, and giddy that we'd just become husband and wife. We also loved being piped to our table for dinner with everyone clapping and stamping their feet, and, of course, the INCREDIBLE firework display after dinner (which we kept as a surprise!).
Hannah & Jon
Drumtochty Castle Winter Wedding
Hannah planned and designed the details of the wedding weekend but found an on-the-day coordinator who helped Hannah & Jon over the whole weekend with styling. Since the guests were staying on-site for the weekend, Hannah & Jon wanted to make every aspect feel special. They included handwritten welcome notes, homemade sloe gin, Irn-Bru and shortbread in their rooms. So cute! Attention to detail was important to the couple. For example, they served Sheppy cider, a nod to the cider place Hannah visited on her hen-do, along with customised cocktail napkins made with a gold foil picture of their dog! For the wedding, Hannah wore a gold ring that belonged to her great-grandfather. She engraved her new initials onto the front, and unbeknownst to her, Hannah’s great-grandfather’s has the same initials and used to have them engraved on the front too!
Festive Christmas Decorations
For the festive details of their winter wedding, Hannah & Jon got creative. Getting married in the Scottish highlands in the winter meant that they chose lots of green foliage, red berries, and candles, with some mistletoe, of course, as opposed to lots of bright flowers. For favours, Hannah & Jon chose tree ornaments as wedding favours, which also doubled as place names! These were all handmade by one of Hannah’s bridesmaids and her mum. To keep up that festive and cosy ambience, there were dotted lamps and fairy lights everywhere. It’s so enchanting! Dark green was the main festive colour that worked well with the traditional and luxe setting of Drumtochty Castle. The food included haggis bon bons and Scottish smoked salmon blinis for canapés and main courses of baked highland chicken and local Drumtochty Estate braised venison.
Hannah & Jon had festive decor including mistletoe, tree ornament wedding favours and more!
It's so easy to be caught up in the stresses of organising such a big day, but remember it's for you both as a couple, first and foremost. So choose things that make you both happy and don't lose sight of what the day is all about. Don't try and please or accommodate everyone because it's genuinely impossible…! Hannah's brother, who’s a photographer, also gave us a great piece of advice - when it's all done, the guests have left and the years roll on, the only tangible thing you have are the photos, so make sure you capture as much as you can, so you can relive all those precious memories.
Hannah & Jon
We love all the details at Hannah & Jon’s festive winter wedding weekend. Especially Hannah’s bespoke wedding dress! Hannah said, “Designing my dress with Emma was incredibly special. I knew I wanted a high neck, lace with a split up the leg and from our first discussion, it was so seamless and it really came to life so perfectly. Every detail was stunning and the dress is a complete work of art, I felt truly privileged to wear it and it left Jon speechless.” If you think you’d like to have a bespoke wedding dress for your wedding day, head to our article on bespoke wedding dresses for all the details!
Wedding readings are one of those details about the day that is often forgotten about but plays such an important role in your ceremony. Hannah & Jon chose Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton and 1 Corinthians 13 for their special day.
