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Bringing together Scottish and Irish traditions, Shannon and Liam’s wedding was all about connecting their two families from across the Celtic nations. Vows in Irish and Scottish food by Hudsons Catering, along with lots of personal touches, made their day truly special. Here’s what our Elsick bride Shannon had to say following the big day, with images by Suzie Smith Photography.
How did you first hear about Elsick House?
I first knew about Elsick when I saw photographs of a friend’s wedding here five years previously, although we had never actually visited the house until our first viewing. In fact, the only venue we viewed was Elsick House! Our criteria was simple – we wanted an exclusive use venue for the whole weekend and somewhere that could sleep our closest family as we would be hosting an Irish shindig the day after the wedding too.
What were your first impressions?
We were blown away when we came to view Elsick House! The house is immaculate and we really love how unique each bedroom is. There wasn’t really any question after that, simply ‘how do we proceed to book our wedding here?
What made your day unique?
We had a true mix of Scotland meets Ireland. My proudest moment on the wedding day was delivering half of my personal wedding vows in Liam’s native tongue of Irish! We were so fortunate to have Liam’s father and Shannon’s brother speaking during the ceremony which was a huge highlight for us both.
Hudson’s Catering produced some exceptional traditional Scottish dishes and for many of our Irish guests this was the first time tasting haggis. It was important to me that we would have a bagpiper at the wedding, which is not tradition in Ireland. For our groomsmen, the morning of the wedding was the first time they had put on a kilt so it was a real novelty. It’s safe to say that the Scots and Irish are some of the friendliest and that really showed with how well our two sides partied together!
The day itself had snow, rain, sun and wind so we had to be adaptable! I definitely blame my 20 minute delay on the snow!
Details of the day
We used a lot of gold, pearl, cream, mirrors and crystal to create a beautiful space and a lot of hard work went into it. We used areas and landmarks from the island Liam grew up on as our table names with a picture of our dogs in each place displayed on the tables. This was very personal to us as the girls are a huge part of our lives and the images were designed by our dear friend Holly.
I found my dress in Lillia Bridal, which was the first shop I went to. The men were dressed in the Isle of Skye tartan and all of the kilts were from Neil Selbie, where Liam is a regular customer.
Would you recommend Elsick House?
In a heartbeat! And we wish we could return to celebrate every anniversary! My advice to future couples of Elsick is to simply trust the team! They are experts in knowing exactly what they are doing, what works, and that the day will run to time!
SHANNON AND LIAM’S SUPPLIERS
Videography: AD Media
Humanist: Caron Harper Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Florist: Isla Duncan
Dress: Lilia Bridal with alterations by Martine Blair
Kilts: Neil Selbie
Cake: Cake Affair
Kilted Sax: Rich Gordon Music Company
Band: Juke Box Hero
Hair and makeup: Vanity Studio
Dog Chaperone: Horse & Country
Photo Booth: Rose Creative Studio & Events
Ring design: Lava Jewellery Design
Download our wedding brochure here or view a virtual tour of the house and grounds. To arrange a visit to Elsick House or for more information about wedding and events please contact us at house@elsick.co.uk
