Tag: elsick house

Shannon & Liam’s Elsick House Wedding

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

Hudsons Catering

Suzie Smith Photographer

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

Keely & Ross’ Dream Wedding at Elsick House

If you’ve ever wondered what a dream wedding in Aberdeenshire looks like, just take a look at Keely and Ross’ stunning day. Keely had earmarked Elsick House as her ideal wedding venue before Ross had even popped the question! So in 2020, when Ross perfectly proposed on a beautiful black beach in Iceland, Keely starting wedding planning straight away. She had already fallen in love with Elsick House through Instagram, so viewing the house and grounds in person only confirmed their choice.

  • Nicola Stewart Photography

Keely: “I remember visiting Elsick for the first time and although photographs capture the beauty of the house and grounds, seeing it for ourselves was something else. It completely exceeded our expectations. The grounds at Elsick are just beautiful with so many photo opportunities! The rose arch and bridge over the pond are special unique features and the house itself is so charming.”

Ross: “Having exclusive use of the venue really appealed and the beautiful setting just sealed the deal for us. When we arrived, Alison was extremely helpful and friendly. She was so supportive with our enquiries throughout all of the planning process and gave us some great advice.”

Keely: “Our day itself was all so amazing and went swimmingly. My uncle sang me down the aisle so that was a really special moment. We loved that the staff at Elsick and Hudsons took all our ideas on board so we could make our day really personal. We decorated the marquee with just flowers as we felt that complimented our style and Elsick’s – the natural vibe with flowers and greenery looked perfect next to Elsick’s beautiful gardens.”

Ross: “The gardens are fantastic and even at night we gathered all our guests outside for some sparkler photos under the rose pergola. We then went inside the marquee to continue the party. Our band played our first dance which was “Times Like These” by Foo Fighters. We wanted a song that fitted our music taste but still had a nice meaning behind it. We started the song slow and acoustic and ended it with the normal rocky tempo to get the dance floor going!”

Keely: “We chose to stay an extra night at Elsick which helped us make the most of our weekend. We had a chilled family get together the day after the wedding which we all really enjoyed.”

Ross: “We couldn’t have had a better experience planning our wedding or on our actual wedding day/weekend.”

Keely: “We would 100% recommend Elsick House – It really was a dream.”

  • Nicola Stewart Photography

Keely and Ross’ Supplier Shoutouts

Venue: Elsick House with Hudsons Catering

Photographer: Nicola Stewart Photography

Videographer: NL Visuals

Florist: Isla Duncan Florist

Humanist: Eddie Kennedy

Bridal Gown: Rosa Clara from Ivory Grace

Ross’ attire: Hebridean Glisk kilt from Gibbs of Inverurie

Band: 3 Card Trick (Coast Entertainments)

MUA: Melissa MUA

Hair: Zoe Gordon

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

Lasting first impressions ~ Hayley & Barry’s Love Story

Some things are just meant to be! A chance profile photo popping up on Facebook led to Barry and Hayley’s first date and an unexpected detour resulted in the discovery of Elsick House, which later became their wedding venue!

The lovely Hayley and Barry were married at Elsick last October and we asked Hayley to share their love story with us. Photography by Rubislaw Studio.

When and where did you and Barry meet?

We first started talking to each other back in 2016 but unfortunately we lost touch as I spent the summer in Australia and Barry spent time offshore with limited internet access. Months later, Barry recognised me when my profile popped up on his Facebook as a suggested friend through a mutual acquaintance. He took the chance to send me a message and we met each other for our first official date. 3 hours later and after several cups of tea and coffee, we parted ways after laughing and chatting as if we had known each other for years already.

Tell us about the proposal.

We went on holiday to visit my parents in Spain during the Easter holidays in 2019. With the plan to go and watch the sunrise at a beautiful local beach, Barry woke me up at 7.15am. We knew that if we wanted to be there for sunrise, we should have been at the beach already. When I realised the time, I simply decided it would make more sense to go the following day as we would miss sunrise – I was completely unaware of what he had planned! Barry managed to convince me that we should still go.

Sitting on the beach watching the beautiful sky as it changed colour, Barry checked various settings on his camera before returning to where I was sitting and declared that “It is about time we make things official.” Confused, I asked Barry to repeat what he had said. At that, Barry got down on one knee.

Completely taken aback and filled with emotion, I threw my arms around Barry and started to bubble whilst repeatedly asking him if he was being serious. Of course, there was only ever going to be one answer when my best friend asked me to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him.

How did you first hear about Elsick House?

A wee while prior to our engagement, we came across Elsick House by chance one Saturday afternoon. We were on our way to the beach with our golden retriever, Baker, when we got a phone call from a family member who needed help. We turned around and set off to help. Following the country roads, we came across a bus. Barry exclaimed “Why would a bus like that be on these roads?” I’m unsure why but I replied with “I bet there is a wedding happening close by.” We continued driving and turned the corner to see the sign for Elsick House. As we drove past, we were blown away by the beautiful driveway and commented on the fact it must be a beautiful venue if that’s what the driveway looks like.

What were your first impressions?

We were blown away by the driveway and thought it looked very grand. We then proceeded to look at Elsick House website and discovered that it was indeed a stunning venue. After we got engaged we couldn’t wait to see it in person so I contacted the house before we even left Spain. We were amazed with how beautiful the gardens were in Spring 2019. The house itself was extraordinary. Barry is very into his photography and was in his element thinking about the different photo opportunities.

What made you decide Elsick House was going to be the venue for your special day?

It was the perfect venue for us from start to finish. The beautiful gardens, the stunning house, the marquee set up. The attention to detail was phenomenal. The Elsick team and their amazing service from our first enquiry to going to view the venue in person. We just knew that we would feel special on our big day.

We also loved the fact that it was an exclusive use venue and it very much felt (and absolutely is true) the staff care. It doesn’t feel as if you are just another number in a business. We loved how personal it felt from our first email enquiry right through until after our wedding day.

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?

I don’t think either of us can pick just one part/story from our wedding day. It was a truly magical day that we wouldn’t have changed for the world. I guess we loved how intimate and relaxed our day was. We had an absolute ball celebrating our marriage with just our closest friends and family and we felt we were able to be fully present and enjoy the day due to how relaxed it was. Elsick House and Hudsons clearly make a fantastic team as everything seemed to run so smoothly. Both Elsick and Hudsons went above and beyond in every way possible and we are incredibly grateful for all their effort.  

What made your day unique?

After the heartache of postponing our wedding on several occasions (due to Coronavirus and the restrictions) we decided that we would proceed with our third date no matter what. Luckily the restrictions had eased enough at that time to allow the bridal party to not have to wear masks and to be able to have a ceilidh.

Due to it being a small wedding, we managed to have a table layout where we were all essentially at one big rectangular table together. This felt incredibly special and unique as we were all able to see each other and to enjoy the atmosphere together.

Would you recommend Elsick House and why?

We would wholeheartedly recommend Elsick House. It is a stunning wedding venue where you know you are going to receive outstanding service from start to finish and your wedding day is going to be made as special as possible. A truly magical place.

Hayley and Barry’s Suppliers: Venue: Elsick House with Hudsons Catering ~ Photographer: Rubislaw Studio ~ Videographer: Flat 4D Media ~ Florist: Artemisia Floral ~ Humanist Celebrant: Denise Morton ~ Bridal gown: Pronovias ~ Groom’s attire: Barry wore his own family tartan called Pienaar tartan. ~ Band: The Reel Stramash Ceilidh Band

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

Kirsten and Gavin’s Micro Wedding at Elsick House

Kirsten and Gavin’s wedding date was originally set for April 2020 but with the first UK lockdown being imposed less than 3 weeks before that, they were forced to change plans. In fact, they changed dates twice more before finally making a last-minute decision to downscale from 120 to only 20 guests at their Elsick House micro wedding.

Kirsten remembers, “the first time we had to postpone was extremely difficult as we were only a month out and had everything ready to go. We were in the final stages of organising our big day. At that point we felt that we had no control of the situation. We rearranged for April 2021 but eventually we decided that we did not want to postpone any further and at extremely short notice we set a date in December. The staff at Elsick were very understanding and gave us so much support. They were continually in contact with us to offer reassurance throughout the process. We knew that no matter what numbers we had, we would still have a special day at Elsick House.”

Kirsten and Gavin live in London and discovered Elsick House online while searching for venues near where Kirsten was brought up. She said, “we fell in Love with Elsick house straight away. As soon as we drove into the estate we were mesmerised by its picturesque setting and spacious surroundings. We received such a welcoming reception on each visit from Alison, Joyce and Karen. Whilst being toured around the house we loved the unique characteristics of each room and we were blown away by the gardens. Our main priority when choosing a venue was to be surrounded by Scottish countryside and Elsick House certainly showcased that beautifully. We couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else.”

Despite so many changes Kirsten says their friends and family were very understanding when it came to reducing the guest list. “Unfortunately, I was unable to have two of my two bridesmaids and one of Gavin’s groomsmen at the wedding but they contacted Elsick House to organise a surprise video call. Having our family and friends join us from afar was a really special moment for us.”

When we look back on our day we remember all the happy parts and not the changes that we had to make. My Dad produced a 2-metre stick for walking me down the aisle which was hilarious and as we were unable to do our quaich ceremony with all of our guests, we gave everyone their own separate nip on their seat, as well as their own hand sanitiser and face mask! The fact we managed to get married in a pandemic was pretty unique and being able to share our day with our nearest and dearest was so amazing.”

Kirsten’s dress was made by Stella York. Walking down the aisle with a 2m stick between Kirsten and her Dad was a memorable and hilarious highlight.

Speaking of the venue, Kirsten said “it was perfect as the inside and outside spaces are so versatile and allows for lots of proceedings. We had reception drinks in the study and outside in the grounds, the drawing room had all the technology for the video call and we cut the cake in the reception hall. Our families are extremely creative so we got them involved with the decorations and my Granda made our wedding cake. It was exactly as we wanted and a very special moment when we first saw his creation.”

Inspired by Gavin’s love of football and Kirsten’s love of textiles, their families created wedding décor to represent them both and Kirsten’s Granda made the cake.

In addition to the support of the staff at Elsick House, Kirsten said, “all of our suppliers were extremely accommodating. Sarah at Hudson’s Catering helped make our day perfect despite the restrictions. Linda from The Flower Pavilion was brilliant and managed to adapt our original spring flower concept for the winter season. Our photographer James Kelly has been with us from the beginning and as soon as we got engaged, we reached out to him to be part of our big day. He kept in contact with us throughout to offer support. Stacey Strachan Makeup calmed my nerves on the day with her bubbly personality and we also felt extremely lucky to have Diane Minty as our celebrant. A family friend, Diane was very supportive and helpful during the constant changes, making it relatively stress free!”

“Photographer James Kelly was in contact with us throughout to offer support.” Photo taken at nearby Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven.

“Although we had to make some harsh decisions initially, our whole wedding day was perfect. We discovered that a small wedding allowed for more intricate engagement with our guests. We were looking forward to introducing our friends to some Scottish country dancing but we’ll save that for another time! Right now, we are enjoying being newlyweds with our puppy, a Boston Terrier called Cameron.”

For more information and to discuss your individual wedding requirements, please contact us.

Take a tour of Elsick House

We hope you’ll enjoy this video tour of the house and grounds, taken on a wintery day here recently. View our three main public rooms, including the welcoming reception hall which is suitable for small wedding ceremonies of up to 50 guests. Then, explore some of our 11 bedrooms, featuring the stunning Alexandra bridal suite. Aberdeenshire received a dusting of snow on filming day, adding a bit of sparkle and reminding us that Elsick House really is the most perfect venue in every season.

There’s nothing quite like meeting our couples and showing them around the house for the first time. Hearing all your wedding plans and talking about how we can help bring those ideas to life is just the very start.

Please contact us for more information or to be notified when tours of the house can take place again.

Many thanks to SquareFoot Media for the production of this film.

Hosting Workshops in our Marquee

The marquee at Elsick had been lying unused for the whole of 2020 so when nearby new town Chapelton needed a larger venue for their annual wreath making workshops, we were delighted to offer the space.

Attendees had the luxury of their own individual workstations, allowing them to enjoy a few hours of socially distanced creative fun whilst getting into the Christmas spirit.

Karen from This is 36 Florals led the classes, making it all look so easy! From mossing up the wreath and building it up with texture and greenery to finally adding finishing touches such as berries, dried fruit and festive ribbon. The marquee was full of colour and Christmassy smells, such a lovely way to spend a December afternoon.

With so much variety to choose from and with Karen’s expert tuition every person went home with a truly unique and beautiful wreath. Here are just a few of the stunning creations, well done everyone!

We can host events within Elsick House, the large marquee or outdoors in our expansive grounds and gardens. Contact us to discuss your individual requirements.

Fall in Love with The Gardens at Elsick

It’s easy to fall in love with the gardens at Elsick House. Bright blooming flowers and meticulously maintained lawns have provided the most stunning backdrop for outdoor weddings and celebrations throughout many years. But explore a little deeper and you’ll be rewarded with some imaginative surprises. Nestled among the plants are delicate wire fairies, butterflies and most recently added, a stunning sculpture of a bridal gown – a nod to the brides who should have been married here in 2020.

So, who is behind these artworks and the amazing gardens? Meet our creative gardener, Mandy.

  • Alec and Mandy
  • Fairy Sculpture in the herb garden

Mandy and her partner Alec have lived on the Elsick Estate for 6 years. They take care of the gardens and grounds at Elsick House, as well as carrying out ground maintenance and helping with events such as the Farmers’ Market at nearby town, Chapelton.

Mandy: “I first started by helping Alec in the gardens. I never once imagined I would actually enjoy it but then I realised gardening can be creative, like living art. In my spare time I like to draw, paint and sculpt so I feel very lucky that I can combine my artistic side with my job. A typical day at work for me involves weeding, grass cutting, raking leaves, pruning, planting, deadheading and feeding the plants. I’ve recently been redesigning an area of the gardens which I’ve really enjoyed.

Working in the gardens at Elsick House is so serene. I like all the seasons. Spring sees everything come alive again; Summer is amazing with the sun, nicer weather and the garden in bloom; Autumn brings the colour changes and in Winter, the gardens are chilly but very peaceful.

I think my art is inspired by the views around me. Sometimes I stop and stare at the Monkey Puzzle trees. They are so different and make me think, wow look at that!

Weddings and events have been postponed this summer because of the coronavirus outbreak so it’s disappointing that so many people won’t get to see the gardens in bloom this year. We always do our best to make them look perfect for every wedding, it is an amazing feeling knowing they are the backdrop of someone’s special day. Our current plans are to keep the gardens looking as pristine as we can for all future events but I also felt I wanted to honour this year’s weddings that couldn’t take place because of the virus.

The bridal gown is made from wire and pearl beads and has jasmine and Japanese honeysuckle plants growing around it. I’ve made fairies on carved wooden toadstools and wire butterflies for the garden in the past but I feel this piece has a deeper meaning so I hope the couples will enjoy it when they come for their weddings here.

Mandy’s most recent sculpture, the bridal gown with jasmine and honeysuckle entwined

On a positive note, Alec and I have spent more time in our own garden this year and have revamped an area. I love working outdoors with the sun, wind and even the rain on my face. Gardening keeps me fit and healthy; it boosts the immune system too. We’ve been going for long walks with our dogs as living on the Elsick estate there’s so much countryside to explore. It will be great to see holiday makers coming back to the house once we reopen in July. It really is such a beautiful location and I can’t wait to see families back enjoying the gardens again.”

A Self-Catering Holiday at Elsick House, exclusively yours for a safe family getaway.

They say love and laughter is what makes a house a home and that is certainly true of Elsick House. Families and their friends who come to stay often refer to us as a “home from home” and without the bustle of bridal parties getting ready for the big day or families coming together for well-deserved breaks and holidays, it has been too quiet around the house during the Coronavirus lockdown.

However, we are delighted that we may soon be welcoming back our guests. The most recent government announcements indicate that holidays in Scotland could recommence from mid-July.

Exclusively Yours

A self-contained holiday home, we can ensure the house will be exclusively yours for the duration of your stay. With spacious public rooms, 11 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms, Elsick House is a safe, low risk option for those looking to get away from it all, a welcome change of scenery. Set within acres of stunning grounds and gardens it is the ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside and our location is within easy reach of Aberdeenshire’s beaches, golf courses and much more. See Activities for things to do.

  • The study room at Elsick House with Chesterfield sofa and fireplace
    Relax in comfort
  • 11 Bedrooms
  • Ensuite bathroom with roll top bath and freestanding shower
    9 Bathrooms
  • Drawing Room Elsick House
    The Drawing Room
  • Formal dining room
    Formal Dining

Self-Catering

Self-catering allows you the freedom to make your holiday your own, with no interruptions or set timetable. Our modern kitchen with large range cooker leads onto a relaxed breakfast room and of course, you have the option of the dining room for more formal dinners. Our lawns and summer house are perfect for hosting barbeques and there are also plentiful takeaway and delivery services in the area which we are happy to recommend.

Space for outdoor entertaining and family games at Elsick House.
Plentiful space for outdoor entertaining and family games

Behind the Scenes

The safety and comfort of guests has always been our priority. Behind the scenes we have been busy adding further cleaning and safety protocols. We will also be implementing a contact free check in procedure so you can feel confident that Elsick House is a safe place to reunite with family and friends.

Please check availability on our Bookings page or contact house@elsick.co.uk for more information.

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

WINTER WEEKENDS AT ELSICK HOUSE

Elsick House is located just 8 miles south of Aberdeen in Cammachmore, meaning the joys of the Aberdeen’s Winter Festival are just a few minutes away.

Visit Scotland have pulled together a wonderful list of events planned for 2018 on their website – it’s getting us feeling all festive!  Some of their suggestions include;

– Follow a parade of bands, festive characters and floats down Union Street and cheer as one by one the lights are turned on at the Christmas Lights Switch On Parade

– Help welcome Father Christmas to Aberdeen at the city’s eagerly anticipated Santa and Reindeer Parade.

– Sing along to carols accompanied by music from the talented Bon Accord Silver Band at a Christmas Carol Concert held in the David Welch Winter Gardens

Get into the festive spirit with a pantomime at the Aberdeen Arts Centre, Tivoli or His Majesty’s Theatre.

The full list of events can be found here

Why not get in touch and make the most of our winter getaway deal.  At time of writing, we still have the following winter weekends available for hire;

– November: 2nd, 16th, 23rd and 30th
– December: 7th and 14th
– January: 11th and 25th
– February: 8th and 22nd
– March: 1st, 8th, 15th and 29th

Check our current availability or get in touch with Alison and Natasha on house@elsick.co.uk.

Look forward to hearing from you

Elsick House Team

ROYAL PARTIES – TREE PLANTING TRADITION

Take a look at the video of The Queen showing Sir David Attenborough the trees that were planted in Buckingham Palace’s garden for her children here.

The photos below show various Royals at Elsick House.  Like at Buckingham Palace, many of the trees in the grounds at Elsick bear planting plaques, bearing witness to Elsick’s popularity with royal guests over the decades.

Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth marks the late Duke’s sixth birthday tree planting

Queen Mary attending the third birthday of James Carnegie (3rd Duke of Fife)

 

Trees still have all their plaques so it is a great opportunity for a treasure hunt with the children!

We carried on the tree planting tradition in 2017 to commemorate our first marquee wedding couple and our first house wedding couple.  Both couples came back to Elsick House to plant a tree to mark this memorable occasion along with the Duke and Duchess of Fife. We even managed to make use of the “Ceremony Spade” for the event which has been used by the Royals families since 1920.

Lauren and Justin – Our first House Wedding Couple

Jennifer and Keith – Our first Marquee Wedding Couple