3 Jul 2024

Hannah and Michael’s fairy tale wedding at Fyvie Castle

A bride sits in a ornately decorated room looks off to one side with too huge windows behind her.

Hannah, a vision in white photographed inside Fyvie Castle | image: Sophie Alexandria Photography

Hannah and Michael’s regal fairy tale wedding at Fyvie Castle featured stunning castle backdrops, excellent catering and created cherished shared moments.

Fyvie Castle is famous for its luxurious interiors, intricate ceilings, and internationally acclaimed art collection, which make it an enchanting wedding venue.

With a picturesque loch, the opportunities for stunning wedding photography in the extensive grounds are endless.

Hannah and Michael, who tied the knot at Fyvie Castle last summer, reminisce about their dream day: ‘We visited 15 venues in and around Aberdeen and shortlisted five of those, but Fyvie was the one we kept coming back to — it just couldn’t be beaten!’

An opulent room in a castle is set up for a wedding ceremony with rows of chairs on either side of an aisle.

A bride walks down the aisle on the arm of the man giving her away. Guests stand on either side of the aisle and the ceremony is being held in a very opulent room.

Two photos fitted together: the one on the left shows a bride and groom at the bottom of an aisle during their wedding ceremony and the photo on the right shows the bride and groom just married, walking back up the aisle past all their guests.

The pair were looking for somewhere to ‘wow guests from the first glimpse’, and quickly decided the impressive castle would be the perfect place to celebrate with their 95 guests (who were joined by an additional 17 guests in the evening).

Hannah reminisces: ‘As soon as we decided to have Fyvie as our venue, everything else started falling into place, as the castle set the regal tone we hoped for.

‘We hosted our ceremony in the incredible gallery/music room. This was followed by drinks outdoors at the front of the castle and then by our reception in a marquee on the lawn. One of the things we loved about Fyvie was that there were various options for hosting the various parts of our day, which made the planning very exciting.’

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“We were enchanted by Fyvie’s splendour. Hosting our wedding in such a majestic setting felt very special.”

Hannah and Michael

Food and drink were important to the couple, so they entrusted their catering to external supplier Harry Fraser, who cooked up a delicious Scottish feast of roast fillet of prime Aberdeenshire beef with a pink peppercorn sauce for the main course and traditional stovies at night. The bride and groom could bring their own wine and champagne (and paid only a corkage fee).

The pair also hired the castle’s four-storey Preston Tower apartment, where they spent three nights with 16 of their closest family and friends. Hannah says: ‘It was amazing to stay inside the castle, and it helped facilitate stress-free preparations on the wedding day as we could all get ready on-site without worrying about travelling in the morning.‘

A large living room with various pieces of large furniture including three sofas, a coffee table, rug and arm chair. There are painting on the wall in gilded frames, a window with gold curtains and a fireplace.

The living room in Preston Tower apartment

Hannah continues: ‘We loved that we could host an intimate dinner with our families the night before, and the day after the wedding we had a barbecue at Fyvie and played games on the lawn.’

Other special elements, such as singing waiters, a six-piece band and saxophonist, and a buttercream wedding cake (in July!), helped make it a perfect day. But the couple are at pains to credit the staff with the smooth running of their wedding saying: ‘They were incredibly supportive and offered great suggestions and advice.‘

A bride and groom embrace on the lawn in front of a castle while the brides veil flows in the wind.

Hannah still smiles when she talks about her special day now: ‘We wouldn’t change a thing. Everything fell into place beautifully. Seeing each other at the aisle and being surrounded by everyone we love in one room is a feeling that’s hard to beat.’