Running towards love – Marie and Tony’s story

A bride and groom stand on stone garden steps, with Crathes Castle in the background. The groom wears a red kilt. The bride wears a long white dress and is carrying a beautiful bouquet of red and orange flowers.

Marie and Tony met, got engaged and celebrated their wedding at Crathes Castle. | Image: By Rhea

Marie and Tony’s story is the true definition of love at first sight and destiny colliding. This is a meet-cute made for a movie!

Marie and Tony first met when they were taking part in the Crathes Half Marathon in September 2019. Towards the end of the race, they found themselves running alongside each other. After the race, Tony plucked up the courage to go and chat to Marie; during their chat they discovered they had the same running coach.

After that, they kept bumping into each other, but it was often the case that Marie was running at the time and couldn’t stop to speak! So, Marie decided to contact Tony via LinkedIn and they started chatting online. The next time they met up in person was at the Lumphanan Detox 10K race on 2 January 2020. Thereafter, Marie and Tony enjoyed a couple of social runs together, and it became clear there was something special between them.

Fast forward 18 months: to November 2021 and a trip to Crathes Castle for a coffee. Tony surprised Marie by getting down on one knee just outside the castle door, presenting her with a beautiful engagement ring (which he’d been carrying around in his pocket for months, waiting for the right time and place!). To say Marie was a little bit shocked and surprised would be an understatement, but she was equally delighted. And of course, she didn’t hesitate to say yes!

Where else could this couple get married except Crathes Castle, where it all began.

Tony and Marie said: ‘Our wedding day, it was absolutely perfect. It’s hard to put in words how wonderful the day was. It was beyond anything we could have hoped for.’

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“Crathes is the most magical location for a wedding and it’s very special to us as it has been such a big part of our journey as a couple.”

Marie and Tony

A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a garden path, gazing at each other. The groom wears a red kilt with a large sporran. The bride wears a long white dress, with autumn colours in her large bouquet.

They continued: ‘The castle and the beautiful gardens are the most magical location for a wedding. Watching the fireworks from the castle was the perfect ending to the most wonderful day. It is a day we will never forget, and neither will our family and friends.’

Find out more about hiring Crathes Castle as a wedding venue