Couple take their love from the Caribbean to Perthshire at Dunkeld House Hotel wedding

Hannah and Iain first met in St Lucia while they were working together charting the surrounding crystal-clear waters of the island, and last year, they took their relationship from the Caribbean Sea to the River Tay, when they walked down the aisle at the picturesque Dunkeld House Hotel.

Originally the South West of England and Perth, respectively, the pair returned from St Lucia and spent 18 months long-distance before settling down together in Aberdeen for the past 3 years.

In 2023, Iain popped the question when they were on holiday in the Lake District. While out and about exploring the town of Windermere, Iain pointed out a sign that said ‘happy wife, happy life’, to which Hannah was quick to address that she wasn’t his wife. 15-minutes later, Iain pulled the ring box he had been hiding in his pocket and asked Hannah if she would be his wife.

They soon started thinking about wedding plans and they quickly decided that Dunkeld House Hotel, nested in the heart of the Perthshire, was the place they’d hold their big day, due to the surrounding area’s sentimental value.

Hannah said: “The first time I came to Scotland to visit Iain, he brought me to The Hermitage, and I completely fell in love with the area. Ever since, we try to plan a visit to Dunkeld each season, as it’s become one of our favourite places.

“Because of our love for the area, we thought it would be really special to get married here. So, when we viewed the hotel, we both immediately knew it was ‘the one’.”

And whilst they loved the venue and its fairytale surroundings, meeting the team at Dunkeld House Hotel confirmed that the couple had made the right choice.

Hannah continued: “As soon as we met the hotel team, we knew we were in safe hands - they truly cared about providing us with the best day possible, no ask was too much.

“We were able to include so many aspects that other venues didn’t offer us, such as a discount on rooms for our guests staying overnight, a piper, and a rehearsal dinner in the private dining room.”

The couple got married on The Lawn outside that overlooks the River Tay, with 64 of their closest family and friends in attendance on the 20th of April 2024.

As the wedding was in Spring, they were able to hold their reception in the outdoor marquee, which is available from March through October.

Hannah added: “We chose to have the ceremony outdoors because as we previously mentioned, the views from the hotel are unparallel, and we wanted to be surrounded by the beauty of the Scottish countryside. Plus, we thought getting married next to the River Tay was a nice nod to us originally meeting on the water.“

With Iain being from Scotland, and their shared love of the country, they wanted to embrace this and include traditional Scottish elements throughout.

The groom and his party wore kilts - Iain in his family tartan -, the bridesmaids were in emerald green to match the adjacent woodlands, and the overall theme included hints of stags and thistles.

Hannah and Iain shared their first dance to Snow Patrol and then invited their guests to join in as the DJ played for the rest of the evening.

Hannah finished by saying: “Everything about our day was perfect, choosing Dunkeld House Hotel was the best decision we could have made. Being able to get married in the town where Iain brought me to when I first visited Scotland in the early stages of our relationship was so special, and sharing our first dance as husband and wife on the hotel grounds made it seem like such a full circle moment that we’ll never forget.”

And when asked if they had any advice for newly engaged couples? “Don’t let planning the wedding take over your lives, dedicate a couple of evenings a week and then spend the rest enjoying each other’s company without wedding planning.”

For more information on weddings and celebrations at Dunkeld House Hotel, visit https://www.crerarhotels.com/collection/dunkeld-house-hotel/experiences/celebrations/weddings/.