Contact our coordinators for more details info@guthriecastle.com

Contact our coordinators for more details and a personalised quote

Your Ultimate Wedding Photo Checklist

Unsure of where to start when deciding on which planned photographs should be taken throughout the day by your photographer, find the standard essentials below.

 Before the ceremon

1. Wedding dress (hanging up)
2. Brides shoes
3. Brides bouquet
4. Bride having her hair and make-up done!
5. Bride in her wedding dress
6. Bride with her bridesmaids
7. Bride with her parents
8. Bride getting into car with her father
9. Groom getting ready
10. Groom with best man and ushers

At the ceremony

11. Guests outside the ceremony venue

12. Groom and best man outside the venue

13. Bride arriving

14. Groom and best man at alter

15. Bride and father walking down the aisle

16. Bride and groom exchanging vows

17. Bride and groom exchanging rings

18. Signing of register

19. Bride and groom leaving the ceremony

20. Newlyweds outside the venue

21. Confetti being thrown

At the reception

22. Table detail and flowers

23. The cake

24. Bride and groom arriving

25. Guests mingling

26. The speeches

27. Cutting the cake

28. The first dance

29. Guests dancing

30. Throwing the bouquet

Formal Group Shots

31. Bride and groom

32. Bride and groom with brides parents

33. Bride and groom with grooms parents

34. Bride and groom with both sets of parents

35. Bride and groom with close family

36. Bride and groom with bridesmaids

37. Bride and groom with male attendants

38. Bride and groom with all guests

39. Bride with her mum

40. Bride with her dad

41. Bride with her bridesmaids

42. Bride with best man and usher

43. Groom with his mum

44. Groom with his dad

45. Groom with best man and ushers

46. Groom with bridesmaids

On the morning of our wedding we were made to feel so special and i can’t praise Fiona enough for all the help she gave me that morning. The whole family were delighted with the accommodation and were very impressed with the castle.

We had a beautiful ceremony in the walled garden which just set the tone for the rest of the day.  Drinks reception followed in the garden and our photographer got some stunning photos. The caterers did us proud and served an excellent meal which everyone enjoyed.
The evening reception was even better than we could have hoped for.  The pavillion is perfect, there is so much room for a band and huge dance floor which really finished off our wedding day.

I would highly recommend Guthrie Castle to anyone looking for a special wedding venue, we loved it.

Thank you so much (especially Maeghan and Fiona).

Jackie & Scott Davidson – 4^th June 2011

I Believe In A Thing Called Love, The Darkness
Don’t Stop Me Now, Queen
I’m A Believer, The Monkeys
The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, Elton & Kiki Dee
You and Me Song, The Wannadies

It Had To Be You, Frank Sinatra
Something, The Beatles
Close To You, The Carpenters
Unforgettable, Nat King Cole
I’ve got you under my skin, Frank Sinatra
When A Man Loves A Woman, Percy Sledge

Greatest Day, Take That
Love Story, Taylor Swift
Islands In The Stream, Comic Relief 2009
I’m Yours, Jason Mraz
Better Together, Jack Johnson
You’re Beautiful, James Blunt
A Moment Like This, Leona Lewis
She’s the One, Robbie Williams
Heaven, DJ Sammie (candlelight mix)
Love Song, Sarah Bareilles
Blowers Daughter, Damien Rice

Have I Told You Lately, Van Morrison
Amazed, Lonestar
You Are Everything, Michael Buble
You’re Still The One, Shania Twain
From This Moment, Shania Twain
Angels, Robbie Williams
More Than Words, Extreme
Everything, Michael Bublé
Lady in Red, Chris De’Burgh
Endless Love, Lionel Richie & Dianna Ross
Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton

You’re The One That I Want, Grease
Your Song, Moulin Rouge
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, Dirty Dancing
Everything I Do, Robin Hood
Take My Breath Away, Top Gun

Love Is In The Air, John Paul Young
It’s All About You, McFly
Especially For You, Kylie & Jason
Ain’t Nobody, Chaka Khan & Rufus
How Sweet It Is, James Taylor

Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing, Aerosmith
The Scientist, Coldplay
Iris, Goo Goo Dolls
I could Die for you, Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Let’s Stay Together, Al Green
Lovely Day, Bill Withers
Dancing In The Moonlight, Toploader
Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darwin

The Bridal File – www.thebridalfile.co.uk

Church of England

There is growing flexibility regarding couples wanting a religious ceremony for their wedding. The Church of England currently gives all British citizens, with no former partner still living, the right to get married in the parish church of the town where they are resident or in the church where either of the couple are on the church’s electoral roll (this isn’t the same as the local register of electors). For those looking to get married outside of their parish, this is usually possible provided there is some kind of family connection (you worship there regularly, your parents had their wedding ceremony there, your family have a history with the church etc).

The first step is to contact the minister to book the date. The wedding will be announced at the church on three consecutive Sundays giving people the opportunity to voice any legal objections. It’s also important you give notice of your intention to marry to the local superintendent registrar who will be able to provide you with your marriage license.

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland allows you to hold your ceremony in any place at any time provided you have permission from your minister. Unlike the Church of England, banns are not published and there are no residency requirements, although notice has to be given to a registrar no later than 15 days before the wedding date. Fortunately you don’t have to be a resident of Scotland to get married there!

Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic marriages have slightly stricter rules than that of the above. Catholics are encouraged to marry other Catholics in order to attain what is often referred to as a ‘perfect union’, but inter-faith marriages are much more common occurrences these days. Both be free to marry, and one of you must have been baptised Catholic to wed in a Catholic Church. It is not uncommon for your priest may ask you to undertake some sort of marriage preparation with him and you are normally expected to attend Mass at the church for at least six weeks prior to the wedding. You will also need to give notice of your intention to marry to the local superintendent registrar and obtain your marriage license.

Jewish

Jewish weddings fulfill both a religious and civil purpose, but you will need two applications, one for your local registrar office and one for the religious authority under which the ceremony will take place, these should be obtained three months prior to the wedding. Jewish weddings are usually conducted in a synagogue but can also be held in many venues with the relevant license. The wedding can place on any day of week apart from the Sabbath (sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday).

Register Office

It is essential that notice of your wish to marry is given, in person, to your superintendent registrar at your local council office or town hall . After answering a few questions you will be issued with a certificate of common notice. A provisional booking with the register office can be made to secure the date you want. Weddings can be booked no less than 17 days and no more than 12 months in advance.

Licensed Venues

The joy of a civil ceremony is that it can take place in any venue that has been approved for the purpose and so holds the necessary license. Many hotels, country mansions and other more unusual venues have marriage licenses, providing you with the perfect opportunity of holding your ceremony and reception in the same place. It is still essential you give notice of your intention to marry to the superintendent registrar and you will need to contact your local register office to organize a registrar to conduct the ceremony.

Weddings Overseas

Marrying abroad had become more and more popular with couples, embracing the chance to combine the wedding with the honeymoon. Overseas weddings are recognized in the UK as long as they do not contravene UK laws governing your eligibility to get married, eg you are not underage or you are not waiting for a divorce to come through. Contact the country’s embassy or consulate directly for advice and to find out which documents you will need to provide and when. Many countries require you stay for a minimum period (usually of between one and seven days) before you are free to marry. If you want to avoid having to face some of the organizing involved in getting married abroad then perhaps consider a civil ceremony in the UK followed by a blessing abroad.

The Bridal File – www.thebridalfile.co.uk

It is only in the last century that the exchanging of rings between partners has become a regular feature of weddings and, most recently, civil partnerships.

The tradition of a husband sealing his marriage to his wife by placing a ring on her finger dates from far back in antiquity.  However, it was only in the 20^th century that wives began to give rings to their husbands in increasing numbers.  The practice was accelerated during the 1940′s, when wartime service separated many newly married couples and wedding rings from their wives served as tangible bonds treasured by husbands called away from home for months, sometimes years.  Today it is more common than not for both partners to receive rings.

Constant, without beginning of end, a ring has long symbolised the enduring union of betrothal and marriage in many cultures.  While a plain gold band has become established as the traditional wedding ring, other metals and rings decorated with engraved designs or gem stones have also served as wedding rings; rings with gem stones are particular appropriate when couples opt to combine a wedding ring with an engagement ring.

Superstitions arose in the past surrounding the bad luck that might follow the removal of a wedding ring.  However, everyday  practice suggests that these were often overlooked in communities where ‘borrowing’ a wedding ring was a frequent necessity.  In cases when a husband-to-be was unable to buy is bride a wedding ring, it was not uncommon for a neighbour or family member to lend a ring for the wedding on the understanding that it was returned when the ceremony was over.

For the most part of wedding rings have been associated with bringing good luck and here again wives would remove them so that their rings could be used in various forms of divination. In preparing love charms, or as part of a remedy for various ailments.

In Roman tradition a bridegroom would eat part of a small cake baked from wheat flour and salt and then break the rest of it over his wife’s head to bring prosperity to them both and their unborn children.  The tradition of baking wedding cakes from fine wheat flour has survived, although the wedding cakes we enjoy are generally made from a rich mixture, which itself symbolises abundance.

Early wedding cakes were simple, single-tiered plum cakes.  As baking technology evolved, multi-tiered cakes constructed from cakes of diminishing sizes supported on pillars began to form the centrepiece at wedding receptions.  Fruitcakes are still popular and many couples like to follow the tradition of keeping part of the cake (in the case of tiered wedding cakes the top and smallest tier) to be eaten following the birth of their first child.  If you decide you would like to do this, you will need a rich fruitcake at your wedding.  This is the only type of cake that will remain fresh for several years; indeed some will even improve with age if they are carefully wrapped and stored.

Cutting the cake is the first ‘official’ task that a newly married couple perform as man and wife.  This is one of the reasons why the cake takes pride of place at their wedding reception, where it is often displayed on a pedestal of its own, though at some weddings it is still set in the middle of the top table when a seated meal is served.  Whatever method of display you choose, the cake needs to be visible to all the guests when the best man, or master of ceremonies, announces that it is about to be cut.

Tradition holds that the first slice should be cut by the bride.  According to old beliefs the marriage would be childless if the bride did not undertake this important task and the wedding cake has always been closely associated with her.  (In days gone by it was known as the ‘bride cake’ and the white icing of traditional wedding cakes mirrored the bride’s traditional white wedding gown).  Her husband usually assists by laying his hand over hers as she cuts the cake and if he is a member of the armed forces marrying in uniform, he sometimes offers his sword to cut the wedding cake.

Once the first slice has been cut , the cake is taken away to be cut into portions.  At weddings featuring a three-tiered cake, the bottom and largest tier is cut into pieces to be served to guests at the reception.  As mentioned above, the top and smallest tier can be carefully preserved to be eaten at the baptism or other celebration held to mark the birth of the couple’s first child.  This leaves the middle tier, part of which may be served to guests, while other portions are set aside to be sent to friends and family unable to attend the wedding but who are also given the opportunity to share in the luck-bearing properties of the wedding cake.

As well as bringing luck to the eater, a piece of wedding cake is said to give a glimpse of a future husband.  At one time a small piece of cake was passed through a wedding ring, up to nine times depending on which local tradition was being observed.  Placed under a girl’s pillow as she slept, the morsel of cake was said to bring her a dream of her future husband.

In parts of Northern England a plate of cake was thrown over the head of a newly married bride as she returned from church.  Tradition held that the greater the number of pieces that plate broke into, the happier the marriage would be; some went as far as suggesting that the number of broken pieces of plate indicated the number of children the couple would have.  At the same time guests would eagerly gather up the cake that had been thrown for the good luck that would bring them.

To make your day stand out from the crowd

“We had the most amazing wedding day, it truly exceeded our expectations. Guthrie Castle is a fairy tale setting and we fell in love with it the very first time we saw it. We were lucky enough to have a glorious sunny day for our wedding and got married outside in the beautiful gardens. So many of our guests have commented on the stunning surroundings and how beautiful the day was, which were all enhanced by the attentive Guthrie team who made sure our special day ran like clock work. We couldn’t have hoped for more. A truly stunning wedding venue.”

Thank you so much (especially Maeghan and Fiona).

Fraser & Cheryl Low – 18^th & 19^th June 2010