Irina & Pierre’s Romantic Elopement at Cluny Castle

Elopements aren’t for everyone but for Irina and Pierre, it really was the dream. Their big day at Cluny Castle was beautiful and sunny, and they genuinely had the best time just the two of them, as they had always wanted.

They got to spend quality time with each other, savouring every second of their wedding day, in a special place which will remain very dear to their hearts. And that is why elopements are so wonderful, not to mention the excellent photoshoot opportunities and the luxury five-course meal!

Keep scrolling to soak up all the details from this beautiful modern day love story…

Irina says…

It was our big dream to get married in a Castle in Scotland. We fell in love with the country during our trip in 2018 and as we discovered more about the history and the heritage we knew it was the place where we wanted to get married.

It was very easy to choose Cluny Castle for our elopement as it had everything we wanted – a majestic castle, however still very private and intimate where we could spend a couple of days and get married in a beautiful chapel. Given that we were living in Germany and we couldn’t travel to visit different venues, we made a short list and reached out to enquire about dates, facilities and organisation. It was very important for us that the castle could provide support with the organisation and put us in touch with different local suppliers for the catering, floral arrangements and share useful information about the wedding registration in Scotland.

We found everything we wanted and more at Cluny Castle so we fixed the date and started preparing for the big day. Then Covid-19 happened and we had to postpone the wedding. With the incredible support of Fiona from Cluny we managed to find a window of opportunity and still get married in September 2020. We felt listened to and the whole process was very smooth and easy, despite the challenging circumstances. We had the most positive and unforgettable experience and we were truly blessed to get married in the most intimate and special way.

I initially didn’t plan to have a traditional white dress, however when we landed in Edinburgh the first day, my now-husband suggested we visit a wedding dress boutique – La Novia – which was by the hotel we were staying in. As soon as we entered I saw a beautiful dress which was exactly the style I like – elegant, classy and very refined. It was my size and it fit perfectly – it was too beautiful to be true. Without hesitation Pierre said that we should buy it and the next day we picked it up just two days before our wedding. I had a beautiful long veil and the only accessory was my engagement ring from Tiffany. I also wore a pair of Louboutins for the occasion to have a French touch to the day.

Pierre wore a double-breasted tailored suit from Boss in Italian wool with a pair of suede Church’s. He accessorised with the Navitimer B01 from Breitling. For our wedding rings we selected the Cartier 1845 ones in rose gold with a diamond which we engraved with our wedding date.

The main decor for the day was the castle, with its beautiful interiors and the incredible chapel. We really wanted to enjoy the ambiance of the castle as it authentically is with its traditional Scottish style. To make our special day one to remember we followed a couple of the Scottish wedding traditions with a Piper, we drank whisky from the quaich, had our wrists tied together in a knot and had a couple of beautiful poems read during the ceremony. It was unforgettable.

Our florist was Jill from Hay’s Flowers. She did an amazing job putting together the floral arrangements for the chapel, the dining room and of course my bouquet. I wanted a white and green bouquet with white roses and eucalyptus leaves and Jill perfectly shaped it based on a photograph I shared with her. It came out exactly as I imagined – elegant and beautiful.

For the catering we selected Val Morrison. She kindly agreed to prepare a 5 course meal just for the two of us, based on our preferences. She also prepared a wedding cake and the traditional Scottish dessert – strawberry cranachan. We were keen to include some Scottish specialties and she delighted us with an assiette of Scottish seafood, and a Rock Rose gin and rhubarb sorbet for the starters. For the main meal she prepared an Aberdeen Angus fillet steak served with a haggis bon bon, girolle mushrooms, grilled asparagus, whisky and cream jus and dauphinois potatoes. She spent the evening with us and we had an amazing dinner accompanied with some delicious French white and red wine to celebrate the day.

Anna Wytrazek, our photographer, promised to capture the most beautiful moments during the ceremony and afterwards in the castle and she surprised us with the most incredible photographs. We had an instant connection with her – it was natural and authentic, without the awkwardness of posing to the camera in front of a stranger. She communicated with us all the time, making us feel comfortable and relaxed, enjoying the most special moment of our lives. She managed to capture incredible moments throughout the day that are so beautiful and special to us.

Best part of the day

The best part of the day was the wedding ceremony. We were in the chapel, with our two special witnesses from the castle that became our friends, Cosmo Linzee Gordon (the owner) and David Meldrum. It was an intimate and emotional ceremony for both of us, we were holding back tears of joy as we were living our dream. We signed to live in love and with respect for the rest of our lives, just the two of us as we always wanted. Although we later shared the joy with our families, that day was ours and it was perfect.

From one couple to another…

There is a lot of pressure around the wedding day to make it perfect. But what really matters is how you feel on your wedding day, it has to be perfect and special to both of you. Do whatever you want to do, whether that is an elopement, an intimate small wedding or a big one with all friends or families. It really has to be your choice because for the rest of your life you will remember it as one of the most previous moments. Do it for yourselves not for anyone around you, it’s your day.