What’s your role at Wedderlie House?

I am an Events Director here at Wedders. My role is to take couples from the initial enquiry stage through tours, planning, finalising details and suppliers, to their actual wedding weekend where I would then operationally run their weddings and look after their guests. And I have to say, I absolutely love it, happy to be in my element! The thing about Wedderlie House is that it is brand new with our first events booked in 2021 which not only allows me to be a part of something new and put my stamp on it, but also really listen to our couples and their ideas, and shape operations to what is most in demand. Moreover, with the values that Jamie and Connie are shaping this business around, I am given an opportunity to truly care and be a part of creating a product we can be proud of at this magical venue.

What inspires you and makes you proud about your job?

Simply, it is the weddings themselves. They do not have to have crystals, chandeliers and over-sized centerpieces to be truly one of a kind. The wedding day overall is a very special occasion not only because of the commitment made but also because of families merging together. On a wedding day, you can actually feel love in the air. I believe it gives me purpose and satisfaction when my professional contribution creates a most memorable and hassle-free day in someone’s personal life. I am also very much a people’s person and love to have fun while at work. To this day, I have run over two hundred weddings and there was not a single one that did not inspire or teach me something. This is also why a venue like Wedderlie House is a perfect match for me because I can see our couples’ ideas shape into the day of their dreams without too many rules, packages and pre-set scenarios.

What advice would you give to all couples planning their wedding? What is most important?

I always say to my couples, make wedding planning fun or don’t plan at all.It takes a lot of time and resources to put a wedding day together and then it’s gone in a second.I make my brides and grooms aware that as it is a very busy day, they may not even see or get a chance to experience some elements that they have put so much time and effort into. – My main advice would be to not get lost in the details and everyone’s opinions but really nail it down to the vison that the couple has and then communicate it well to the person in charge of operation on the day. For example, if a bride saw a confetti shot photo on Pinterest and loved it, she may presume that it will just happen. But it won’t – the photographer has to be briefed, the guests need to be gathered together, the bride and groom need to avoid ‘ducking’ when confetti is being thrown at them and so on. In my opinion, as long as the message of expectation is loud and clear, there is no reason why the couple should not have everything they dreamed about. I also make sure to allow the new husband and wife a five-minute alone time post ceremony, for them to really soak in the fact that they just got married. I suggest on the actual wedding day the couple does not get pressured by the schedule or various things that need to happen, but rather really try to enjoy themselves. I will deal with any issues that arise during the day, that’s what I am here for.

Owners and managing directors Jamie and Connie and their two little ones have set off on the adventure of a lifetime and purchased Wedderlie House. This magical place will soon become one of the most fairy tale like wedding venues in Scotland, as not only are the grounds stunning but also the newly decorated events spaces and bedrooms. Below are a few questions we asked them, to help our future couples understand Wedderlie and the family better.

Tell us a little about the idea behind Wedderlie?

Connie: Well, we loved it from the very first time we came to visit. We saw the potential straight away. The whole idea is really just based on our wedding. We had a big old house on the West Coast and all of our friends and family came for the whole weekend and it was like a big house party, a family party. It was ours for the entire weekend and it gave us so much freedom. That’s the concept behind it. Wedderlie is the blank canvas they’ve got and the couples seem to be responding very positively. They can do whatever they want with the place in their own relaxed setting. It is so private, you cannot see it from the main road and it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, while actually you are a 45min drive away from Edinburgh.

Jamie: For the longest time we were looking to open a residential children’s summer camp as that’s my background in the US. And when we came across Wedderlie it was an opportunity, perhaps, to diversify the business but so it still linked with events. In the summer camp setting you are dealing with 500-700 people and for wedding it’s 100 to 200 maybe a bit more, so it looked like something we could take on. We also thought with how different weddings are from all other events, we will challenge ourselves.

What is it like to take up a new venture like this in these unclear times?

Connie: Rather stressful. Six months ago we thought this cannot get anymore stressful and then Covid-19 hit. It is always one thing on top of the other, but it gets to a point where you just absorb stress as you have the bigger picture in mind. We got this place last year when Clara, our youngest, was 4 weeks old and she was unwell. Jamie was making phone calls from the hospital. We knew then and we know now that things will settle down, everything will get set up and in place, hard work will pay off and we will definitely look back at these experiences fondly.

Jamie: It’s a start of a business, sometimes it feels like there is so much to do, but then at the end of that week everything comes together and you see results.  Also compared to other wedding venues, we do not want to ever become a wedding factory. We want to have time to prepare from one event to another and we will never have one group of guests arriving to see the other ones leave.

Connie: As well as weddings we think Wedderlie would also be a great place for family reunions, special celebrations and much more. The house looks grand, but it is much more intimate inside, if you had a big family birthday, you would never feel like you were having it in a wedding venue.

How do you cope with raising two wee ones and opening a new venue?

Jamie: When it comes to childcare, we could have not done it if Connie hadn’t adjusted her working days to take care of girls and if our family could not have visited regularly to relieve both of us from babysitting duties and give us some breathing space.

Connie: Jamie is working flat out but he always makes time to play with the girls. Just today, for example, he took both of them on a golf cart and went for a long drive around the grounds with them laughing and shouting. Gave me a minute to make a phone call.

What values do you base your family and work life on?

Jamie: I think we care about having a good product that we can be proud of. Not only the rooms or facilities, but actually giving people time, not having everything squeezed into one intense day, but rather letting bride and her girls decorate the venue the day before, have time to catch up with everyone and so on. At weddings people will meet for the first time in many cases, you need time to relax, take a breath, shake a hand with someone you would not normally have a chance to, flirt with someone, really breath and soak it in. As cheesy as it sounds, really truly form some proper memories that are not all packed into one twelve hour block.

Connie: It is a family business. It is all about everyone lending a hand. The grandparents are all helping, Jamie’s father helps cut the grass, my dad has been trimming the hedging, mums are doing the curtains, the whole extended family is involved. Everyone loves being here and that is why it is easy to stay motivated. It is such a special place. Wedderlie is the labour of love for the whole family.