Natalie and Paul pulled out all the stops in terms of decor when they married at this five-star castle just outside Glasgow
Natalie Timoney and Paul McCallum
24th August 2024
Venue | Crossbasket Castle, East Kilbride
Photography | Julie Lamont Photography
Natalie and Paul knew they’d be inviting a crowd (they ended up with 170 guests, plus 60 more in the evening), most of whom live in Glasgow and Lanarkshire. So, as many couples do, they decided to make life as easy as possible for their friends: “We wanted a venue close to us, so no one had to travel far,” says Natalie.
In this instance, though, “close to us” has more than one meaning as their venue, Crossbasket Castle, is actually owned by the bride’s dad and stepmum! Natalie even used to work there. “You can see why we didn’t consider anywhere else,” she smiles. “Paul and I were thrilled that we were going to have our first big family wedding at the castle.”
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Exclusive use of the luxurious five-star hotel in East Kilbride for a full weekend allowed the couple to create a celebration that spanned three days: a barbecue dinner for close friends and family on the Friday; the wedding proper on the Saturday; and then a chilled post-wedding brunch on the Sunday.
“I would advise other couples to stay at their venue the night before, if they can. It really added to our experience, and we were able to relax so much more on the morning of the wedding,” says Natalie.
The couple tapped into Crossbasket’s extensive list of recommended local suppliers, which Natalie believes helped make planning straightforward. “Using suppliers who have a good relationship with your venue is the key to a stress-free day – it just makes sense, as they know the place and the staff.
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“The team couldn’t have been more supportive over our 18 months of planning,” she continues. “Event manager Laura McAulay in particular was with us every step of the way. She guided us on timings and the flow of the weekend’s plans, and helped us coordinate with all of our suppliers, which was such a weight off our minds.”
With a “classic, elegant and regal” vision based around a colour palette of ivory, champagne, gold and sage green, Natalie and Paul enlisted Glasgow-based Supernova Wedding Design & Flowers to decorate Crossbasket’s church-like James Little Hall (used for the ceremony) and Grand Roosevelt Ballroom (dinner and reception).
“The ballroom doesn’t need much decor, but I wanted it to look like an enchanted garden, with foliage hanging from the beams. Having elements at different heights emphasised the lofty beauty of the room with its high ceiling and cast-iron chandeliers.
“I’m into Harry Potter, so we had two long focal-point tables (surrounded by round tables), lots of candles and candelabras inspired by Hogwarts’ Great Hall. My other love, Disney, was represented in the font used for the table plan and all our signage.”
The castle’s restaurant has an affiliation with chef Michel Roux Jr, so you can be sure its award-winning kitchen knows a thing or two about fine-dining. “The menu options genuinely are amazing,” enthuses Natalie.
“From the moment the doors opened before I walked down the aisle with my dad, to our after-party (with a DJ and sax player amping up the rave atmosphere for the last hour), we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.”
Natalie + Paul's teaser by RPL Wedding Films
Venue Crossbasket Castle, near Glasgow
Celebrant Carol Knight, Humanist Society Scotland
Photography Julie Lamont Photography
Filmmaker RPL Weddings
Wedding dress, tiara and customised veil Pronovias from Ivory Pinks
Shoes Jimmy Choo
Earrings Ralph Lauren
Bridesmaid dresses That Special Day Bridal Warehouse (now closed)
Flowergirl dresses Crystal & Pearl; Carriage and Castles
Dress steaming and bridal party dressing Wedding Belles Alterations
Hair Siân Bannan, Sian Hair
Makeup Makeup by Erin
Nails Get the Gloss
Groomswear MacGregor and MacDuff
Rings Chisholm Hunter
Cake Rosewood Cakes
Flowers and venue decor Supernova Wedding Design & Flowers
Invitations My Eden Rose
Signage CC Designs
Favours Izzy Bizzy Biscuits, plus charity pins for Glasgow Children’s Hospital, Stroke Awareness and Marie Curie
Ceremony and drinks reception music Capella String Quartet
DJ and saxophone Euan Lawrence and Trav Saxingh, Tartan Entertainment
Reception band Ernest
Content creator Mood Creative
Piper Johnny from Arkleston Piping
Early evening entertainment Saxophonist Matthew Ruddy Music
Children’s entertainment Barbie and Spider-Man from Abstar Entertainment
Photobooth Threesixty Snaps
Transport Park’s of Hamilton Coaches
