Having been in the Hospitality and Events industry since I was 14 Caroline, at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, knows her stuff when it comes to weddings. Although she has only worked as a Wedding Coordinator since 2017, her wealth of experience and passion for weddings makes her a star among her peers. We caught up with Caroline to learn just what makes the wedding business so exciting and why weddings at the utterly picturesque Dalmohoy Hotel & Country Club so special. See what she had to share…
The Beginning
“When I was 18 I was a manager for a pub/ restaurant bed and breakfast on an Island in Essex, we had a call from a couple who asked if they could have their wedding at our establishment and the owners asked me to plan and run the event. From this, I taught myself hand calligraphy for the place cards, how to make balloon arches, table setups and had to liaise with the chef and other suppliers involved to create a bespoke event.”
“I planned all aspects of the day, set up the venue and ran the service, at the end of the night (early hours of the morning) the Groom’s sister came through and was so overwhelmed and thankful with the wedding day that we managed to give her brother on the budget that they had.”
“The feeling that I had at that moment in time was the best feeling in the world and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to help others to have their dream wedding day.”
The Highlights
“There are many parts of being a wedding coordinator that I love! I think some of my favourite parts are getting to know each and every couple and learning about their journeys together, getting to see their personalities and their feelings for each other come together with the quirky things they choose for their favours right up to the song they have for their first dance.”
“Every wedding is different in its own way and watching their ideas and excitement during the planning process become the day that they dreamt of has always meant the world to me, seeing the butterflies in their eyes before they walk down the aisle and then seeing the smile on their face while they celebrate with their family and friends is a feeling I doubt you would get in many other jobs. A wedding day is a rollercoaster of emotions and I am lucky enough to be able to experience it with them.”
At the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
“At the Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club we are so lucky to have the beautiful Scottish Manor House and the rooms within which all still have their period features including our Lothian Suite and Boardroom Suite, for smaller weddings of up to 50 and then our stunning recently refurbished Dalmahoy Suite which has interchanging walls and can sit up to 250 guests for a reception.”
“Our couples and their guests get to utilise as much as Dalmahoy as they like for their wedding , this includes staying in one of our Turret Suites the night before and getting ready in the Morning (I will collect the party from this room and walk them to their ceremony), using our Manor House Suites for a pre or post wedding meal , exclusive use of our Cocktail bar during their Welcome drinks, a quirky ride on our wedding Buggy down to our secluded lake with their photographers in tow, a private bar connected to our Dalmahoy Suite and then to finish the night in our Honeymoon suite ‘Her Ladyship’s Room,’ which has a view of Edinburgh Castle.”
“We know that weddings are about family and we are always full of ideas to make sure the couple get to spend as much time with their family and friends as possible. I try and take the stress out of every wedding by being here from around 8:30am (to call them and check whether a G&T may be needed) right up until the first dance begins.”
“We are extremely lucky to have our talented Toastmaster John Smith and also the cluster of piper’s that we have the pleasure of in our packages, they truly help to make each wedding magical, when you arrive at the Dalmahoy to our red carpet, a fully kitted Scottish Piper and our kind and welcoming Toastmaster it really does give you the wow factor.”
A Word of Advice
“It’s your wedding day, the people you invite to be there will be over the moon to celebrate with you, you don’t need to plan something to happen for every single second of the day give yourselves and your guests time to relax and celebrate together and try not to make the day into a military event.”
“I have a lot of couples that want to do something but think that one of their guests would disapprove; I think the main thing to remember is that the people that will be there love them and will embrace however they choose to celebrate their special day. When sitting and planning with your partner if things start to get a bit stressful or heated then stop, take a step back, go for a walk you don’t have to plan everything in one day, take it in bite-size pieces and enjoy it!”
“The other important thing to remember is to plan 15-30mins on your wedding day where you can have some privacy together, use your wedding planner during this time get them to come and take you away somewhere secluded so you can take it all in without trying to talk through smiling in front of cameras.”
Favourite Memories
“The first wedding that I planned from start to finish at the Dalmahoy was in March last Year (the first is always memorable), they only decided to start planning in December, I took on the challenge happily! They were extremely hard-working farmers and their personalities shone through everything they had on their day from a wedding cake with handmade figurines (including their dog and the tractor!), little tents and toys in the kids’ corner (these were fun to put up) to having the death march as a surprise song for the groom just before the bride walked down the aisle (hilarious!).”
“They were so together in everything that they did and they had the most amazing laid back approach with the best humour, I remember the bride’s ‘planner,’ that she would bring in to our meetings was just random bits of paper and scribbles stuck into a 50p notepad. The whole day was full of laughter and hilarious antics right up to the giant gnomes that someone had bought them as a wedding present.”
“I think that each and every wedding is memorable for different reasons but as it was the first wedding I had planned in such a short time it will always be one that I remember, the giant gnomes are also quite hard to forget!”
Popular Trends
“Some of the trends that I have seen over the last Year have been the ‘Secret Opera Singers,’ or the ‘Singing Waiters,’ I LOVE them, they bring a whole new element to the wedding breakfast and none of the guests suspects anything until they begin acting up in the Suite after mains are served. Their voices are unbelievable and the show gets everyone to their feet, it is something that the guests will talk about long into the future when they are asked about memorable weddings.”
“I also love that our couples can have their dogs for photos, they come in after the ceremony dressed in bow ties, with floral collars and signs round their necks that say things such as ‘My Human’s Got Married Today,’ or ‘Thank You,’ signs so they can use them for the cards. We can’t have dogs inside the building unfortunately but to be able to have them be a part of the day and to be in the photos it really does mean so much to them.”
“Caricaturists and magicians as well as live music during the welcome drinks really brings a completely different atmosphere to the room and keeps the guests well entertained during the photos. Not to forget all of the different Photo-Booth’s, Magic Mirrors and Selfie Props you can hire for the Evening Reception! You really can’t go wrong with entertaining the Evening guests with these and it also gives them a keepsake as well!”
Favourite & Least Favourite Trends
“I am torn about one trend… the Cheese Cake, a cake made from cheese. They look amazing, they taste amazing, guests love them but… when you have a hot day and a cake made entirely of cheese including blue cheese sitting in the room from just before the wedding breakfast right up until the cake cutting it can have a very strong smell!”
The Strange or Unique
“The strangest request for a wedding I have had recently is to have Alpacas at the front door for guest’s arrival, I am yet to see how this works on the day but I am very excited!”
“A Mother of a bride was a dance teacher and choreographed a dance with some of the girls from her class to do a surprise show for her in the evening of her wedding, she had no idea and the dance was beautiful each one of the girls had a short dance that showed the journey of her from a young girl up until the woman she is today through the eye of her Mother. It was something I had never seen before and it was so emotional.”
