A Gothic winter wedding in a romantic Scottish castle

Jamie and Andrew

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When teacher Jamie Wood and school psychologist in training Andrew Johnston laid eyes on Cornhill Castle Hotel, there was no doubt about whether they’d marry there – it was perfect.

There was a pause on perfection, however, due to the pandemic.

With an original date in 2020, they decided to push their wedding back two years to make sure everyone would be safe, healthy and present. T

hey eloped in the interim and held their extra special celebration in November 2022.

Here’s their love story, complete with beautiful images captured by Pedro Souza Photography.

Deciding on a date that would work with the overseas contingent was the couple’s first priority.

Then it was time to find the perfect place.

“Getting married in a castle had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl,” explains Jamie.

“We looked at Cornhill Castle because it was relatively close to where we were and could hold more than 80 people.

“It was love at first sight. The room where our ceremony was held was perfect and matched our Gothic chic aesthetic.”

Self-confessed alternative people – “I got my Master’s degree in gothic literature and Andy was in a death metal band,” – Jamie said there was no debate over their dark and different theme; dark blue, dark green, dark red and “obviously” black, with gold accents.

They added some personal details, like signage, a photo booth and – instead of a wedding gift list – an acrylic box labelled ‘Honeymoon and House Fund’.

Jamie had a vision for her wedding wardrobe too. Sleeves were a must – “There’s something elegant about a dress with sleeves” – and she was keen to avoid anything too heavy because she loves to dance!

At the time of dress shopping, the to-be-weds were living in Ireland but Jamie was eager to include her mom in the experience.

“She suggested we meet in New York, which is basically the halfway point between California and Ireland.

“We went to Kleinfeld to try on dresses and it was so perfect. I had some of my closest friends there with me as well.”

She added some sentimental accessories to her gorgeous gown – a gold necklace with the letters ‘A’ and ‘J’, pearl earrings from her granny, and a bracelet with the coordinates of their proposal spot… So romantic!

The colour scheme dictated the colour of her four ‘maids’ dresses but Jamie really wanted her girls to feel comfortable.

“To me that’s when they look most beautiful. We’re all built differently and have different body shapes.

“So, I let them choose their dress, provided it met the requirements of being long, black and having some kind of sleeve.

“Because our ceremony was in Scotland in winter, and most of my bridesmaids are from California, I wanted them to be warm!”

When the big day finally arrived, the excitement was off the scale.

“Because it had been postponed, knowing that it was finally happening was exciting. Neither of us got much sleep but not due to nervousness, just excitement.”

The wedding morning was one of their favourite parts of the whole day because they incorporated their “cheeky morning coffee” tradition, where, on a Sunday, they add a little Kahlúa to their cups!

After that, it was time to get ready before Jamie walked down the aisle – for the second time.

“I was just so happy to experience this again with the love of my life.”

As they were already Mr and Mrs, they didn’t exchange rings. But they did say vows to one another and added some rituals, like drinking from the quaich.

Cornhill Castle catered the reception, which included some Scottish cuisine for the bride’s friends and family to experience before they had a go at ceilidh dancing!

“We couldn’t not have a ceilidh. It was a huge hit, especially with the Americans.

“The best way to describe the atmosphere in the evening was ‘warm’.

“We were surrounded by so many people who are extremely important to us, who had made the time and effort to spend the day with us.

“There wasn’t a single second where there wasn’t love and warmth in the room.”

Reflecting on the day, Jamie admits that, although it might sound cliché, their wedding truly was perfect – everything they wanted and envisioned.

“I truly don’t think it could’ve been more perfect.

“A big part of that was Cat from Fin Flükra who helped bring our vision to life.

“We really needed someone who could work with us from America and Cat was that person.

“She made the planning process stress-free and we couldn’t have done any of this without her.”

Cornhill Castle

Pedro Souza Photography

These images were provided by Pedro Souza Photography

Here are the amazing suppliers that helped make my day so special
– I’d highly recommend them.

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