Gosford House - Longniddry - East Lothian
Best Wedding Venues in Scotland
East Lothian Wedding Photographer
Welcome to my website. My name is Tom Migot and as a qualified Master Photographer, I believe a good wedding story has three characters: You & your fiancé, the location and finally your guests. As you can see, the wedding venue plays a very important role in your wedding story. I know you will pick a venue for a reason. Obviously the budget is a factor but more importantly you choose a specific location because deep down you feel a connection with the place. Hence it is so challenging to find the perfect wedding venue for you. I sincerly hope this page will help you with your planning.
Gosford House & me
Gosford House is the seat of the Earls of Wemyss and March and extends on 5,000 acres of combined coast and parkland in East Lothian. It is situated some 15 miles east of Edinburgh on the south shore of the Firth of Forth at Gosford Bay. As a keen kite surfer, I have spent countless hours in the bay; its 2km long and shallow waters make it my favourite surfing spot. For a very long time, I wondered what was hidden behind the long stone wall that follows the coast road between Longniddry and Aberlady endlessly. I suspected it was something exciting but little did I know then, it was, in fact, a real gem.
One day, a client of mine asked if we could arrange their engagement photo shoot in the Gosford gardens and I fell in love with the place at first sight. While Gosford House has existed since the 1600s, its current structure can be traced to the late 18th century, and the parks and policies were extended during the 19th century. It is an imposing neo-classical mansion which was one of the last great architectural commissions of the celebrated Scots architect, Robert Adam.
Gosford House is a one-of-a-kind wedding venue
Scotland is rich in big stone mansions, and more or less haunted castles and those locations often make the perfect wedding venue. But Gosford House is not another boutique hotel; it is the Earls’ home. So while you may not get all the amenities, the other venues usually offer, here you get authenticity. I need to be upfront and disclose the venue is not wheelchair friendly. It was simply not built that way. Because it is a private home, you do not have access to all the rooms. However, the ones you do make up for it.
Once inside the big tall gate, you are led by a winding lane that introduces you to Gosford House with its lion statues guarding it. When you enter the house the second room you access is the beautiful two-tier marble hall with at its heart, a majestic fireplace. The hall also hosts one of the largest private art collections in Northern Europe worthy of a national museum. Upstairs you will find the billiard room, the octagon room and the main dining room which can seat 100 guests or a maximum of 140 if also using the octagon room. For larger weddings, marquees can be hired at an additional cost. Ceremonies cannot be held in the house, but you are welcome to organise it outside in the gorgeous gardens. Like many places, confetti is not welcome here. Gosford House might not be everyone’s ideal wedding venue, but it may be yours. Below you will find specific information about their wedding offer.
What you should know about Gosford House as a wedding venue
The booking
How long in advance shall you book the venue?
It all depends on availability, but most people book 6-12 months in advance
How many guests can the wedding venue accommodate?
100 people seated in the dining room, up to 300 for evening guests
How much does it cost to book the venue?
£9000 for the venue and £125 per person for the wedding package
What does the cost include?
- Exclusive use of the house
- Piper on arrival (if required)
- Prosecco/fizz reception based on an average half bottle per person
- A three-course course meal where a wide variety of locally sourced choices are available
- A Half bottle of wine per person
- A glass of fizz for the toast
- All soft drinks during drinks reception and meal
- A fully staffed bar with all alcohol, soft drinks and relevant glassware – cash or open
- Coffee and tea which will be made available throughout the evening
- Gosford House’s tables, chairs, table linen, crockery, cutlery, glasses and tableware (Hire kit from our suppliers included where requirements exceed our own stock)
- Planning logistics, advice and support
- Full event management of the day and evening
- Menu and wine tasting
- Provision of car parking steward, if required
- Flexible site visits, subject to availability and limited to three
What are the payment plan options and cancellation policy?
A deposit of £2500 is required to secure your booking. The full balance for the hire of Gosford House together with the cost of the wedding breakfast must be paid 15 days before the wedding date when final numbers should also be confirmed. Any additional charges that may occur will be invoiced separately after the wedding day. A damage/clear up deposit of £1000 is also required along with the balance payment. Cancellations will only be received in writing or by email. The cancellation fees are as set out below:
- From six months before, the whole deposit will be retained
- 120 to 60 days, 30% of the total fees will be invoiced
- 60 to 20 days, 50% of total fees will be invoiced
- Under 20 days, 75% of total fees will be invoiced
- Less than 15 days, 100% of total fees will be retained
How many weddings does the venue accommodate each year?
A maximum of 6 each year
Is the venue available for exclusive use?
It is always exclusive use for weddings and there is no minimum amount of guests required.
What are the rules surrounding alcohol?
No red wine in the marble hall and they do not serve Tequila slammers, Jaeger bombs, alcopops or similar.
Does the venue have a catering service or not?
Yes
Does the venue offer overnight accommodation?
No but some arrangement can be made with estate’s Craigielaw golf club which has 25 bedroom lodges.
What are the venues guidelines regarding decorations and extras?
Appropriate decorations such as flowers, candles, fairy lights are permitted
Who will actually be there on the day? Is there an in-house wedding coordinator? If there is a coordinator, will they be there for the duration of the reception?
A representative from the estate will always be at the house for the duration of the wedding
Food & Wine
Is a complimentary menu and wine tasting included? How many people can attend?
Yes – four people
How much wine/champagne/tea & coffee is included per person?
Half bottle of fizz per person on arrival, half a bottle of wine per person for meal and one glass of fizz for speeches and unlimited tea/coffee.
Is there a corkage fee?
If you want to bring your own wine for the meal there will be a £15 discount per person. The bar is run by Gosford House.
Are there any additional charges for bar staff or waiting staff?
No.
What time is the meal served?
Whenever you decide.
Do you cater for special dietary requirements? Coeliacs? Kosher ? Vegetarians?
Yes.
Is there an option for dinner the night before?
Yes at additional cost.
Is there a late night food option, what time is it served?
Yes – served whenever you decide.
Where is the cocktail hour or drinks reception held?
Drinks on arrival are in the marble hall and the bar is usually set up in the Octagon room.
Can alcohol be consumed outside?
Yes
The Reception: Décor & Styling
What crockery/linen/cutlery is provided as part of the package?
All provided by the house.
What type of tables is available (shape, size, top table)? Are there different options?
They have 10 tables of 5.5 feet rounds seating ten people maximum. Long table can be arranged
Is any décor/stationery provided (menus, centrepieces, red carpet, flowers, cake stand)? Are there alternatives available?
Table plans and menus can be provide on Gosford House stationary, red carpet available, Gosford House bespoke candleabras provided on eat table and can be used as floral centre piece as well.
Your Wedding Photography
If you wish to secure the memories of that emotional day with compelling and storytelling photographs, please fill the form below. I will contact you within the next 24 hours to arrange your first wedding photography appointment. Don’t forget to visit my Wedding Photography FAQ
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