The Rosie Green Edit: Visiting Hopetoun House wedding venue for a Hindu wedding

Visiting Hopetoun House wedding venue for a Hindu wedding

Eighteen months ago we packed up and moved from Leeds to wonderful Stocksbridge, a pretty area just to the north of Edinburgh. 

We have been made to feel so welcome by so many new friends here! One such couple invited us over for dinner on Saturday night. Cue an evening of riotous laughter, followed by rather sore heads on the Sunday, resulting in a somewhat jaded cinema trip with the kids.

But, a new working week begins today. So I find myself, coffee in hand, heading towards the iconic Scottish venue, Hopetoun House. 

We are looking for a venue that ticks the boxes for a multi-day Hindu wedding celebration. So…what are we looking for?…well, keep reading to find out! 

Where is Hopetoun House?

Located just beyond Queensferry over the Forth Road Bridge, Hopetoun House is only a half hour’s drive from Stocksbridge, and less than 45 minutes drive from central Edinburgh. It sits on the banks of the River Forth as the estuary begins to open its arms toward the sea.

So far, my coffee is still warm. Excellent! 

Alongside my caffeine requirements of course, distance from the city is a crucial consideration for a wedding venue, when we’re considering easy accessibility from major local transport hubs for our guests. 

About Hopetoun House 

Hopetoun House is an iconic stately home owned by the fourth Marquess of Linlithgow. Built between 1699 and 1701, and designed by famous architect Sir William Bruce, it epitomised the tastes of 17th century Scottish nobility (do you feel like you’re reading a historical novel right now? Ladies and gentlemen, this level of understanding is what my clients want - and expect me to know inside out!). 

Continuing where I left off…in 1721 a programme of large-scale alterations took place under similarly renowned Scottish architect William Adam, running through to 1767. 

The changes in architectural style from Bruce’s Classical, aristocratic country house vibes to Adam’s penchant for Versailles-esque Baroque are still very evident. Combined, it all makes for a bit of a chameleon; a historic venue which is statuesque and grand, yet decorated with intricate, soft detailing. Balancing masculine and feminine, it is filled to the brim with detailing, story, immense scale and palatial proportion.

The venue I need for my clients’ huge Hindu wedding celebrations may have fallen at my feet…

Hopetoun isn’t just a private event venue; it’s also a permanent home. (It has been used as a TV and film set, a conservation hub..the list goes on). There is something about it still being lived in that adds a real touch of exclusivity to the place…always a big selling point. 

Considering our Hindu wedding at Hopetoun House

With all of this knowledge gleaned before we set foot inside, Hopetoun House was already prominent on our list of potential venues.

The couple, who will get married in September, are looking to hold a multi-day Hindu wedding celebration for 200 guests, starting with a Sangeet on the first evening, with the wedding events to follow the day after.

What do we need? Flexibility within the space, an allowance for ceremonial fires, and several spaces which can comfortably hold 200 people, so that the flow - and the all-important guest experience - feels right, from the first moment to the very end. 

As I mentioned, this celebration will start with a Sangeet - so let's consider what a Sangeet at Hopetoun House could look like.

A Sangeet at Hopetoun House

Sangeets tend to be characterised by celebration, colour, music and dance - so working out a great colour palette, space for choreographed dancing and really good lighting are at the front of my mind when I’m looking at the space. 

Excellent Indian food is also a pre-requisite. Whilst Hopetoun already has in house catering provided by outstanding caterers Heritage Portfolio, they agreed that the Sangeet requires Indian catering, and authenticity here is key.  Their ability to compromise on this is a big win for my couple - if they love Hopetoun House and want to move forward with this venue, we’ll be able to bring in an external caterer with intrinsic knowledge of what their Sangeet menu should include - cooking over charcoal and using a tandoor, for example. 

Hopetoun House is a great venue for a Sangeet if yours will be traditionally large, too, as they have spaces with capacity for 200 guests in both the Ballroom and the Stable block. We’d be looking to hold the Sangeet in the ballroom. 

Traditional country estate venues often house many beautiful rooms, but with capacities hovering around 100-150 per room, many were struck off our list of potential venues already - and my lovely couple really have their heart set on a historical stately home as their venue, rather than a more modern space.

The wedding: plans, priorities, and preferences

• Accommodate 200 guests

• Allow for authentic catering

• Allow open flame for the Agni ceremony

• Find a heritage stately home rather than a more modern venue

• Allow us to curate a great guest experience

• Align traditional Hindu ceremonies with a heritage Scottish backdrop

Advantages of Hopetoun House as our wedding venue

So far, Hopetoun is ticking so many boxes as a potential wedding venue! 

The 200 guest capacity plus the grand historical aesthetic is precisely what we’re looking for; the converted Stables would be beautifully bright and airy for the ceremony itself, including the Agni. 

We need a venue which allows the sacred open fire for the Agni (when Hindu couples take seven steps around the fire, making vows at each step). 

Many venues will only facilitate an open fire in a marquee, but we’re looking to keep the ceremony within the historical aesthetic my couple love, and Hopetoun has confirmed they can accommodate the Agni within the Stable block! 

The reception would then move into the main house’s incredible drawing rooms for the drinks reception, or, in good weather, around the huge fountain on the lawns. We’d then return to the ballroom (where they celebrated the Sangeet the night before) for dinner and later, dancing, after we’ve turned the room around during cocktail hour.

Hopetoun’s proximity to Edinburgh should also make for a seamless arrival and departure experience for our couple’s guests, meaning everyone arrives ready to party rather than exhausted from their journeys.

We loved Hopetoun! It ticked so many of the boxes that are important to my couple, and would give such a dramatic backdrop, anchored in Scottish history, to their celebrations.

Disadvantages of Hopetoun House as our wedding venue

The main disadvantage is that Hopetoun House doesn't offer accommodation. So we would be looking to hire a hotel either in central Edinburgh, or in nearby South Queensbury. 

South Queensbury would be best for easy accessibility to the venue, whilst central Edinburgh might curate the better guest experience in terms of allowing them to enjoy this gorgeous city around the celebrations. 

We want the accommodation choice to be both accessible and luxurious - again, working to curate the best guest experience. I’ll keep you posted on our decision making process here!

Alternative plans

A second option we are considering is to divide the weekend between Hopetoun and Gosford House, holding the Sangeet at Gosford House and then the wedding ceremonies the next day at Hopetoun House. 

A Wedding Planner’s Perspective…

This is all food for thought, and it’s so great to have great options to choose from. 

From a production perspective, keeping everything at one venue makes sense. It avoids the team having to move everything from A to B, and creates a cohesive palette and backdrop across the weekend.

It’s your wedding planner’s role to present you with the solutions, not the problems. That’s where we really come into our own - taking all the stress out of the planning experience - so being solutions-driven is always my priority. 

We juggle our clients’ priorities, work out the logistics, and gather all the details you’ll need to choose the right option for your celebrations. My couple now have some decisions to make, before we begin planning the aesthetics in earnest.

I can’t wait to update you with the plans for this Hindu wedding celebration as they take shape!

If you are considering a luxury wedding in the UK and want to work with a team who understands both the subtleties of British tradition and the expectations of international clientele, we would love to hear from you.

Photography credits: Peter Keith Film & Katie Julia