John and Caitlin's wedding

John and Caitlin Robertson celebrated their wedding at the Assembly Rooms Edinburgh alongside 235 of their closest family and friends. Their special day was captured by Elemental Photography and recorded by Cherry Tree Films, and the venue complemented by floral arrangements from Planet Flowers.

What made the Assembly Rooms stand out as the place to host your special day?
For us, the Assembly Rooms was an obvious choice. It was where we first met in 2008 whilst working in the Edinburgh Festival, so the opportunity to come back and host our wedding reception in a building with so much personal history was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Aside from what the building means to us as a couple, it is one of Edinburgh’s most historic and prestigious venues. Being even a tiny part of that history is something special.

How did the team help with the planning of your big day?
Everyone at the Assembly Rooms – from our first enquiry, throughout the planning, to the wedding itself – was outstanding. We were treated with professionalism and warmth at every stage and could not have achieved such a great day without the guidance, vision and flexibility of all involved. Although we had a clear idea of how we wanted the day to unfold, working with people who were equally invested in making everything a success was so important, and that’s exactly what we experienced.

How did you use the venue as a flexible backdrop for your own themes and style?
As a canvas, I cannot think of a better location for a wedding or event than the Assembly Rooms. The space has been created to such a high standard, that any theme or style applied would simply be building on an already spectacular backdrop. We worked closely with the team at Assembly Rooms and our other suppliers to build on the grandeur of the building, whilst also creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere through little touches here and there. 

We used spectacular floral decorations that accentuated the building’s main features (fireplaces, stairwell, alcoves), alongside well-chosen table décor (cream tablecloths, candles, Edinburgh street signs for the table names), various props (soft LED lighting, whisky casks for our whisky bar, a huge glitter ball DJ booth), and an LED-lit dance floor to bring our vision to life. We also had a photobooth and ‘glitter bar’ set up to add to the entertainment, which people loved. As with all our suppliers, we owe these decorative magicians – Planet Flowers, Carnival Chaos, Absolute Centre Stage, Blushbooth and Wish Upon a Sparkle – a huge amount of gratitude.

How did the team help to ensure the AV and acoustics were suitable for your music and entertainment choices?
We were in direct contact with Assembly Rooms’ AV and technical experts early on, who listened to our vision and helped create a package that, put simply, worked! The AV and acoustics provided complemented and enabled our musicians – Cairn String Quartet, Cask Strength Ceilidh Band, Magic Nostalgic – to perform perfectly. We also had all the sound and lighting we needed throughout the building to create a different atmosphere depending on the time of day and, thankfully (or maybe not) everyone could hear the speeches loud and clear through the microphones. An expert was on hand all day to guide us through the process, which was also huge help.

We know how important food and drink are for a special occasion – how were the catering options?
All of Assembly Rooms’ caterers presented a very professional and attractive proposition. We decided to work with Heritage Portfolio to deliver catering throughout our reception and, as with the Assembly Rooms team, we could not have asked for a more professional or comprehensive experience. Again, our vision was explored in detail and enhanced by suggestions and advice based on our numbers and culinary preferences. On the day itself, the service, presentation of food and drink and professionalism gave us great comfort and our guests an incredible experience. The only trick we missed was not ordering enough macaroni pies…