Introducing Balbirnie's 2020 wedding literature

Each year we have been accustomed to updating all wedding literature, and publishing at the beginning of February. But we've had so much going on over recent months, we've now brought 2020 publication forward by 6 weeks. This is especially also to assist the romance of what we see every year, a massive January surge in new enquiries, following the many festive season engagements. 

For existing clients. Into the next decade of Hospitality we go!

For new clients. Could we have your intended wedding date available? Please get in touch to find out. Anything is possible. 

Letter despatched from Balbirnie House 23.12.2019:

Dear future and prospective future wedding clients,

We are absolutely delighted to send you our brand new 2020 wedding literature. 

This is the first time we have published via AnyFlip, we hope you enjoy this new format, with added photographs and new links to numerous web pages. 

As is always the case each year, and as per all previous literature, our company directors require to consider the generalities of inflation each year, across our span of national inflation, rises in national wage levels, and increases across our network of 45 suppliers.

This year, we are delighted to say that we are not applying any increases to the special rates we offer for wedding accommodation. 

In terms of menus, this year we are bringing more vibrant colour to wedding canapes, and we have new alignment for main menus, as either Colourful, Classic, Contemporary, Scotland in Summer, and Remarkable Scotland.

Please also note, given the success of the 2019 summer May to September Evening Buffet BBQ season, we have reduced that pricing further, to endeavour to make this aspect even more popular in 2020. 

Our wedding literature has now grown to circa 25,000 words, noted this is before we even embark on our client-specific journey. 

This year, we have a new section about our ‘by invitation’ 4 years of evolution with the Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, leading to receiving the 2019 global award for ‘Best Destination Wedding Hotel’. 

We also highlight today, that starting in January we will be serving brunch every day in our Balbirnie Bistro, 10am onwards until 2pm (Courtyard as well, May to September), this will be such a lovely new addition, for your arriving wedding guests (especially if your wedding ceremony is at Balbirnie), our social media will highlight when OpenTable is able to accept brunch reservations. 

And finally in these contexts, something rather special, finalised literally this morning to coincide with our new literature. Take an ultra HDR drone, and fly it around filming inside Balbirnie House for the first time? Correct! 

Please do feel free to pass this link onwards to your wedding guests. 

On easy stream: 

If you have a spare few minutes for reading over the festive season, our latest hotel blog has focussed on ‘The Contemplation of Social and Sensory’, in relation to weddings at Balbirnie House. Truly remarkable Scotland Hospitality is the brigade’s daily endeavour, and we very much look forward to liaising with you as we progress towards your wedding day. 

Here is our 2019 Balbirnie House Christmas E:card: ‘Long Gallery tree, surrounded by blue light’ 
Via 6 year old Nathan Prendergast. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, from all at Balbirnie House. 

With our kindest regards, 

Nicholas Russell 

MD Balbirnie House 

Oh My Oh My! The wedding of the actual wedding planner, in the world's Best Destination Wedding Hotel!

The 8th November 2019 - It's a date that will forever be imprinted on the minds of those of the hotel brigade who were working that day, and those guests who were attending the Balbirnie House wedding. 

It's been a while since my very lovely wife Gaynor and I attended a Balbirnie House wedding, as guests. And Oh My Goodness Me we were in for such an amazing and joyful day. 

Whenever one of our work colleagues entrusts us with looking after their own special day, it lends a further dimension to everything taking place. And to go even further, from a wedding planning perspective it's then on a further dimension still, if our work colleague is one of our wedding planning team. 

Our congratulations to Christine and Jay. It was truly, a simply remarkable day. 

Christine, as all know, has an ability to look at a camera! Here's the photo from the stage at the 2018 Haute Grandeur global awards. We'll get to Jay in a moment!

Fast forward a year, and for Christine's 2019 wedding, only days earlier, our brigade had received the award in Malaysia, for 'Best Destination Wedding Hotel', global winner via Haute Grandeur. 

This was 'the Balbirnie six' setting off for Kuala Lumpur, first ever photo in our newly refurbished East Room. Image via Lifetime Photography.

On the morning after the awards night, the Balbirnie six had a memorable poolside conversation at the quite incredible 2019 award venue, The St Regis Kuala Lumpur, on what the new award would mean, in terms of heightened client perception, expectation, and our never-ending quest to deliver our best ever Scotland Hospitality. 

Christine had especially been talking about our next phase of annual development with our wedding literature, which is now publishing 6 weeks earlier than usual, on 23rd December. 

That's when the word 'sensory' started floating around in my mind. Sensory ... sensory. Each year we add new sections to our published suggestions, and it simply occurred that we should talk about the sensory aspects of a wedding. Thoughts originating perhaps, in the incredible sensory aspects of experiencing the vibrant sights, sounds, colours, scents, and tastes of the streets of Kuala Lumpur. 

And on the previous night, we'd seen Balbirnie House and Scotland featuring during the awards dinner, on the world's first Ballroom ultra HDR built-in 360 degree wall-mounted film display. Sensory beyond belief, for Hospitality. 'State-of-the-art and first-of-its-kind in a hotel, the Grand Ballroom’s seamless projection LED acts as a digital canvas to realise any creativity in transforming the Grand Ballroom’s setting'. 

Total Ballroom LED surround capability. WOW!

And little did I know, but on Christine's wedding day, we were to experience components of sensory, as never before. I think it was due to a combination of multiple aspects, a very cold but clear autumn day, bright sunshine, totally stunning flowers, the vision of the bride and groom of how they wanted their day to be, and a nip or two of Springbank whisky! And that's before I even saw the bride! 

Here's the groom. Jay, before the wedding ceremony!  

Well Oh My Goodness Me, the hotel manager knocked on our Pearl Suite door at the very second of the time for the wedding ceremony to begin, walked in (whilst asking as is the custom of our MC), 'Is anyone present wishing to perhaps get married today?', only to literally then be stunned by everything going on in the room. Sensory beyond belief. You'll see what I mean, when you see the photos of the father of the bride, and the reactions from bridesmaids. 

Of course, making my way back downstairs a few moments later, I knew that those on duty and the assembled guests, were certainly going to have such a truly wonderful, happy, and absolutely epic day ahead. You see, such moments as this, this is why we work in Hospitality. Something we've come to appreciate over the years, the more relaxed and radiant the bride, the more relaxed and radiant the occasion!

'Oh My Oh My!'

The bride, father of the bride, and bridesmaids were now on their way. 

We always have a few of our brigade in Balbirnie's front hall, awaiting the arrival of the bride. You can see what I mean from this photograph, when those on the left saw the bride for the very first time in the bridal gown, what a moment. And what a photograph. 

A split second later, and Bars Manager Sean Jennings steps into view:

In a few seconds, I'll provide a link for you to visit Lifetime Photography's story of the day, from a photographers' perspective. Complete with all the official photos. A truly amazing collection of treasured Memories are Made of This. 

It has been wonderful to have worked very closely recommending Lifetime over many years. On the day of Christine's wedding, both Rob Thomson and Rachel Gillies were Behind The Lens. Lifetime are previous winners of BIPP Scottish Wedding Photographer of the Year, and The VOWS Awards Scottish Wedding Photographer of the Year. 

But firstly, I'd like to say how honoured I was, to be asked to announce the cutting of the wedding cake. All I could do, was say a few words from the heart. 'Ladies and Gentlemen!'

An opportunity to say how special it was that Christine, as a wedding planner, was able to join us on the two Haute Grandeur global award trips, and to thank Christine on behalf of the many couples she has already planned wedding days for at Balbirnie House. And of course, our congratulations to the happy couple. Wishing every Happiness for the future x

❤️

I was also so very honoured to be asked to introduce the bride and groom into Balbirnie's Millennium Ballroom, deliver the raising of a toast with in-house piper Jimmy Banks, and to introduce the father of the bride's speech. 

Memories Memories, of being Balbirnie's MC for the many years beginning in 1992. 

Later in the day, the happy couple and assembled guests were treated to a surprise 'quiet fireworks' display, from fellow wedding guest Joe McManus, Balbirnie's in-house decorator. 

Joe personally set off the fireworks. Me, I was just stood in absolute admiration, for such a heartfelt gesture. Kindness around Balbirnie weddings never ceases to amaze. 

The happy couple, ...

 

And a low res screen shot from personal social media:

And so, from contemplating 'sensory' in Kuala Lumpur, to then by circumstance experiencing many elements of sensory, as never before at Balbirnie House. 

The combined experiences ongoing, enable us to look to raise the Hospitality bar, with evolution of what's always intended as our caring and thoughtful suggestions to clients. Our absolutely unique client journey, is made as a result of our continued learning every day, and a very straightforward desire to provide truly world class Scotland Hospitality. 

So, we've introduced a brand new section in our wedding planning literature, which is titled,

'THE CONTEMPLATION OF SOCIAL AND SENSORY', and to quote a few words:

Whilst you will certainly be seeing your future photographs, don’t forget to take your own photographs in your own mind, as these will be imprinted forever, as your very own treasured memories. And before you even arrive at your wedding day itself, also take time to really enjoy the planning aspects, and the consideration of the detail of the occasion. 

Tracking the evolution of Scotland's most accomplished professional wedding photographers at Balbirnie House, has been so incredible to watch in my 3 decades at Balbirnie House. From film original, into digital and the evolution of photography copyrights, accelerating into such incredible modern era ways, to capture Memories of a Lifetime. 

Speaking with Jay's mother, days after the wedding, I was informed, 'You can see it in every single photo, the joy, and the happiness on everyone's faces. Every part of the happiness was absolutely natural'. 

Exactly!

And of course, the experience of all of this, simply makes us wish to endeavour to deliver the same and / or similar for all our future wedding clients. An entire future of remarkable Scotland world class Hospitality, it's all there to be experienced.

Enjoy the collection. 

Here's the link to Lifetime Photography: Christine + Jay's wedding day

All best wishes, 

Nicholas / MD Balbirnie House 

❤️

The making of THE DEFINING IMAGE of Balbirnie House

We're currently in the process of finalising a very significant update to our company brigade handbook, which has served us well since 1992. 

The new version is titled, 'The Balbirnie House Constitution', and as well as defining how our systems operate, it's also brimming with history, anecdotes, facts, and many brand new components of the future, based on our groundbreaking capabilities to enhance what we do, via our new digitalised ecosystem. 

In total, we're at 90 digitalised pages A4, and the overview will update our entire brigade, as well as providing a comprehensive introduction for those who are new to the hotel in the future. 

The publication will be Copyrighted. 

Currently formatted as a developmental prototype, final review and 'refining input' is from our management team, but such has been the initial response to how we have concluded the Constitution, we're going to deliver that finish here today, as a Blog post: 

THE DEFINING IMAGE OF BALBIRNIE HOUSE

Have you watched the movie ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ … ? 

If you have, you’ll know that it’s about Walter Mitty working in the photography department of LIFE magazine, tracking elusive photographer Sean O’Connell, who apparently has in his possession, one single, totally incredible photograph, to be used for the final issued copy of the magazine.

Only to discover, in the final seconds of the movie, that the photo is actually of Walter Mitty himself, sitting studying potential photographs. 

It is a story about people who are absolutely committed to their chosen professions. And we’ve certainly seen many of those over the years at Balbirnie House. 

Dedicated to the People Who Made It.

Here is our version. 

In-house Piper Ian Sword played at 1,241 weddings at Balbirnie House. 

And retired, age 81, October 2017. 

After Ian had piped his final newly-wedded couple to the top table, our brigade very purposefully made no grand gestures, and the GM ensured he was not even personally present to say Goodbye. 

Because, the GM then telephoned Ian at home, saying ‘Ian, you are not done. We knew you would not be done, and that is why we didn’t say goodbye. We need you back, and this time it will indeed be the final piping at Balbirnie House. We would be honoured in the extreme, if you would play the pipes, as the brigade enters our brand new Drawing Room, to see the most incredible artwork collection ever gifted to a hotel in Scotland, for the very first time. It’s our 2017 project of the year! Wildflowers, Balbirnie – and it celebrates our first quarter century as a hotel!’

The Golden Ribbon was there, ready to be cut. 

That day arrived. Friday 13^th October 2017. 

The 13^th chosen specifically, to represent good luck. 

In advance, we asked Ian to arrive early that morning, and asked if he would care to help us by having his photograph taken, whilst the day’s professional photographer was ‘warming up’, for the day’s formal photo sessions. Ian agreed to that. 

We took this photo: 

And then this one: 

Ian was not aware that the photographer was one of the most accomplished in the land, Ken Paterson – Scotland’s photographer for The New York Times. 

Ian was not aware that over previous days, the GM had discussed and met with Ken Paterson, visualising together … how to endeavour to capture what would become THE DEFINING IMAGE, of a quarter century of Balbirnie House. 

So, that morning we then sat Ian down inside the hotel, and had a coffee. 

The GM talked of Memories of Ian piping over the years. 

And then talked about how those who are no longer with us, would have been incredulous at Ian’s 1,241 weddings at Balbirnie House. 

We could see that Ian was rather emotional, as we were as well, now fully realising that this was indeed, to be his final time piping at Balbirnie House. 

And for those of us on duty that day, it was to be such an incredible honour for us, to see Ian play for the final time. 

Think of it. We then thanked Ian, on behalf of the 1,241 couples.

Not one single client ever let down, every single client absolutely delighted, every single occasion personalised for the couple. 

Such an incredible achievement, which would later receive a Motion of Congratulations in Scotland’s Parliament. 

That morning we then got an iPad out and considered this image, of Ian Sword front row as a young lad, in The Kinglassie and District Pipe Band. Incredible. Ian was so very proud to be reminded of the photo. 

And then Ian playing at his first wedding. Incredible. By now, Ian was lost for words. 

At this point Ken very casually, and nonchalantly asked Ian and the GM if they would be so kind as to act as the ‘photo models for a few minutes’ to help him focus his cameras, for the photoshoots which were scheduled for later that morning. 

Ian and the GM said, ‘No problem at all!’

And this is where we arrive at the difference between pointing a camera to take a photograph, and pointing a camera to capture a piece of magic.

Every piece of this was planned. And for the record it took us 43 photos, to get to the final result. 

Photo of pipes and a whisky, to help show Ian that ‘nothing unusual was going on’ … 

Change perspective and move the whisky, to get better light: 

Photo with GM, to familiarise intended subject with the camera. 

Goof around, ‘Are you holding your hands by your sides, why don’t you position your hands over the sporran chain?’

GM steps out of shot. Photographer asks Ian to remove piper’s hat and pipes. Asks Ian if he can remember playing at his first wedding. Click.

Hat back on, and pipes back in!

We now start heading towards the image. 

‘Raise your glass and think of Scotland!’ Click. 

And next, that’s when Ken Paterson captured the defining image of Balbirnie House. By asking at that point, ‘How does it feel like today, to be playing your pipes here at Balbirnie House for the final time?’ Click. 

Not that Ian knew it at that point, but this next one would be: 

THE DEFINING IMAGE OF BALBIRNIE HOUSE: 

If you look very closely, you see the emotion of everything. 

An acknowledgement of so much hard work, consistency, effort, and delivery. Lost for words, but wanting to say a million things. 

An accumulated history. Absolute Scotland Hospitality. 

And the continuing future in what is currently a blurred background. 

Vibrant colour, contemporary light. New circumstances always, in an 18^th century property. A whisky, and a sense of occasion. 

Our sincere gratitude to Ian Sword and Ken Paterson. 

Ian and the GM and DM Rebecca Harper then stood beside Balbirnie’s front steps, and our red carpet. Waiting to welcome Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp CEO of Business for Scotland, who would be cutting the golden ribbon on the project: 

‘Ian, you know what we’ve been working on this week? Our entire Special Events Team have been going through 25 years of photographs, looking for one single image, which to us, defines Balbirnie House, our brigade, our clients, our history, distilled to the very essence of who we are, and what it feels like to work here in Scotland Hospitality. Can you imagine, one single image!!!’

‘Well Oh My Goodness Me Nicholas. What an incredible project, and I cannot wait to see which photograph they eventually choose!!!’ 

‘Me too!!!’

We released THE DEFINING IMAGE OF BALBIRNIE HOUSE on our social media that evening. ‘THE PIPER RETIRES’ 

Of course, we never told Ian Sword that he was going to become 

THE DEFINING IMAGE OF BALBIRNIE HOUSE. 

We left that lovely task, to Ian’s family. 

AND TO FINISH: 

Let’s take the story about Ian’s photo as an inspiration for all components of our future client journeys, for the next quarter century. 

Let’s fully realise that we have the in-house capability to deliver truly outstanding world class Hospitality, creating incredible Memories, and recollections on unprecedented sensory levels. 

Balbirnie’s brigade has accomplished remarkable things thus far. 

Our blessings are counted every day. 

But Today is Not a Dress Rehearsal for Tomorrow. 

Best wishes to one and all,

Nicholas Russell / GM 1992, MD 2005/ Balbirnie House 

*Constitution ends*

Our sincere gratitude to Archie Forrest, Scotland's leading contemporary Colourist painter. 'This is my gift to Scotland's tourism and hospitality sectors' 

Our sincere thanks to Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp CEO Business for Scotland, cutting the golden ribbon.