Having refurbished the historic Mansion House, the Borders estate breathes new life into a redundant stable block where Shire Horse stable hands used to sleep.
The owners attended their first two Wedding Shows at the SECC and Corn Exchange, and now Wedderlie House at Westruther in the Scottish Borders, continues to showcase its venue plans to prospective happy couples.
With the refurbishment of eleven bedroom Wedderlie Mansion House and Castle itself well underway, work has now commenced on the estate’s redundant stable block which will become a standalone wedding venue.
Along with stables for the Shire horses who worked on the estate in years gone by, the L shaped building was also used for accommodation for the horse hands and stable boys who slept upstairs.
Under the present owners’ plans, the structure will once again provide sleeping quarters, but this time for wedding guests who will be able to take advantage of a new modern two bedroom apartment which will be refurbished from the current hayloft.
Having bought the estate last year, and now launching the new exclusive use wedding business with his wife Connie, present owner Jamie Raine-Fraser said: “We are creating a new 130 seater wedding venue out of the stable block, as it’s a fantastic space. We wanted to have a stand alone building that can be used for ceremonies.”
Along with its own dance floor created from reclaimed wood, the stable block will offer a ceremony room, toilets, and bar & service area created from the original Shire Horse stalls. With its original beams, original tack harnesses retained, and with the walls sandblasted back to their former glory, a venue full of character in which to marry, will be created, offering a viable new use to what is a truly unique building.
Outside is a festoon lit courtyard, an ideal “break out” area for pre and post wedding drinks, canapes and chat.
“We’re very excited about this new venue, and look forward to seeing how our efforts are received by prospective wedding couples,” said Jamie. “We believe it offers us maximum flexibility in the marketplace as you can pitch a marquee at the side, which can be used for the wedding breakfast.”
“We are including this marquee in the standard rental, and it comes complete with tables and chairs at no extra cost. Wedding couples can have free reign to decorate this space as they see fit, plus the stable block itself.”
For larger weddings, there is space for a 500 seater marquee on the site of the estate’s former riding arena.
“The apartment above the stable block will give us extra accommodation for guests, adding to the bedrooms in the main house, our cosy log cabin, and our cottage.”
“Overall we can sleep up to forty five guests on site,” he said.
As well as being a busy GP with two small daughters, Jamie’s wife Connie has been finding time to choose fixtures, fittings and furniture for Wedderlie Mansion House which offers guests a luxurious place to stay throughout a “long weekend wedding.” The couple have ordered a bespoke elm dining table, along with installing an Honesty Bar in the library.
Upstairs there is a bridal suite where the bride can get ready, and which can be used for the honeymoon night.
“This building is full of history, dating back in parts to the 12th Century,” said Connie, “We want to compliment this, but bring the house back to life internally, adding luxury touches in keeping with the many character features.”
“The entire decoration and furnishings have been my special project, which I am very much enjoying,” she added. “We can’t wait to show off what we have done, on a modest budget, with many family and friends helping us on various jobs all over the estate. Externally, the building had to be cleaned and is now looking really good. We couldn’t resist having a few aerial videos taken of the House and estate for our website, and for marketing material. It’s so exciting to see everything taking shape.”
Wedderlie House has a simple and straightforward pricing policy for House and Estate hire, with couples not tied into any packages or suppliers. Discounts are available for 2020 weddings, with generous availability for 2021.
Further details at www.wedderliehouse.com
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
