Duns Castle

Useful Information & Guidelines

To help you prepare for your wedding day we have a list of “Useful Wedding Contacts” including details of local Church Ministers, Civil Registrar and wedding service providers. Our in-house administrator will also help with the detailed planning of your wedding day.

The following is a brief outline of some key matters that you should consider.

• Establish availability of dates with us, contact Minister and notify Registrar. Confirm reservation with us in writing with deposit.
• We will send you a list of useful wedding contacts including ministers, registrar, photographers, etc.
• Choose photographer, musicians, cake maker, etc., as required and book directly. We will furnish you with a comprehensive list of contacts when you book with us. Our brochure also advertises our most regular service providers.
• For flowers we can recommend Duns Castle's own florist Fiona Gourlay. She can be contacted by telephone on 01361 883457, by email at flowersfromfiona@btinternet.com or through her website Flowers From Fiona.
• Allocate castle bedrooms to your invited guests. Please advise them not to come to us with individual bookings unless it is for additional or prior nights etc. Guests who are not staying in the castle or the holiday houses should be given lists of local bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation so they can secure themselves rooms in good time.
• Please make it clear to yor guests whether they are staying in the castle with your compliments or if they will need to settle their own accounts upon departure. All castle bedrooms have direct dial phone, hairdryers, toiletries and bathrobes, tea/coffee making facilities .
• Choose menus. Please check if any guests are vegetarian. Provide us with your proposed table plan and guest name place cards. Advise us of names of any vegetarians and where they will be sitting. (We have various possible table arrangements - ask for a sketch map.)
• Decide what drinks you would like after the ceremony. The castle has a licensed bar which can be run according to your needs, ie: on a cash or consumption basis and can be operated by prior arrangement at times to suit yourself. The castle cellar has a good stock of Champagnes usually, including Lanson, Veuve Cliquot, Taittinger, etc. Our House Champagne is £39 per bottle, House Sparkling Wine £20. If you prefer to bring your own, corkage is £19 per 75cl for Champagne or £14 for Sparkling Wine and £10 for wine per 75cl.
• Decide on times for the ceremony and dinner.
• Consider whether you may wish to provide your guests with some entertainment or activities during their stay: we can arrange falconry, archery, clay shooting and quad biking, for example, all on the castle estate.

Additional services that the castle can provide:

• Piper to play before and after the ceremony, P.O.A.
• A display of Scottish Dancing accompanied by piper as pre-dinner entertainment lasting around 45 minutes, P.O.A.
• Canapés to accompany drinks, £7.50 per person
• A light lunch of soup, sandwiches, tea and coffee, £8 per person
• A late evening finger buffet, £8.50 per person.