Astrology Themed Summer Mount Stuart Wedding

Written By Harriett Harpham
The bride and groom stood on the staircase looking at each other with the red light from the marble hall in the background

Beautiful summer wedding on the Isle of Bute, Scotland

I first visited Mount Stuart as a wedding guest in 2011 and was absolutely blown away. When you enter the Marble Hall it is honestly jaw-dropping, then more literally neck-cracking as you can’t help but look up at the ceiling and tilt your head at every angle humanly possible to take it all in. The ceiling is covered in sparkling crystal constellations, the stained glass windows showcase the zodiac signs and as the sunlight moves throughout the day the colours from the windows dance across the entire hall. 

The spellbinding architecture is truly out of this world, if you were to tell 20 year old Harriett that she would one day photograph a wedding there, she would freeeeak out! We were so excited when we were asked to photograph Ash and Osh’s big day on behalf of Madhouse Weddings. The second time arriving at Mount Stuart was just as breath taking as the first. From the moment I met Ash (the bride) it was clear to see her love for Mount Stuart, and how could you not instantly fall in love with this enchanting building? In fact, Ash loves the venue so much she got a job there, and it must say something about the venue if you’re happy to get married at work! The extra knowledge and little stories she told about the building and its history just makes you love it even more!

About Mount Stuart

Mount Stuart is a stunning gothic building situated on the Isle of Bute off the west coast of Scotland. It is a magical place to get married, steeped in history and beauty. They also offer accommodation for you and up to 35 guests. “So how much does it cost to get married at Mount Stuart?” I hear you ask… prices start from £11k for your ceremony and reception, or for the whole shebang (including the accommodation for you and your guests) is £24k according to their 2019 brochure.

About their day

Ash & Osh had a beautiful summers wedding day from start to finish. Ash spent the morning with the girls getting ready in the Horoscope room which boasts a gorgeous conservatory flooded with natural light (perfect for the makeup artists!) Osh finished getting ready in the Billiard room with his groomsmen where they enjoyed a wee dram to calm the pre-ceremony nerves. The ceremony took place in the Marble Chapel with floor to ceiling white Sicilian marble, the ruby red stained glass ceiling floods the room with stunning red light. The ceremony was performed by Argyll & Bute registrars who the couple said were ‘flawless and easy from start to finish.’ The ceremony was perfect and truly represented their love and who they are as a couple. After their family photos in the drawing room, everyone sat for speeches and the wedding breakfast in the Marble Hall. The evening was filled with love and laughter. After the first dance, in true traditional Scottish style, was the Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) band who were amazing (and a personal highlight of the day!).

Styling

With a venue this stunning you really need minimal styling, Ash stayed on theme with mythological table names and subtle pastel florals (which she grew herself!) and complimented the colours of the Marble Hall perfectly. It was hard to narrow down images for this blog so I’m sorry (not really that sorry though) about how long this page will be, but just look at how god dang beautiful this wedding day was! Enjoy the photos and if you make it to the end you win 10 points!

If you’re planning a Mount Stuart wedding then contact us to tell your story.

Still need convincing? Then view more wedding photos here.

Suppliers:

Photographer: The Harphams associating for Mad House Weddings

Venue: Mount Stuart

Florals: The brides business - Bloom Borealis

Make-up: Shannon O'Neill Make Up

Hair: HAIR by Helen Livingstone

Entertainment: Bute Ceilidh Band

Mount Stuart exterior taken from the path as you arrive within the grounds
Mount Stuart exterior from the front, the sky is blue and cloudy
The zodiac stained glass windows letting in beautiful coloured light
The photo is taken straight up at the constellation ceiling of the marble hall featuring all 12 of the zodiac stained glass windows
The zodiac stained glass windows
black and white photo of the groom quietly taking a sip of whiskey in the Billiards room
A close up photo of a glass of whiskey on the windowsill being light by the morning sunlight
A black and white photo of the groom and his 4 groomsmen all in kilts clinking their glasses of whiskey
A portrait of the groom tying his tie taken over the shoulder of a groomsman
The groom and his best man grinning and posing after pinning their buttonhole flowers
black and white photo of a groomsman playing billiards
black and white portrait of the groom by the window
the staircase leading up to the horoscope suite being lit by the morning light
A close up photo of the coloured light coming through the zodiac stained glass
the brides gown hangs on a pillar in the horoscope room at mount stuart
exterior of the chapels steeple taken through the conservatory glass ceiling
photo taken straight up at the ceiling of the horoscope room
the view of the sea from the window of the horoscope room
the bridal party busy getting ready in the conservatory of the horoscope room
a close up of the hairdressers hands placing flowers in the bridesmaids hair
black and white close up of the lace on the brides veil hanging up
details of the dress and accessories displayed on a chair
black and white detail photo of the brides tiara displayed amongst the plants in the conservatory
the mother of the bride admiring her daughters wedding gown hanging up waiting to be worn
close up of the brides engagement ring on her hand as she adjusts the tiara in her hair
the bride laughs as she talks with her hairdresser and make-up artists
the bride gets her eye make up touched up, she wears white satin pjs with her initials on the breast pocket
the bride and bridesmaids pose for a photo in their pjs and dressing gowns
a portrait of the bride taken through the bathroom door as she composes herself ahead of the wedding ceremony
A portrait of the bride with her bouquet looking out the window of the conservatory
The brides father wells up as he sees his daughter as a bride for the first time, he looks away as his eyes tear up
The marble chapel taken from the balcony at the back of the room
the marble chapel filled with red light from the stained glass windows in the steeple
a close up of a tree and flowers decorating the inside of the marble chapel
a close up of the red light coming through the stained glass windows
a photo taken straight up at the ceiling of the marble chapel
The groom smiles as he waits at the top of the aisle for his bride
the bride and her father walking down the hall outside the horoscope room
The piper waiting on the stairs starts to play as he sees the bride arriving
the back of the bridal party as they descend down the stairs
the bride descends down the stairs a halo of light hits her veil from the large windows
the best man is beaming as he watches the grooms smile when his bride enters the chapel
the bride and her father enter the chapel, the bride smiles as her father looks proud
the groom gives his bride the biggest grin as she walks up the aisle
a wide shot of the couple and the wedding guests taken from the back of the chapel
the groom wipes his eyes before the ceremony starts
a close up portrait of the groom listening to a reading
a wide angle shot of the couple underneath the red stained glass windows
a close up portrait of the bride looking lovingly at her groom
the bride pulls a cute face as she scrunches up her nose at her groom
the couple listening to a reading from one of the bridesmaids
a wide shot of the whole wedding ceremony taken from the balcony at the back of the chapel
the bride and groom holding hands as they say their vows
a close up of the best man smiling framed by the bride and groom
the groom reading his vows as they are both holding onto a symbolic rock
the groom places a ring on the brides finger
the bride and the groom pull a funny face as he struggles to fit the wedding ring on her finger
a close up of the bride placing a ring on her grooms finger
a black and white photo of the bride and groom laughing as they finish exchanging wedding rings
a wide angle photo of the couple exchaning rings framed in the arches of the chapel
the brides jaw dropped in excitement as they are announced husband and wife for the first time
a wide angle portrait of the bride and grooms first kiss
a close up of the bride and grooms first kiss
the bride and groom smile as all their family and friends stand to applaud at the end of the ceremony
the bride and groom grin as they walk out of the chapel with their wedding guests applauding behind them
an artistic black and white portrait of the couple exiting the chapel together
an artistic black and white portrait of the couple walking through a dark passage, only the brides white dress can be seen clearly
a wide angle photo of the couple walking out of the main entrance to their wedding guests throwing confetti
the bride and groom pull a face as they are hit with a lot of confetti
the bride and groom laugh at each other as they continue to be hit with confetti petals
the bride squeezes her eyes shut as the couple get hit in the face with confetti
the bride and groom share a kiss at the end of the confetti tunnel in front of the main entrance of mount stuart
the full wedding party posing for a photo on the lawn taken from the balcony
the full wedding party stood on the lawn with mount stuart in the background
formal portrait of the bride and groom with their families taken in the drawing room
bride and groom pose for a selfie while waiting for the next family group photo
black and white formal portrait of the bride and groom with their families taken in the drawing room
formal portrait of the bride and groom with the wedding party taken in the drawing room
a close up photo of the bride with her bridesmaids all holding their bouquets in a row
a portrait of the bride and her bridesmaids all laughing with one another
a solo portrait of the bride and her bouquet in the drawing room. the light from the window shows off her piercing blue eyes
a close up of the brides bouquet that she holds by the window
a black and white dramatic portrait of the bride stood by the window in the drawing room
the bride smiles at the camera as the groom goes in to kiss her gently on the temple, taken in the drawing room
the bride and groom smile at each other in the drawing room
the bride and groom kiss in front of the fireplace in the drawing room
the bride and groom pose in front of the fireplace in the drawing room
the groom pulls a funny face after taking the nice portraits
the wedding cake is covered in pressed flowers including daisies, ferns and pansies
a close up of the pressed flowers on the wedding cake
a close up of a soup spoon which shows the beautiful ceiling in the reflection
a wide angle of the tables set out in the marble hall for the reception
a close up of the crystal constellations in the ceiling of the marble hall
a close up of the rainbow light cast down from the stained glass windows
the afternoon light casting more beautiful colours into the marble hall
a close up of the table name 'Hebe' depicting the goddess in front of the centrepiece of flowers
a close up of the table name 'Doris' depicting the goddess in front of the centrepiece of flowers
the bride and groom smile as they head down the stairs towards the reception being led by a piper
the piper leading the couple down the stairs to the reception
the bride and groom smile as their wedding guests greet them into the marble hall
the wedding guests stand to applaud the bride and groom arriving to the reception
a wide shot of the father of the bride giving his speech in the marble hall
the best man looking up at the bridesmaid as she gives her speech
the wedding couple looking emotional as they listen to their family giving speeches
a wedding guest holding up a glass of champagne toasting as the bridesmaid finishes her speech
a cute baby smiling at the camera as the guests in the background are listening to a speech
the groom hugs his best man after an emotional speech
a black and white photo of the groom and best man clinking glasses after a speech
the bride looking lovingly up at her groom as he gives his speech about her
a wedding guest smiles and laughs at the speeches
a wide shot of all the wedding guests stood with their glasses in the air as they all toast to the bride
a close up of the groom smiling at his bride as all the guests toast to her in the background
a black and white photo of the couple holding hands at the top table after the speeches
a portrait of the couple looking lovingly at each other at the top of the stairs with the stairs in the background
a close up of the bouquet as the bride and groom go up the stairs for their portraits
a close up of a painting as the bride and groom walk by
a porrtrait of the bride and groom with the zodiac stained glass windows behind them
the focus is on the stained glass windows behind the couple
a black and white portrait of the bride and groom sharing a kiss in front of the stained glass windows
a wide shot of the bride and groom stood in the middle of the staircase taken from the balcony
the bride and groom posing at the top of the stairs with the background lit up with a red light
the bride and groom posing at the top of the stairs with the background lit up with a red light
the groom helps lift the brides train as she walks down the stairs
the bride laughs as she has to walk slowly down the stairs
the bride and groom pose in front of a painting of a woman in a white dress
the bride and groom pose in front of a painting of a woman in a white dress
the bride and groom pose in front of a painting of a woman in a white dress
the bride and groom pose in the empty marble chapel
the bride and groom dance in the empty marble chapel
the bride and groom dance in the empty marble chapel
the bride and groom dance in the empty marble chapel
the bride and groom pose in the Burgess Chapel which features a mirrored floor
black and white portrait of the couple in the Burgess Chapel
the couple posing in the gardens under a giant acer tree with mount stuart in the background
a close up of the bride and groom in the gardens of mount stuart
a black and white detailed shot of the couples rings and the sleeve of the brides gown
the bride and groom walking away from the camera with mount stuart in the background
the bride rests her head on her grooms shoulder as he looks into the distance
the groom pulls a funny face at his bride as he goes to kiss her
the bride looking at her groom with the acer tree in the background
a portrait of the wedding party with their arms in the air
a black and white portrait of the bride casually draping her arm on her grooms shoulder as they both look at the camera
the bride smiles at the camera as the groom kisses her on the cheek
the bride looks at her groom with her arm casually resting on his shoulder
the bride and groom are in the foreground and the focus is on the water in the background
black and white photo of the bride walking towards mount stuart
the bride and groom laugh as they cut their wedding cake
a wide shot of the couple cutting their wedding cake
the bride and groom go to kiss after cutting their wedding cake
a wide shot of the couple having their first dance surrounded by their family and friends
the bride and groom looking at each other during the first dance
close up of the couple kissing during their first dance
a close up of the couple during their first dance
the bride and groom both laugh as their guests all join them on the dancefloor at the end of the first dance
two groomsman smile at each other as they join the couple in the first dance
the dancefloor from above as the guests form a circle for the ceilidh dancing
the bride applauds to her guests at the end of the first dance
a man in a kilt with a guitar starts to sing and the ceilihd band begins to play
the groom smiles as he rolls up his sleeves for the ceilidh
a wide shot of the dancefloor taken from the stairs of the guests all in a circle
the guests dancing to the ceilidh band taken from above
a black and white photo of the men spinning their partners on the dancefloor
one guest spins his partner and his kilt blurs in the motion
the bride has changed into a different gown and has re-joined the dancing
a guests dress moves as she spins on the dancefloor
the father of the bride dances with an elderly family member
a couple of wedding guests enjoying the ceilidh band
a groomsmen spins his partner and he's so tall that her feet lift off the ground
wedding guests skip around the dancefloor to the ceilidh band
the bride and groom look at each other as they dance in the middle of the dancefloor
an artistic black and white portrait of the bride and groom dancing
the view of the dancefloor taken over the shoulders of guests sat watching the dancing
the bride dancing with a wedding guest to the ceilidh band
wedding guests going through the arms of other guests during the ceilidh
wedding guests going through the arms of other guests during the ceilidh
the best man smiling as he creates an arch for people to dance through
the groom and best man spinning around together during the ceilidh band
the guests spinning during the ceilidh band
wedding guests sticks his tongue out in exhaustion after dancing
wedding guests running towards the camera in the last dance to the ceilidh band
wedding guests running towards the camera in the last dance to the ceilidh band
wedding guests running towards the camera in the last dance to the ceilidh band
wedding guests running towards the camera in the last dance to the ceilidh band
taken from above, wedding guests running towards each other in the last dance to the ceilidh band
the bride and groom pose for last photo on the dance floor
the bride and groom kiss for last photo on the dance floor
bride and groom laugh for one last photo on the dancefloor at the end of the night

If you’d like us to photograph your wedding day please get in touch!

Harriett Harpham https://www.theharphams.co.uk
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