MONACHYLE MHOR - SMALL LUXURY WEDDING VENUES SCOTLAND

I’m so excited to show off one of my very favourite small luxury wedding venues in Scotland, Monachyle Mhor, in the heart of the Trossachs.

Set amidst the most stunning scenery, Monachyle Mhor is spectacularly sited at the meeting point of two lochs. Surrounded by forests and hills, the venue looks incredible at any time of the year. In autumn it is a sea of golds and reds, in the summer those hillsides are filled with colourful wild flowers, the winter is wild and rugged and the spring is, well, we all know just how glorious spring looks everywhere!

As an added bonus, once you’re at the Mhor you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere but it’s so easy to get to (under 2 hours from the centre of Glasgow). There’s plenty of accommodation for you and your guests - little quirky bothies, converted horse trailers and huts as well as the more traditional hotel rooms in the Coach House. It’s great fun to explore and you really do feel like you’re getting away from it all. Wedding guests can relax outside a bothy, enjoy a morning coffee and take in those views.

WeddingS AT MONACHYLE MHOR

The team behind Monachyle Mhor are great. They’re super experienced in weddings and you’re in excellent hands with them. Plus, they run the amazing Mhor Bread in Calendar. If you’ve ever visited Calendar you’ll know there is always a queue out of their door for their pastries, pies and loaves. It’s a must visit for me whenever I’m in the area!

Monachyle Mhor hosts - and I’ve worked on - all different shapes and sizes of weddings. Elopements and micro weddings are popular here. It’s an ideal location for them and there are lots of stunning spaces for couples to say their vows. It’s just a wee stroll down to the loch for a ceremony on the shores. Or you can head up in the hills and pledge your love to each other next to a waterfall or by one of the cool sculptures like the Mirrored Lookout.

Like anywhere in Scotland, if you’re getting married outside in the summer come prepared for all the elements! Sunscreen, midge repellent…not to put you off at all but it’s always good to be prepared! Brides, pack yourself a funky jacket you can throw over your dress and some cool boots so you can go exploring.

When it comes to bigger weddings I’ve had people get married on the lawn in front of Monachyle Mhor. This makes it easy for guests to get to your ceremony (no 15 minute walk up a hill for starters!) but you still get to enjoy those views out over the lochs.

There’s also an amazing barn, with a HUGE disco ball - I’m a big fan of a funky mirror ball! The rustic barn is so cool, filled with fun, vintage props. It’s very characterful and a great wet weather option too.

Having a small wedding (10-20 people) but want somewhere undercover to eat? Step into the Monachyle Mhor mobile restaurant - an upcycled shipping container complete with log burner, and huge picture windows. Basically, anything goes at Monachyle Mhor! There’s loads of options for eating, wedding ceremonies and your celebrations.

Beautiful wedding decor at Monachyle Mhor

When it comes to flowers and your floral decor at Monachyle Mhor then the world is pretty much your oyster. Whether you’re having an elopement, smaller wedding or bigger celebration lots of couples opt for a wedding arch. There are loads of options here when it comes to arches, some couples go for a more traditional horseshoe shaped one, or I’ve used a ‘moongate arch’ (totally round). I’ve known couples who make their own arches, rented triangular arches or had a broken arch - two separate upright columns of flowers that lean in towards each other.

I’ve got to say, arches look great against that beautiful backdrop. You might think that flowers would get lost amidst the spectacular scenery, but having an arch really creates a focal point and sense of ‘this is the place we’re getting married’. It’s a marker for your ceremony space and, depending on the arch, where it is and how many able hands there are at your wedding, the arch can be moved to a different location post ceremony too. I’ve set them up down on the shore by the loch and up by the hotel on their lawn so even if your ceremony is off piste, arches are still an option!

Another option is a flower circle. This is a low, meadow style arrangement of troughs that couples stand within. A flower circle has a lot of significance and folklore attached to it and is becoming incredibly popular for Humanist ceremonies. It also works so well with the landscape and adds to the sense of occasion whilst bringing your wedding colours into proceedings. Sometimes you might be standing in the midst of an absolutely incredible forest or field but actually, there just isn’t that much in the way of colour or flowers there.

Troughs can easily be moved and repurposed. Placing them outside the reception barn after the ceremony is a lovely way to welcome guests to the next phase of the wedding day. That little display of flowers against the corrugated iron of the barn looks fab. Alternatively they can go in front of the top table. I’m a big fan of a meadow crate as they’re so flexible. They can be used alone, to create a circle, at the end of rows or use them in stacks of wooden crates for a tiered focal point.

Sustainable, environmentally friendly wedding flowers

On an environmental note, and this is really important to me, I create meadow boxes - and all my arrangements - in a foam free way. I don’t use floral foam as it’s single use plastic - and when you soak the form and then pour away the water it releases micro plastics into the water system which is terrible for wildlife. My foam free arrangements are environmentally friendly and mean I can reuse the mechanics again. It’s always good to consider the environment and sustainability when it comes to wedding planning and creating our floral arrangements. I’m always keen to reduce my overall footprint.

Monachyle Mhor rustic wedding receptions

The main barn at Monachyle Mhor is a very cool space. A mixture of rustic, quirky, contemporary funkiness! I love the relaxed, cosy feeling of the space and it really suits assorted, mix and match glassware, crockery and vintage bottles. The room is already filled with loads of fun, vintage things so anything you add is a bonus.

There’s a lot of exposed wood which looks great with huge tables. People tend not to use linen so loose foliage runners work really well. Another option is to have lots of mismatched bottles and jars dotted along the tables, interspersed with candles. If you’re having sharing platters I’d always recommend a foliage runner - you can put things on top of them or they’re easily moved whereas a garland is a much thicker, chunkier thing.

People tend to go for colour in the barn, which I’m always onboard with! Repurposing those aisle flowers in jars is a great idea here. If you’ve been collecting lots of fun whiskey or gin bottles these look fab. Monachyle Mhor is all about chilled, natural weddings and that kind of decor always looks great.

The barn looks great when it's dressed with branches, hanging greenery, ribbon backdrops - anything that will soften the space. A lot of barns and more industrial spaces can have hard lines and seem a little bare if you don’t add in softening in terms of flowers, foliage and colour. Branches look great against the corrugated iron and exposed wood of the barn, you’re bringing the outside into the space. It looks magical, especially with that big disco ball twinkling away above you. It’s such a special ambience with festival / A Midsummer Night's Dream vibes.

Micro weddings in the Trossachs

If you’re having your smaller wedding reception in the shipping container it's got a slightly more elevated touch, you don’t have to go as rustic there. I’ve had a couple who made their own vases out of copper pipes and test tubes, a minimal bud vase type arrangement to line the centre of the tables. So don’t feel that you have to go down the bottles / jam jars / rustic look.

Never shy away from getting crafty - if that’s your thing of course! If you’re feeling a bit arty, or your family or friends are, then why not make your own containers. Anything goes for putting flowers in, as long as it’s water tight! I love it when people get creative and I’m very happy to fill DIY containers with flowers. Anything that makes your wedding really personal and unique is great. It’s always fun as a supplier to get on board with some of the more creative plans. Get on Instagram and Pinterest, see what others have done and go to town! I’ve had scientist couples who used lab materials and beakers. I’ve had a couple who used Granny’s amazing collection of vintage teapots and I’ve even done flowers coming out of books. Make your centrepieces your own, it can be a real talking point.

In summary - my top tips for colourful, beautiful flowers at Monachyle Mhor

Flowers will only add to this amazing landscape, don’t be afraid to bring in some colour
Think sustainability!
Come up with some fun ideas that really reflect you and your interests
Think about softening those hard, industrial lines within the barn. Bring the outside in.
Repurpose wherever you can - those jam jars can be easily moved from the ceremony to the wedding reception.

Monachyle Mhor is such a versatile small luxury wedding venue and there is just so much you can do in the various spaces. Hopefully these ideas and photographs will spark some creativity!

Head to our Flower Ideas page if you’re in the mood for more inspiration or get in touch if you’d like to talk about plans for your wedding flowers.