You're here either because you're considering booking a Duthie Park Winter Gardens wedding ceremony or because you have booked one and you're wondering, "What now?"
I'm an Aberdeen wedding photographer and I am here to help.
Why choose a Duthie Park Wedding?
Ohhhhhh, Duthie Park weddings, they have my heart. All the beauty of an outdoor elopement with none of the gale force wind risk.
(And a much cheaper price tag)
Although the Winter Gardens and Marischal College are the two Aberdeen City Council "town hall" wedding venues, they offer very, very different types of celebrations.
The Winter Gardens are The One for couples who want a larger space, a longer time slot, the option to bring their own food and/or decor, and/or prefer to have a celebrant-led wedding. They have the flexibility of a private venue, but with the benefit that you can easily visit them on your anniversary each year.
Not to mention they're absolutely stunning.
Any Downsides?
The Winter Gardens were not built with accessibility in mind. What wheelchair access there is is on the functional side, with limited room to manoeuvre, and some of the paths have uneven surfaces.
What About Members of the Public Walking Through Our ceremony?
The Temperate House is closed to the public from well before your ceremony booking until the end of your time slot and the shrubs outside the windows are so that big adults can't see over them (I have once seen a small child lifted up for a peek!).
ISN'T IT Very Cold and Bare in the Winter?
Nope! The photo above was taken during a February wedding - just look at all the colourful cyclamen flowering behind them! The team at Duthie Park do a fabulous job of keeping the space looking colourful all year round, and I the winter temperatures are more reliably comfortable in there than in most of the venues I visit!
Isn't It Too hot In The Summer?
Okay, this is a fair point. It can get pretty intense in there in July and August, to the point that I've seen couples struggle to get their rings on their hot fingers. If you're going for a summer booking, I recommend having fans and bottles of water available for your guests and yourselves (yes, even if the forecast is cloudy).
On the bright side, your guests will be very enthusiastic about going outside for the group photos - it's unusually easy to round them up after a hot Winter Gardens wedding!
How Long Does the Ceremony Last? What Are the Timings Like?
To the best of my knowledge, the standard Duthie Park Winter Gardens booking is two hours - that's certainly how long I always get booked for!
The ceremony length can vary, but, as a general rule, registrar-led ceremonies are around fifteen minutes and celebrant-led are only a little bit longer. This means you have plenty of time to let your guests arrive and get settled before the ceremony, and LOADS of time for a wee drinks reception afterwards.
BONUS INFO: It's always up to couples whether one walks down the aisle towards the other or whether they enter the room together, but my absolute favourite thing I've seen a couple do is this: walk down the two sets of stairs into the ceremony space towards each other, meet at the top of the aisle and approach their celebrant together. Duthie Park is the only venue I can think of where this is an option.
Where Do we take Group Photos?
For large groups, the most popular places are within the ceremony space (I'll rope somebody into helping me move a few chairs first!) and outside in the floral courtyard. For smaller groups, I have a few favourite spots around the Gardens we can chat about as part of your photography booking.
Where Can We Go For Our Couple Photos?
Oh my goodness, anywhere! There is not a single room in the Winter Gardens that I wouldn't use for couple photos so, if you have a favourite space, we'll go there. If you don't have a preference, leave it to me - I'll have had a scout around before the ceremony to see where the brightest blooms are on the day.
And, of course, I'm not sure your marriage is totally, officially, 100% legal until you've kissed on the terrapin bridge.
We Stumbled Across This Page by accident and Now We Want to Book You
WONDERFUL! You can find out more about my wedding photography packages here or drop me a line to check my availability. I would love to hear from you.
Do You Have Any Other Questions?
Please do let me know. I'm here to help your planning go smoothly.