April, 2024 THE BUSH TELEGRAPH
Employee of the Year for 2023 is our Special Event Planner Katy Ronaldson Congratulations to the wonderful Katy Ronaldson for bringing a quite outstanding delivery to Balbirnie's Special Event Planning Dept, extending beyond private and corporate events into weddings as well. Katy has gone above and beyond in her role and is always happy to help fellow colleagues and does so with a smile on her face. Katy is also our resident technical guru! Congratulations from us all at Balbirnie, this acknowledgement is very well deserved!
Meet one of our Master of Ceremonies the one and only David Murray! How long have you worked at Balbirnie? I have worked at Balbirnie for over 12 years, and I especially love to look after weddings. It is an incredible honour to look after such a special day. What is you working day like as a Master of Ceremonies? It normally starts at 10 am and my entire day is focused on making the day as special as possible for the happy couple and all guests, and making sure that everything is exactly as it should be. At Balbirnie we are truly passionate about hospitality and like to take into account all the attention to detail, and we go above and beyond in everything we do to make the wedding day as magical as possible. Every occasion is different, we always gear up everything and all at Balbirnie, for as much joy and happiness as we can possibly deliver. What is your favourite part of a wedding day? When I get to announce the couple into to the Ballroom as the newly weds and everyone cheers. What top tips would you give to your couples? Enjoy every minute of your day. We will look after you, welcome all of your guests, and take care of your day. We want you to have your dream wedding come true
Welcome to The Modern Age Our Modern Age Menu which focuses on seasonality, colour and wonderful creativity from Scotland’s larder. We were delighted to win Regional winner of Hotel Restaurant of the Year from Hotel’s of the Year Scotland 2023/24 along with our Executive Chef Kris Currie (pictured to the right) who received the accolade of Regional Executive Chef of the Year! What a wonderful achievement! To view some our delicious dishes read you can read The Modern Age Magazine. Reserve your table to try this delicious menu here. We are also delighted to show case these dishes in our new publication of The Modern Age and you can find our more about this here.
NEW DISHES Contemporary Scotland on a plate From the absolute best-of-the-best Scotland beef we can source, chargrilled over the gastronomic legend that is the mighty Josper grill, to world-renowned shellfish and fish such as wild trout, salmon, oysters, scallops and langoustines, together with an abundance of sole, plaice and hake. Scotland’s green valleys totally brimming with the berries. Incredible vegetables and herbs. All on our doorstep, Scotland’s natural larder never ceases to amaze. And of course, Scotland’s water of life, whisky! And our Scottish cheeses give the finest from Europe a great comparison as well. A massive thanks to everyone who has visited The Grill @ The Orangery. It has certainly been great fun in hospitality, being able to reflect on many aspects of Scotland’s gastronomic culture and history, and to reinterpret for The Modern Age.
Wonderful meal offers available all week! The following fabulous offers are available ALL week: Come and try our Modern Age menu Orangery. With 3 courses priced with wonderful value-for money at £36.50 per person. Steak Nights: For two guests, our steak deal offers; two Jospergrilled 10oz rump steaks, with tomato, watercress, chips, a choice of sauces, and a bottle of Balbirnie's House wine for £65. We serve Scotland's finest steaks which are cooked on the mighty Josper Grill - legend of charcoal gastronomy, you don't want to miss out! You can reserve your table here!
SPRING HAS ARRIVED AT BEAUTIFUL BALBIRNIE Spring has arrived at beautiful Balbirnie and it is wonderful to see. The daffodils are bobbing away and the vibrant Rhododendron’s are starting to appear, such a beautiful time of year. The park is the perfect place for a spring walk.
Nikki & Michael What a beautiful day filled with colour, love, joy and laughter. Memories are certainly made of this! HOW DID YOUR LOVE STORY BEGIN WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BALBIRNIE AS YOUR WEDDING VENUE? We met during lockdown after Michael ‘slid into my DM’s’ after spotting a photo of me on Facebook through a tagging by a mutual friend. All normal dating options were out of the window as lockdown 2 was approaching so we made the most of takeaways, online quizzes and streaming things to watch at home. We very quickly became each others ‘bubble’ whilst we all stayed at home. We worked and lived in each others flats day to day before Michael moved in with me. We visited many venues with the original vision being a converted barn. We soon realised that these venues just never felt quite right and when we walked into Balbirnie there was no doubt the wedding had to be there. The staff were kind and attentive and we knew that we wanted somewhere that had our backs on the day which couldn’t have been more true. The multiple backdrops throughout the venue for beautiful photos sealed the deal and we loved watching all the social media posts of other weddings in the lead up to ours. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE COUPLES PLANNING THEIR DAY? Focus on yourselves and what you want from the day. When planning we focussed on the small things that others told us not to worry about and it was so worth it because it ensured that everything was exactly how we envisaged it on the day. The advice we were given was that the day would go fast. This couldn’t have been more true! No matter how hard you try there will be things you don’t catch on the day because you are so busy chatting to people. Our advice would be to prioritise what is the most important for you to see or get photos of and make sure someone is around to guide you to this when it is happening.
PLEASE TELL USABOUT YOUR SPECIAL TOUCHES FOR YOUR GORGEOUS DAY Photographer and videographer : Lifetime Photography Hair: Kirsty Meach @ one9one Makeup: Nadia Doriano and Natalie Ryan (bridesmaids) Celebrant: Tegan Elder Piper: Scott Findlay Florist: Amy Annand Cake: Lynnes Cake Emporium Favours: Honey Rum from Gran Canaria Band: Cherry Crumble Ceremony music and drinks reception entertainment: Chris Hardie played an hour of party songs on the saxophone to welcome our evening guest. I personalised many of the items myself as a budding crafter and my instagram handle is @craftsupernova Table plan: I painted watercolour moons and personalised with guest names which then hung from an arch draped in flowers and foliage. Tablescapes: Brass candlestick holders from 56 events, a mix of bright colour candlesticks, colourful floral posies and foliage on circular mirrors, gold table number signs showing us at each corresponding age, handmade acrylic name placed Ceremony programmes: Which gave the guests some stories on how our friendships formed with each of our bridesmaids and groomsmen. Embroidered Tartan: ribbons displaying our mothers maiden names which we used to ‘tie the knot’ during the hand fastening. Mantelpiece displaying: “The love that built us” - Family photos of our grandparents and parents on their wedding day and as we knew them. Other special touches: Audio guestbook, stain glass card box, QR codes for guests to upload their selfies and group shots. Personalised glass stirrers and cake napkins with our dog on them. Personalised sunglasses. When we were age table signs with photos of us at each age. My dress: Justin Alexander purchased from Alison Kirk in Dundee Veil: Custom made cathedral length glitter veil from The Wedding Veil Shop Shoes: Amelie by Rainbow Club (I added my Grans sixpence to the bottom for good luck)
Make sure you c l i c k with your photographer as you want to feel relaxed around them and make sure their s t y le of photography and edit i s what you are after. Get an experienced and recommend photographer as you want to make sure that they are committed to your wedding as much as you are. Make sure you know how the wedding day wi l l flow, that way there are no surpri ses . Take a plan b for the foot wear, incase it rains or your feet get sore. Bridal part y to be ready 30 before the ceremony . Thi s i s so you can get photos before hand. If you can s tay at the venue, as it saves time and s tres s . Make sure you al locate enough time for photos and mingle time with you gues t s . Whi le you soc ial i se with your gues t s we can al so get candid shot s of you enjoy ing your day . Have your speeches before the meal as it takes pres sure off the speaker s . Make sure al l Groom' s men are at the venue 1 to 1 1/2 hour s before the ceremony time, to al low photos to be taken. If you have a chi ld, make sure you have some one to help as it can be a big s tres s fac tor for couples . Keep fami l y shot s to a minimum parent s , grandparent, s ibl ings and k ids , ever yone el se wi l l be in your big group photo. Have fun and enjoy your day and if something doesn't go to plan, ac cept it and move on and enjoy your day PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS BY ROB FROM LIFETIME
Memories are made of this!
Stunning Spring Weddings!
At Balbirnie we offer fabulous affordability, beautiful rooms and wonderful hospitality. It is the perfect place to hold your special occasion or family gatherings. We have wonderful packages with our private dining experience. From afternoon teas, buffets, barbeques or a full sit down three or four course meal. We have you covered! You can choose from three wonderful menus “The Modern Age” , Classic Balbirnie or The GRILL. To find out more please email: [email protected] Make it special! Make it Balbirnie
Afternoon tea is served in our beautiful Orangery which is sumptuously decorated in shades of soft greys, taupe and a slight touch of blush. With floor to ceiling lunette windows and a glass roof ceiling, The Orangery offers a delightful Afternoon Tea experience whatever the occasion of your visit. Daily (bookings are subject to availability) Monday - Thursday 13:00pm – 15:00pm Friday - Sunday 12:00pm – 16:00pm Book your table for this wonderful experience, you can do so here. Afternoon Tea! I T I S T IME F O R
It's a special one... Balbirnie Park Duathlon 10th year!! The 2024 Balbirnie Duathlon, is now open for entries, brought to you by the all inclusive Glenrothes Triathlon Club WHEN: Wednesday the 19th of June starting at 6.30pm! WHAT TO EXPECT 5K Run, followed by a 20K Bike finished with a 2.5K Run Marshalled courses for both run and cycle Relay & Individual options (so if you only fancy one discipline, you can couple up with someone who loves the other!) Event sanctioned by Triathlon Scotland Food by us, for you and your friends / family [burgers & a hog roast] A fun, friendly atmospheric event held by us with you in mind! Book here!
To book email: [email protected] £18 per person