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27th January 2026
16th Nov 2024
A Scottish wedding theme was central to Ellen and William Mackey’s celebration weekend at Ellingham Hall.
The couple had planned to marry in either Northumberland or Scotland, as they live in Glasgow.
Ellen explains, “A lot of our guests were from Glasgow and Edinburgh. As Will is Scottish, he always wanted to get married in Scotland. But as we now live in Glasgow, it was important to me to have a wedding in Northumberland because that’s where I am from.”
“However, we agreed that we would get married based on finding the right venue rather than the location!”
So, the couple drew up a list of prospective wedding venues to explore online and ruled out any that didn’t tick their boxes, to save on travelling.
“We knew we wanted a classic venue,” says Ellen, “we didn’t want a renovated barn or an outdoor wedding venue, as they wouldn’t work for the colder time of year. We wanted to be comfortable and warm, which shortlisted only a few venues in the end!”
And Ellingham Hall was the first exclusive wedding venue they visited.
“We were tempted to book the Hall while we were viewing it, to be honest,” adds Ellen. “But we decided it was only fair that we should go and look at the other venue on our list which was a hotel near Loch Lomond before making our decision.”
The second we got in the car after viewing the hotel venue, Will said, “No!” The hotel and staff were lovely, but you felt like your wedding would be a spectacle for all to see. You would be walking through the hotel past other hotel guests. The ceremony rooms had big glass windows, which were lovely. But again, anybody walking past could look in. We wanted our wedding to be private for us and our friends and family. We just knew that Ellingham Hall was right. Nothing else compared to it.
We didn’t want to get married in spring and summer because for me, I didn’t want our wedding to be dependent on the weather. I think everybody who picks spring and summer says they don’t mind if it rains, but you’re always hoping for the sun and it can be a bit disappointing if it doesn’t show. I didn’t want to look out of the window and be disappointed. I like summer, but I love the autumn and early winter time especially. I think it’s really pretty. And everything is planned indoors for a winter wedding, so you know you won’t have the stress of having to change anything if it’s not sunny and warm!
Not intentionally, but we knew we didn’t want a Halloween wedding. We hadn’t realised Ellingham Hall was going to be decorated for Christmas in mid-November and it was a really nice surprise. It made it a lot more special with the beautiful decor. Christmas hadn’t really been at the forefront of our minds as such, but it came together perfectly.
As Will is from Scotland it was always going to be part of our day. Naturally Will and his wedding party wore tartan kilts, and our florals incorporated thistles, white Eustoma and native foliage’s. We chose a Quaich ceremony, where you use a two-handled cup as a union of the two clans. It marks your family’s coming together, which we wanted to celebrate. It really fitted in with what we had planned at Ellingham Hall. The registrar couldn’t be involved in this part as it includes alcohol, so the team at Ellingham planned this part for us. It was incorporated after our legal ceremony and speaks volumes for the Ellingham team as they delivered it all seamlessly.
We chose to have a ceilidh on the evening, which was brilliant. The Chapel was perfect because there’s so much space for us to dance. Usually at a ceilidh, it’s a bit cramped but the space in the room was ideal. And if guests got too warm during the dances, they could go outside to the cosy fire pit to cool off.
We did and it was great fun. On the night before we toasted marshmallows on sticks and made smores with digestives. It was perfect and we took a lot of lovely photos around the fire pit which we used on our thank you cards for guests. .
Rely on your wedding planner or wedding planning team in Ellingham Hall’s case. It made everything so much easier for us, to know they were there to support us and offer advice every step of the way, which was really helpful.
If you are looking for Scottish Wedding Theme ideas or a Winter wedding venue in Northumberland contact our team today to arrange a viewing appointment.
Wedding Day Suppliers
Photographer – Phil Smith
Registrar – Northumberland Registrars
Make Up – Shelley Scott Makeup
Groomsmen Kilts, Plaid & Shawl – MacGregor & MacDuff
Photobooth – Snap a Selfie Magic Mirror
Ceilidh Band – Alba Ceilidh Band
Child Care – Northumberland Wedding Creche
30th January 2026
Ellingham Hall was named National Winner for Best Historic Wedding Venue in the UK at The 2026 TWIA Awards.
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27th January 2026
A Scottish wedding theme was central to Ellen and William Mackey’s celebration weekend at Ellingham Hall.
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30th December 2025
We’re Home of the two night wedding – but Liv and Dan Hunter chose Ellingham Hall for an extended three night wedding celebration!
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28th November 2025
Ellingham Hall was the perfect blend of timeless charm and contemporary elegance, inspiring a warm and romantic autumn wedding.
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11th November 2025
Ellingham Hall named Regional Winner for Best Historic Wedding Venue in the North East & Yorkshire at The 2026 TWIA Awards.
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23rd October 2025
A unique wedding in winter in beautiful Northumberland with a horse-drawn carriage was the order of the day for Hannah and Ryan Fletcher. As was the decision to choose TWO dresses for the day!
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1st October 2025
A traditional summer church wedding ceremony was essential for Katherine and Stephen during their two night wedding at Ellingham Hall.
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6th August 2025
Devyn & Jeremy Wright travelled thousands of miles for their two-night micro wedding celebration at Ellingham Hall.
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14th July 2025
A Lord of the Rings wedding theme isn’t something you see every day. And with Eleanor and Matthew Nesbit unable to travel to Middle Earth, they chose Northumberland’s Ellingham Hall for their enchanted woodland wedding instead!
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30th June 2025
TV show Bridgerton was the inspiration behind the suits worn by Kyle and John Blackburn-Wood for their Autumn wedding at Ellingham Hall.
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22nd April 2025
It was the extreme heat and high wedding costs in Bermuda that saw Callum and LeChé Kerr decide to marry at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland rather than on their sun-kissed archipelago.
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20th April 2025
Spring weddings in the UK are increasing in popularity, check out our five reasons to choose a spring wedding!
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“The Hall has such a lovely feeling and having our meeting at the same time as the corporate launch last year, gave a very different feel to what we usually have at other local networking events. The Chamber needs local venues that make the North East stand out, and Ellingham Hall is a venue that is a hidden gem.”
CLARE MCCABE, RELATIONSHIP MANAGER NORTH EAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Holly & Fraser Handley, 27th March 2025
“The venue exceeded our expectations. Not only did it offer uniqueness, but exclusivity was a key factor in booking. The main Hall offered lots of space for us to work and we found the delegate rates very competitive. The venue comes highly recommended. “
Lisa Davidson, HR Director – Connect Health
“We have hosted a number of corporate events and the staff have always been superb in supporting us. Our guests are always delighted when they walk through the doors and get to spend a day in the beautiful surroundings. “
DIGITAL SPARKLES – NICOLA LITTLE (CHIEF SPARKLER & DIRECTOR)
“The hall catered for everything we needed, from the luxury entrance rooms, to the grounds outside, which we used to talk with clients in more detail afterwards. It was exactly what we wanted to allow us to host a presentation of this size. Guests were welcomed with a selection of drinks and canapés in the entrance hall and then again on departure. The seminar itself took place in the Chapel, while the dining room and drawing room provided the perfect spaces clients to relax.
Michael Sage, Director, Sage Wealth Management
Abbie & Joseph James, 7th December 2024
