Long Gallery Ceremony

𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟕𝟕𝟕 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬.

Traditionally since opening as a hotel back in 1989 The Long Gallery has been one of Balbirnie’s favourite areas for wedding ceremonies. It is a room that is rich in heritage, Italianate-palazzo in its atmosphere on entering. The new restoration has been a full year in contemplation and design progress, and the works have taken a significant investment, and four weeks in which to physically action and complete the works.

It has certainly been incredibly emotional and joyful to welcome the very first visitors to the restored area, and to hear so many absolutely amazing comments about how the room has very suddenly become even more romantic than it has ever been before! We are especially truly overjoyed to hear the comments from the first new future prospective wedding clients, in considering this area for their future wedding ceremony.

The new Long Gallery has been a project delivered by Balbirnie House company director Gaynor Russell, in collaboration with independent consultant Lesley Osborne, who has assisted with many Balbirnie interior design projects over the last decade.

Lesley summarises the project: ‘The new conversion now has the luxurious, calm aesthetic of a lounge of international standard, retaining many original features and playing to the stunning Georgian ceiling features. The room is now profound in the strong, purity of light in the early hours of the day. As the light fades and the sun goes down, The Long Gallery becomes a place of serious relaxation, with the fading light subtly changing the atmosphere to a quite beautiful and relaxing, evening luxury venue. The Trompe L’Oeil visual illusion in art wallcoverings are totally unique to Balbirnie House and have been designed to capture the mood of Scottish skies, sometimes vibrant, sometimes moody, but always dramatic and atmospheric. The rich carpeting has been specially woven for Balbirnie House, the design incorporating the stunning, ancient parkland in which it sits. The play of light in The Long Gallery has been used to elegant, stunning effect to create an uplifting and very spiritual ceremony room and with subtle changes of light, the atmosphere takes on a very different elegance as the day advances into twilight and beyond. This is a room created to be what you wish it to be; an elegant chameleon of a room with history and architectural detailing at its heart’.

Gaynor says, ‘We are truly delighted with the end results. It was a monumental challenge combining respect for heritage, with romance for the future. Everything was driven by passion for interior design, and desire to bring such emotional joy for future weddings. With the very careful use of contemporary furniture and fittings, The Long Gallery is now classically timeless for any historic event for our guests and their families. Great care and attention had to be taken to ensure the beauty and character of the original house was not compromised, and remains to be a more traditional choice of ceremony room for couples who fall in love with the features of the original house’.

The 2025 Long Gallery is most definitely worth the visit to see!