It was a momentous day on the 6 September 2008 as Simon and Claire Slocombe of London and Glasgow respectively, crossed border divides and tied the proverbial knot. But when it came to the venue they shunned the usual suspects and instead, exchanged vows in a most curious setting amongst sheep, mountains and wigwams® at Strathfillan Wigwam Village just outside of Perthshire.
Wellie boots, posh frocks, button holes and kilts adorned Strathfillan wigwams® as guests and bridal party swept through the twenty acre site in all their finery. Camp fires blazed and the wildlife was out in force to enjoy a marvellous spectacle hitherto unseen. As the sun shone overhead upon the newly-wed couple and Ben Lui glimmered in the background, it seemed that love was truly in the air as the wigwam® village played host to the wedding of the century.
Deciding that the cook house on site was not quite big enough and the wigwams® a little too dispersed, a luxury marquee was brought in and transformed into the ultimate party tent for Simon and Claire’s celebratory Ceilidh. Toe-tapping music filled the air as the wedding guests gathered at the marquee and painted the wigwam® village red with some seriously energetic Scottish dancing.
Guests had come from far and wide for the occasion and set up camp for two nights in the wigwam® village. All agreed that the experience was a truly fantastic one, "the wigwams® were pure magic" agreed Simon and Claire, "we exchanged vows in the bottom field surrounded by the most beautiful scenery Scotland has to offer, then danced the night away under the stars". You couldn’t get much more romantic than that. At the end of the night, instead of a taxi home to a distant B&B, the guests enjoyed a blissful moonlit walk through the site to the delightful harmony of the river Fillan and fiddle music before conveniently rolling into bed in a cosy wooden wigwam®. The newly-weds themselves retired to the "big chief" wigwam® nestled in the woods surrounding Strathfillan whilst mum and dad preferred the luxury of Buffalo and Bald Eagle Lodge. All guests enjoyed a sound nights sleep in a comfortable camping cabin thanks to the sleeping platforms and mattresses provided along with electric heating and thorough insulation for a warm and cosy night. Some guests perhaps also owed a little thanks for their good nights sleep to the hours of vigorous dancing and the odd dram or two of whisky!
It’s not often that Wigwam Holidays plays host to such a special occasion and Strathfillan site manager Rena Baillie got fair carried away with emotion at the sight of the newly-weds and their friends bedecked in all their finery, "it was absolutely lovely to see", said Rena and everyone who attended the wedding was sure to agree. The wedding of Simon and Claire will certainly be a memorable one, after all, how many weddings have you been to which offer such unique accommodation amongst some of the most stunning scenery the country has to offer?
