The New Mr and Mrs Vance
Community-owned Bannockburn House hosted its first wedding in nearly 80 years on Friday (13 August).
Cumbernauld couple Robert Vance and Erin Conner tied the knot in the mansion’s grand Laigh Hall, which boasts a stunning ornate ceiling rose by the same artisans who worked on the plasterwork in Holyrood Palace.
The last wedding to take place at the historic venue was on Saturday 20th September 1941, when Margaret Young – daughter of Bannockburn House head gardener Alexander Young – married Alexander McDonald. (As reported at the time in the Stirling Journal and Advertiser.)
The House’s rich and colourful past, including its links with Bonnie Prince Charlie, and unique architecture drew Robert and Erin to the property
Laigh Hall Ceremony
Erin said: “I kept passing the House on the way to visit a friend, but I never had the opportunity to pop in to have a look.
“I told Robert about it, and we had a look at it online. We were both in awe of the building and grounds and decided to contact Bannockburn House to see if we could come to see it with a view to holding our wedding there.
“We both like obscure and out-of-the-ordinary things, so when we were given a tour of the House and found out about its fascinating history from events manager Ross, we instantly fell in love with it. The character of the house is just simply amazing.”
Erin added: “To say that we had the opportunity to celebrate our big day in such a historical building and it being the first wedding since 1941 is just magical”.
“On our first visit, we found a robin trapped in one of the rooms. When we opened the window to release the bird, it just sat perched facing us before flying out. We saw that as such a perfect sign that we had found our venue.
“The House was the perfect setting for our wedding, and we got some great photos in all the different rooms. We loved seeing the reaction of our friends and family, as well as the staff and volunteers, to the transformation of the House for our wedding.
“We hope more people will consider the venue for their big day, helping raise funds towards the restoration of this beautiful building.
“We had the most magical day from start to finish and the support from all the Bannockburn House volunteer and staff team was truly exceptional.”
If you would like to enquire about hosting your wedding at Bannockburn House, contact Ross on [email protected]
All photographs courtesy of Alloa Photographers.