A December Wedding at the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh
Wedding Planning & Styling COORIE
Dress WONÁ New York
Veil Eden b. Studio
Shoes Manolo Blahnik
Suit Indochino
Wedding Rings Tiffany & Co.
Hair Stylist Meigan Alessandra
Make Up Artist Brooke Lilias
Prep & Pre-ceremony Drinks The Caledonian Edinburgh
Venue Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Celebrant Fuze Ceremonies
Piper The Pickled Piper
Harpist Sarah MacNeil
Florist Celandine Floral Studio
Catering Saltire Hospitality
Cake YiShi Cake
Videographer Journal Wedding Films
Alex and Lo watched the rain go past the windows at The Caledonian all morning, did the first look on the stairs, then went down to The Court where a table was waiting with champagne and fruit. They sat feeding each other bits of melon and getting the giggles, an hour before their ceremony. I asked Alex what he was looking forward to. “All of it. Just give me all of it.”
It dried up the minute we got outside. We walked down to the Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens, where he’d proposed two years earlier, then up to The Milkman on Cockburn Street for coffee.
Lo’s dad Luis walked her into the New Library at The Royal College of Physician‘s at 3pm, in front of eleven people. By the time they came out onto the Queen Street steps the sun had gone, and they threw confetti in the dark before heading up to the Cullen Room for espresso martinis, while downstairs the room they’d married in became a candlelit dinner for eleven. Planned and styled by the brilliant Amanda from COORIE. 🕯️✨
Where do you get married inside the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh?
Most ceremonies happen in the New Library, which holds around 80 guests seated and doubles as the dining room later in the day. The Cullen Suite, a set of smaller Georgian rooms one floor up, holds up to around 40 and works well for a drinks reception or a smaller ceremony. Alex and Lo married in the New Library with eleven guests, then went up to the Cullen Room for cocktails while their table was laid downstairs. There's also the Great Hall, which seats up to 150, for anyone with a bigger guest list.
Is the New Library dark for a winter ceremony?
No, if you time it right. The New Library has a high glazed roof and grand fireplaces at either end, and even on an overcast December afternoon it holds daylight well right up until the sun sets. Alex and Lo married there at 3pm on 18 December, and the room ran on daylight through the ceremony itself before the fireplaces and candlelight took over. Once the sun's down, though, it's down. There are no windows to speak of once you're past the balcony, so anything you want in daylight needs to happen before the ceremony, not after.
What time should a December ceremony start in Edinburgh?
Earlier than you'd think. Sunset on 18 December was at 3:38pm, with dusk by 4:26pm, so a 3pm start leaves under half an hour of daylight once you're out the door again. Alex and Lo's confetti moment on the Queen Street steps landed right at sunset, which worked well as a deliberate piece of timing but left no daylight either side of it. If outdoor portraits matter to you, and most couples want at least a few, they need to happen in the hour or two before the ceremony rather than after it.
How does the room flip from ceremony to dinner work at the Royal College of Physicians?
The New Library can serve as both your ceremony room and your dining room, with the turnaround happening while guests are upstairs in the Cullen Suite. It's not a quick job, plan for the length of a proper drinks reception rather than one drink, and it works most comfortably under about fifty guests. Much beyond that and you're better placing dinner in the Great Hall instead. Alex and Lo's eleven-guest wedding used this exact flip. If you want the New Library to do both jobs, tell your planner early so the timings and staffing account for it.
Can you throw confetti at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh?
Yes, but outdoors only, never inside the building. The front steps on Queen Street are the obvious spot, and it's where Alex and Lo threw theirs. It's a public street, so there's a bit of a live audience, and by mid-afternoon in December it's dark enough that confetti photos need flash rather than daylight.
Where do you go for wedding portraits near the Royal College of Physicians?
Princes Street Gardens is the obvious choice, a five-minute walk, with the Castle, the Scott Monument and, in December, the Christmas market all in range. In winter, George Street's festive lights, St Andrew Square and the front of The Dome are all worth twenty minutes after dark, since RCPE is a short walk from all three. The thing to plan around is how little daylight you actually have, so most portraits happen before the ceremony rather than after.
What happens if it rains on a wedding day in Edinburgh?
Have a plan for it rather than hoping around it, especially November to February. The Royal College of Physicians has grand interiors, including the New Library and the Cullen Suite, that photograph well without needing outdoor light, so a wet morning doesn't cost you anything. Alex and Lo had rain through the morning while they got ready at the Caledonian, and it cleared before they needed to go outside. If your outdoor spots are rained off entirely, the building's own staircase, the New Library's gallery and the entrance hall all give you somewhere to go without stepping outside.