Wedding Reviews

Andy and Carol Faux

We got married on the 5th June 2009 and had the most amazing day of our lives. Review Details

We chose Friars Carse because we fell in love with it the minute we walked through the door 12 months earlier. Most of our wedding party were travelling up from the West Midlands so accommodation was a must for us and Friars Carse didn't disappoint. Our guests stayed over with us for two nights and loved every second from the spacious rooms to the Full Scottish Breakfast!

Our wedding day was hitch free apart from the weather. We wanted to get married outside by the river but because of the weather on the morning we chose to get married inside. But with hindsight we wouldn't have changed it. It was very romantic and it was very unique and beautiful. I loved walking down the red carpeted stairs with everyone sitting waiting to catch the first sight of the bride especially my husband to be Andy!

We had John the toastmaster for the whole day and, along with Arlene, they kept the day running smoothly. From the minute we arrived at 8am right to the very end of the disco at 1am they made sure every little detail was covered. It was great to be able to relax and not have to worry about the little things. We found we had a drink in our hand the whole day!

We were one of the first people to get married in Friars Carse's new marquee and we've got to say it was spectacular. The layout was spacious so we could see all of our guests, the bar was well stocked and, in the evening, the marquee looked like a picture postcard with all of the beautiful fairy lights on the ceiling.

It was without a doubt a truly magical experience. Everyone talks about organising weddings and how this can be a very stressful experience. We are living proof that this is not true. We loved all of the planning. We worked with Arlene the wedding co-ordinator from day one and she made the whole thing easy and enjoyable - nothing was too much trouble. She treats your wedding as individual so it is unique, not like other venues when you fit your wedding into their package!

Our friends are still talking about "The wedding of the year" and here are just some of their comments:

"Your wedding was fantastic, the whole day. But at the service before you came down the stairs, I thought a whole lot of us were going to have to stand, and I think some did, but we got a good seat in the end. The food was good, the atmosphere, everything. I would love to get married there. Fantastic day all in all."
Nicola Tookey, Dumfries

"I loved every minute of your wedding. The venue was wonderful and the food was fab. I know you were supposed to get married outside by the lake but I really did like the fact that you got married inside. The room where you were both married had a real Scottish feel to it, especially having the piper and the sweeping staircase all worked so well and the whole day had a real authentic atmosphere. Everyone I spoke to had a great time. The rooms were comfortable and the staff were really nice. You both need to do it all again but don’t forget to invite me."
Andrew Cowan, Ashby De la Zouch

"Brilliant! Great venue, lovely meal, helpful staff, nice rooms, weather came good, fabulous group of friends and family, loved the best man speech . . . oh, that was me . . . well yes I thought it was brilliant. To be honest I couldn’t fault it. An amazing couple on the day that they will remember for the rest of there lives. Thanks for letting me be part of those memories."
Nick Peebles, Best Man

"Perfect day, perfect location and the cottage we stayed in was superb."
Louise Wall, Walsall

"I will always keep fond memories of your truly special day. Such a beautiful day in a stunning location for the perfect couple. Many tears of joy shed, mainly by me! The marquee was gorgeous, food was lovely, staff were very professional. Special thanks to Arlene who couldn't do enough to help."
Emma Hosford, Bridesmaid

"The hotel and the surroundings were perfect (not as perfect as the bride and groom). It was the ideal place for a wedding and highly recommended. The staff were friendly and worked very hard. The rooms were a lovely size and very comfortable. All in all a brilliant day and a beautiful venue."
Kerrie Douglis, Birmingham

"Absolutely amazing day and the bride and groom both looked stunning. Gorgeous hotel and surroundings with very accommodating and friendly staff."
Hayley Allen, Nuneaton

"We both thought your wedding was one of the most beautiful we'd ever been to. The rooms were spacious and classically decorated, the bar was reasonably priced, the service was lovely (although I think a few people had to stand - ah well you snooze you lose! hehehe), the breakfast and reception were lovely and I couldn’t fault the food! All in all 9/10 although I only deducted a point because it rained in the morning."
Helen-Sian Smith, Hednesford

We would recommend Friars Carse to anyone and would like to thank Arlene and all of the team for making our wedding day one we

Stuart and Lynnette Oliver

Our wedding at the Friars Carse Hotel on 16th August 2008 was absolutely brilliant. Review Details

Our wedding co-ordinator, Arlene, and all the staff were wonderful and did everything we asked for and more, before, during and after the wedding. Thanks to them the whole day went without a hitch.

The meal was faultless and the one complaint we had from one of our guests was that there was too much roast beef! The evening buffet was also excellent and plentiful. The grounds surrounding this venue are stunning and the photos do not do them justice.

After days of rain the sun came out and allowed us to get married outside on the lawn by the river which just made the whole day perfect, completely exceeding our expectations. My husband's favourite part of the whole thing was the price of the package - he's a Scot who loves value for money and we most certainly got that. They even surprised us with chocolate fountains (milk and white) with a wonderful assortment of fresh fruit and other goodies for dipping, which went down a storm with the guests and not just the younger ones!

The only negative thing we could say is that the honeymoon suite was in need of a makeover, but we believe that was on the agenda and has probably been done by now.

If you're thinking about booking Friars Carse for your wedding, we would highly recommend it . . . you will not be disappointed.

Susan and Andrew Giel

Our wedding at the Friars Carse Country House Hotel on Saturday, 21st June 2008 was amazing. Review Details

The day went very well and my new husband and I enjoyed every minute.

Although the rain poured all day, and I was later told that Dumfries was the wettest part of Scotland that day it was still the greatest day of our lives and we will never forget it. The bad weather did not dampen anyone’s spirits and the ceremony and reception went flawlessly. We were lucky enough for the rain to stop for 15/20 minutes so we had the chance to get some photos outside on the lawn and to make use of the hotel's stunning grounds.

The first time we went to the Friars Carse we fell in love with the stunning location of the hotel and the ambience of its situation so I knew that it would be an ideal location for our wedding. It’s quiet and peaceful and that is just what my new husband and I wanted. A traditional Scottish wedding and in our case we got traditional Scottish weather.

We would like to thank the staff at the Friars Carse for all their hard work and in particular Arlene Porteous, the events/wedding coordinator at Friars Carse who did a marvellous job and helped towards making our special day perfect.