Beth & Blair, an outdoor meadow wedding with a ring-bearer dog, on the hottest day of the year

Beth & Blair · Summer 2025 · The Meadow

Written by Mhairi Preston, Wedding Coordinator

Vows out in the open meadow on the hottest day of the year, their dog Pippin carrying the rings up the aisle, an arch the bride's dad built by hand, and a ceilidh that ran late.

The day

Beth and Blair had an outdoor wedding in the meadow, the two of them reading their vows in the open with the glen running away behind them and 81 guests gathered close. It was the hottest day of the year, which is a thing you say with a smile at Glen Clova, where the weather is usually watched rather than trusted. A humanist celebrant married them. This was the meadow that now holds our covered pavilion, so couples today get the same view with a roof over it, but Beth and Blair had it fully in the open.

Pippin brought the rings

Their dog Pippin was the ring-bearer. One of the team sat in the back row through the ceremony, keeping Pippin settled with the rings until the moment came. When the celebrant asked for them, the dog was let loose to make the trip up the aisle. At Glen Clova the dog is part of the wedding party, not an afterthought, and Beth and Blair leaned right into that.

An arch the bride's dad built

They married under a triangle archway that the bride's dad had built himself. We liked it so much that we bought it from him afterwards, and it still welcomes couples out in the meadow today. So a bit of Beth and Blair's wedding has stayed on at Glen Clova, which is a nice thing to be able to say.

A first look, and a dress in three parts

They did a first look on the bridge before the ceremony, the quiet version of the big walk in. Beth's dress was made in three parts, so it changed shape as the day went on, more practical than it sounds, and she happily shared the behind-the-scenes of it when she was back up visiting.

Donuts in a heatwave

Here is the honest bit. They set up a donut wall, which looked great, right up until the hottest day of the year got to it. The wall went in front of two sunny windows and the donuts began to melt where they hung. Dried flowers held up better. Dinner was pheasant, not a vegetarian in sight, with Prosecco and beer for the toasts.

Into the evening

They booked a table in the evening with their close family and friends, then the room filled out for a ceilidh that kept the floor going late. There was nothing planned for the day after, just a slow start and a quiet estate, which after a day like that is exactly what you want.

They came back

The best sign that a wedding landed is when the couple come back. Beth and Blair did, returning for their anniversary, climbing the Munros above the glen with Pippin and staying over. The estate has a way of pulling people back, and a wedding here is rarely the last time we see a couple.

Beth and Blair reading their vows outdoors in the meadow at Glen Clova

Beth and Blair's dog Pippin carrying the rings up the aisle

The triangle archway built by the bride's father in the Glen Clova meadow

Beth and Blair's first look on the bridge before the ceremony

Donut wall and dried flowers at Beth and Blair's summer wedding

Ceilidh dancing in the barn at Beth and Blair's Glen Clova wedding

With thanks to

Photography Rhea

All photography and film from this wedding remains the work of the creators above. See our full credits.

Featured in this wedding

Questions couples ask about a day like this

The real answers, from weddings we have actually run at Glen Clova.

Can you get married outdoors in Scotland?

Yes. Scots law allows outdoor weddings anywhere in Scotland, so your vows can be legally made in the open. Beth and Blair married out in the meadow at Glen Clova. The meadow now has a covered pavilion, open to the glen on every side, so an outdoor ceremony can go ahead whatever the weather.

Can your dog be part of an outdoor wedding at Glen Clova?

Yes. Glen Clova is dog-friendly, and Beth and Blair's dog Pippin was the ring-bearer, coming up the aisle with the rings. Dogs are welcome at the ceremony and in the photographs, on leads on the working farmland, and there is dog-friendly accommodation on the estate for the wedding party.

What happens if it is too hot or too wet for an outdoor ceremony?

The day still goes ahead. Beth and Blair married on the hottest day of the year. The meadow pavilion is roofed and open-sided for shade or shelter, and the barn is the all-weather room a short walk away, so an outdoor wedding at Glen Clova is never at the mercy of the forecast.

Can guests stay over after a meadow wedding?

Yes. Glen Clova sleeps up to 88 across the hotel rooms, steading rooms, lodges and houses, so nobody drives home. Beth and Blair's guests stayed on site, and the couple loved it enough to come back for their anniversary, climbing the Munros above the glen.