Doubletree North Queensferry | Autumn Wedding

DoubleTree North Queensferry is a brilliant spot for a big hotel wedding by the sea with its cracking views over the Firth of Forth and the Queensferry Crossing – which twinkles at night.

I live in North Queensferry, so I’m a bit biased about this location, but I also know the village inside out – from the iconic spots to the hidden gems that most visitors never find.

(I also love to shine the light on Fife as a wonderful wedding location, click the button below to explore my Fife weddings page)

That’s why I was thrilled when Katie and Zara chose DoubleTree North Queensferry for their wedding.

It gave me the chance to take them beyond the usual photo locations and create something unique and personal. There are so many spots to explore beyond the usual pier pictures.

For Katie & Zara, we went the extra mile and got access to the 18th-century sailor’s graveyard, normally locked to the public. It added a quirky, Halloween vibe to their day, and we had such a laugh exploring.

I first met Katie years ago when I photographed her mum Gaye’s wedding to Richard, so it felt extra special to now be capturing her wedding day. We had a lot of laughs during their pre-wedding shoot with their characterful dog, Lois, who’s also had his own doggy photoshoot, where we captured his cheeky character. Unfortunately, he was perhaps too cheeky to bring along to the wedding.

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I love Katie and Zara’s outfits. Katie rocked a tailored burgundy suit, which added an extra autumnal pop of colour and perfectly complemented Zara’s sweetheart dress and red hair, which, in turn, perfectly complemented the red hues of the Forth Rail Bridge. I also love that they had matching hoodies to cosy up in later in the evening – a playful and personal touch that was so very them!

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Their wedding, held the day before Halloween, had loads of fun, seasonal details but stayed true to their personalities—laid-back and full of life. I loved the dried flowers, which looked lovely with the blue bridesmaid dresses.

If you’re looking for a big hotel wedding venue, DoubleTree North Queensferry is a fantastic choice. With its amazing view to enjoy, it’s incredibly accessible too—just a 15-minute walk from the train station or a minute’s walk from the bus stop on the bridge. But what makes it even more special is the way the village offers countless opportunities for unique photos, whether you want to stick to the classics or find something a little different.

Katie and Zara’s day was filled with laughter, love, and a lot of fun—a perfect reflection of their relationship. It was such a privilege to be a part of it all and capture these memories for them. If you’re planning a wedding here, I’d love to show you all the best spots and help you create something truly unforgettable!

Discover more Scotland guides, wedding venue inspiration and real weddings from Edinburgh wedding photographer Ali Jay.

Balmule House - Country House Wedding Venue Fife

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Balmule House

Balmule House is a 500yr old mansion house which is now a country boutique hotel. It is tucked away in the beautiful countryside just 3 miles north of Dunfermline. It’s small size makes it perfect to book out for an exclusive wedding.

They offer an option to put a marquee in the garden for larger weddings (up to 500 guests) but having an intimate wedding in the house makes the most of the beautiful characterful spaces.

Wedding Photography Prices

Country House Wedding

The house sits up on a hill surrounded by 30 acres of woodland and looks down over the countryside.

It has pretty spaces outside including a lawn, a long tree lined driveway, a walled garden and woodshed.

These spaces were brilliant to explore for photos but the inside spaces are equally as beautiful which would make it a brilliant venue for an autumn or winter wedding.

Relaxed Venue

Matt & Hannah hired the entire house for their wedding and everyone seemed so relaxed and really enjoyed just having fun all day.

It’s beautifully renovated with lots of period features which make the space feel homely.

I imagine in the winter it is super cosy as each room has a nice fireplace.

Beautiful Light Rooms

Matt & Hannah used 3 spaces within the house for their wedding.

The main reception room can accommodate up to 40 people for a wedding ceremony.

The dining room also accommodates 40 guests for a meal and the space hosts larger number for the evening reception.

For larger weddings there is the marquee option which can take up to 500 guests.

Dining Room

The south facing dining room overlooks the walled garden to the west and the fields to the south.

The bay window is a beautiful feature and brings in lots lovely light which is great for your photographs.

Normally this space is furnished with lovely sofas but it is very versatile and the management just seamlessly change the spaces to suit the required function.

I used this space for a family shoot a few years back so if you’d like to see it as a cosy seated area, click the button below.

Boutique Hotel

The house has 8 bedrooms which all have their own unique character which was a really fun feature of the hotel.

Hannah had this massive bridal suite to get ready in which was a fabulous space and had a vast impressive bathroom to match.

Pretty Spaces

I love the staircase in the house, it was a great place to capture some pictures of Hannah on her way to the ceremony.

Well Looked After!

What makes a brilliant wedding venue? It’s not just the location, space and the pretty features of the venue but the management.

Franc, the owner, seems to sincerely want the couples who choose Balmule to have an amazing time which is my main aim to.

The exclusive use means the management are just looking after you on the day and bride and grooms love this.

I’ve heard great things about how well they are treated and how lovely an experience it was.

I have seen plenty couples stressed on their wedding day because they are not so well looked after and I truly believe being able to trust your suppliers is essential. I always want my couples to feel completely comfortable and trust that I know exactly what they want and Balmule seem to be the same.

Main Hall

When you first enter the house you enter via an arched entrance porch which is a lovely place to have a welcome sign for the wedding party.

You then enter an entrance hallway which leads into the main hall. The comfy seating in the hall was a great waiting area for guests who arrived early for the ceremony, it then became a good place for mingling during the drinks reception and then Matt & Hannah used the area for their cake cutting and then dancing.

I really loved how versatile the spaces all were.

Walled Garden

The walled garden is full of cute pathways lined by box hedging. It’s a lovely place to go for a walk and enjoy a bit of time together and get some photos taken.

It’s also a nice space for your guests to enjoy or for some family photos.

The main car park sits behind the walled garden so guests can walk through the garden when they arrive which is a nice welcoming approach.

Golden Light

Matt & Hannah were married in May when the evenings are long and we went out during the golden hour to explore the grounds and get some photos as the sun was going down.

Whatever the time of year it is nice to get out the hour before sunset to catch some of the golden light.

In the winter the daylight hours are so short but when it is sunny you get low light much of the day and it is beautiful for photos.

Planning a wedding in Dunfermline?

I live in North Queensferry which is perfectly located for weddings in Fife & Edinburgh and it’s only 10 minutes from Dunfermline (I also cover weddings further afield).

If you’d like to know more, check out my weddings page and get in touch, I’m happy to answer any questions and help you with your wedding.

Find out more:-

- Wedding Information (to find out more)

- Pricing Brochure (if you’d like to get an idea of cost)

- Edinburgh Wedding Blog (for more wedding inspiration)

Contact Ali

Read More?

I have some other guides for venues nearby, click the name if you’d like to read more:-

- Pratis Barns, Cupar

- The Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews

- Dunfermline Weddings & Photo Shoots

- South Queesferry Weddings

Discover more Scotland guides, wedding venue inspiration and real weddings from Edinburgh wedding photographer Ali Jay.

Dunfermline Photography

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Dunfermline

Dunfermline is such an under appreciated town, it was once the home of Kings.

I grew up with the story on King Malcolm III offering shipwrecked Margaret (Saint Margaret Of Scotland) shelter in Dunfermline. She created a new church which became Dunfermline Abbey which is where Robert The Bruce is buried and his name is round it’s spire.

I also loved the story of Andrew Carnegie sneaking into the gardens of Pittencrieff House to play and later returning as a rich tycoon to buy the house and grounds and gift them to the people of Dunfermline.

The colourful ancient buildings of Abbot House and Pittencrieff house are so fun for photos. Personally I wish every building was this colourful!

“The Glen” Pittencrieff Park

I love this park!

It’s my favourite place to photograph people enjoying themselves as there are so many brilliant places to explore.

Kids love to explore the paths, feed squirrels, follow the peacocks or play in the playparks.

It’s full of beautiful plants, historic buildings and a river which runs down the dark moody valley called Dunfermline Glen.

Dunfermline CITY CHambers Weddings

The Dunfermline City Chambers is the prettiest registry office I have photographed in. It’s a far cry from the boring office like rooms of many other registry offices.

The ceremony room has stunning vaulted ceilings, historic artworks a grand staircase to lead you up to it.

Outside the building has beautifully detailed turrets and an incredible clock tower with four faces which is prominent when you look at the Dunfermline skyline.

Dunfermline Abbey and the Dunfermline City Chambers are right next to the park.

There are also some other churches close by including St. Leonard’s Church and the Catholic St. Margaret’s Memorial Church.

The Glen Pavilion is within the park and is a popular place for Dunfermline Weddings. It has lots of different spaces you can book for an event.

If you want to find out more about my wedding photography, please click the button below.

Wedding Photography

Dunfermline Abbey

The abbey is the most prominent building on the Dunfermline skyline with it’s distinctive tower and spire.

It is one of Scotland’s most important cultural sites and in the grounds you can also see the ruins of Dunfermline Palace.

The abbey looks different depending on the angle you look at it from, so it is fun to capture in photographs from around Dunfermline

The abbey is Church of Scotland and maintained by Historic Scotland and you can find out more about getting married there by visiting their website.

Pittencrieff House

Pittencrieff House is bright orange and I love using it as a backdrop for photos especially in the autumn.

It has a massive lawn at the front perfect for babies to crawl on or for a picnic or for flying a kite.

Next to the house you’ll also find the hot houses, formal gardens and routes off to Dunfermline Glen.

Beautiful Paths To Explore

Pittencrieff park is always changing and the gardens around Pittencrieff house are full of seasonal planting which is brilliant to explore during shoots.

I think this is why I love it so much as with the house and the planting, I can guarantee to get some lovely colours in your photos, but I can also get some moody dark photos too if desired by exploring the more natural woodland areas.

Graduation Photographs Dunfermline

Rachel’s gran gifted Rachel a graduation shoot to celebrate her COVID affected graduation so we explored various parts of the park.

Rachel wanted photos to reflect her personality as-well as some more traditional photos.

Graduation Photography

Dogs Photo Shoots In Dunfermline

You can’t visit the park without seeing dogs and it’s a great place to explore for a dog photo shoot.

Often people ask if they can bring dogs along to family shoots and yes, you can, but you can also book a specific dog photo shoot if you really want some special dog photos.

Ask about pets?

Peacocks & Squirrels

When I was a child the park was filled with the distinctive noise of Peacocks and they are the symbol of the park with the Peacock Cafe named after them.

They have been absent for a long time but recently they have bred new birds and it’s lovely to see them parading around happily exploring the park.

The squirrels are also great fun and are very friendly and fun for kids to watch and feed.

The Moody Forest Maternity Photo Shoot

When Magda & Javier wanted a moody outdoor flamenco maternity photo shoot we chose the Glen and loved exploring the dark moody greens of the darker forest areas.

Visit my family page for more about maternity and baby photo shoots.

Family Portraits

Discover more Scotland guides, wedding venue inspiration and real weddings from Edinburgh wedding photographer Ali Jay.