A Disney Wedding at Kingsmills Hotel– Craig to the Rescue!
Here at the Kingsmills Hotel there is never a dull moment! And on Good Friday this year, we had a very interesting phone call from one of our guests on their way to stay at the hotel, and it makes for an excellent story!
Miss Degroot and Mr Eastman, a couple from the USA, were travelling around Scotland on the Adventure by Disney Tour, which is based loosely on the latest Disney Pixar film ‘Brave’, which is set in and around the highlands of Scotland. The Adventure by Disney tour, gives guests the chance to “walk amongst lush landscapes where ancient stone castles rise from the mist, heralding a proud heritage that served as the inspiration and backdrop for the Disney•Pixar animated film Brave. Our Scotland adventure puts you in the footsteps of royalty, loyal clans and quite possibly a mythical sea creature.”
The Disney tour highlights Scottish landmarks such as the following:
- Loch Ness Exhibition Center and Canoeing – (guests stay with us here at Kingsmills Hotel for three days on their Inverness part of the tour).
- Callanish Standing Stones
- Horseback Riding and Mountain Biking at Rothiemurchus Estate
- Glamis Castle Tour and Archery
- Private Tour of Edinburgh Castle
Prior to this once in a lifetime trip Mr Eastman had proposed and Miss Degroot happily said “YES”! They went on to coincide their trip with their nuptials and planned that on the last stop of their tour, the two would marry in Edinburgh Castle. How romantic! However, when the couple were on their way to stay with us at the Kingsmills Hotel, the story took a turn for the worst and we received a call on the Friday afternoon from the Isle of Lewis; the bride had been informed that her wedding dress, that was meant to be delivered to their hotel in Edinburgh (from the Far East) ready for the Big Day, would not arrive until the following week, when they were due back in US, and the wedding was taking place 48 hours from the bad news being delivered!!
Tensions were running high and our General Manager, Craig Ewan, took matters into his own hands and arranged for local bridal shop, “Dress 2 Impress” on Castle street in Inverness which is owned by Iona Peace, to remain open through Friday evening so that on arrival in Inverness the bride could choose and have a fitting for a replacement dress. In the end, Miss Degroot was able to find a replacement gown last minute, the couple were able to enjoy the rest of their stay at the Kingsmill Hotel and their stopover in Inverness. They then continued onto Edinburgh where the wedding took place without further hitch! The happy couple and Disney were surprised and immensely grateful for all our efforts. The couple thanked us greatly and we also received a thank-you letter from the Operations Director of Adventures by Disney. And everyone lived Happily Ever After!