5
Chris Buckle 23 months ago
OUR ELOPEMENT DINNER AND STAY
After deciding that we were going to get married at Loch Morlich in the beautiful Cairngorms, the hunt was on for somewhere to stay, and somewhere to host a dinner. We definitely hit the jackpot with The Cross!
We stumbled across The Cross via an internet search, when searching for the best restaurants in the area. We were excited by the look of the food, but also because they had rooms - the potential to kill two birds with one stone! After reaching out to Joe and Sarah we were able to hire the whole venue for two nights, with breakfast and dinner included (the second night being our elopement dinner).
As they have the ability to cater for 20 covers across a typical sitting (by my understanding), and we had 19, it was going to be quite a push to get the food out at the same time (We didn't need to worry - it went very smoothly). To help, for our elopement dinner evening, Joe suggested that we agree a set menu, and get everyone's choices in advance. This worked perfectly. Joe provided a menu with three dishes for each of the courses, which could cater for a variety of dietary requirements. We then responded with a spreadsheet with guest names, room requirements, and food/drink choices. Joe was even able to source some really good non-alcoholic prosecco so that everyone was catered for.
We visited the venue a few days before our stay, just to meet Joe and Sarah, and scope out the space available. We were able to discuss the table arrangements and finalise a few things.
Upon our arrival, everyone was shown to their various rooms. These rooms are lovely! They are clean, comfortable, and don't feel clinical like a hotel, but more like a really nice family home. Joe and Sarah were such wonderful hosts, and everyone enjoyed the breakfasts and dinners. The service was relaxed and friendly, rather than the overly stuffy that you can get at some high-end restaurants. The food itself, is really very good indeed. It treads the boundary of being homely and familiar, yet sophisticated and memorable so very well. The locally sourced ingredients are top notch!
For our special dinner, the team even moved a grand piano to make the space work better for our seating arrangement. No mean feat - we are very grateful for the efforts!
As a value proposition, for our mini elopement-style wedding, with dinner and accommodation for our families, we were very impressed. We don't feel we were over charged, as some venues try when they hear the word wedding. The price was very transparent and fair. We even left a good tip, because we thought it was such good value!
Thank you Joe, Sarah, and staff at The Cross for making our wedding day memorable and relaxing! We will definitely visit again when we pass through the area.