THE INVERNESS COURIER, FRIday, aUgUST 21, 2009
www.inverness-courier.co.uk
Summer Weddings
Follow the stars to Ben Wyvis Kilts
Where better place to buy or hire your wedding kilt than from a highland company that has dressed the likes of movie stars Samuel L. Jackson, Sir Sean Connery and ewan MacGregor? Ben Wyvis Kilts is run by Valerie Allan and Christine Anderson and is conveniently located in highland rail house, Inverness. Valerie said: “Over the years, we have gained an excellent reputation for making kilts, all of which are hand-sewn and made on the premises, and which we are proud to say fit and hang the way they should. “We have an extensive range of cloth from Scotland’s best mills and there are more than 150 pieces of cloth in stock. “If a particular cloth needs to be ordered, it will take two weeks to make the kilt. “Once an order to have a kilt is made, there is a 10 per cent discount on anything else a customer may buy.” The shop boasts a large hire department with a range of 12 tartans, and football-mad grooms will be delighted to know that it even stocks Celtic and rangers kilts. Other popular choices include the company’s own tartan, Ben Wyvis Thistle, as well as Granite, which has black and grey shades.
Be spoilt for choice — Exclusively
exclusively Bridal also carries all the accessories needed to complete the outfit. For a modern look try trendy fascinators, and for those who want something more traditional there is a large selection of tiaras for brides, bridesmaids and flower girls. Tiaras and headdresses can be tailor-made in a choice of coloured swarovski or Austrian crystals to compliment the bridal party theme and shoes can be dyed to any almost any colour. The service is free if choosing from the bridesmaid collection and is also available to mums of the bride and groom who can have shoes and handbag dyed to match their outfit.
Get it right with Etiquette
eTIqueTTe Formal Hire is one of the best places in Inverness to get your outfit for a wedding or other special occasion. And the store, which recently opened at James Pringle Weavers on Dores road, currently has a special offer on for wedding parties. If five or more suits are hired, then the groom is entitled to his suit absolutely free. etiquette also offers a made-tomeasure service for men’s suits that are being purchased, with prices starting at as little as £225. And for the budgetminded, there is a great selection of men’s suits and kilt outfits, as well as ex-hire dresses for ladies, all in excellent condition. The beautiful gowns in stock are ideal as bridesmaid dresses or to wear to an evening wedding reception and would be stunning for other formal parties, balls or cruises. To tempt customers even further, etiquette is currently offering a 20 per cent discount on all hires. It also offers an eco-friendly dry cleaning service. Open seven days a
exClusIvely Bridal is one of the largest established bridal shops in the Highlands and brides-to-be will be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the perfect dress for their big day. There is a huge choice of gowns from popular designers in the latest styles. Gowns are available from size six and the shop specialises in plussizes up to size 32. As well as beautiful wedding gowns, there are also stunning bridesmaid dresses available in 55 colours for fouryear-olds to adults. Flower girl dresses are in stock for twoweek, etiquette has year-olds, and flower plenty of parking so you tots from new-borns to can take time to choose 24 months. the perfect outfit.
q Highland Council convener Sandy Park (right) with Morrison Construction’s operations director Donald McLachlan on the balcony of the new archive centre.
Pearl — dressing brides for 20 years
Dress for the Day has one of the most beautiful selections of wedding gowns and bridal outfits in Inverness. And Pearl Thomson, who runs the business, is already familiar to many of the brides who come into the shop on Chapel street. In November she celebrates 20 years in business, and former flower girls are now coming back to buy their own wedding dresses. Pearl offers a friendly, relaxed, personal service with shop hours from 10.30am to 4.30pm, Tuesday to saturday, but she is happy to make appointments outwith that time if more convenient. A stunning selection of dresses can be bought off the rail, with wedding gowns going up to size 28 and bridesmaids dresses up to size 32. Pearl can also order in a special style or size in as little as three months. And for the budget-conscious, it is possible to hire the dress of your dreams for a fraction of the purchase cost. Pearl has a lovely range of mother-of-the bride outfits, hats in umpteen colours and fascinators in a range of styles and shades, as well as lingerie and nightwear. New in stock are christening gowns, pretty party dresses for little girls, and wedding outfits for little boys aged between five months and six years.
Inverness Courier Advertising Feature
The finishing touch to a special day
sITTING Prettier is a family-run business that provides a professional and personal service at a realistic price. At present, the business uses high-quality white linen chair covers and organza sashes in a wide range of colours. It provides a friendly professional service to the north of scotland and is now extending its services to other areas of the country. The immaculately presented covers and sashes will add that essential exquisite finishing touch to any venue on that special day. services not only include the covers and sashes but also delivery, set-up and collection from the venue. sitting Prettier covers chairs for wedding receptions, civil partnerships, corporate events, birthdays, christenings and military functions. To take a look at some of the venues sitting Prettier has dressed, and learn more about prices and availability, visit the website. Go to www.sittingprettier.com
The wedding venue that has everything
lOOkING for a contemporary wedding venue? The Thistle Inverness Hotel is the largest hotel in the Highland Capital and the ideal setting for your special event. Currently offering a fantastic all-inclusive wedding package which starts at only £1,999, the hotel is the perfect solution when you need to stick to a budget. Incorporated in the package is the wedding meal with wine and a toast drink, evening buffet, disco, and all the red carpet treatment. The raigmore function suite can seat up to 150 people for a wedding meal and 170 for the evening dance but if numbers are smaller there are more intimate rooms available. Furthermore, with 118 rooms, 23 of which were refurbished to an executive standard in 2008, the hotel can also accommodate wedding guests overnight. The hotel boasts on-site leisure suite facilities including pool, sauna and steam room and beauty therapy treatments rooms are available at an extra charge. Centrally situated on Millburn road, just off the A9 and only five minutes from Inverness city centre by car, the hotel is easily accessible for guests.
Treasured records on the move to new home
look after them in the way we would wish to, but the new centre will allow us to care for the archives properly,” said highland WOrK has begun moving thou- Council archivist Susan Beckley. “It’s a privilege for the highsands of documents to a new multi-million-pound archive cen- lands to have such a wonderful tre in Inverness after the building facility to provide for the area’s was handed over to the local archival heritage, which will be provided under the one roof for authority this week. It is expected to take two months the first time. We are very much to transfer all the documents from looking forward to the day it opens six locations across Inverness, in- to the public.” Keys to the building were forcluding the archive’s base at Moray house on Bank Street, to the mally handed over to council con£10.5 million facility in Bught vener Sandy Park by Donald Park which features more than a McLachlan, operations director of Morrison Construction. It has mile-and-a-half of shelving. Fragile manuscripts and his- been designed by LDN Architects, toric records currently preserved which also drew the plans for the in edinburgh by the National Ar- Urquhart Castle Visitor Centre chives of Scotland will also be and Nairn Community Centre, and transferred to the centre before as well as a controlled environthe official public opening on 26th ment has safety features to protect the contents in the event of fire or October. “Because of our current re- flood. The repository can withstand a stricted facility we are not able to
n Archive centre at the Bught expected to open to the public in late October
By Jennifer Morrison
EtiquEttE
mEns’ and l adiEs’ formal hirE
now available at: the Edinburgh Woollen mill, James Pringle Weavers, holm Woollen mill, dores road, inverness iV2 4rB tel. no. 01463 235754
blaze for up to four hours and the floor is designed to let water run to one end where it is drained through valves to keep the archives from being ruined. “We are delighted to be taking our archives and genealogy services from its current limited accommodation to really first-class, state-of-the-art facilities with the aim of being able to offer a much improved facility to the public,” said Ian Murray, head of community learning and leisure for the council. Currently 7000 people a year use the council archives, but this is expected to double as visitors from across the world who are researching their family history are attracted to Bught Park. The new centre will also hold the city’s registrar’s office, with the first wedding taking place on the day the centre opens to the public.
Kilt Outfits from £39.95
Groom goes free (on 5 outfits)
Ladies’ Evening Dresses from £35
Dry Cleaning, Made to Measure, Ex-hire Clearance also available.
• OpEn 7 Days • frEE parKing •
Create the perfect atmosphere for your wedding and add a touch of elegance with a stunning setting that everyone will remember for years to come. White linen chair covers with beautiful organza sashes in a wide range of colours.
Please telephone us on 01463 772918 or 07872 168505 or email elaine@sittingprettier.com for a free personalised quotation
To participate in next month’s wedding feature contact the
BEN WYVIS KILTS
Features Team
www.sittingprettier.com
01463 233059
on
Special Offer for 2010
Hold your Civil Ceremony with us during 2010 and receive complimentary room hire
Sewn with Pride & Worn with Pride
Highland Rail House Station Square, Inverness IV1 1LE Tel: 01463 715448 www.benwyviskilts.co.uk
Dress for the Day
All Inclusive Packages Why not talk to us about one of our all inclusive packages which start from £1999 We offer the perfect venue for your big day, whether you are planning a lavish celebration or a smaller more intimate occasion. Our professional team are available to ensure your wedding is truly a day to remember.
Celebrating 20 Years In Business with
on selected lines of Bridalwear, Bridesmaid dresses and Mother of the Bride
11 Chapel Street, Inverness
For more details please contact our sales office on
50% off
01463 234969
Tel: 01463 252516 Email: mande.inverness@thistle.co.uk