BIJOU BUT BEAUTIFUL
The pandemic may have made small weddings de rigeur, but legendary party architect Johnny Roxburgh says that intimate nuptials can make up for their lack of size with a heady mix of extravagance and decadence, finds Rosie Morton
Party architect Johnny Roxburgh shares his advice on how to create the ultimate small wedding
True love knows no boundaries, and not even a pandemic can stand in the way of the perfect wedding. Vowing to make 2021 the year they finally tie the knot, many couples are seeking to replace their destination wedding dreams with more intimate celebrations closer to home.
Cue Johnny Roxburgh – former chartered accountant turned ‘party architect’ – who believes smaller gatherings needn’t be anything less than spectacular. Fancy a fully-functioning spa on a mountaintop? No problem. A giant vodka luge shaped as an elephant’s head? Consider it done. With the romantic allure of the Highlands on our doorsteps, Johnny is confident that Bonnie Scotland could exceed even the most flamboyant clients’ expectations.
‘The more I go back to Scotland, the more I love it,’ says Johnny, a proud Glasgow boy who is now based in Norfolk. ‘It is
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Scotland is the most impossibly glamorous setting – if it’s properly styled
the most impossibly glamorous setting if it’s properly styled.’
Renowned the world over for his sensationally extravagant soirées – including Prince William’s 21st, the wedding of a former Crown Prince of Jordan, and dinners for the Royal Household in Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Windsor Castle – Johnny’s vision of a four-day Highland fling for a group of thirty oozes luxury.
So, what’s first? As far as Johnny is concerned, travelling in style is a key consideration when planning
the ultimate wedding. Having spent much of his own time travelling the world to look after the likes of Bob Marley and ABBA, he believes that comfort is key. (Not even the promise of the most lavish destinations will remove the pain of cramped, uncomfortable transport).
‘You want to do it scenically, but quite quickly,’ says Johnny, who has more than 40 years’ experience in the business and around 12,000 events under his belt. ‘Scotland is permanently lovely, but you don’t want to be spending hours driving around.’
Suggesting a combination of Range Rovers and twin-piloted helicopters, you and your guests could be whisked from A to
B by chauffeurs – your dedicated ‘handsome men dressed in kilts and tweed jackets’. For those travelling from the capital northwards, an even more opulent card is laid on the table.
‘The magic of coming to Edinburgh and getting on the Belmond Royal Scotsman Train is very cool,’ says Johnny. ‘You could then go up through the countryside, then perhaps arrange helicopters to take you to Islay. That’s a beautiful place to go. Gordon Campbell Gray has a fantastic hotel there called The Machrie – there’s good food, lots of distilleries, lots of golf, and a great spa.
Of course, Johnny’s endless creativity and no-holds-barred approach to wedding planning requires incredible attention to detail. Even in the early days of his catering and events business in London, he ensured quality waiting staff were on hand to cater for guests’ every need – and it helps, he says, if they look good too.
‘I’ve always been a huge believer in gorgeous staff,’ says Johnny. ‘When we started out our business, we used to interview the waiters on Kings Road and they were all models. We shouldn’t react that way, but the bottom line is people react very well to handsome and beautiful people.’
Noting that modern brides and grooms tend to enjoy being hands-on during the planning process, the party architect sets about making their dreams a reality, being sure to cast his eye over the finest details.
‘Sometimes you’ll get someone who says, “I have no idea what I want, but I want a really simple wedding”. That’s usually a lie. What they actually want is to put their hands up into the sky, grab all the stars, chuck them on the ground and get married in the middle of it. My job is not to impose my views
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Johnny’s no-holds-barred approach requires an incredible attention to detail
on it, but to suggest things they might not have thought of that might enhance it. At the end of the day, it needs to be their version of what they want for a wedding.’
For many couples planning to say ‘I do’ north of the border, a ceilidh is an indispensable prerequisite – and Johnny agrees. However, the party planner’s twist on the classic ceilidh is no ordinary affair. His ceilidhs come with fabulous local fare, thirst-quenching drinks, and plenty of flames and fire pits to set the mood.
‘The first consideration has to be the setting,’ he begins, explaining that a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner might be the opportune time for a spot of reeling. ‘That’s why I think somewhere like the
Fife Arms in their courtyard would be a wonderful location for a ceilidh.
‘I also think if you’re having a ceilidh and you want to reel, there is nothing worse than reeling with people who can’t reel.’ To help avoid any Scottish country calamities, Johnny recommends sending out a book or short video with instructions for three or four simple dances to aid guests before the big day.
Kilts swinging, heads whirling, music blazing and drinks flowing, the scene wouldn’t be complete without some liquid gold, served in show-stopping, theatrical fashion.
‘I think turning whisky tasting into an art form would be great. Some people have ice with whisky. If you’re going to do it, it would be fun to have big blocks of glacier ice, instead of little ice cubes.’
Gaining a glimpse into the remarkable world of Johnny’s imagination, he continues: ‘To have somebody there in firelight with a pick, shattering ice… Also with a ceilidh, you need to be having the best kind of Scottish food.’
The majority of his career has been spent masterminding dos for the world’s elite, so Johnny
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It would be fun to have big blocks of glacier ice, instead of little ice cubes
is no stranger to unusual wedding requests. His firm belief? When there’s a will, there’s a way.
‘The most extraordinary one was in Canada,’ says Johnny, who was once presented with the challenge of catering for 600 people in a rock stadium covered in mud. ‘We built them an incredible night club with a walk-in ice room where they had Canada Goose jackets to sit in. They sat at six long tables with 100 people each, the tops of which were made of curved, mirrored glass. From the ceiling we hung 5,000 fake orchids, 1,000 fresh orchids, and 5,000 candles. That was quite a number.’
If ice-bars and orchids aren’t to your taste, one of Scotland’s grand estates might fit the bill instead. Whether you want a romantic first dance on a beautiful lawn, or fireworks set to music over a private loch, there is no shortage of decadent destinations to choose from for a small wedding.
From Barnbougle Castle’s spectacular backdrop to Inverlochy’s sumptuous interiors, the ultimate fairytale wedding is within reach. With good food, exquisite drink, flattering lighting and excellent company – and of course the undisputed King of party planning at the helm – the sky really is the limit.