Category: Blog

Is it ever too early to start planning for Christmas? Not when you have so much to choose from with all our exciting festivities!

To make sure you’re ahead of the game, we’ve launched our Festive Celebrations brochure which has a magical line-up of events for all the family.

There are festive afternoon teas, Christmas lunches, party nights and Breakfast with Santa, and you can book now for a variety of different dates.

On Sunday 15th December we have a special afternoon tea and party where children can meet everyone’s favourite Snow Sisters, Anna and Elsa.

The festivities culminate on 1st January with our special New Year’s Day Buffet served in the Glasshouse Restaurant between 2pm and 5pm.

So don’t miss out, book now to guarantee an unforgettable Christmas.

Click here to view more info

Having a wedding photographer is a top priority when it comes to wedding planning ensuring that your captured images provide memories that last a lifetime.

Choosing the right photographer who understands your style and the moments you want to capture, as well as working to your budget, is important to avoid disappointment.

Equally important is to consider the location for your wedding photography and we have plenty of variety to offer our special couples.

The luxurious surroundings of the Alona Hotel wedding marquee provides the perfect backdrop, not to mention our beautiful waterside setting overlooking Strathclyde Country Park.

For those couples looking for something quirky, we can arrange for the couple to be photographed with the Theme Park or within our striking 1950s themed American diner complete with life-size motorbike.

Whatever your choice, our wedding coordinators can recommend photographers and suggest picture perfect locations.

Sinnead Connelly and Kimberley Napier are our resident Wedding Coordinators whose roles are to support and guide our couples and ensure they have a fabulous and memorable wedding.

Experienced event organisers, Sinnead and Kimberley provide a seamless service from the moment an enquiry becomes a booking to the big day itself, designed a fantastic and tailored experience for each couple.

When it comes to offering advice the two agree that organisation and planning are key to a successful wedding day.

Kimberley, who is in the midst of planning her own wedding said, “We always advise clients to start planning about eighteen months before their wedding date. Throughout this time we are regularly in touch with clients.  We arrange an initial show round and planning meeting and then arrange to see the couple four months before the big day, then four weeks and finally two days before.

“We discuss menu plans, colour schemes, accommodation requirements and much more.  It’s always important to keep in regular contact as well with suppliers out with the hotel to ensure that they are up to speed with all the planning.”

Sinnead continues, “It’s a great feeling when you see the happy couple on their big day and you know that you’ve helped contribute towards such a memorable event.  We start working on a wedding about 8am on the day and then stay with the couple until they sit down for the wedding meal in the evening.

“Usually, it’s the brides that are very thankful, but we recently had one groom who was so thankful, he cried. It was really touching.”

And when it comes to unusual requests the coordinators simply take them in their stride.  Sinnead adds, “We recently had a request from a bride for her dogs to walk down the aisle ahead of her.  They were complete in their tuxedos, and it was lovely.

“We also have many requests from couples who want to be photographed on the carousel in the Theme Park and even the thrill rides.  But in our job, nothing is ever too much trouble.”