Bookings for weddings at a St Andrews hotel have been “unprecedented” since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rufflets Hotel in St Andrews has a long historiy as a wedding venue.
The popular property has been hosting weddings since the 1950s, but it was badly affected by the pandemic.
Commercial manager Louise Turner said: “The initial impact was, of course, devastating – not only due to the impossibility of operating a hospitality business, but also the uncertainty that was created about the future.
“When winter restrictions were reinstated for a second year, confidence was dented all over again and new bookings for 2022 and 2023 slowed.
“For a wedding business working and planning 12 to 24 months in the future, there wasn’t a huge amount of positivity at that stage, despite the apparent ending of the pandemic.”
Bookings ‘unprecedented’ after pandemic
The good news is its fortunes have now bounced back significantly following the massive Covid disruption.
Louise explained: “From spring 2022, there was an upsurge in short-lead and smaller bookings.
“The level of inquiries was completely unprecedented, and created a very diverse diary in 2022 and 2023.
“It was a mixture of reschedules, reformats, second celebrations, elopements and intimate family occasions – every day was different.”
Significant expansion at Rufflets
Louise said the business was performing well in comparison to its pre-Covid figures from 2019.
She said: “Revenue is up on 2019 by over 25%, but feels very difficult to predict compared to previous years.
“The patterns that were evident in past years no longer seem to apply. We won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Rufflets is currently undergoing a significant expansion. That will allow it to cater to larger exclusive-use weddings from late 2024.
Louise said individual accommodations will have increased from 23 to 40 by spring 2025.
Weddings at Rufflets in St Andrews
Weddings at Rufflets started as traditional reception dinners in the main hotel dining room, then larger marquee celebrations in the gardens.
In 2007, a purpose-built event space – the garden suite – was added to the east side of the hotel. It provides a full set of facilities.
Louise said: “Rufflets is famous for hosting outdoor wedding ceremonies in its beautiful grounds, especially over the past 20 years as couples move away from church weddings.
“The venue has been consistently popular over the years due to its St Andrews location and attractive gardens – two things that will always be of interest to couples.
“We have experienced the same highs and lows as others in relation to times of recession and economic turmoil.
“We remain relatively insulated from them due to an affluent customer base.”
Range of clients at Rufflets in St Andrews
Louise said the hotel has a very broad range of wedding clients.
She said while the majority of clients who tie the knot at Rufflets come from within a 50-mile radius, about one-third are from as far away as the US.
She added: “Typically, couples are in their late 20s and 30s.
“However, in the past few years we’ve hosted couples ranging in age from 19 to 80.
“They tend to place importance on a beautiful setting, warm service and high-quality food and drink.”
