At a glance
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — Italian private chef from Modena, 35+ years’ experience, 220+ five-star Google reviews.
- Service: Wedding dinners for elopements and micro weddings of 2 to 30 guests — cooked fresh in your castle, country house, cottage or venue.
- Service area: The whole of Scotland — from the Scottish Borders to Argyll, Perthshire, Fife, Angus and the Highlands.
- Venues: Castles, dry-hire and exclusive-use houses, self-catering cottages, estates — including Kilmartin Castle and Dairsie Castle.
- Also available: Full wedding weekends — welcome dinner, wedding breakfast and day-after lunch.
- Pricing: From £75 to £180 per person, depending on courses and menu.
- Bookings: Tailored quote within 24 hours. Phone 07414 235 378 or email [email protected].
I’m Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef, and small weddings are where I do some of my best work. When you’re marrying with your closest people — two of you eloping to a castle, or thirty of you filling a country house — you don’t need a catering brigade and a buffet line. You need one chef who treats your wedding dinner like the most important table in Scotland that night.
Why micro weddings and a private chef belong together
Scotland has become one of the world’s great elopement destinations — castles you can take over for a night, glens, lochs, houses with a dining table worth travelling for. Most caterers aren’t built for thirty guests, let alone two; their menus start where your guest list ends. A private chef flips that: a bespoke menu designed around your two families, cooked from scratch in the venue’s kitchen, plated and served like a fine-dining restaurant that exists for one evening only.
How your wedding dinner runs
We design the menu together in the weeks before — your favourites, the season, anything with a story behind it. On the day I arrive quietly while you’re at the ceremony or having photographs taken, prep in the venue kitchen, and open with canapés and a cocktail as your guests gather. Then a plated dinner, three to five courses, paced to your evening rather than a schedule — and a spotless kitchen when I leave. For bigger celebrations of 80 guests and more, my separate brigade operation takes over; this page is for the small ones.
Real small weddings I’ve cooked
A 15-guest wedding at a country house in Tarbert, Argyll, cooked and served with my team. A castle wedding at Kilmartin Castle, where the couple wrote that everything was “perfectly amazing”. A formal wedding dinner at Dairsie Castle in Fife. A wedding at Beechwood House in Moffat. And most recently, a two-day wedding weekend in Angus — barbecue on the first evening, Sunday roast the day after.
What couples say
“Thank you for enjoying what you do. Your passion shines through as well as your ability to go above and beyond for your guests. Everyone loved the food. Everything was perfectly amazing!”
— Francia, Kilmartin Castle wedding
“We had a wonderful time and the food was exceptional, I’m glad our families were good to you too! We will be telling all of our friends about how excellent the meal was.”
— Daniel and Alison, wedding
The food
Italian regional cooking with the best Scottish produce — delicate antipasti, handmade pasta, slow braises, Scottish beef and seafood, and a wedding dessert worth staying at the table for. There’s no fixed menu: tell me what you both love and I’ll design the dinner around your day. You can browse sample menus, read about my full wedding private chef service, or see what other couples say in the reviews.
What it costs
Wedding dinners run from £75 to £180 per person depending on the menu and number of courses, for 2 to 30 guests. That covers menu design, sourcing, cooking, plating, service and the full kitchen clean-down. Tell me your date, venue and numbers and I’ll send a tailored quote within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a micro wedding or elopement?
Anything from just the two of you up to around 30 guests. If your party is larger — 80 guests and more — ask me and I’ll point you to my brigade operation for full-scale wedding catering.
Do you cook in castles and dry-hire venues?
Yes — castles, exclusive-use houses, self-catering cottages and estates across Scotland. I’ve cooked weddings at Kilmartin Castle, Dairsie Castle and country houses from Argyll to Angus, and I work in whatever kitchen the venue has.
Can you cater the whole wedding weekend?
Yes — many couples book a welcome dinner or barbecue the evening before, the wedding dinner itself, and a relaxed lunch or Sunday roast the day after, all cooked in the house you’ve taken for the weekend.
How much does a private chef for a small wedding cost?
From £75 to £180 per person depending on the menu and courses. Get in touch with your date, venue and guest numbers for a tailored quote within 24 hours.
Can you handle dietary requirements?
Yes — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies and religious requirements are built into the menu from the start, for the couple and every guest.
How much deposit do you take, and when can we cancel?
A deposit secures your date — typically £300 to £500, or up to £1,000 for a full wedding — and once paid it is non-refundable: that is what genuinely holds the date for you. The balance is due ten days before the event, or 30 days before for larger weddings, and bookings made within a month of the date are simply paid in full. Everything is confirmed in writing with your quote before you commit.
How far ahead should we book?
Popular wedding dates go early — three to six months ahead is comfortable for summer Saturdays. Eloping at shorter notice? Ask anyway; midweek dates are often possible.
Get in touch
Planning an elopement, a micro wedding or an intimate celebration anywhere in Scotland? Tell me your date, venue and guest numbers and I’ll come back with a tailored quote within 24 hours.
Phone: 07414 235 378
Email: [email protected]
Or use the booking form on the contact page.
Ready to check your date? See pricing and get in touch here.