Ross and Julia's Wedding at The Caves

Ross and Julia's wedding took place in The Caves in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. 

I am always delighted when I am asked to conduct a ceremony here as the vaults that lie beneath the South Bridge, which were lost for over 100 years, provide an atmospheric, historic and truly unique setting for a marriage ceremony.

Julia and Ross are both from Scotland originally, but now live in Vancouver. And so their first reading, 'Apache Blessing', was a fitting choice from their adopted continent.

Now you will feel no rain,

for each of you will be shelter for the other.

Now you will feel no cold,

for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there will be no loneliness,

for each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two persons,

but there is only one life before you.

May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead

and through all the years,

May happiness be your companion

and your days together be good and long upon the earth.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,

and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.

Give the highest priority to the tenderness,

gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.

When frustration, difficulties and fear

assail your relationship,

as they threaten all relationships at one time or another,

remember to focus on what is right between you,

not only the part which seems wrong.

In this way, you can ride out the storms

when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives

remembering that even if you lose sight of it,

for a moment the sun is still there.

And if each of you takes responsibility

for the quality of your life together,

it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Their second reading, the charming 'A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton was chosen because when they first read it, it reminded them of each other!

One of the unique features of Julia and Ross's wedding was the Steel Drum Band playing on the balcony overlooking the main vault where the ceremony took place. It really is possible to bring some Caribbean sunshine into the candlelit Caves on a cold December day!

A big thank you to Julia and Ross for sharing these shots taken by their very talented brother-in-law Will Patterson at Luco Photography.
 

“ Fiona - a massive thanks for doing such an amazing job of the ceremony and helping to make our day so special. We have had so many comments about how much people enjoyed it. Even our parents, who had never been to a Humanist ceremony before said how much they loved it and how personal it was. You also made the run up to the wedding very easy for us, especially planning from afar in such a short space of time!"