Iain and Abigail's Wedding at the Mansion House, Edinburgh Zoo

The zoo may not be first place that springs to mind when you think about weddings and indeed it may seem a bit ‘wild’!

In fact, the Mansion House provides an elegant and unique setting to rival any venue in the capital.  

Abigail and Iain chose this venue because they felt that it was a very unique and beautiful place for everyone to enjoy. Iain was born in Edinburgh and his family live here, and this was one of the first places that he took Abigail to when they started dating – so it’s somewhere she has always loved as well.

These words by Mark Twain perfectly capture Abigail and Iain’s feelings about marriage:

A marriage makes two fractional lives a whole; it gives two purposeless lives a work and doubles the strength of each to perform it. It gives two questioning natures a reason for living and something to live for. It will give new gladness to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new beauty to the earth and a new mystery to life.

Iain and Abigail each lit a candle to symbolise their separate lives before their formal union as a married couple. After they exchanged their vows, they lit a third candle together, symbolising the joining together of their lives in marriage.

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May your days be good and long upon the earth.

May you live to see your children's children.

May you be poor in misfortune,

Rich in blessings,

May you know nothing but happiness

From this day forward.

(Traditional Irish Blessing)

Iain and Abigail, thank you for sharing your lovely photos by photographer Nicola Garman. Congratulations to you both and may the light of your marriage burn brightly for the rest of your lives.

“Fiona, just a quick email to thank you again. The tone of the ceremony was exactly what we hoped for and we could not have asked for it to go any better. We are very grateful for all of your help and advice. We received so many lovely comments from our guests on how much they enjoyed the ceremony and we just wanted to let you know how grateful we are that you were a part of our day.”

Ten Years of Humanist Marriages!

Today, we are celebrating ten years of humanist marriages in Scotland. This is undoubtedly a big milestone for humanism in Scotland and the HSS. 

I feel very privileged to represent the HSS and to be able to help couples create a meaningful and personal ceremony that is perfect for them. 

Here's to the next ten years!

Humanist weddings in the news today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33146224

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/ten-years-after-humanist-weddings-were-legalised-the-ceremonies-now-rival-church-marr.128882928

Islay and Iain's Wedding at The Vu

Islay and Iain got married at The Vu in Bathgate on a crisp cold day in January. This venue is in a unique setting in the middle of Ballencrieff Reservoir with full height windows providing a beautiful backdrop. 

Islay and Iain are a classic case of ‘opposites attract’ - Iain is very studious, quiet, laidback and messy and Islay is a control freak who is tidy, obsessive and chatty! Both are very, very stubborn though - neither of them backs down in an argument and they are always bickering and disagreeing with each other, but of course, Islay insists she is always right!

For Islay and Iain, marriage means creating their own team - Team ‘I’ !  It is a statement to those around them that they have found love, friendship and support in each other and that they want to navigate through life’s ups and downs together. Marriage, for them, is spending the rest of their lives learning about one another and making memories together.  

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created

In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...

It is never being to old to hold hands

It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day

It is never going to sleep angry

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

The courtship should not end with the honeymoon, It should continue through all the years

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives

It is standing together and facing the world

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways

It is not looking for perfection in each other

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow

It is finding room for the things of the spirit

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful

It is establishing a relationship, in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner

It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

(Wilferd Arlan Peterson)

Congratulations, Dr and Mrs Roy! Love this photo!

Islay and Iain, I really enjoyed working with you and thank you for sharing these fabulous shots by photographer Paul Gavin.

"Fiona, just wanted to say thank you very much for doing our wedding ceremony for us, it was great. Many of our guests had never been to a humanist ceremony and they were all so impressed by it! "

Jaclyn and Scott's Wedding at The Balmoral Hotel

Jaclyn and Scott wanted to get married at The Balmoral because they appreciate the finer things in life, and this iconic Edinburgh hotel is a beautiful venue. Having been together eleven years, their wedding day was so important, not only for Jaclyn and Scott, but also for their parents and they wanted to celebrate with their guests in style! 

Jaclyn and her Bridemaids looked absolutely stunning!
 

"Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfil.”  

(Edmund O'Neill)

Today is a day you will always remember
the greatest in anyone’s life,
You’ll start off the day just two people in love
And end it as husband and wife.

It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey
With moments to cherish and treasure.
And although there’ll be times when you both disagree,
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure.

You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past
When the secrets of marriage were spoken,
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken.

So live happy forever as lovers and friends,
It’s the dawn of a new life for you
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper “I do”.

And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real,
May success find its way to your hearts.
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts.

Congratulations Jaclyn and Scott - wishing you all the very best for the future!

"Fiona, I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you so much for our lovely ceremony. It was exactly what we were after and have received numerous of comments from guests saying how much they enjoyed it - they really did seem to love it, and so did we.

I would certainly recommend you in the future to family and friends so thank you again - it was very much appreciated.  The rest of the day continued on as well as the lovely ceremony - we were two very happy people!"

First same sex marriage in Scotland

I was delighted to be invited to attend the marriage ceremony of Joe and Malx – the first same sex couple to be married in Scotland! 

The ceremony was conducted by HSS celebrant, Ross Wright in the Trades Hall of Glasgow at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay.

The happy couple were joined by their families and friends, as well as guests including LGBTI equality campaigners. The poet Liz Lochhead and Scottish Government Minister Marco Biagi MSP acted as witnesses.

The Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality charity, who ran the Equal Marriage campaign in Scotland, attended the wedding and celebrated the occasion as a ‘milestone moment for Scotland’.

Here’s the link to the full story on the HSS website:

http://www.humanism-scotland.org.uk/blogs/in_the_news/

Congratulations Joe and Malx !