Nadine and Sandy's Relaxed Home Wedding

When I first met Nadine and Sandy, they were so friendly and laid back I knew this was a wedding I was really going to enjoy!

They wanted, in their words, a 'non-weddingy' wedding, short and simple, in their own back garden. Low key, just themselves and their two witnesses, Nadine's best friend Gina and Sandy's brother Christo. And not forgetting their cocker spaniel Cosmo, a couple of cats and three chickens in attendance....

We chatted about their ceremony and it was only as they were getting ready to leave that Nadine casually mentioned that she (and Gina) would be wearing pyjamas for the ceremony....

And what lovely pyjamas they are too!

After the ceremony, the couple had a fabulous party with family, friends and neighbours at the Edinburgh Film Studios near their home in Nine Mile Burn. 

Photograph courtesy of Merlin Bonning

Of course, it was only fitting that their guests should come dressed as film characters.

Sandy dressed up as Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee's character from The Wicker Man) while Nadine was intent on wearing her PJs for getting married and partying!

Sandy even worked his choice of character into his speech, explaining who he was and what better costume to wear than than that of a messianic, pagan overlord of a small rural community.... 

Nine Mile Burn will never be the same again!

Nadine and Sandy, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your laid back and fun wedding! Thanks also to Sandy's brother Christo for the photos.

"We're enjoying married life and are in agreement that our wedding was the best we've been to - fortunately! It was a great day and we were buzzing from it for a long time after"

Music For The Grand Entrance

Photograph used with permission

For many couples, the entrance is a special part of the wedding ceremony and the music played at this moment is important in setting the atmosphere and will be remembered by the happy couple for years to come.

Traditional wedding music is very popular, such as Canon in D major by Johann Pachelbel, which is lovely played live by a string quartet, harpist or classical guitarist. Another firm favourite is Highland Cathedral on the bagpipes. Others prefer more contemporary music, and this can either be played live or through the venue’s PA system.

Here's my own personal Top Ten, selected from my 2015 weddings:

1. Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet (Nino Rota)

2. Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles)

3. Hoppípolla (Sigur Rós)

4. Baby I Love You (The Ramones)

5. Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve - Instrumental)

6. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (Rod Stewart)

7. Feeling Good (Nina Simone)

8. Drops of Jupiter (Vitamin String Quartet, Train cover)

9. How Long Will I Love You (Ellie Goulding)

10. Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)

Zara and Rob's Wedding at the Royal Botanic Garden

Zara and Rob wanted to have their wedding at the Botanics because when they are there, it's easy to feel like they've stepped outside of time. It's the perfect place to take pause from everyday life and reflect on what they value. It's an oasis.

During walks there, it has often hit them how much they love their lives together, their little routines, and how attached they are to this wonderful city. It felt like the right place to come to celebrate their love for each other and the many special connections and relationships present at their little gathering.

Contributions from family and friends made Zara and Rob's ceremony very special. Rob's friend Niall read an excerpt from Plato's Symposium, chosen because of Zara's and Rob's interest in ancient classics, which was one of the courses they studied together at university. In fact, when they first became a couple, Rob gave Zara a copy of The Symposium because it had been such an influence on his idea of what love means and he wanted to share it with her.

Another lovely moment in the ceremony was when Rob's cousin Laura sang 'The Way I Am' by Ingrid Michaelson.

Zara and Rob 'Tied the Knot' with ribbons that had special significance for them both. One was made from Zara's Gran, Carol's wedding dress and the other was knitted by Rob's Nan, Pearl.

By joining these ribbons, two families joined and accepted Zara and Rob as a unit within them. Because the ribbons themselves were so meaningfully gifted from an older generation of their families, Zara and Rob also thought it would be nice to ask two younger members of their families to bring them forward; Zara's sister, Leah and Rob's brother, David.

Many thanks to Zara and Rob for sharing their beautiful photographs by Catching the Moments Photography.