Aileen and Andrew's Wedding at Kirknewton Stables

Aileen and Andrew chose Kirknewton Stables as the venue for their marriage ceremony because they loved the gardens and the light, airy indoor space, and wanted a relaxed and intimate atmosphere for their closest family and friends.

The relaxed ambience of the setting was complemented perfectly by guitarist, Cameron Murray, playing 'Edelweiss', 'Mo Ghile Mear', 'Inisheer Air' and 'Wonderful World'.

Friends and family got involved in the ceremony with Andrew’s friend Paul giving a surprise reading, and Fiona - Aileen’s sister and Bridesmaid - sharing these lovely words by Victor Hugo:

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. The great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves, and even loved in spite of ourselves.

Aileen and Andrew, many thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding photos, taken by photographer Nadin Dunnigan.

“Fiona, we just wanted to send our thanks to you for helping us make our wedding day so special. Everything went exactly as we had hoped and so many of our family and friends commented on what a lovely ceremony it was! Thank you for all your help along the way.”

Cara and Scott's Wedding at Orocco Pier

 
Orocco Pier is a stylish venue in the heart of South Queensferry, with superb views of the iconic Forth Bridge. Cara and Scott chose to get married here as Scott lived in South Queensferry as a child and even went to nursery in the hall opposite! Also, with Cara being a near Northumbrian neighbour and spending many childhood holidays over the border, it seemed the perfect choice for them both.

Cara and Scott wanted everyone to get involved and enjoy their wedding ceremony. And it certainly was fun - we all sang along to ‘Your Song’ by Elton John and ‘Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher’ by Jackie Wilson!

There were also two lovely readings by family members - Cara's mum Ellie read ‘What is Love’ by Susan Polis-Schutz, and Scott’s sister Laura read 'A Red, Red Rose' by Robert Burns.

Cara and Scott had a traditional Handfasting while they exchanged their vows, and chose ribbons in two symbolic colours - red to symbolise the flag of Northumberland, the county where Cara grew up and still feels a strong connection to, and blue representing Scott’s homeland in the form of the Saltire. These colours also remind them of the setting for their marriage with the blue of the water and the red of the Forth Bridge joining together to create something truly special.

Cara, I join my life with yours today
Without hesitation and with an open and trusting heart
Whatever we may encounter
Let us encounter it together
Take this ring and with it my commitment
To be the best husband I can be

Mr and Mrs Somerville - thank you for sharing these great shots by Karolina Kotkiewicz.  

Congratulations and good wishes to both of you!

 

Sharon and Stuart's Wedding at Edinburgh City Chambers

Sharon and Stuart's ceremony took place in the European Room at the City Chambers - a beautiful location, full of character and steeped in history.

They chose a Humanist ceremony to reflect who they are as people and how they live their lives together, allowing them the freedom to express their feelings towards each other in their own words and highlight what is important to them in the presence of their friends and family. 

Stuart proposed to Sharon at the top of the Scott Monument - or as he calls it “the big pointy thing”! It was very romantic and Stuart took a bottle of champagne. Going up the winding steps, however, was a hard slog, and they were stopped by Japanese tourists who wanted them both in their photos. And of course, getting back down after the champagne was interesting......!

Sharon and Stuart both love going to see live music gigs – even though this means Sharon has to tolerate all of Stuart’s 80’s bands! Sharon walked down the aisle to 'The Book of Love' by Peter Gabriel and the happy couple made their exit to 'Ho Hey' by The Lumineers.

From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home

And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.

(Traditional Irish Blessing)

Congratulations Sharon and Stuart, and thank you for sharing these great shots by Amanda Mackinnon.

"Thank you Fiona for helping to make our big day extra special".

Clare and Gavin's Wedding at The Royal Botanic Garden

The Botanics are a lovely part of Edinburgh and as Gavin and Clare were keen to get married outside, it was the perfect location. The gardens are beautiful and the giant redwoods that we were standing under during the ceremony were a little reminder of the good times Clare and Gavin had while living in Canada.

 

Clare and Gavin exchanged wedding rings during the ceremony, but before they did so, they passed the rings among their families and friends, each holding the rings briefly and offering a silent thought or well wishing for the marriage.

One of the readings chosen by Clare and Gavin reflected their love of Canada and the great outdoors - a Native American Wedding Blessing, read by Gavin’s friend Kevin.

May the sun

Bring you energy by day.

May the moon

Softly restore you by night.

May the rain

Wash away your worries,

And the breeze

Blow new strength into your being.

And all of the days of your lives

May you walk gently through the world

And know its beauty.

 Fiona played the violin beautifully in the rain!

Many thanks to Clare and Gavin for sharing these lovely photos by photographer George Lammie.

"Fiona, thanks very much for all your help on the day and sorry for making you stand out in the rain! We had a fantastic time and were so pleased that we did manage to squeeze in the ceremony outside between the showers, it was exactly as we had hoped. Thanks for guiding us through the process and helping us put the ceremony together as we wanted."

Louise and Jason's Wedding at Howies

Louise and Jason wanted to get married somewhere that reflected their own personalities – somewhere relaxed, informal and friendly. Howies fitted the bill perfectly and with its stunning location in the heart of Edinburgh, they couldn't have chosen a better place to begin their married lives.

For Louise and Jason to have met at all, there are a few people they are indebted to. First, the founders of a well known dating website, without whom it definitely would not have happened. Second, Jason’s sister, Desiree, who encouraged (or rather, forced) Jason to give said website a try. Third, Louise’s parents, Peter and Linda, for convincing Louise after a hard day’s work to go out on a date, when she really did not feel like it..... and finally, Jason himself, who took a bit of a gamble and replied to Louise’s email without a profile picture to look at!

 'Tying The Knot'

Louise and Jason believe that marriage formalises their commitment and love for one other and is a confirmation that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. They will carry on just as they are, having a great time and a laugh together, but with a stronger foundation which marriage brings. As husband and wife, they look forward to enjoying life’s rich tapestry and taking on the challenges that life brings, together as a team.

Love is a promise
Love is a souvenir
Once given
Never forgotten
Never let it disappear

(John Lennon) 

Louise and Jason, thank you so much for sharing these wonderful photos by Gillian Shaw. Congratulations and good wishes to you both!

“Fiona, thanks very much for helping make our wedding day so memorable. We had a great day as did our guests and many of them commented on how nice the ceremony was. The tying of the knot was especially well received and most people had never seen it before. We are so glad we chose you as you are a true professional and really made us feel at ease.”

Cute Wedding Readings From Children's Books

As well as readings selected from traditional poems or literature, a new type of wedding reading has emerged in recent years – extracts from children’s books. 

At first glance, these may seem lighthearted, but children's books can express profound thoughts and philosophy about life in a very concise manner, which makes them ideal for wedding readings. At the same time, they can be romantic, quirky, cute and playful! 

 

Other popular choices:

Guess How Much I Love You (Sam McBratney)

The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Winnie-the-Pooh (AA Milne)

The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

Tara and Robin's Wedding at Aikwood Tower

This was my first visit to this gem in the Scottish Borders - the exceptional sixteenth century Aikwood Tower, which has been lovingly renovated in recent years, while at the same time maintaining the endearing character and quirks of the historic building. 

www.aikwoodtower.com

The elegant yet relaxed surroundings were the perfect setting for Tara and Robin’s intimate wedding. 

Tara and Robin put a great deal of thought into writing their vows and sharing their feelings on love and marriage, which made their ceremony unique and very personal to them. They also chose to have a handfasting using tartan cloth to symbolise the joining of their families.

In preparing their ceremony, I ask couples to tell me three things they love about one another, and if they want to, they can keep these a secret from each another, until I reveal them during their wedding ceremony. I really like doing this and love to see their reactions! 

Robin took this part very seriously indeed - I asked him to write just three things that he loves about Tara, and he gave me a page and a half! 

His words were eloquent and came straight from the heart, and when I read them out during the ceremony everyone was completely bowled over. Afterwards, Robin got a well-deserved round of applause!

Tara and Robin chose a poem called ‘I Will Be Here’ by Steven Curtis Chapman, which was beautifully read by Tara and Robin's friend Katy:

If in the morning when you wake,

If the sun does not appear,

I will be here.

If in the dark we lose sight of love,

Hold my hand and have no fear.

I will be here.

I will be here,

When you feel like being quiet,

When you need to speak your mind I will listen.

Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together,

And I will be here.

If in the morning when you wake,

If the future is unclear,

I will be here.

As sure as seasons were made for change,

Our lifetimes were made for years,

I will be here.

I will be here,

And you can cry on my shoulder,

When the mirror tells us we’re older.

I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty,

And tell you all the things you are to me.

We’ll be together and I will be here.

I will be true to the promises I’ve made,

To you and to the one who gave you to me.

I will be here.

I was delighted when Tara and Robin sent these great shots of their big day, by Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography, and this note:

“We just wanted to say a huge thank you to you for the beautiful ceremony you gave at our wedding. We have had so many people telling us how wonderful it was and that they wished they themselves had had a humanist wedding! You managed to capture our story perfectly.”