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.”

Vows of Commitment

The great thing about a Humanist ceremony is that you can write your own vows of commitment that reflect your personalities and your aspirations for the future. I will send you lots of examples of vows so you can choose wording that you like, or you can use these as inspiration to write your own.

There are different ways of saying your vows – it’s entirely up to you!

• I could read them and you say “I do” 
• You could repeat them after me, line by line
• You could read them yourselves, or if you’re feeling confident you could memorise them 

If you want to include a traditional handfasting in your ceremony you might like to say your vows at the same time. By doing this you are binding yourselves together through your vows and in token of that bond, the handfasting ‘Ties the Knot’.

You might also choose to read a poem to one another to express your hopes and dreams for your marriage. 

Here's an example:

I cannot promise you a lifetime of sunshine

I cannot promise riches, wealth or gold

I cannot promise you an easy pathway

That leads away from change or growing old

But I can promise all my heart's devotion

A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow

A love that's ever true and ever growing

A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.

(Mark Twain)

A Triumph for Equality

The Humanist Society Scotland has actively campaigned in support of the Bill to legalise same-sex marriage in Scotland.

Yesterday was a historic day as legislation to introduce same-sex marriage in Scotland was approved in principle by parliament. The Scottish government's Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill passed the first of three parliamentary hurdles by 98 votes to 15 with five abstentions. 

Follow the links below for more on this landmark event:

http://www.humanism-scotland.org.uk/news/in_the_news/same-sex-marriage-backed-in-principle-by-scottish-parliament/

http://www.humanism-scotland.org.uk/news/in_the_news/a-triumph-for-freedom-and-fairness-in-scotland/