Andrea & Tom ~ Atholl Palace ~ November 2015

As you might know, Humanists don't have a book of rules that says what a marriage should be, understanding that each marriage is as individual as the couple who are making it their own.  For Andrea and Tom, marriage means:

Accepting one another, in his or her entirety, as a lover, companion and friend.  It means caring and working for each other so that each feels loved, safe and secure.

It means to give your support, patience, and try your best to be understanding (not always easy!).

Being there for each other when the other needs it the most.  Helping with Architect exams!

It means putting a cold face cloth on Tom's head when he has a migraine...or is hungover.

Best of all, this marriage will signify a union of two amazing families, with plenty "character" (Jack's 'irn bur' kilt) and a lot of love to give.

 In committing themselves to each other in marriage, Andrea and Tom will share laughter and tears, joy and sadness...they will not belong to each other, but will belong with each other.

 They each understand that the commitment they are making today will require hard work and sacrifice on both sides, that their voyage through life together will sometimes be calm and may sometimes be story, but they know now that their love for each other will see them through.

Atholl Palace, September 2015

Elizabeth & Brent ~ Lands o' Loyal Hotel, Alyth ~ August 2015

Lizzy and Brent were very, VERY firm about how they did NOT want their wedding to be...and, despite the old world setting, did an amazing job of making the whole occasion their own and of being themselves throughout...hence Brent's total disregard for the idea that the groom should NOT stand there with his hands in his pockets!

There were a lot of laughs in the ceremony, too, and Lizzy and Brent were even brave enough to let their readers not only choose, but write, their own contributions...and let them keep them secret until the ceremony, too!

July Wedding... Summer Flowers

Hi Jane

 

We just wanted to say thank you for Saturday.  Everyone loved the ceremony (no one more than us) and we had a wonderful day.  Thank you for everything you did and getting everyone organised before the ceremony.

 

We are so glad we asked you to do our ceremony -- it had exactly the laid-back feel that we wanted.  Justin and Ryan are now heading back to the States to investigate whether they can have a Humanist ceremony there!

 

I'm just sorry we didn't get more of a chance to talk afterwards -- I feel like the day zipped past and so many people I didn't get to talk to as much as I'd wanted.

 

Heading off on honeymoon tomorrow.  Can't wait!

 

Many thanks, again, Jane.

Love Mr and Mrs R xx

 

Sam and Nathan ~ Crail ~ 20 June 2015

 

Operation: Purple Wedding - May 2015

The New Family! ~ Aaron, Hayley & Flynn ~ Balmakwan Coach House, Angus ~ February 2015

"Now, when I asked these two to think about what they wanted to say to each other -- and, indeed, about each other -- today, Hayley was very honest in saying that Aaron isn't really one for poems, so the ones we'll hear today have been chosen by her, but with his approval!

This first piece is amazing, and I'm delighted to be reading it for you...Hayley loves this as she thinks it's short, sweet, and embodies one of the most important things about true love: always thinking of the one you love and never what you will get in return.  We don't even know if it has a name, but we do think that it was written in the 14th Century by the Sufi philosopher 'Hafiz'.

Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the Earth,

"You owe me."

Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the whole sky.

 And we are here, today, to see these two rather nervous, but happy people joined to each other in Marriage in the ancient traditions of humanity, with a love that lights up all our lives, just by being itself..."

Happy February 2015! ~ Pam & Mark, Wedding No. 1 ~ Murrayshall, Scone

These two really put me to the test!

While they had planned their wedding in loads of time and had applied for a registrar to conduct the ceremony, sadly they were let down by a lawyer who failed to get their paperwork to them in time to get it all sorted, and of course the registrar cannot conduct a non-legal ceremony; so, with all the guests invited and frocks bought, Pam called me in tears on the Wednesday lunchtime...we met at 5:00 that night at the Red House Hotel, and I went home to draft the ceremony...and sent them off to think about Vows!

First draft was in their inbox by 11:00 a.m. on the Thursday, finalised that evening over the phone, and we got them married in a non-legal -- but very personal -- ceremony on the Friday afternoon!

Pam and Mark Wedding No. 2! 
I'm delighted to say we kept in touch, and, with the legal paperwork finally sorted, I had the proper pleasure of marrying them -- for real -- in their own front room with a handful of pals on the 7th of May, 2016.