Alfie and Jess,
Above you are the stars, below you is the earth.
As time passes, remember …
Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light
And like the earth your love should be a firm foundation from which to grow.
When Alfie and Jess contacted me to plan their secret elopement ceremony in Roslin Glen, Jess said she would like to feel like an Elven princess emerging from the woods to meet her prince. And their romantic, calm, beautiful ceremony, between earth and sky and by trees and water, did feel magical.
As the ceremony began, we took a moment to honour the ancient tradition of making promises close to an Oathing Stone. It is an ancient Celtic belief that vows made in the presence of water and stone are especially binding. Alfie and Jess held all four hands around their Oathing Stone, as they reflected on all that had brought them to be where they are today, and the life promises they would be making to one another. They then placed the stone on the earth close by.
We shared stories from their eight years together; how their deep friendship became the foundation for their love. We spoke of how brilliantly they work together as a couple and how, even though Jess had been dropping hints for years, Alfie managed to surprise her by proposing with a beautiful fire opal ring on the day of her University graduation.
”Jess, you are the volcano and Alfie, the ocean. You complement each other brilliantly. Like volcanoes and the ocean you work together to create something new. You are part of each other and you have both changed each other for the better.”
Autumn leaves drifted down as we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings while listening to ‘Roslin and Adama’ by Bear McCreary from Battlestar Galactica – a show they will be watching for the tenth time to celebrate their ten years together. Jess and Alfie shared emotional vows and gifted each other a ring.
Then they made their Marriage vows with a traditional Handfasting. The yellow gold and sea blue ribbon representing Alfie and the forest green, burgundy and black ribbons represent Jess. The beautiful woven ribbon combining navy, chosen by Jess, and gold, chosen by Alfie, to symbolise the intertwining of their lives.
It was my absolute honour to declare Alfie and Jess legally married in this peaceful place.
Congratulations to you both, Jess and Alfie. Thank you for trusting me with your ceremony and for choosing to share these gorgeous details of your day with us all. Wishing you so much love and happiness for the future.
Thank you to Raini Rowell for these stunning photographs.