There’s something wonderful about getting married in the place where you’ve chosen to lay down your roots. And Andrew and Kate did just that. They held their “no fuss” Leith wedding at a creative community hub, The Biscuit Factory, just a few streets from their beautiful home. By working with local suppliers they also helped to fulfill their wish of making their day as sustainable and ethical as possible.
When I met with Kate and Andrew they told me they would like a simple ceremony and that, for them, their wedding was mostly a chance for everyone they know and love to come together to celebrate the joining of their two families. They also said they didn’t want to be mentioned much in their ceremony! In Kate’s words, “we can’t think of anything more embarrassing than hearing nice things about ourselves.”
So, we honoured these two unassuming, kind, funny, thoughtful people – without putting the spotlight on them too much – and it was wonderful!
We talked about love, family and togetherness. We shared what marriage means to them both, sang rousing songs and heard gorgeous poetry.
You’ll be mine, noo, an’ till the end o’ time,
ma bonnie lassie, I’ll tak the full guid o’ ye’
and gie it back, and gie it back tae ye:
a furst kiss, a lang promise, time’s gowden ring.
Extract of A Lang Promise by Jackie Kay
Andrew and Kate shared joint vows and exchanged rings.
Will you both be there for each other, not out of dependence but out of love, building on your long friendship, your similarities and your differences?
“We will!”
Then they affirmed their love to each other with a traditional Handfasting. Each of their mums presented the Handfasting cords that would symbolise the intertwining of their lives; Morrison tartan for Andrew’s family, and a silk scarf for Kate’s family.
They toasted their union with the sharing of the Quaich, with their dads presenting the Quaich and whisky. Their first wedding toast was a sip of Balvenie, reminding Andrew and Kate of the time they celebrated climbing their first munro together with a dram of Balvenie – and Andrew had discovered he liked whisky, after all.
The groomsmen then handed out miniature whiskies and mocktails to all the guests and we toasted Kate and Andrew as they walked into their future together.
Congratulations Kate and Andrew! I wish you so much happiness and adventure in your lives together. It was a great honour being your celebrant. Thank you for sharing these sweet details of your day.
Thank you also to SG Mark Photography for the beautiful photos.