Iwona and Kate, I know you are proud and overjoyed to be standing here today, surrounded by the people who care deeply for you and who are delighted to share in the happiness of your union, as you declare your love and make your life promises to one another.
Kate and Iwona
When I first met Kate and Iwona, they were preparing for the arrival of their son. It was a beautiful privilege to get to know them at such a special time as they attended my birth preparation course. So, it was such a lovely honour to be invited by them, two years after the birth of their little boy, to lead their wedding ceremony.
On the morning of their wedding, the plan had been to gather by Dunsapie Loch on Arthur’s Seat but, as she so often will, Edinburgh was blowing a hoolie. So, instead we gathered at the creative community hub at Summerhall in Edinburgh, which felt apt given that Kate is a lecturer and Iwona an artist.
Kate and Iwona’s closest friends arrived with boxes of handmade decorations, fizz and confetti. We decorated the lecture hall with a chalk flower arch on the blackboard and twinkling candles. Then an intimate gathering of Kate and Iwona’s dear friends and family filled the room with their loving presence.
Iwona and Kate’s ceremony was calm, joyful, emotional and loving. We spoke of the feeling of instant connection they shared when they met in a Leith pub many moons ago, the strong pull towards each other and a comfort, ease and happiness that made the rest of the world fall away whenever they were in each other’s company.
We have both found a place we completely belong. We are each other’s home.
We heard stories of Kate and Iwona’s time together, how nature and the sea have been an accepting and silent witness to their love and the strengthening of their bond. From the white sands and blustery winds of East Lothian where they have enjoyed so many adventures together, to their engagement in the wilds of Angus on the windswept Lunan Bay.
We heard how Iwona and Kate are proud to have created a loving family home where they can dance, sing, cook, laugh and share with friends and family. And how the magical journey of becoming parents together has deepened their love and strengthened their bond.
Yours is a story of two hearts and a gorgeous family. A story of two people who simply could not be without each other. In choosing love, you have had to overcome and learn to live with many challenges. Ultimately, yours is a brave and heartening story of two people who have faced these barriers together and who now feel love, joy and peace in all that you share.
Iwona and Kate’s friends sang the most incredible rendition of Into my Arms by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds; a song that shares something of the certainty, power and need for love between two people. An especially poignant song as it was also the song that welcomed Kate and Iwona’s son into the world. During the music, we passed Iwona and Kate’s wedding bands around the gathering, so that each person could hold them close to their heart and bless them with their well-wishing thoughts.
Iwona and Kate spoke heartfelt vows to each other, affirming each other as their one true love and declaring their wish to be equal life partners for all time to come.
The hall resounded with cheers as everyone celebrated through their happy tears and Iwona and Kate sealed their Marriage vows with a kiss. Then we all toasted Iwona, Kate and their little boy with a fizz toast to wish them all well in their life together.
Kate and Iwona, it has been such a gift getting to know you both. Thank you for trusting me with your ceremony. So much love to you all and congratulations to you both!
Thank you to Euan Robertson for the gorgeous photos.
