Katie and Paul’s Humanist Wedding at The Caves, Edinburgh

 Katie and Paul were a lot of fun to work with – as I think you might guess just by looking at them. 



In the course of the year between our first meeting and their wedding, they sent lots of interesting emails. One said “Sorry we didn’t get back to you, but we were in Norway, looking after a little farm.” Another said “We saw you on The Big Question this morning!” and my favourite when they said, “We did our homework the other day. It was a lovely thing to do, and we both really enjoyed it.”



Mind you, a few weeks later, that was followed by “We have had a bit of writers block about the entire ceremony, and haven’t managed to find many quotes/poems that we really like yet, not for lack of looking. A lot of them feel either too cheesy or too jokey… or perhaps we’re too picky!”

 Of course they got over it, and their ceremony was every bit as individual as they are. 

 



I remember we had a great rehearsal, in the tiny flat next door to The Caves, where I think I met about 14 members of the wedding party, including the mums and dads, the bridesmaids Ashleigh and Nicola, the best men James and Gavin, Katie’s brother Bruce and Paul’s brothers Stuart and Aly who played Katie up the aisle on his guitar.

 

 

 

 I particularly liked the opening two sentences of their story. In 2003, when Paul and Katie’s respective best friends who had met online wanted to meet in real life, they came along to ensure their friends weren’t about to be murdered. Thankfully they were not, and very soon after, Paul and Katie fell in love.


 
Katie and Paul kept it short, but sweet. After their story, they got Shaun, one of their best friends, to read from ‘So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish’ by Douglas Adams.
 
 
Then after a pause for quiet contemplation, Paul and Katie spoke the vows they had written themselves and exchanged rings, 
 
 
 
 
 
before James and Ashleigh witnessed the signing of the Marriage Schedule.
 
 
One thing I’m sorry you can’t see in these very atmospheric shots by Budapest-based photographer, Daniel Karczag, are Katie’s shoes, which were so splendidly original that I just had to steal this other pic from his blog of the day itself.
 
 
 
When they got back from their honeymoon, Katie and Paul sent me this lovely note. 
 
“We would like to thank you again for marrying us in October. Everybody was very impressed at how personal and balanced our ceremony was, and how great you were (we loved your quip about robes and a sacrifice!). The ceremony went really smoothly with less nerves than we thought we’d have, even if I did arrive a bit early
 
 
Throughout the planning and rehearsal stages we always felt confident we were in good hands, and even though we are nervous public speakers, you helped us keep it clear. We are so happy to be enjoying our first cosy winter together as the O’Mahoneys”. 
Thanks P&K! It was a lovely, heartfelt ceremony and I was just glad to be part of it!
  1. Jackie left a comment on January 14, 2014 at 10:00 pm

    What a great blog! Brings it all back instantly! What a fabulous day it was! Katie and Paul's wedding day so very reflected…just them! – this still constantly brings tears to my eyes as I was so very pleased for them. Everything about the day was meaningful and told in such a "Katie and Paul" way – just as it should be. Tim, you helped them ensure their day was true to them and in this you are truly gifted. Yes, I remember the rehearsal – what a crowd!!! It was clear from first meeting you that we were all in safe hands as you guided us through each part of the ceremony which was a relief! An unforgettable wedding day for Katie and Paul. From Jackie (Katie's mum)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *