Ever thought of getting married in the evening? Gill & Chris did.
From the start, they wanted to ensure that their wedding would be truly unique. So rather than take over a craggy castle or a swanky hotel, they invited about two hundred of their family and friends to join them at the majestic Portobello Town Hall down on The Edinburgh Riviera.
As they wrote, “Portobello Town Hall was the place where Scotland’s first Showbiz Megastar, Sir Harry Lauder trod the boards; it’s the place where Edwyn Collins played a recent gig and more importantly, it’s the place that witnessed the titanic tungsten tussle between Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson.”
It was a smart move, because it gave them the time and space to say exactly what they wanted about why they were doing what they were doing in front of all the most important people in their lives. And there were an awful lot of them as you can see!
Our star-crossed lovers had a great story. It was a long one, but it was very funny, involving as it did, the Six Nations, twelve imaginary air-hostesses, and a series of weird coincidences, not least that they’d lived in the same village for eighteen years but never ever met. Serendipity or what?
Their next date was three weeks later. Where did they meet up, I hear you ask? A posh restaurant, a few drinks? The cinema? Nope, Gill turned up at Chris’s new flat, with a bottle of fizz and an overnight bag the size of the flat. “I hope you don’t think I’m being presumptuous” she said.
There was much more in this vein, which was great fun for me, and for the guests too of course!
In October 2012, along came Lennox, the most amazing wee person that they’ve
ever known, and if he could just sleep in his
own bed for a single night, Gill and Chris would have the perfect baby!
ever known, and if he could just sleep in his
own bed for a single night, Gill and Chris would have the perfect baby!
We had readings from Robyn, Chris’s sister and his godson Alex, and after a moment of contemplation to remember those who couldn’t be with us, we went onto the vows, which as you’d expect, they wrote themselves.
They also exchanged rings: you can’t see Chris’s in the photo, but it came with batteries, and lit up. Gill’s was a wee bit more traditional, but when Chris put it on her finger, he said, “Gill, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. Wear it always and when we are apart, look upon it and think of me. And if you do take it off, always remember where you left it.”
Our photographer, Ryan Warburton, chose the perfect place to catch the big moment.
A couple of days later, I got a text (fae Chris’s ayePhone), saying
“Just a short note to say thanks so much for an amazing ceremony. It was everything we hoped for and more and you delivered it perfectly. Unsurprisingly, the comments have been overwhelming with everyone telling us both what an unique, personal, touching, funny (I could go on) ceremony it was. Thank you – we look forward to our paths crossing again!”
Thank you, Gill and Chris for giving me the pleasure of conducting one of the most enjoyable weddings of my year so far. And thanks to Ryan Warburton for these great shots!
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