When I first meet a couple, I always hope they realise what a unique privilege it is to be free to say why they love each other in their own words. Dominique and Rebecca completely got that, so of course their ceremony was as personal and moving as it possibly could be. 

Dominique and Rebecca live in The Netherlands. They fell in love with each other and Edinburgh almost at the same time, and it was back to Edinburgh that they came when, after eight years together and as parents to the then just born Julia (who is now two), they decided to celebrate with some time to themselves – in Amsterdam. Or at least that was what Rebecca had been led to believe.

Instead, Dominique had created an elaborate set of clues that led to a marriage proposal in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, and when the time came to choose somewhere to get married, The Balmoral was perfect, as of course it is to the Castle that all of its function suites look. 

 

 

The ceremony involved many members of their families: Dominique’s twin brother, Pascal, Rebecca’s big brother, Paul, Do’s uncle Peter and Rebecca’s big sister, Claire, and they all wrote and spoke their own contributions.

 

 

It was a misty day, as so many of our summer days have been recently, and it was captured very well  in these very atmospheric photos, taken by Sarah McFedries and Rian van Dijk. 

Rebecca wrote to me just the other day, saying,