Carla & Christophe’s Humanist Wedding at the Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh

It was in August last year that I first met Carla and Christophe, and I could tell from the get-go that they were going to be fun!

They said that they were up for creating a ceremony that really reflected who they are, and sure enough, it didn’t take them long to get back to me with their homework, which made very entertaining reading…

Carla’s gorgeous dress is from Sophia Grace

The first time Cristophe saw Carla, he was floating in a Jacuzzi, but then, that’s the wonder of Instagram!

When Carla woke up and saw that his follow request had been sent at 4 AM, she thought it was a bit creepy, but when her best friend Anna explained that Cristophe was on a boys’ holiday in Vegas with her fiancé Conrad, it all began to make a bit more sense.

The Arta String Quartet (cunningly disguised as a trio!)

A few weeks later, Cristophe asked Carla on a blind date, which she accepted, but she did her homework first. She discovered he’d be playing in the Scotland v England game the day before they were due to meet, so that meant she was able to check him out on telly round at her pal Gemma’s place!

The Little Princesses, Savannah & Ellie

There were a lot more dates after that one. Five months later, Carla got a text which read, “I think it’s time you meet the Little Princess: Savannah.” Even though it was such a short message, it meant the whole world to Carla because Christophe had never introduced her to another woman before.

As Carla walked up the stairs to Cristophe’s flat, Savannah was peeking over the railings and she will always remember her wee face as she shouted, ‘Daddy – I can see her! Here she comes!’ That was the day their special relationship started.

From there Carla and Christophe’s relationship went from strength to strength. They had their first holiday together; they moved in together; they had their first family holiday together, and then they set their foundations for the future by getting their first family home together.

Fast forward two years from their first date, the time had finally come for Christophe to get down on one knee and he chose to propose to Carla up on Calton Hill. Christophe says that he had never felt so happy and settled in his life and he knew that they were made for each other.

Looking back, they now realise that there was a trend to their relationship. Every 6 months, a major milestone happened, so it seemed only natural to make their winter wedding dreams come true 6 months after the proposal – which brings us to the Balmoral today.

As you may have guessed, the story I’ve just told you has come directly from the script Carla and Cristophe wrote for their ceremony: it’s short, sweet and direct.

There were many ways in which they made their ceremony uniquely their own, and one of them was a genuine first – even for me!

Carla came down the aisle on the arm of her step-father Frank: nothing unusual about that you might say, but then, from her seat on the front row, her mother Heather walked back down the aisle to join them so that all three of them could arrive together.

I thought that was lovely.

Another thing they did was cut straight from The Story to The Vows: they told me they wanted a short powerful ceremony and that was what they created.

In the final draft of the script, Carla wrote me a note that said, ‘Christophe wants to speak his vows directly and I will try, but if I’m crying can I repeat mine after you?’

My answer was ‘of course’ but in the end, there was a lot more laughter than tears.

Christophe grew up in Scotland, but his father is French and his names reflect that so when I asked Carla to repeat them after me, she just started giggling…

It was a really joyful ceremony and it made a stunning feature in the latest edition of Scottish Weddings Magazine (which you can read for free online here)

Along with these great photos by Catching the Moment, Carla sent me these words.

Firstly I want to start by thanking you again for making our ceremony what is was. We knew we always wanted a humanist ceremony and I’m so happy we made that happen.

We were recommended Tim by The Balmoral and from the first time we met, he filled us with so much excitement for our up and coming wedding: I can assure you, he really knows his stuff! 

The wonderful Frances Maurer & Katie Gelsthorpe who make everything tick at The Balmoral

To be honest, I found the challenge of writing and creating our own ceremony very daunting, but after a few stressful phone calls, just following the guidelines and Tim’s advice really helped us make it very personal and what it was…  Believe me once you start, it really does just flow.  

Fast forward to the ceremony, and it was more than we could ever have asked for. As much as it was romantic and emotional – it was funny!! Christophe and I have the same sense of humour and having a good laugh at our wedding couldn’t have been more us! 

We got compliments all day telling us how amazing the ceremony was, as it was so personal and portrayed us perfectly and those compliments still continue today. 

So if you’re planning your wedding, I can’t recommend Tim Maguire enough. If you want a ceremony that is unique to you and your partner then look no further – he is your man!!

I couldn’t ask for a more direct recommendation than that could I? Thank you so much Carla: I loved being a part of your amazing day and thank you again for choosing to work with me.

My thanks also go to the fabulous Lukas of Catching the Moments who also blogged the day here

and to Frances Maurer and Katie Gelsthorpe of The Balmoral Hotel who looked after us all superbly.

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