In these days of swiping right, it’s not often I get to marry a couple who first clapped eyes on each other at work. But what made nurses Ben and Megan’s story even better was that they’d spent two years in the same course at the same university beforehand but never met!

Their first date was a cheeky Nando’s and they went on to fall in love, holiday together, buy a house, get a hamster and start climbing Munros in short order!

After working many, many, many shifts of overtime, Ben managed to save enough to get Megan her perfect ring. He had planned to propose in a romantic setting on Gran Canaria, but as is the way of things, events overtook them, so the actual proposal took place in their apartment while Megan was in her PJs and stuffing her face with spaghetti Bolognese.

As I said on the day, “Megan is a creature of comfort so to her, this was the PERFECT proposal!”

The wedding party was a 4×4 affair. Ben’s BM was his closest friend Shaun, AKA Tank, and his groomsmen were his older brother Alisdair, his friend Mark and his Brother in Law to be, Euan. Megan’s Maid of Honour was one of her oldest friends, Claire and her handmaidens were another very old friend, Carly, and her two younger cousins, Nicole and Hannah.

Because of the pandemic, not all the guests could make it, so I had great fun reading out a splendidly inappropriate message from Ben’s Uncle Tim & Auntie Jan in Australia.

Although many of the couples I marry write their own vows, Megan and Ben decided to stick to the tried and tested ‘To Have and To Hold’ route, which is fine by me. Having a humanist marriage doesn’t mean you have to come up with new promises if you don’t want to; all I want my couples to do is think about what it is they want to say.

Along with these great photos from Iain Struthers, Megan and Ben sent me this lovely message.

Thank you so much and thank you for being a part of our day. You were so amazing and made our ceremony so special and personal. You also made me very at ease for someone who was really nervous about speaking in front of everyone! So many people at the wedding commented on how much they enjoyed the ceremony and enjoyed the intimacy of it all. I honestly just can’t believe how much planning goes into the whole day and it’s just over so quickly.

Everyone warned me about the ‘wedding blues’ afterwards and I really underestimated that as I cried once I got back to our hotel as I was so upset about having to take my dress off since I’ll never get to wear it again.. I have since had suggestions to put it on every year on our anniversary so I’ll maybe think about that!

Thank you for planting a tree for us.

That is such a lovely thing and in such a beautiful part of Scotland! I have actually never been to Loch Ness but that may give me a reason to take the trip there.

I just want to say thank you so much again from myself and Ben for being part of our amazing day.

I think everyone can see how much you enjoyed it in these great photos, Megan! Thanks for the kind words, keep conquering the peaks, and if you make it up to Trees for Life up at Dundreggan, please send me a photo. One of these days, those barren hills will be covered in trees again, and full of wildlife. It’s a lovely thought that your wedding contributed to that, so thank you again and thanks of course to Iain Struthers who always knows where to be to get the best shots!