2021 – or as I will always know it – The Year of Postponement.

It’s almost three years to the day since I first met Stewart and Claire.

They’d been planning to get marred in October 2019, but then in April 2018 I got this email from Claire saying, “things are a bit mad just now. We’re planning on moving this month and I’ve just found out I’m pregnant, so there’s 101 things happening 😂” 

2019 became 2020 and then of course Covid happened, so we postponed again, this time to October 2021.

As you can see, It was definitely worth the wait…

Claire emailed me again just the day before the ceremony with a few notes.

This was the best one…

“Hayden is 2 so he’s too small to get involved and if he doesn’t kick off during the ceremony then we will be doing well 😂”

My response was, “no worries. I’ll roll with it!”

Unlike the late, great WC Fields, I LOVE working with children and animals and Hayden has a big future ahead of him if he decides to go on the stage. His timing was impeccable!

It’s just as well that Eskmills is a very spacious venue; we had a BIG wedding party!

And I had a lot of fun telling the guests the story of how Claire & Stewart met in Shanghai.

No: not the one in China – the club on George Street!

Claire thought about stalking Stewart on Social Media but she had a problem… she couldn’t remember his name!

That didn’t stop her going all the way to the Tesco in Corstorphine in the hope she might just accidentally bump into him…

Stewart was a bit more strategic. He decided to go back to Shanghai the following Saturday and as luck would have it, Claire was genuinely happy to see him and they just hit it off.

Stewart remembers Claire saying “don’t fall in love with me” and guess what happened… Claire fell in love with him! But the feeling was mutual. 

Moving in was a big step, and it wasn’t long before Claire realised she’d moved in with a ten-year-old.

Nothing much has changed on that front…

Claire and Stewart were very honest in their ceremony. They talked about the tough times they’ve been through. They admitted that they’re both fiery at times, and hot-headed, but they’ve always found a way to pull through.

Their journey to parenthood wasn’t easy either and they sadly suffered 2 miscarriages before finally being blessed with their Hayden who just fills their life with so much fun, madness and exhaustion.

He completes them and while juggling life is chaotic at times, they are really looking forward to what life brings and making new memories.

They wrote and spoke their own vows to each other directly, which was very moving.

And yes, reading them off your phone works perfectly well too!

I hope you’ve noticed how well photographer Ross Wilson captured every detail of the day. I’ve worked with him before when he’s been shooting video, but the original photographers had to drop out because of… yes, you guessed it; Covid, so he stepped up literally on the day and he did a great job.

I was very touched to get these words from Claire just a few days afterwards.

We honestly loved the ceremony!

I don’t think initially I quite appreciated how much work we had to do, and how personal it was but it was all so worth it with our guests commenting how lovely it was.

We’ve been to weddings before where it all just felt like legal jargon, but this was so special and relevant to us and our journey.

It was magical, and your delivery of it all was the cherry on the cake; you have such a calming energy. 

As someone once said in a completely different context, “I couldn’t possibly comment”, but I’ll take the compliment!

Keep butting heads; keep choosing each other and keep loving without reservation. And get Hayden an agent – I want to be able to say, “I gave that kid his first break!”

What a great portrait to end on – thanks again Ross – you really stepped up on the day!