As I prepare for the 30th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival, I thought it would be good to look back at some of the weddings I conducted in 2023.

A celebrant’s role is to help you create the best wedding ever, which is why no two ceremonies are ever the same, and this year, lots of my couples shared how to do that right here on my blog.

Want to elope, just the two of you? That’s what Megan and Dustin did, in the snows of Glencoe.

Want to involve your guests? That’s what Debbie and Gary did…

So did Rebecca and Alex. Photographs are always an important part of any wedding but they gave that idea a new twist!

Bringing the kids? That’s a tough one. They get easily bored by lots of chat, so why not turn your ceremony into a game, like Emma and James?

Falling in love again, after being apart for more than 20 years? Jami and Scott celebrated that with imagination and style.

Planning on having six bridesmaids and worried about getting the hair and makeup done in time? Kay and Blair will show you how that’s done!

If you fall in love on Hogmanay and want to put a ring on it, can you top Kai’s proposal to Victoria?

Put a new spin on your first dance, like Leah and Michael and make it part of the ceremony.

I could go on and on, but I hope you get the idea… The only right way is your way.

As a special treat, Karen and Luke have just sent me this stunning Highlights movie, beautifully put together by John Conway Films. What I love about it more than anything is that their vows provide most of the soundtrack; it’s a perfect example of what it means to create your ceremony in your own words.

Whatever 2024 brings, I hope all your dreams will come true. And if you’d like a little help in bringing them into being, you know what to do…

Happy New Year everyone!