In these days of swiping right, it’s lovely to tell the story of a couple who met the old-fashioned way – and not just at University, but actually at John’s 18^th birthday party during Freshers Week at the University of Glasgow which ended up – like so many nights – on the dance floor at The Hive!

They were lucky to meet some of their closest friends at Uni, many of whom were standing beside them on the day, but it wasn’t until fourth year that they found one another once again on the Hive dancefloor. 

A few dates later, they bonded over their love of eating and drinking their way around Glasgow’s favourite establishments. Over the coming months, they set the foundations for their relationship becoming best friends, enjoying endless laughs and importantly bonding over their shared love of leaving a night out early to get a good night’s sleep! 

Having secured graduate jobs in London, they started life in the ‘real world’ in summer 2016 but it wasn’t long before they moved to Edinburgh which quickly  became home. 

Over the nine years of their relationship, they kept up their own interests and routines while becoming each other’s biggest supporters, always being there for one another whilst keeping themselves grounded with endless sarcasm.

You know that you’re supposed to wait until you’ve made your vows before you kiss your bride, don’t you?

Sometimes, you just can’t wait! I think it just shows how much their wedding day meant to John that he couldn’t help but hug Laura before she said goodbye to her dad!

Laura and John say that family is a massive part of their lives, and I loved how one of the first things they asked me to do was to acknowledge their parents who continue to be there for them through everything.

As they said, “this is the start of an exciting next chapter for us and our families.”

This is a pretty spectacular setting isn’t it? Lots of couples are choosing to marry in a barn these days, but Roseberry Steading is one of the most elegant barns you’ll ever see!

Built in the 18th century, the steading has been lovingly restored from a “farm-toun” into a versatile entertainment space with accommodation for up to 28 guests.

Laura took the brave step of inviting her sister Kirsty to say some words that she hadn’t seen,

and in her speech – which she called “My sister… and the right mister“, she said, “You’ve heard the A to Z of Laura and John’s story.  They have, with great ease, built a happy life together.  I see them together and think, “I want that”.  

John and Laura decided to tell their guests what marriage means to them. I’d asked them to think about that separately, which they did, and when they compared their notes, they realised that while they had never written it down, or said it aloud, what they want from their future is very well aligned. 

For them, marriage means having a partner; it means family, and most importantly, it means fun!

Because they’d shared so much about the meaning of marriage and the reasons they love one another, Laura and John didn’t feel the need to make personal vows.

I like that; it shows that there’s no one way to express your love in a marriage ceremony.

They did however exchange rings and make the all-important “Legal Declaration” before I slipped away…

To give them that other equally important moment…

When you choose your witnesses, it can be anyone from any country over the age of sixteen, but I don’t think there’s anyone who appreciates being asked to do this that your mums!

I was very touched to see that Laura and David posted some kind words about me on Your Scottish Wedding.

We first contacted Tim in 2022 when planning for the wedding and knew straight away he was the one for us. He helped us through the process and made it really easy to create a ceremony that felt personal to us.

On the day Tim performed the ceremony brilliantly and made us feel special.

Lots of people commented on how good Tim was.

We are really glad we went with Tim and would recommend him to anyone.

Words don’t come kinder than that, Laura and John – thank you so much! Thank you too, to Edinburgh-based photographer Patrick Alexander, for being in the right place at the right time to grab all these great photos!

As you can tell, Patrick loves to take a documentary approach to his work, and as he says, “I like to blend in and capture what’s going on without you really noticing that I am there.”

That’s kind of how I see what I do too, Patrick. Much though I love conducting weddings, I never forget its your big day, not mine. Your ceremony, your words, your wedding your way…