Best Day Ever! That’s what we all want our wedding to be, and that’s definitely what Dani and Will’s was!

I love it when couples come up from England to get married Scotland. And where better to do that, on a glorious summer’s afternoon, than Archerfield House?

Dani had originally wanted to get married in a church, but Will didn’t, so when they got in touch and delved a little deeper into Humanism, they immediately agreed with the principals.  It meant they could celebrate their love in a legally binding ceremony, whilst believing fully in the vows they were about to make to one another.

“Humanism means leading a good and worthwhile life, guided by your head and your heart.  It entitles you to be kind and honest and respect the rights of others. But most importantly to ensure you have fun and enjoy your life, as it’s the only one you’ve got!”

This definition resonated with them, because these were the qualities they identified not only in themselves but as the values they had naturally been looking for in their future partners.

They kicked off the ceremony with a Q&A when the wedding party asked the guests a series of questions, ranging from “Who’s more likely to know the lineup to the next Liverpool game?” (Dani) to “Who’s the best at keeping secrets?”

(Definitely not Will, said Tash, not just because he told everyone he’d bought the ring at her engagement party – but also before he’d asked Dani’s parents!)

You might say they didn’t get off to the best start… 

Dani didn’t reply to Will’s messages, and then when he finally convinced her to go on a date, he turned up late, but from then on, they were inseparable. 

Three dates in, despite having never previously been interested in football, Dani had watched multiple Liverpool games, including their historic comeback over Barcelona. She’d also sampled Will’s cooking skills and visited most of the pubs in Southwest London. 

A few months later, after a competitive game of mini golf, Will asked Dani to be his girlfriend at the top of the Walkie Talkie Building. Dani said she already knew by then that he was the one.

The pandemic gave them the opportunity to bubble, and when it came to an end, they set themselves a new challenge; learning to sail.

That sounded like a great idea, until they found themselves on a sailing boat, in November, in the Solent.  Yes, it was as bad as it sounds.   

The first weekend they had no wind, but the next made up for it – gale force winds, a Royal Navy call out, and Dani dropping a line around the prop shaft of the boat, so they found themselves drifting into the shipping lane between sand banks.

The captain called his first Mayday in 20 years, Will and Dani fell out continually … and yet they somehow both passed. 

Their next challenge came when Dani decided on the spur of the moment to buy a small fluffy dog, Rolo. 

Life wasn’t easy for anyone during the second lockdown, and  as a young puppy, Rolo didn’t make it any easier, but they wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Fast forward to April last year when Will forced Rolo and Dani to go for an early morning walk in Devon. 

Dani was immediately suspicious, because she knew that Will had learned by then that it’s not a good idea to get her out of bed early, but then he and Rolo ran off, leaving her on her own.

 A few minutes later Rolo bounded back with a pouch tied around his neck and  Will did the gentlemanly thing and got down on one knee on a muddy track. 

Dani told me that it was the perfect proposal: quiet and in her favourite place in the world, Noss Mayo. 

Before I shared Will and Dani’s thoughts on the meaning of marriage, his dad read one of my favourite readings, from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

Beth then gave us a second reading that she’d kept a secret until the day, setting the scene for the vows, which they too had kept a secret.

Once we’d signed the Marriage Schedule, with the Maid of Honour and Best Man as witnesses,

it was time for a drink, and I really liked how Will and Dani made it possible for everyone to join in.

There was a miniature of whisky on every seat – which was a great way of getting the party started!

Dani and Will’s wedding was a real joy to be part of – and I think you can see that from these great photos by husband and wife team, Craig & Eva Sanders. If you check out their site, you’ll see that they say, “We truly love our work and for us, wedding photography is the perfect fit.”

I agree – which is why I’ve shared so many of their shots to illustrate the story.

I got a lovely message from Dani and Will just a few days later, saying “En route home from a glorious week in Scotland! Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you so much for your advice, support and ceremony on the day!  The ceremony was perfect, and all our guests keep saying how amazing and personal it was.”

It honestly was our favourite part of the day.

Funnily enough, you did tell us this at the start of the LoveWork process, and it was very much true! 

Thank you once again for making our day so wonderful!

 Well I’ll take the compliment, Dani and Will, but I told you something else at the start of the process too.

Whenever people come up to me after the ceremony and say it’s the best they’ve ever been to, I always say, “I know!”

And when they stop laughing, I say – “that’s because you wrote it!”