I was delighted when Steffi & Nick got in touch last year. I’d conducted their wedding in 2016, so this ceremony for Jenny and Jamie was ‘closing the circle’. Here’s what they wrote when they sent me this beautiful card.

Although we have called Switzerland our family home for almost 20 years, we chose to get married in Edinburgh nine years ago and that was when we first met Tim. He conducted our wedding ceremony which was very personal not just because we wrote it ourselves, but also because it took place at Heriot’s School, where Nick had studied, and because we had an after-party in the Botanic Gardens in honour of Steffi’s Swiss ancestors, who were gardeners.

To summarize, the ceremony was all about love – we were twenty people to celebrate and welcome Jenny & Jamie. It was such an authentic ceremony where the kids played and enjoyed the outdoors whilst we the parents, guide parents and grandparents spoke our wishes for their lives at the beachside. We also shared why we had chosen Jenny and Jamie’s names, which have links to our forebears as well as other personal meanings.

It was such a beautiful ceremony. We were very moved by all the elements – the carefully chosen, warm-hearted words, the beautifully painted stones, and the good humour. 

We’re very grateful to Tony Marsh who’s a great photographer! He captured this special moment in lovely photographs (and as he told us, we were one of the first people ever to make him cry while he was working ;-).

Jenny and Jamie had been looking forward to their party with family and friends, and they really enjoyed the celebration. In the evening, we asked Jenny if she knew why we’d had the ceremony at the seaside, and she answered: “Because you love me and Jamie very much.”

Thank you, Tim for providing the space and room to have such an authentic, warm-hearted ceremony – and thank you too for recommending Tony because he captured the emotions and the beautiful nature amazingly.

Thank you so much, Steff and Nick – I am so glad you made Tony cry! I have to say I had to wipe away a manly to myself because it really was such a beautiful ceremony. I love the way that all of your guests painted their stones. The original idea was that the kids were going to take them down to the water and throw them in, but they were so beautiful we decided to keep them instead and I think that was a very good decision!

Now I know you were ‘completing the circle’ but what you didn’t know – and couldn’t possibly have known – is that I returned to the chapel at George Heriot’s school this afternoon to conduct a Renewal of Vows ceremony for Jenna and Stuart.

It’s the first time I’ve been there since your own wedding, so I think it was a perfect ending to your circle of love.