“Who knew a simple act of kindness would become the beginning of forever?”

Those were the words with which Misti and Carlos opened their story when we gathered below the rose-pink walls and turreted roofscape of the 16th century Thirlestane Castle in August of this year.

They’d met on a quiet October day when Misti pulled into her local Firehouse in Mississippi, hoping to donate items to a family affected by a recent fire.

She was greeted by the Fire Captain, Carlos, who explained that unfortunately donations were no longer accepted, but despite that their connection sparked, their conversation lingered, and so did something more. They discovered they lived just a neighborhood apart, and that brief, friendly chat led to days of texting, laughter, and curiosity. 

As they wrote, “Since then, they’ve shared life’s ups and downs—surgeries, setbacks, triumphs, and milestones. Misti has shown Carlos the beauty of softness and vulnerability.

Carlos has offered Misti the gift of steady love, laughter, and unwavering support. Together, they’ve built a life that is rooted in deep friendship, shared values, and joy.”

I love it when couples choose to travel half way around the world to declare their love to one another here in Scotland – especially when they write their own vows – and keep them a secret until the day!

As you can see in this moment stolen by the talented Carole-Ann, the founder of Harper Scott Photography, they were very moving…

It takes great courage to speak about your emotions in front of your most intimate relations – especially when they’re juggling two tiny children!

One quintessentially Scottish element Misti and Carlos wanted to incorporate was the “Quaich Ceremony”. Their beautiful ‘loving cup’ was designed and made especially for them; the outside bore the date, their names, and the place, while the inside was engraved with the coat of arms of the Maitland family who have lived at Thirlestane for over 400 years.

I was delighted to get this lovely email the other day from Misti who said, “It feels great to finally be Mrs. Christian!“

“The day was ‘imperfectly perfect’! It was a great thing to me, that allowed for my niece Olivia’s cheers, Carlos getting the fly out of my veil, but most importantly we were able to share our true thoughts, feelings, and commitment for each other thanks to our “Lovework“.

We greatly appreciate your method of getting us to open our minds and hearts in order to put our memories and feelings into words.

Thank you for planting a tree in our honor. I love it! It is such a thoughtful and meaningful gift that represents our new beginning and a contribution to the sustainability of the beautiful landscape of Scotland. I truly felt at home. I see us visiting again and maybe even retiring there. We truly fell in love.

You are quite exceptional at what you do and we appreciate you being a part of our day.

As far as I’m concerned, “Imperfectly perfect” is absolutely perfect, Misti!

The phrase reminds me of a quotation from a book by Sam Keen, called “To Love and Be Loved” which says, “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”

Thank you for your kind words on my Humankind profile, and thanks too, to Carole-Ann of Harper-Scott for these great shots.

I hope you do get to come back here some day, but even if you don’t, (to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca), “We’ll always have Thirlestane”!