Up popped a pic of Edward and Marlien, along with all the
others from that day, and it was nice to be taken back to pre-Covid times.
To
set the scene, this ceremony took place back in September 2019, at the Monachyle Mhor Hotel
which is in a really lovely loch-side location in the wilds north of Callander.
As is usual, I was contacted about conducting the ceremony long before the day
itself. Right from the off, I knew it was going to be something a bit different
when I was asked if I spoke any German.
Edward hailed from a Scottish / German background, and lived and worked in Germany, which is of course where he met the lovely Marlien.
We discussed how the ceremony would work, and while I can order beers in multiple languages, I figured that wasn't going to cut it. However, the couple decided that one of their friends would read something in German for those guests who had travelled over. A few months later, we met up in Stirling when the couple were over visiting Edward's relatives and started the process of putting pen to paper. In order to cut down on the paperwork, they were going to get legally married in Germany, but otherwise the ceremony in Scotland was going to have all the trimmings!
So to the big day itself.
Once you come off the "main road" (after spending 20 mins in 4th gear tootling along behind a caravan of caravans, which makes me wonder what the plural is for multiple caravans in a row, but I digress), you've the got to negotiate a long single track road. The main thing to take from this is leave yourself plenty of time to get there. However the drive does take you through some amazing scenery.
Weather wise, it was shaping up to be a lovely day, and so it proved to be.
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| The driveway up to the hotel. |
By the time I arrived, the party was already in full swing, and the guests were taking advantage of the great weather out on the terrace. Most of them had travelled over from Germany, and were not expecting to see Scotland in the sun!
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| A happy crowd of thirsty Germans. Is there a 'plural' for this? |
I checked in with Edward when I arrived, and sadly had to refuse numerous offers of alcoholic drinks. Once we were told that Marlien was ready, we made our way down to the loch-side - it was almost a shame to drag everyone away from the terrace, but sacrifices had to be made.
To prevent our guests from wandering all over the Trossachs, someone had helpfully marked out the route:
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| On the right track. |
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| Don't miss the turning... |
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| The obligatory yawning chasm with roaring flood at the bottom. |
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| Our destination, the banks of the beautiful Loch Voil. |
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| Out of nowhere, a ceremony arch. David Copperfield eat your heart out. |
The ceremony was just one of those magical moments. A location framed by the hills; all the guests seated by the loch-side; Edward and Marlien with the loch as their back-drop; the best Celebrant in Scotland performing an amazing ceremony and the sun not only providing some late autumn warmth, but highlighting the vivid green of the local plant life. It was just perfect, and I know that Marlien, Edward and all of their guests, wherever they hailed from, felt the same way.
In the end, there were two contributions from our German guests. One was a song called "Geh Aus Mein Herz und Suche Freud”, and the other was a heartfelt speech from Edward's dear friend and mentor, Herr Gregor Scholl. Gregor was very much part of the story of how the couple met and it was very fitting that he spoke on the day.
The couple also incorporated an old Scottish tradition of "tying the knot", using materials from India, a country Marlien has a close affinity with.
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| Edward and Marlien "Das gluckliche paar" (according to Google translate). |
"So what about the Apache Blessing?" I hear you ask. Did the couple incorporate this well-known reading, translated from a Native North American Wedding Ceremony? Well not quite...
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| An unexpected guest... |
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| A British Army AH-64D aka... the Apache! |
A very different kind of Apache blessing I'm sure you'll agree!
There was two of them buzzing around the glen, and I had to stop speaking a few times as I just couldn't compete. One of them even hung around to watch us for a bit. It occurred to me that these helicopters are fitted with highly advanced optics so no doubt if they were taking pictures, they would be very high quality. If I knew who to contact, I'd get in touch to see if they would send copies. So if anyone has an address, do let me know 😁
Call sign Charlie-Hotel-Alpha-One signing off!
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