The Wedding

Plotting and planning

We were no sooner engaged than the planning began in earnest. The only  disappointment was the inability of immediate family members to make it to our chosen location, so, under Granny Pat's instruction, and with her blessing, we kept everything top secret and decided to run away to tie the knot. Everything fell amazingly smoothly into place: the beach location was booked, and a cottage nearby, Katie hunted for a frock and the most romantic hotel in Britain just happened to have a suite available for the very three days we needed. Rings were chosen and excitement bubbled.

Almost rumbled...

The Easter holidays saw us casually announcing to family and friends that we had made a last-minute decision to book a cottage near Arisaig and were taking the kayaks with us for a spot of down-time in our favourite location. Hmmm, thought Granny Pat. Arisaig. They love Arisaig. There are lovely beaches at Arisaig. They love beaches. They had their first date on a beach. They got engaged on a beach. I bet they're going to get married on a beach. At Arisaig... Clever girl - she wasn't wrong!

...almost snowed off!

The cottage was the ideal base for a bit of pottering and paddling before our big day, but the weather just got worse and worse. On the eve of our nuptials we visited Camusdarach to check things out. And it snowed!! And it rained, and it blew a gale and the skies were black and we shivered. We tramped through the snowy dunes to the wild and windswept beach and our hearts sank. 'Nevermind,' said Katie in her best Pollyanna voice, 'it's the words that count. We'll wrap up warm in woollies and wellies and waterproofs and get wed, then we can come back on a sunny day in our frocks for photos and fun.' We headed back to a crackling wood fire at the cottage, and Katie secretly investigated her supply of redoubtable underwear and thick stockings...

The day dawned

Our big day dawned bright and breezy and brisk - blue skies, fluffy clouds...and sunshine! We excitedly donned our frocks and headed for the beach, armed with posh wellies and heart-shaped brolly just in case, but flowers and cake and champagne too, and not a hint of the dreaded bullet-proof undies! We were quite a little cavalcade through the dunes - two hired witnesses, the registrar, the bride hitching up her skirts and the groom in all his finery.

The hitching

The beach had been roped off in stylish fashion, and signs errected to explain Scottish marital law and the need to go away and leave us to it! Our first deed was to move the centre of ceremonies (a folding plastic table) much closer to the rocks at the end of the white strand, in the hope of finding some relief from the whipping wind (long hair and kilts both at risk!) - despite the registrar's concern that maybe this corner of the beach wasn't actually licenced...We took that risk, and proceedings began.

And it wasn't long before bride and groom - and registrar - were all in tears - the moving words we had chosen, the importance of the occasion, and, for the bridal couple, the absence of family too poorly to travel. But we laughed too, verses carefully included to remind us of the humour of marraige as well as its serious facets. Soon corks were popping, cake was cut and we were toasting the tying of the knot and those who were so much in our thoughts on such a special day. The camera clicked and we spent a happy hour capturing the day on film.

Then it was time to tear ourselves away. There was a ferry to catch to Skye, but first a cottage to vacate - is Katie perhaps the only bride in history to wield a hoover as her first married act? Still in her frock, she hitched up her petticoats and got stuck in. It could only get better!!!

Some pics

A 'top secret' location(!?) on a top secret date(?), but the 'Hiya!' magazine photographer was not to be beaten...

Euan and Katie's Big Day on the Beach

Some words

If you want to know what we said, you can download the little booklet Katie made here: BraemountBlethers/documents/Wedding%20booklet%208%20page.pdf