Aye’m in luve with luve!

A few days ago I led the wedding ceremony of Lindsey & Chris, tomorrow I’ll be holding space for the wedding of Taylor & John, on Thursday I’ll jump on my broom and head up to the Falls of Dochart, and on Friday I’ll don my festival wellies for the Aye Do wedding of Natalie & Brian.

What a week! And what an honour to be a part of so many happy, joyful days. A wedding ceremony is such a wonderful event to be a part of, because those present don’t just get to party, they get to witness a couple just starting out on this wonderful journey together.

It's a day filled with joy, and love and hope.

But as a minister, I also get to be present with couples at the end of that journey. Just a few days ago I led the funeral ceremony for an 86 year old lady who had been married to her soulmate for 64 years. During the ceremony, her husband sat in the front row, flanked on each side by the two beautiful daughters he and his wife had created together, and surrounded by all their grandchildren. From the moment I said, "Good morning", he never took his eyes or his attention away from me. Instead he leaned into the ceremony, desperate to soak up every last moment with his beloved.

This might sound beyond sad, and it is but it’s in those moments that I see the whole point of a marriage ceremony.

In a world that often teeters on the brink of chaos, weddings serve as profound reminders of what it means to be human. They remind us of the transformative power of love… to love and be loved by another, perhaps to create new life, and to weave our destinies in a tapestry that helps restore balance to the world.

And marriage, often maligned as archaic or patriarchal, holds within it the ability to forge families, foster unity, and ignite hope. It is an institution that radiates the profound truth that love can transcend and illuminate even the darkest corners of our world.

Here's to all those couples who have already said “Aye Do”, all those with upcoming ceremonies, all those couples who have loved and lost, and to all those adventurous hearts out there.