A Special Scottish Wedding


Pitlochry was the perfect setting for a wonderful wedding

There’s a group of us who’ve been friends for nearly 40 years – although it doesn’t feel nearly that long. On Sunday, the daughter of one of the friends tied the knot in the Atholl Palace Hotel, a beautiful Victorian building in lovely Pitlochry. It’s absolutely stunning, like a castle nestled in greenery.

Bring an umbrella!

It soon became clear just why everything is so green – it didn’t stop raining!

Both the ceremony and the reception took place in the hotel. Vows were taken in an intimate ceremony, in front of close friends and family. After the photos came the speeches, and a surprise – the best man was actually the best woman!

We had a lovely meal, followed by tea or coffee and tablet, a Scottish sugary sweet not unlike fudge – mmm. Once the tables were cleared, it was time for dancing. The first dance as Mr and Mrs is always special; more so for me when my daughter Clare’s big brother got her up on the dance floor! Aww.

Traditional and modern – the best of both worlds

Traditional Scottish dancing followed – the Gay Gordons is always a wedding favourite. Then some hits from the 80s – which I’m (ahem) just old enough to remember. And Abba! My daughters and I had a girls’ cinema night recently at Mamma Mia 2, so as soon as we heard the opening bars of ‘Dancing Queen’ we were on the dance floor. Work next day meant leaving in time to be home for midnight, but the dancing was still going strong when we left. Sore feet the next day, but that’s dancing in heels!

With lots of traditional touches such as the kilts, there were modern twists, too – beautiful sparkly trainers instead of wedding shoes! Definitely the best of both worlds. And an amazing and happy day to celebrate the start of this much-loved couple’s journey.

During the ceremony, the registrar noted that it was love that brought us here, and it’s love that will keep us all going through the months and years ahead. On that lovely note, I’ll sign off, from one of Scotland’s most beautiful spots.

www.visitscotland.com

Lucy Crichton

Fiction Editor Lucy is always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, she enjoys working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of 'Friend' fiction!