Chris and Christie's Wedding Day

June 6, 2019

Today dawns bright and beautiful! It looks like it will be the perfect day for a wedding and I am so happy for my Scottish friends, Chris and Christie, who will be united in marriage this afternoon. Joy, Joy Joy!

But first this morning we have some sightseeing to do after a lovely breakfast of Eggs Benedict. We walked the hotel gardens and enjoyed the beautiful views of the river with a stone arched bridge crossing over that looks like it came from the pages of a picture storybook. There are swans down near the banks swimming about. Looking across the way we can see the Castle that we will visit later. It is funny to think that nearly everywhere we visit there are castles.

Walking across the street we see Kelso Abbbey. Founded in 1128 this large Abbey was built by King David here in the Borders between England and Scotland to impress the English neighbors and show how sophisticated his kingdom had become. But in 1545 an English Army demolished the Abbey leaving only one tower standing. What remains of the once large structure is still quite impressive and we toured it and the adjoining cemetery.

The three of us walked around the village of Kelso with its cobblestone sidewalks and popped into a few stores and even watched a butcher plying his trade. We wanted to stop at one of our favorite haunts, a second hand store, but it was not opened yet for the day so we got in the car and headed to Floors Castle – the castle we could see from the hotel. Driving down a long and impressive driveway lined with stone walls and through a wrought iron gate with a crest on top, we could tell we were in for something special.

Floors Castle sits on the banks of the gently flowing River Tweed, and is the largest inhabited mansion in Scotland. From the time this house was built for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe in 1721, it has been inhabited by generation after generation of Roxburghes until the present day. This stunning Castle holds a collection of fine art, porcelain, newly restored tapestries, grandly decorated rooms and superb views. Unfortunately, we were not able to take photos inside.

I was fascinated with some of the collections on display. The Bird Room included many hundreds of stuffed birds displayed in mahogany cases that were collected in the mid 1800’s by the 6^th Duke. It is said that he did not kill one of them himself as they were given to him already dead. This impressive collection even included the now extinct American Passenger Pigeon. There was a room full of gorgeous china and a robe room where various costumes and coronation robes were displayed. Collections of combs, fans, parasols, 15^th century tapestries, knives and swords, and much more were on display.

The diverse estate extends over 54,000 acres and the immediate gardens and huge yard offered sweeping vistas of the countryside. This estate still raises race horses and there was a small display of actual carriages used over the years. It is pretty incredible and certainly worth a visit!

But our main activity for today is the wedding! We hurry back to our hotel to change and make ourselves ready for the 2 pm ceremony. As we were getting ready I could see the guests arriving from our hotel window. Beautifully dressed ladies in bright summer colors with many wearing a hat or fascinator was the norm. We were in for a fun, new experience, I could tell!

Chris was terribly handsome wearing a traditional kilt and sporran and sporting a boutonniere made of white sweetheart roses, Scottish thistle and heather. I was happy that I got to spend a quick minute alone with him for this photo before the wedding. One thing they did for the ceremony that I had not seen done before was they placed the wedding rings in a little bag and passed it around to the gathered guests. We were asked to each say a prayer as we held the rings and bless them with our good thoughts. It was very special!






Christie was a vision in her flowing white gown and gently billowing veil. I checked out the flowers particularly and the soft colors of blue, white and light pink using various flowers in a gathered bouquet including peonies, roses, and hydrangea was quite beautiful and fit her personality perfectly!

After the ceremony everyone adjourned to the garden where a group photo was taken from the balcony above and we were served various appetizers from silver trays – the bruschetta was delicious. Everyone was terribly kind to us and most everyone made it a point to meet the visiting Americans and make us feel welcome. The couple’s parents and grandparents in particular were extremely welcoming and we felt right at home. Conversation came easy and soon it was time to go in for dinner. The single long guest table set on both sides was decorated with green garland and flowers. Again, conversation flowed easily with our neighbors and I felt honored to be there. We were served a great variety of foods including Scottish salmon, and we happily toasted the couple with champagne. But the dessert was the absolute topper!!! A beautiful, gently baked meringue covered with various berries in sauce. It was stunning to look at and absolutely delicious! I could have greedily eaten two of them!!

Following dinner we gathered in the bar and garden while they flipped the room for the reception. I talked with guests from Germany, Australia, Norway, and of course, Scotland. Dana, Joan and I were the only Americans in attendance, I think. Everyone was lovely and we had a fine time.

Soon it was time to go in for the reception. Cake was cut and toasts were made. Now it was time to party! Now, let me tell you these people know how to party! The band began to play and it was on! It was a proper Scottish Cèilidh and it seems that everyone in Scotland knows how to dance the intricate steps involved in the dances. I suppose it is because they all learn the steps as youngsters and since the songs and the steps do not change, everyone from five to 85 was out on the dance floor doing the Military Two Step, Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordon’s, Flying Scotsman, and others. Everyone had a grand time including the few non-dancers like myself.

Part way through the evening they brought out more food! Pulled meat sandwiches, brats, a candy bar and cupcakes were part of the service. After all, you need sustenance to do all that dancing! I did participate in the final traditional ending to a Scottish wedding which was where everyone gathers in a large circle, hold hands and crosses arms and sings Auld Lang Syne while swaying to the tune. I learned later that this song has become a ritual to complete the evening, is a prelude to farewells, and a promise to do this again sometime. It was absolutely magical!!

Farewells were seemingly difficult this evening. No one wanted this special day to end and even as tables were being cleared, guests stayed and stayed talking and sharing stories. It really was one of the best weddings I have ever been lucky enough to attend. To Chris and Christie - I wish you many happy and healthy years together and I thank you for your friendship! I will never forget this special day!