There was no money involved, so in sharing this achievement with everyone, we all get ZIPPO! But, have a little laugh.

The biggest day of my life turned out to be a magical fairy-tale, as enchanting as our engagement photo above, which we call “Flying Kiss.”  

Saturday, I got married in the Scottish Highlands to my long-time Scottish boyfriend.  We were married in a historic community church built of granite walls and slate roof in the idyllic countryside of Birse. The church, the Birse Kirk, was originally built a few hundred years ago, but the date is not exactly known.  

On the way to the church, I was held up by sheep in the road!  It was a classic Scottish experience, giving the event a perfect beginning.  Once there, 20 minutes late, my father escorted me down the isle to bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace.”  My husband was incredibly handsome standing in the front of the church in his formal kilt.  My great-great-great Grandmother’s cameo perfectly adorned my vintage inspired dress designed by Claire Pettibone. My ensemble was topped off with a Cochran clan tartan shawl backed in a soft, pastel velvet.

We bound our commitment by handfasting, an ancient celtic tradition of tying hands together during the vows.  We pronounced our vows during a Humanist ceremony, vows in which we each wrote ourselves.  Our ceremony ended festively.  We threw Mardi Gras beads to our guests!  It was one of several ways of which we combined my Louisiana background with his Scottish background.

The reception that followed was held at my husband’s family’s estate, Balfour, nestled in the Forrest of Birse and surrounded by green rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Our guests were serenaded by a Scottish fiddler and accordionist all evening.  The Scottish jig broke out in the wee hours and the whole evening was over way too soon.  We stretched the night out until 4 AM by inviting the hardiest of our remaining guests to our steading-conversion home 300 yards down the gravel road from Balfour to sip Scotch by the fire.

It was a perfect day in so many ways … never to be forgotten.