Castle WeddingIn Edinburgh ScotlandMay 17, 1997
|
 |
|
|
Tim and Brenda pictured in front of Craigmillar castle. Our wedding day began with lots of rain! So much rain in fact, that Tim went to out to purchase a large umbrella to keep my gown dry! The entire day was planned out for us by the London-based Bridal Consultant. She didn't forget a thing and it went like clockwork. We were rushing around with no time to be nervous, but just enough time to have fun! The drive to the castle was a blur. Tim and I were still fumbling with the tiny buttons on the sleeves of my vintage 1950's wedding gown as we pulled up to the castle. When we looked up, the rain had stopped! The sun shone brightly and in no time, the puddles dried up as if there had not been any rain at all.
Pictured Above: The narrow stairs always spiral up clockwise , making it impossible for a right-handed invader to swing a sword while, "Storming the castle". No chance of a castle ever being invaded by a bunch of brides in big, fluffy, white wedding gowns
Formal portrait of the newlyweds.  Exchanging Wedding Vows Our voices echoed off the heavy stonewall of the neat old castle. It was just our small party in the deserted castle. In the photo: Our chauffeurs and the Church of Scotland minister. We had a private ceremony, although the historic castle was open to the public. Since the morning began with a very heavy rainstorm, it had kept many of the tourists away. We timed it just right! Later, as we were having our wedding portraits taken, we stopped to pose for some tourists too!
Quick History Lesson:Often forgotten in favor of the more famous Edinburgh Castle, Craigmillar is a substantial and historically important ruin, lying only 3 miles (5 km) from the center of Edinburgh. Although a building existed on this site from the 13th Century, the present fortress dates from the mid-15th century when it was the home for the Preston family.King James V (1512 - 1542) stayed at Craigmillar in 1517. The castle suffered at the hands of the Earl of Hertford during the English invasion of 1544 and Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 - 1587), sought seclusion there after the murder of her secretary David Rizzio (1533 - 1566) at Holyrood Palace. Craigmillar was also where Mary's nobles, including the Earl of Bothwell (1536 - 1578) and William Maitland (1525 - 1573), plotted the demise of her second husband Lord Darnley (1545 - 1567).
|
We Made All The Arrangements On-Line This all started because Tim was to be in London on an extended business trip around April and we had hoped to be married in the month of May. Actually, this was our "Plan B". We hoped to be married in St. James Cathedral, located in Seattle, Washington. However, we would need to wait another year to be married during the month of May. Tim and I began our adventure by locating a Bridal Consultant in the London area to find out information. We never met her face-to-face, but exchanged e-mail messages frequently. She made all the arrangements for us. He
met the residency requirements
to be married there, just by being there on business. I was to
join him in a few weeks. I put Tim on a plane bound for London and then waited… At
one point I told the Bridal Consultant that I wanted to get on a plane,
with my gown over my arm and have no worries.
The
Bridal Consultant replied with just one sentence,
“Pack
your bags.” I was amazed at how smoothly everything went on the day I was to leave. Everyone I met was excited to see the bride with her wedding gown over her arm. Strangers inquired about what adventure lay ahead for me. All wanted to help – even the flight attendants giggled as they found a safe place to put my vintage wedding gown for the long flight to London.
Return To Black Pond Farm Homepage Adventures From Black Pond Farm |
|
