Just prior to my ordination with One Spirit Interfaith Foundation (OSIF), in July 2014, I received an invitation to lead my first wedding ceremony. Accepting this invitation was an easy decision at the time, but my excitement was tempered by some apprehension at the thought of my role in such a monumental day. My growing sense of anxiety was amplified by the legal standing of the minister’s role in wedding ceremonies in Scotland.
I met with the couple and the early rapport that we established went some way to appeasing my initial anxieties. I was very glad to have taken the decision to record this meeting. Given this happened a full year before the ceremony, this proved a crucial way to both relive and reconnect with the content and substance of the ceremony that the couple wished to create. Although I found it slightly uncomfortable, this meeting also allowed me to raise the subject of payment and a fee was agreed and a deposit was taken to effectively seal our contract.
Thereafter, I was free to start preparing myself for creating their ceremony and I found the assistance of more experienced ministers an invaluable resource. I was especially fortunate to have the opportunity to shadow a wedding done by an OSIF colleague.
As a result of this support, I grew in confidence and my first wedding ceremony began to take shape. The wedding took place in a Scottish castle and a Celtic theme was to be evident with traditional rituals, including a hand-fast and drinking from the Quaich.
In the run up to the wedding, I felt a little anxious but I had prepared well and with a rehearsal the day before, finally I felt ready!
Then, literally at the eleventh hour the night before the ceremony, re-reading the Registrars notes in fine detail made me realise that the marriage register must be signed in black, indelible, liquid ink. Failure to do so could inviolate this important legal document and require us all to re-sign the marriage schedule at a later date. My husband was duly dispatched, at almost midnight, to find a suitable pen. Unfortunately, he forgot his reading glasses and brought back a blue pen and had to make another round trip to find me a black one. This reminded me that participation in such events is a community experience which involves the generosity of others to support us in our ministry.
My First Wedding Ceremony
Shirley Macdonald