Michael grew up in a small Scottish town unknowing that the love of his life, Amanda, was thousands of miles away. That same love that brought them together shrank the oceans between their lives when they chose to wed in the town where Michael once lived as a young boy; Eyemouth, Scotland. 

The couple debated on where to have the wedding between their two home countries for a long time. However, having Michael’s grandma being at the wedding was important to the couple, and so friends and family in the United States were on their way across the Atlantic for an unforgettable celebration of Michael and Amanda’s love!

“And I still have friends tell me that it was the best wedding they have ever been to,” the bride says. 

Planning didn’t go exactly as the couple had hoped as they realized that a wedding in a Scottish castle was way beyond the budget they had planned. With the help of Michael’s mother and their wedding planner, Jason Rhee, what seemed like a major speedbump was easily taken care of.

“Michael’s mom, Anne had this lovely idea to have the wedding in his boyhood town called Eyemouth which is this idyllic little fishing village where the mouth of the River Eye flows into the sea,” the bride says.

With the stress of choosing a destination passed, the next step on the couples’ cross-ocean journey was deciding the venue where the wedding would be held. With the perfect mix of sentiment and a warm and accepting environment, Michael and Amanda chose to stick to Michael’s roots by hosting their wedding in the church where his grandfather was buried. 

“The church’s motto is that they welcome everyone no matter who they are,” the bride says. “We learned that they had performed several gay marriages there and that was very important to us because we had guests of all shapes, sizes, creeds and backgrounds coming to celebrate with us.”

With everything set, the guests and couple made their way to Eyemouth and prepared for the wedding of a lifetime. True to Michael’s Scottish heritage, he donned a kilt for the ceremony made from a family tartan he designed while Amanda wore a gorgeous white gown by Anthropologie.

Guests enjoyed a loving and traditional ceremony at the church as Amanda walked down the aisle to the tune of live bagpipe players before they were off to the Gunsgreen house for the reception and meal. From location to location the guests and newlyweds enjoyed live bagpipes into the night. 

“Having to walk from the church to Gunsgreen House was actually the best part because we had a piper,” the bride says. “And when the wedding was over, he played his pipes at the front of the procession as we walked through town to the reception house.”

After the “I do’s,” it was off to a dinner of Mexican food catered from Edinburgh and driven in specially to honor the bride’s heritage in their Scottish wedding. The night came to a close with a dinner that served as a reminder that love can transcend even the largest oceans.

Vendors: Photographer: Jenny Quicksall; Wedding Planner: Jason Rhee; Ceremony Site: Eyemouth United Congregational Church; Reception Venue: Gunsgreen House; Cake: Robert Whitten Cakes; Gown Designer: BHLDN; Gown Shop: Grace Bridal Couture