Lisa was getting ready close by and the bridal party was in full swing when I arrived. All was going well until Lisa’s mum realised her dog was missing. It was eventually found under a wooden jetty where it had earlier been spotted chasing a rabbit! Fortunately, Phil from Karen Rhodes Weddings, Catering and Events was on hand to help with the rescue!

After all the excitement it was time to head to St James Church in Staveley for the ceremony. A big thank you to Rev. John Woolcock who was kind enough to allow me to take pictures throughout the proceedings. It was funny, it was emotional and it was sincere.  The happy couple were transported back to the reception by Nigel Bowman of Wedding Car Services (thanks for the lift Nigel!). Thankfully, the sun came out and we enjoyed what must be the best day of the year so far. This was in contrast to the wet, cold and windy weather leading up to the big day which resulted in problems with the marquee and a very muddy field. It all came together in the end and everyone had a really enjoyable day. It was great so see many friends including Helen + Gordon who are about to celebrate their first anniversary.

The speeches were heartfelt, especially Ewan’s who managed to make everyone’s bottom lip wobble – including mine! If that wasn’t enough, Lisa’s mum Margaret, accompanied by John on guitar, silenced the marquee when they sang a couple of songs to the newlyweds. After the wedding breakfast the couple began their evening reception with a Ceilidh (sorry, I don’t know the name of the band but they were superb!)

So, Lisa + Ewan DID get married and it was a GREAT wedding! Our love and best wishes xxx

Hair and make-up legend Lucinda Hayton and  the staff at the Lakeside Hotel were fabulous as always and a great pleasure to work with.

This year we were joined by our great friends Sharon, Mike and Violet who is almost the same age as our daughter Alice. The children had the best time ever playing on the beach, running round and building sand castles. The adults enjoyed a few glasses of wine and some of the best seafood available on the planet. We saw Sea Eagles, Deer and an Otter all of which were too quick for me to catch on camera. Later in the week we became aware the weather forecast was threatening to disrupt the ferry service and we thought about catching an earlier boat. Then we spotted a few bottles of wine were yet to be drunk and decided to stay as planned!

The following morning we arrived at Craignure and watched the ferry struggle to moor up to the pier. Respect for the Caledonian MacBrayne crew who managed in very difficult conditions and got us safely back to Oban with little fuss. The weather forecast on the radio said we should expect heavy snow and delays in our journey. We got back 2 hours faster than it took us to get there in the first place.

Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull holds some special memories for us and we can’t wait for our next visit. Now, where’s the diary?