Our Wedding Day - Part 2 - The Ceremony

At last Rosie and her maids at arrived at Pluscarden Abbey!

Bridesmaids Mason Dixie and Kira were the first to alight from the car, careful not to crush their taffeta gowns or their bouquets of highland flowers with touches of heather.

As the music began, Asta and Stanley hurried to their seats, accidentally on purpose tripping over Lacie's blender extension cord and slipping her some nice sticky, chewy butterscotch to keep her jaws shut for the duration of the ceremony.

Ahhhhh! I caught a glimpse of my bride, gathering her bouquet from her Maid of Honor Gabbi. Even at a far distance, she took my breath away....

Rosie's bouquet of red roses was her "Something Borrowed." It was Toffee's Mom's actual wedding bouquet last July 19th! Happy Anniversary!!!

First down the aisle, Auntie Bailey stood in for the Mother-of-the-Bride. Auntie Martha picked out this Mary Stuart-inspired ensemble when she was working the couture shows in Paris as Just Martha. Auntie Bailey seems less than convinced, although she did get a kick out of wearing the Spencer tiara, even though she has abdicated her throne (for the time being.)

Matron of Honor Martha showed her runway panache as she slowly and gracefully made it down the aisle....("Martha, why the long face?" "It's my face and if it's good enough for the Chewnel #5 campaign, then its good enough for you!")

Next to traipse down the aisle was Maid of Honor Gabbi, wiping a wee tear away from her lovely eyes, then winking at Jake.

I waited anxiously with Officiant Mango and my handsome groomsmen—Bestest Man Eric Square Dog and groomsmen Jake, Joe Stains and Alfie.

...while across from us, Rosie's maids waited all in a row, with co-Officiant, Marvin the Hollow Hound.

Here comes the Bride!!!

Ah, Snoop looks so proud the buttons are about to burst off his jacket. And have you ever seen such a beautiful bride as my Rosie Posie?

The first of many Scottish wedding traditions was the paw-fasting. In the Middle Ages, hand-fasting was a temporary marriage that lasted a year and a day (longer than most celebrity marriages!) until a clergyman passed through the village and could perform a marriage ceremony. Today, our paws are bound together during our vows with a tartan cloth to symbolize that from this day forward, we are no longer two, but are one!

Then Rosie read her personal vows to me:

Ithers seek they ken na what,

Features, carriage, and a'that;

Gie me love in him I court,

Love to love makes a' the sport.

Let love sparkle in his e'e;

Let him lo'e nae maid but me;

That's the tocher-gude* I prize,

There the luver's treasure lies.

* A tocher-guide is a marriage portion.

Then I delivered my vows to Rosie:

O my luve is like a red, red rose, that's newly sprung in June:

O my luve is like the melodie, That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

And I will luve thee still my dear, While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love! And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my luve, Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

At that point, Marvin and Mango asked for the rings....

I then presented Rosie with a Luckenbooth, a beautiful brooch that was exchanged between lovers on betrothal, all the way back to the 1600's. On the back, I had it inscribed: Of earthly joys thou art my choice.
The pinning of the Tartan is another Scottish tradition, that shows the acceptance of the Bride or Groom into the other's clan, or in my case, making her an honorary Terrier!

And as the bagpipes swelled outside, we turned to face our family and friends....

Lads and Lassies....may I present Petey and his lovely wife Rosie!!!

Oh! P.S. Some of you may have been wondering if Petey's catbro Mica or Rosie's catbro Gus was in attendance. Actually, they had the best seats in the house! With so many dogs around (not to mention Lacie), they felt more comfortable from this perch, where they had a wonderful view and enjoyed a lovely cup of milky tea, hold the tea.