A Coastal Pagan Wedding in the Highlands

Many of my ceremonies take place close to home in the North-West Highlands, but every so often I get to work with couples who choose a location that is not just beautiful, but deeply personal, like Lynsey & Emil’s intimate coastal wedding near Alness, near where they both grew up.

When we first started talking about their plans, it was clear that this was going to be a very small and meaningful ceremony, with just a handful of family and friends present, and a strong connection to place, to history, and, as it turned out, to the idea of things coming full circle.

Their story stretches back much further than their wedding day. They had known of each other since secondary school, not closely, but with that quiet awareness that sometimes only makes sense years later, before life took them in different directions and shaped them separately, eventually bringing them back together at a time when they could truly see each other for who they had become.

It’s always interesting with stories like these how nothing really feels accidental in hindsight, and how what might once have seemed like separate paths slowly reveals itself as something more circular, returning people not just to a place, but to each other.

"We cannot thank Monika enough for the incredible pagan handfasting she conducted for us at Alness Point. Monika helped us create a truly unique and individual ceremony that reflected exactly who we are. She seamlessly incorporated every ritual we requested, from the past, present, and future handfasting cords to the traditional drinking horn and our ring exchange.

A particular highlight was the very special exchange of bracelets she helped us organise; it was a beautiful way to include the children and signify the joining of our blended family alongside our own unique vows. My husband and I are delighted that Monika was our celebrant; we feel so lucky to be both legally and spiritually married. So many of our guests told us it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies they had ever attended. If you want a celebrant who truly listens and creates magic, look no further than Monika!"

Lynsey & Emil

Early April in the Highlands can be unpredictable to say the least, and in the days leading up to the ceremony we really could have had anything weather-wise, but on the morning itself we were incredibly lucky, with a cold but bright and dry start to the day that gave everything a crisp, clear feeling.

The ceremony itself took place in the morning, which is not a time often chosen by couples, but actually works beautifully, allowing for a relaxed start to the day, enough time to get ready without rushing, and still leaving the whole day ahead to celebrate, beginning with a shared lunch afterwards.

We met at a small car park a short distance from the ceremony location and walked there together, which immediately created a lovely sense of togetherness, and by the time we arrived and gathered around the circle of flower petals that had been laid out, the theme of the day had already begun to take shape quite naturally.

The ceremony followed a pagan structure, beginning with the ringing of a bell to call everyone fully into the moment, and the casting of the circle, calling in the four directions to hold the space, bringing with them the qualities of air, fire, water and earth, and creating a setting that felt both grounded and quietly powerful.

Circles have a way of holding things without beginning or end, and that feeling carried through the ceremony, particularly as their story was shared, not as something new, but as something that had grown over time, been tested by life, and returned stronger and clearer

The handfasting formed the central ritual of the ceremony, with three ribbons wrapped around their hands to represent the past, the present and the future, acknowledging everything that had brought them to this point, the choice they were making in that moment, and everything still to come, before Lynsey and Emil gently pulled the knot closed themselves, completing the circle in a very literal and symbolic way.

Their vows were heartfelt and grounded, focusing not just on love, but on partnership, resilience and the everyday reality of building a life together, and there was a particularly meaningful moment when Emil also made promises to Lynsey’s sons, recognising the family they already are and the one they continue to grow together.

The exchange of rings echoed that same idea once again, circular in shape and meaning, followed by the declaration of marriage, a moment that felt less like a single point in time and more like the natural closing of something that had been unfolding for years.

Nearly thirty years after first crossing paths, they had come back to the same place, standing together, ready to begin again.

The ceremony closed with a traditional sharing of a drink from the horn and a pagan blessing calling on the land, the ancestors and the old gods, before the circle was opened, gently bringing everyone back out of that held space and into the celebrations that followed.

With the whole day still ahead of them, the atmosphere naturally shifted into something relaxed and joyful, exactly in keeping with the spirit of the ceremony itself.

A small wedding, simple in many ways, but full of meaning, connection and intention, and one where everything, in the truest sense, had come full circle.