A stranger in purple on a train, a woman who never needed permission to be herself, and the funeral poem that belonged to her.

Writing your own vows can feel terrifying, but I promise it doesn't have to be.  As a Scottish marriage celebrant, I explain how to find words that come from the heart, whether they make everyone laugh or reach for a hanky.

Flying low today? Let me explain my idea of self-care: egg in a cup, a favourite poem, and finding small ways to offer praise to the world from a quiet place.

Arriving at our Balmacara campsite pitch, we found a painted heart stone left by a stranger. A random act of kindness, and a welcome I didn't know I needed.

Six weekends, one threshold, and a lot of lessons I didn't see coming. A look back at the whole of my Rites and Rituals Scotland training, what it taught me, and why I'd tell anyone considering it to trust the process too.

Fresh from a week in the Outer Hebrides, I arrived at the 4th Rites and Rituals Scotland training weekend ready for its Autumn theme of reflection and letting go.  The task? Write a ceremony for yourself.

My third Rites & Rituals Scotland training weekend had a Summer theme and the sunshine to match.  I learned how to walk with a couple from first enquiry to their vows, why the right fit matters, and how to project my voice.  I also created and led a graduation ceremony, did my housework in a crown, and invited the local geese to a party.

Weekend two of my Rites and Rituals Scotland training had the theme New Beginnings, and it cracked me open more than I expected.  I met my younger self in meditation, wrote to my future self and planted the letter beneath a giant sunflower seed.  Then came storytelling on the spot and a New Beginnings ceremony.  The learning curve is steep, but I'm climbing it, a single step at a time.

I summed up my first Rites & Rituals Scotland training weekend in three words: inspired, thankful and exhausted.  On the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, I was welcomed with hugs and mugs of tea, blessed our lodge, and began learning about altars, symbolism and storytelling.  ‘Threshold’ was the word to mark the start, and by the end of the weekend I understood why.