[STS_PROD: CENTRALSS-MAG_PAGES-TRAVEL <TRAVEL0729_WED> ... 07/29/04] Author:CARPENTERJ Date:07/27/04 Time:13:36

BY STEPHEN MICHAELAND KIM PERINO MICHAEL

Stipes Travel readers

You meet the princess of yourdreams, she meets herprince charming . . . Whatcan you do to weave the

magic and romance into the fabric ofreality? How about: Rent a castle, wedin the medieval chapel and feast in agreat banquet hall?

When we decided to get married,we knew we wanted to do it in Scot-land, due to ancestral connections andour mutual love of all things Scottish.We also spend much of our off-duty

time in Edin-burgh, the capitalcity where weown a modestapartment, and itwas from here webegan our quest.

Our initialquestion was:

“Can two Americans living in Belgiumbe married in Scotland?” Pleasantly,the answer was “Yes.” In fact almostanyone can marry in Scotland provid-ed they are legally free to wed. Wewent to the Internet and found theinformation we needed, includingrequired forms to download.

But where does one begin to findthat special venue? Obviously the richand famous (like Madonna and GuyRitchie) have no problem — and nobudget concerns — but we are humblecivil servants. So we turned again tothe Internet, and also invested incopies of U.K. bridal magazines.

After considering sites on the west-ern coast of Scotland where Stephen’sancestors lived before immigrating toAmerica, we realized that the logisticsof a wedding in Scotland would make

this expensive and difficult. We decid-ed to find a venue near Edinburgh,one of Scotland’s two major cities withinternational airports, excellent railconnections, and a plethora of hotels,restaurants and nearby castles.

We settled on Balgonie Castle inFife, about 35 miles outside Edin-burgh on the northern side of theFirth of Forth. We visited the castle,receiving a hearty welcome and guid-ed tour from the Laird of Balgoniehimself. This location is fast becomingone of Scotland’s most popular andaffordable wedding locations. Thelaird was happy to show us photos ofprevious wedding parties and to rec-ommend local businesses to help usout, such as photographers, floristsand caterers.

Almost instantly we knew we hadfound our ideal castle. it had the per-fect balance of magic, history, ro-

mance — andprice. We paidfor the use ofthe 14th-centu-ry chapel andgreat hall, al-though eithervenue is avail-able separately,and the lairdarranged aminister toofficiate and theuse of his piperto “pipe in thebride.”

We also metwith a cateringofficial who waswilling to pro-vide champagneand hors d’ou-vres, a sit-downdinner and a

limited bar within our budget.During one weekend in February

2004, we attended a local weddingshow. Sifting through the dozens ofservices on offer, we found a weddingcake designer, stills photographer andvideographer. We asked acquaintan-ces in Edinburgh about potentialflorists and were delighted to securethe services of Stems Limited, thesame company that provided thefloral arrangements for the 2003 MTVEurope music awards. The priceswere affordable, the owner intuitiveand professional, and the arrange-ments breathtaking.

Kim found a gorgeous, medi-eval-style wedding gown in gold silk,and Stephen engaged the Celtic CraftCentre to manufacture a Highlanddoublet in blue velvet to wear with hisMichael from Appin tartan kilt.

With the venue and clothing evok-ing medieval splendor, we decided thewedding feast should have a similartheme. Again using the Internet, welocated a company specializing inmedieval cookies using authenticingredients and recipes — thesewould accompany the coffee or tea atthe end of the evening.

In a bridal magazine, we read abouta troupe of traditional Scottish enter-tainers called Herald Events, whichoffered music, drama and merrimentin traditional Highland style. Aftertalking to the founder and listening toone of their CDs, we booked them forthe post-feast entertainment.

Due to our ’60s “coming of age,” we

added a feature to the evening thatwas mildly out of sync with the venue:We procured dozens of instruments —egg shakers, rhythm blocks, wristbells, ocarinas and tambourines —and placed them on the tables of theGreat Hall so our guests could contrib-ute to the festive mood by makingtheir own music.

Finally, another Fife company,Message on a Bottle, customized bot-tles of fine Scotch with our name,wedding date and Stephen’s personalcoat of arms, giving guests yet anotherunique remembrance of our wedding.

Logistics was a key concern inplanning the wedding. Guests fromthe United States, Belgium, Germany

and England were able to fly intoeither Glasgow or Edinburgh withease. Using Rabbies Tours to arrangehotels for all guests, as well as a full-day excursion to the Highlands on theday after the wedding, made the expe-rience painless.

We pronounced the event a dreamcome true. People traveled a long wayto help us celebrate, and we wantedthem to leave with something memora-ble. They did — and you can, too. Forthe wedding of your dreams, considerbonnie Scotland.Stephen Michael, a retired Air Force lieutenantcolonel, and Kim Perino Michael live nearChievres, Belgium, where they both work forthe 80th Area Support Group. E-mail them atsaint.michael@us.army.mil.

Arranging weddings in historic Scottish venues is a booming business, withceremonies at castles and stately homes in all regions. Much of the researchcan be done on the Internet. For help in answering the “who, what, when, howand how much” questions, see www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/grosweb/grosweb.nsf/pages/gromar. Everything is clearly and concisely explained. The Web site hasrequired forms to download and print, as well as links to the various registraroffices where the paperwork needs to be filed at least three weeks before thewedding.

Balgonie Castle has an excellent Web site at www.balgonie-castle.com.Gode Cookery, which made our special wedding cookies, offers a variety of

designs and flavors, and the cookies stay fresh for weeks and even freeze well. ItsWeb site is www.godecookery.com/cookies/cookies.html.

The Web site for Message on a Bottle, which provided the souvenir Scotchand bottles, is www.messageonabottle.biz.

Rabbies Tours arranged for guest accommodations in the area and a day-afterHighlands tour. Its Web site is www.rabbies.com.

— STEPHEN ANDKIM PERINO MICHAEL

Guests take their places at the banquet tables in the Laird’s Hall, or great hall, of Balgonie Castle. Like the chapel, the hall islit only with candles. It seats up to 50 guests comfortably, including the wedding party at the head table.

As the Laird of Balgonie’s piper plays a Scottish tune, the laird, center, welcomes the newlyweds intothe great hall for their wedding feast. The coats of arms of previous owners and notables associatedwith the castle are painted on the panels of the musician’s gallery above the hall entrance.

Photos by Alastair Stevens

Bride Kim Ann Perino, in a gold, medieval-style gown, and bridegroom Stephen Anthony Michael, dressed in his family’startan with a blue velvet Highland doublet, stand in front of the chapel altar at Balgonie Castle in Scotland. The dark dia-monds on the wall are the coats of arms of previous owners. Chapel lighting comes solely from candles.

The bridal party makes its way toward the chapel to the tune of a traditional Scottish pipe melody. They are, from left: theLaird of Balgonie, Raymond Morris of Balgonie and Eddergol; the bride, Kim Ann Perino, escorted by her son, Wesley DukePerino; Amanda Brooke Perino, the bride's daughter and maid of honor; and the laird’s piper.

TRAVELTALES

Banners reflecting the arms of previous owners of BalgonieCastle adorn the great hall, and heraldic symbolism can beseen throughout the castle.

Aye, Scotland makesfor a bonnie wedding

Tips for planning a wedding in Scotland