Kevin's last roll of the dice — and Frances's pals wouldn't take no for an answer.

Their story

Frances and Kevin's love story began in the most modern of ways — on Match.com in January 2022, on what was practically Kevin's last roll of the dice before letting his membership lapse. Frances hadn't even signed herself up — two of her best friends had done it for her. Kevin messaged on a Saturday; Frances, in no particular rush, replied the Sunday night, and from there they messaged back and forth until the early hours, despite both having work the next day. Within a week they'd invented a wee game — three questions each, anything at all, some frivolous and some a bit deeper — that they still play to this day.

The first date was Wagamama's followed by the cinema on a freezing February night. Kevin, wanting to impress, ordered an adventurous spicy ramen — and promptly choked on it. It broke the ice rather effectively, and after Kevin vanished for a suspiciously long spell (the ramen had caught up with him), he resurfaced with just enough confidence for a cheeky car park kiss. Frances almost didn't make it home — a blizzard turned her drive back to Bathgate into a two-hour ordeal — but a worried string of messages, and a request for a second date, was waiting when she got in.

Before things got serious, Kevin had two very important approval tests to pass: Frances's cat Cornelius, who sniffed his foot and rubbed noses with him on the first visit — application approved — and Frances's dog Tiffy, who offered up a bum-scratch within seconds of meeting him. By Frances's own admission, she stayed with Kevin for Tiffy initially. In October 2024 the family grew again with the arrival of a rescue dog, Manny — and it was around then that Kevin decided it was time to propose.

The proposal

With the family gathered for a birthday takeaway — and precisely zero sleep thanks to the new puppy — Kevin got down on one knee. Frances's response? A flat "I am watching the Bake Off!" Not exactly the reaction Kevin was hoping for, but he wasn't put off — so he asked again, at which point Frances told him to ask again tomorrow, when she was better dressed. However long he actually waited, it clearly worked, because here we all were. The following January, the pitter-patter of tiny feet arrived with the birth of their son — and their wee family was complete.

The ceremony

Frances walked in to "Walk Forever By My Side" by The Alarm, played live and acoustic, on the arm of her nephew Daniel. Four readings threaded through the ceremony — a passage from Corinthians on love read by one of Frances's oldest friends, the Apache Wedding Blessing, a wry, dog-themed poem that could have been written for this particular couple, and a reading from one of Frances's closest friends from school. During the signing of the Marriage Schedule, Frances's niece sang "All of Me," live, accompanying the same guitarist who'd played them in. Every detail of the day was built around the people and the pets who'd been there since the start.

Marrying at West Lothian Burgh Halls yourself?

My advice from the front of the room: the Burgh Halls gives you a proper, dignified space for a ceremony without an estate-sized price tag attached — tall arched windows, a warm civic character, and a room that photographs beautifully in the daylight. I've written more about the venue on my West Lothian Burgh Halls venue guide. If readings are going to be part of your day the way they were for Frances and Kevin, my guide to wedding readings in Scotland has ideas from the classic to the completely unexpected. And if you're travelling from Edinburgh or the wider central belt, have a look at my Edinburgh wedding celebrant page — West Lothian sits right on that doorstep.