For all enquiries: https://www.debbiethorntonphotography.co.uk/

‘My gosh, I cannot say enough about Debbie. She is so kind, sweet and she has quite an eye. She took two of the most camera-awkward introverted people and made them look AWESOME in photos!!!! My husband and I were so happy when we looked at the ones she took of our vow renewal that we teared up. Debbie captures the natural, beautiful moments without making it feel forced or intrusive. She was also willing to drive us to different desired locations, and even dropped us at Oban Distillery on her way to another photo shoot. Debbie, you were the right choice. We cannot thank you enough!’

I usually write a wee bit about couples here but instead I’m going to let Jen & Erik tell you their story because when I asked them if I could write a blog post about their day, I was absolutely blown away by the response and I’ve shared it here. Jen & Erik you are the most stunning, kind human beings and I have loved getting to know you both, thank you for trusting me and thank you so much Jen for taking the time to share your story….

Erik was the first person I called when I found out I had tested positive for BRCA 1. He has been there for me through 2 major life changing surgeries. I have been there for him for the loss of his first family members. We have weathered some really difficult times together. And through it all, he has said “I love you” every day to me and called me beautiful, no matter what I looked like, how crummy I was feeling, if it was a good day or a bad day. He has held my hand through cancer and helped me survive. He has healed my heart and soul and been my rock during the darkest moments of fear and sorrow. Being a team is what matters to us most, being there for each other not just during the fun and easy moments but the really hard ones. That’s when you find out what your love is truly made of.…

Erik was the handsome man that I saw through the classroom window while at work study. I was the short shy girl he passed by while heading out of his engineering class. He smiled at me, I smiled at him and we didn’t officially meet until the end of 2009, at a graduation party. I had just gotten through the loss of my 44 year old mother to breast cancer and my first year of Dental Hygiene school and he was graduating from college and moving on to his new job in Manchester NH. We were on different paths, and dating other people at the time. The stars hadn’t yet aligned. 

In 2010 I had just graduated college, gotten my first job as a hygienist and was getting into my new life in Barre, VT. I loved my independence and freedom and having just gotten out of a string of unhealthy and unsuccessful relationships, had no desire for anything serious. One evening, I happened to be perusing Facebook, (as you do), and found Erik’s profile on my friend’s page. I clicked my mouse and was instantly brought back to the graduation party the previous year….

He was there, leaning against the bathroom door, blue eyes staring right back at me. I smiled, he smiled, we made little conversation which I cannot remember now, but there was that warm unmistakable flutter in my chest as I felt the instant connection, like meeting a long lost lover or best friend from another life. I remember thinking “what a smile! I hope she knows just how lucky she is.” His girlfriend exited the bathroom, he took her hand and away they went. 

My plate was full, I was getting used to my new life and growing into myself. But, I also knew that there was something I needed that I hadn’t yet found. And when I saw Erik’s profile picture staring back at me, I decided to reach out to my friend Chris. 

“Ah yes, Mr. Erik! Hmmm well you know, you’re both single now, you should get together!” He had said jokingly. Chris knew I’d had a little crush on Erik in college. He also mentioned that Erik was going to be moving to Florida for a job soon.  It seemed the perfect time to have a little fun.

“Well, you should let him know I’m interested!” I said, only half serious. “Man he’s just gorgeous!” 

Chris laughed, I laughed and we ended the conversation. A week later I received Erik’s friend request on Facebook. Our first official date was on my birthday in June of 2010 and it turns out Erik didn’t end up moving to Florida after all. 🙂

We got married in 2012, under a big maple tree on Lake Champlain, near our new home with our new westie pup Baxter. I wore a white sundress, Erik wore khaki pants and a white dress shirt. It was a no frills kind of wedding since we are both introverts and shy, and were broke. Afterward we got creamees and had some close friends and family in our backyard for a barbeque. We remember the sky was blue, there was a light warm breeze and the sun was out. It had been a simple and perfect day with the ones we loved. Over the next several years we built our lives together.

Once when I was younger I had been at a Barnes and Noble gift store, perusing the shelves for my next reading endeavor. Somehow I always wound up wandering the travel aisle with a caramel macchiato in my hand. That day I happened upon a book on Scotland, and on the front cover was a photo of Glencoe. Flipping through the pages of that book a dream formed in my mind; I was hiking Glencoe in the rain and visiting castles. And later after falling in love with the Outlander novels, I was traveling through the standing stones back in time. 

Traveling has always been an important part of our memories together. Erik’s first step into the ocean was on our trip to Hampton Beach, NH and the first time we climbed Camel’s Hump mountain, all 4,083 feet of it, was together. So, after seeing some of The Grand Canyon out west and rafting the Colorado River, touring Las Vegas and kayaking Lake Powell, hiking mountains in the northeast United States, and visiting the beautiful waterfalls and gorges in the Finger Lakes of NY, we decided it was time to do our first international trip. In 2020 we started to build an itinerary for our trip to Scotland with a plan to visit for our 10th wedding anniversary in September of 2022.

In March of 2020 the Covid pandemic hit, and in late September I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Our world was turned upside down in an instant, and our dreams of visiting Scotland took a backseat. The new plan became ‘keeping Jen alive’. The next few years were a living hell filled with tests, scans, chemotherapy appointments and what-ifs, but the dream of going to Scotland still filled our hearts. Erik and I  truly believe having something beautiful to look forward to was a big part of what kept us going through it all. We always had to have a plan. And when the clouds finally parted and our darkest moments started to brighten again, Scotland was our ticket to starting anew. We were going to flip the bird at cancer and renew our wedding vows at a damn castle. Come hell or high water, we were doing it, and we would leave no stone unturned. We chose Barcaldine Castle because it was simply beautiful, seemingly off the beaten path, near a loch. It was the perfect place for two people in love, quiet, tucked away amongst the trees and beauty of the land. 

Our vow renewal was on September 2, 2023, our 11th wedding anniversary and my 3rd year officially cancer free. It was a clear, blue-skied sunny afternoon, just like on our wedding day. As we looked at each other and said our vows, the emotions came flooding out. We looked at each other with nothing but love and gratefulness, happiness and hope. Earlier that morning I told Erik again that I loved him more than I did the first time I married him. It’s because of everything we had been through together, and everything we are bound to experience together going forward. We both knew that even after 13 years we still wanted to share everything together. That’s what I remember most of that day, the look in my husband’s eyes as he held my hand in his, just as he always does, and just how perfect the day was.

Our advice for other couples hoping to get married or renew their vows in Scotland – JUST DO IT! DO ALL THE THINGS! It is the most romantic place, anywhere you choose will be beautiful. Any weather will be perfect, you will be amongst the castles and fields of heather, and a place that has seen so much history. One thing to be sure of is don’t miss the islands on your trip. They were the most magical for us.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Jen & Erik’s story. The couple’s wedding day suppliers were:

Erik’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse

Jen’s Wedding Dress: Mermaid Bridal

Jen’s Flowers: The Thistle and The Rose

Our Rings: Bella Lusso Jewelers

Our Officiant: Catherine Dods – Argyll & Bute Registrars

Wedding Venue – Barcaldine Castle

For all wedding & elopement photography enquiries: https://www.debbiethorntonphotography.co.uk/