Opulent gender fluid wedding that put love at the heart of it

Friendship and love are very important to Chris and Douglas, who celebrated their love with touching speeches from family and a humanist ceremony conducted by their friend

Chris Law & Douglas Davidson

27th September 2019

Venue | Cromlix and DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro Hotel, Perthshire
Photography | Gary Bonar Photography

“On our first date in February 2011, we went to Dunblane Hydro for a drink, then drove to Cromlix for the afternoon. Little did we know that we’d return to those special places eight years later to marry and celebrate.

Douglas popped the question with a diamond ring in February 2015 at Cromlix. I said yes, of course! He has been the biggest support to me, dependable through the good times and the bad; together, we make a strong, successful team.

In May 2019, we decided it was high time to make getting married a priority! From the outset, we knew we wanted to host our ceremony and meal at Cromlix, then head on to Dunblane Hydro for the reception. As we booked just three months ahead, it was difficult to find a Saturday slot available at both venues. We compromised by moving the date to a Friday which, in the end, still worked perfectly.

Initially there was a lot of thought and discussion over my outfit. I am gender fluid, meaning at times I am Chris and other times Fiona, depending on the social situation at the time. Many guests had assumed I would arrive as a bride, but I made the decision to get married as Chris primarily due to my two young sons, Ruben and Leon, and close elderly family members attending. I wanted them all to see me as how they generally know me.

Atelier Rahman’s design and creation of my wedding outfit definitely exceeded all my expectations. The bespoke outfit reflected some feminine aspects of my gender, with a gorgeous, bejewelled full-length train.

Friendship, love, partnership, commitment and togetherness are very important to us. That’s why we chose to have a humanist ceremony. Celebrant Gerrie Douglas-Scott of Celebrate People has been a friend for many years and was invaluable, not just for putting together our ceremony, but more generally as a knowledgeable guide, giving us advice, tips and contacts throughout the planning process.

Neither of us expected to be so nervous reciting our vows. Gerrie calmed us down and took us through it a step at a time. As it turned out, the highlight of the day was Gerrie announcing us as ‘Mr and Mr Davidson’.

My mum made a lovely, heartfelt speech, getting everyone very emotional. At the end, she proclaimed ‘raise your glasses to the happy couple, Mr and Mrs Davidson’. Everyone laughed along with mum saying ‘Mrs’ in error!”

Top tip: “Invitation ‘politics’ can be difficult when it comes to weddings. Don’t be afraid to make it exactly what you want, having only those you’d like attending. Keep a wedding planner or diary. It kept us focused and was helpful to look back at, checking bookings and expenditure.”