Live Imperfectly with Great Delight: Scotland and the Royal Gilardi Wedding

We will start with the royal wedding which is the Gelardi wedding in Scotland. We left on 30 October -me -Wayne and Laila and arrived on Halloween. We got to have fish and chips for dinner with Karen‘s family and enjoy the Halloween costumes of Nolan who has Harry Potter and Imogen as a princess. Then we were able to go shopping at the local stores Top Shop and Primark and find some fun things.

The next day was the wedding day, so as a fun surprise the Gelardi’s gave us and the Sharkey‘s a night at Culzean Castle. We all stayed in the Eisenhower suite and it was pretty amazing. There are very few guests that stay in this castle but you do get a key to the castle an actual key that unlocks the side door to let yourself in and out we also got breakfast the next morning it really was quite posh. The wedding was in the castle’s rotunda which is the big stairwell and the bride walks up the steps to get to it and then back down the steps when it’s over. Christiana had two wedding dresses. She had a white one that she wore earlier in the day to a luncheon and then had pictures taken in that and then she had a champagne pink one that she actually got married in with a train of about 20 feet. It was so heavy! A very elegant silk dress with gold embroidery and detailing both of these are specially made of course sparing no expense.

Then they had a huge tent outside that they had the reception in. The Scotts call it a marquee. There was dancing and food from Stobbs the baker - Umberto did all of the catering - meat pies and bread and Italian sausages and meats with olives and nuts and all of their sweets. They also had an ice cream truck there, and haggis balls-- it was just so lovely. We seriously danced the night away. Laila, Eileen and I showed up and our fascinator hats —that was really fun to be able to wear. There were wild hats and kilts everywhere. Laila hung out with the teenagers— some she had met last summer and some new faces. George tried to be Laila's matchmaker.

We just dancing and danced until midnight. About halfway through the night we all kicked our shoes off and put on socks and then we continued dancing.

One of the special moments for me was when the band was playing some Mamma Mia songs and we were all on the dance floor holding hands high in the air, swaying back-and-forth and singing “thank you for the music.” I couldn’t stop the tears. It just was so beautiful and I just love these Sharkeys so much. I could feel my parent's presence so many times this weekend.

Highlights of the night included Umberto and Christiana with their father-daughter choreographed dance. Then all of the fathers and daughters were invited to the floor to dance. It was a joy watching Wayne and Laila. Christiana and Peter getting silly-stringed. And Christiana and Peter getting wrapped up in ribbon- a lot of these are Italian traditions that we hadn’t seen before. Eileen and Wayne dancing the traditional Gay Garden’s dance that the Scotts all learn growing up.

We had full Scottish breakfast in Culzean Castle the next day — haggis, blood sausage, eggs, bacon and beans. We dropped Laila off at Karen’s house so she could be with the kids and Karen all day long. They went to a trampoline park and watched movies and ate food while we drove four hours south to the Preston temple for the Sealing of Christiana and Peter and then went out to dinner and then drove back up to Ayr four hours. We had a fun night sharing our poop stories which just basically humanizes everybody and makes everybody realize that we’re on the same boat so it was funny.

This has been a whirlwind of a holiday for us!! We are tired. Sunday we went to church at Ayr ward and everyone bore testimony and it was just a beautiful beautiful day. Then we got to go to Turnberry golf course to have lunch. Liam treated us. It was his father’s sixtieth birthday and so he had his parents there, George and Eileen and us and the kids. Nolan and Imogen can’t get enough of Laila. We got to walk around and see the Turnberry Hotel which they just barely refurbished. It is astounding with twenty-four karat gold here and there and quarter of a million Dollar chandeliers - just so posh. All of the male staff are in kilts.

The weather has been really lovely too —not very much rain — a little bit of Smirry rain and a little bit of Dreich rain. I love the Scottish words for the different types of rain that they have. they’re very specific.

It’s fun to watch Eileen grandmother. She is totally invested and does so much for Karen’s family. Eileen is a wonder. She reminds me of my mom.

So now we’re at the airport just waiting to board to get back home. We couldn’t stop the tears of course as we said our goodbyes to the magical George and Eileen but George is promised us that he’s going to be alive for at least 10 more years so that’s good news. He really is youthening. When we first met him, 17 years ago he was walking with a cane and his Health was declining and now he’s only getting better. He carried our suitcases to and from the car. it’s just amazing. He was able to tell us some more war stories you know when he’s a spy and getting it out of countries and different things that happened to him when he was in the secret service.

So happy that we could make this wedding trip work.

Day 1. 4 hours in Amsterdam airport.

Wayne driving a stick shift with left hand.

Loving on George and Eileen.

Shopping with Laila.

Visiting with Karen and Liam and kids and trick or treating. Nolan is Harry Potter and Imogen is Princess Aurora.

Eating fish and chips from local chippy.

Day 2.

Wedding day. Travel to Culzean Castle. Check Into our rooms. I can’t believe we are staying in a castle. Get ready including fancy hats. Wedding in the rotunda. Christiana wears a pink champagne wedding dress she wore a white one as well. The ceremony then drinks, appetizers, and ice cream. Move to wedding tent for the reception Marquee. Umberto catered. Dancing till midnight. Sparkler send-off. Applying to BYU

Laila dancing with NANCY

Silly Stringing the couple...it was a MESS

Day 3. Wake up in the castle. Proper Scotch breakfast. Drop Laila at Karen’s then 4-hour drive to Preston temple. Beautiful Sealing then dinner st Nando’s chicken and 4-hour drive back. Laila went to a trampoline park with the Brodie’s.

Day 4. Church at Ayr ward -Wayne, Angie, and George bear testimony. Eileen and I can’t stop crying. Eileen announces to all that Laila is going to be the face of the church by being host to Elder Gong’s face to face fireside. We find out through the find relatives app that we are related to Marlin married to Lez, and Elizabeth Lang, married to Stuart. These are great friends of the Sharkeys. Off to Turnberry for lunch. Liam is treating all of us for his father's 60th birthday. We tour the luxurious Turnberry hotel. So gorgeous. Saying gods he to Gilardi’s and tearful goodbye to George and Eileen.