In what turned out to be our final trip before lockdown, what could be better than Ben & Neil’s wedding on the bus on March 14 in Holyrood Park? We’d like to share the story of their day, and how we got involved.

Ben’s initial request was for the bus to come to Glasgow. When we had to turn this down because of the distance, he decided to move the ceremony 45 miles east – his heart was set on the bus as the venue, so Edinburgh would be the place! He hatched a plan to bring his guests to a rendezvous by the Forth bridges, and that is where we surprised them with gleaming RM875 before driving into town.

We’d suggested Holyrood Park, by Dunsapie Loch, for the actual spot, and Ben and Neil created their day from there – with a playlist on the move, lunchboxes and drinks picked up on route from their friends at Fatty Owls on Bread Street; the marriage ceremony with their celebrant at the spot, speeches, the toasts and then music from our fiddler Fiona. At one point it looked like the annual toad migration might scupper things but the Holyrood Rangers opened up the gate for us and the spectacular high road around Arthur’s Seat was clear. It was all rounded up off with a scenic return via the Old Town to South Queensferry. Here a special car was waiting for Ben and Neil, and a coach for the guests, with more celebrations to come at a restaurant back in Glasgow.

What a pleasure it was to help arrange these guys’ wedding day – our aim at The Red Bus is to create happy occasions and it becomes a whole lot easier for us when the clients are as friendly, enthusiastic and full of warmth as Ben and Neil.

They expressed it like this: “We want to thank, from the bottom of our hearts, all the special people that came and made our day so wonderfully memorable, and given how world events turned just a few days after our wedding, we’re extra glad (and relieved!) we got to see all our loved ones and go ahead with our day just before the lockdown.

“To the small businesses that helped make the day so special, and better than that without a hitch, we can’t thank you enough either. Thank you to the Red Bus company – driver Sam, conductor Sean and behind the scenes wonder Clunie, who made the day truly unique (and saved us from almost toad-al disaster).

“To those of you that couldn’t make it, those across the miles and those of you who are just plain curious, we hope the photos make you smile and bring just a little bit of sunshine into these rather grim days.”

Thank you Ben & Neil and your friends for being such wonderful and appreciative guests. And for lifting spirits with these memories as our buses stay parked up in their shed for now. We hope to be back again soon.