November 29th 2016 at 7:32pm: “Islay meet Hassan; Hassan meet Islay” from Marco.


A few hours later, Hassan to Islay: “... We will take a car and go on a highland road trip, showing you all the best places in Scotland!”


Islay was getting ready to move to Edinburgh to start her Masters at the University of Edinburgh. Marco, a mutual friend of Islay and Hassan, offered to put them in touch, so Islay would know someone in town. The future couple were introduced over email a year before they would meet in person. They met in person for the first time in Edinburgh in the fall of 2017, and they became fast friends. Together with Islay’s new friend and neighbor, Mary (a group dubbed “the tricycle” by Mary), they spent many happy nights together drinking wine, singing, and dancing in Islay’s kitchen.


In the spring of 2018, they fell in love. In truth, they had both been falling for a few months, but they’d been separated as Hassan was traveling for work. When Hassan got back to Edinburgh, Islay was away in California. They made plans to hang out the night Islay got back to Edinburgh and Islay told Hassan not to worry about picking her up from the airport; she would go home, freshen up, and then they’d meet up. Hassan, of course, ignored this and turned up to the airport with a bouquet of flowers and a sign with a unicorn on it. That was the day they both said they loved each other, and they have been together ever since.


It didn’t take them long to move in together, and over the years, their love only deepend and strengthened. They adopted their dog, Lily, in 2020, and the three have enjoyed traveling all over Scotland, the UK, and Europe together. Over the years Islay and Hassan have grown together, creating a strong foundation of trust, love, and deep understanding of one another. Anyone who has been around the couple knows that their relationship is full of laughter, joy and silliness, the two’s weirdness fitting together like puzzle pieces. Fitting the couple’s traveling natures, Hassan proposed to Islay on the beach in Tahiti and they will be getting married on the beach in Mexico!


They would love to have you all, the people closest to them, be a part of their story and join them in celebrating their union and making memories together for a joyful destination wedding in the Riviera Maya. This is going to be an amazing multicultural night of fun and celebration!