An Amazing Year of Weddings - Looking Back on 2018
A Wedding Celebrant’s Perspective - Part 1
2018 was THE most amazing year. Full of lovely couples, LOTS of love, happiness and laughter. Each ceremony, unique and special. And SUCH a privilege and joy to be a part of.
So, in the next few posts, I’m going to share a few snippets from some of these wedding ceremonies with you. Hopefully they will inspire you to have the wedding ceremony of your dreams.
The year started with a phone call from the lovely Caitlin. Her words were something along the lines of;
‘I’d really love you to be my Wedding Celebrant. I just don’t want anyone pale, stale and male leading my wedding ceremony. I promise I’m not a Bridezilla, oh and it’s in a few weeks time!”
Brian and I were just about to drive up to Scotland. Instead, we did a U turn and drove down to Devon to meet her and Stu at ANRÁN, their stunning wedding venue.
The year ended with Gemma and Will’s beautiful Autumnal Wedding Ceremony in the Orangery at St Audries Park and these words;
‘We had a fairytale vision planned back along, which, with the help of yourself and everyone at St Audries was exceeded into a truly magical day!
So, let’s take a look at some of the wedding ceremonies in between!!
I hope that they inspire you to go with your imagination for your big day. And, most importantly, make you realise, that dreams can come true!
Destination Weddings
Destination weddings were very popular this year. Two of my lovely couples flew here all the way from’Down Under.’
Hannah and Ben had a very international wedding. Their friends and family descended on the stunning Trevibban Mill in Cornwall, from all parts of the Globe.
Luckily, our little place in Padstow enables me to conduct weddings all across Devon and Cornwall !
Jennie and Greg had grown up near my home town in Somerset. They returned from Bondi Beach for their wedding ceremony at Woodford Farm, just outside Wells. A lovely mix of old friends and new.
Destination weddings are a really exciting, if daunting prospect, as a couple have to manage and coordinate their wedding from afar.
So, they have to rely a bit more heavily on the professionals they have chosen, and trust their judgement.
With a destination wedding, therefore, I will visit the venue several times. I will also meet the owners or the wedding planner. This ensures that we work closely together to realise the couples wishes. In addition, I always take lots of pics to send to the couple.
I’d ‘met’ Hannah and Ben once, on SKYPE, however, I didn’t meet them, or Jennie and Greg, in person until a day or two before their ceremony.
That was exciting, I can tell you !!
Because the ceremony scripts had both been completed and agreed a few weeks beforehand, the run throughs were straightforward.
So, as with every wedding, it’s making sure the ceremony space is set out perfectly, ensuring the entrance and exit are spot on, and that everyone knows what is expected of them.
As you can see, distance is no barrier to having your dream wedding !
Wedfest Weddings
The hot, hot, hot Summer of Love that followed our beautifully mild Spring, was just perfect for all my couples who wanted a weekend wedding festival.
From Boho WildwoodBluebell in The Cotswolds, to PartyField in Lytchett Matravers, via Tipi Events in ChewMagna and numerous farmer’s fields across the Southwest, Brian, I and the trusty satnav wound our way to some pretty amazing places.
And there was certainly no shortage of great places to kip; camping and glamping in tipis, wigwams, bell tents, shepherds huts, motorhomes, double decker buses – just brilliant unforgettable fun.
Wedfest weddings are really great for enabling your wedding to last more than just a day – often they extend to 3 or 4 nights and really have a great party, relaxed vibe.
With pop up bars, luxury loos and showers, pizza trucks, fish and chip vans, the choice of food is limitless and the amenities are second to none ! There is usually loads of space for all your guests to spread around, and for those on a tight budget, a tent from Tescos is all you need !
However, wedfest weddings take a lot of setting up and clearing away – I suggest you choose at least 20 bridesmaids and groomsmen and delegate !!
Love Listen
Let’s love, listen, take time
when time is all we have.
Let’s be unafraid to be kind,
learn to disregard the bad
if the good outweighs it daily.
Let’s make a gift of silence,
the day’s hushing into dark,
and when we hold each other
let’s always be astonished
we are where we want to be.
Let’s hope to age together,
but if we can’t, let’s promise now
to remember how we shone
when we were at our best,
when we were most ourselves.
Ann Gray
Garden Weddings
Some couples have the MOST amazing homes and gardens – and some couple’s parents have the Most amazing gardens !!
These weddings have a great sense of home, of family, of memories, and of hopes for the future.
They are close to nature and wildlife, with garden flowers, bees and butterflies, rickety chairs from the kitchen and pots from the shed, for all the neighbours flowers !!
Tess and Dave held their wedding in Tess’s childhood home. A picturesque thatched cottage, nestled in the Quantocks. Her guests squealed with delight as she arrived on her Dad’s trusty tractor, with him at the helm !! Unforgettable !!
Toni and Martin’s beautiful farm on the Somerset Levels had stunning views reaching as far as the distant Mendip Hills.
Where Tess and Dave, built an arch and grew sunflowers around it, Toni and Martin designed and built the whole ceremony space.
Another couple, Alannah and Dave chose to stand under an arching branch of beautiful apple tree, over which they had draped soft muslin. Whilst for Jane and Dom the rustic, Wisteria-covered arch above the door to their kitchen garden was just the perfect spot.
So, if you are lucky enough to have a beautiful garden, it’s a wonderful place for a wedding. However, be prepared – getting the garden and house wedding-ready is often a year-long project, a real labour of love!
So, keep your eyes peeled for Part 2 of this look back over the year. You’ll find more ideas and inspiration for ensure your wedding ceremony is as unique and memorable as these!
For my six top tips for writing your own wedding vows – click here !!
For my six top tips for reading your wedding vows – click here !!
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