If I’m your your wedding celebrant, you’ll have this support as standard – plus loads more, but here are some tips to get you going.

Fear not the blank page: inspiration will come!

Most people panic at the sight of a blank screen and have a mortal fear of the blank page. They (quite naturally) think that all the answers will be there for them on Google/social media.

STOP! The problem with Google/social media is that you’ll be so overwhelmed with options, you’ll have no confidence in your own ideas. Your own ideas are always the best ideas. It’s your wedding.

Remember that old trick about not thinking about pink elephants, which makes you only think about pink elephants? Google/social media give you pink elephants, green monkeys,  blue parrots – the whole safari.

Forget about everyone else’s vows, what do YOU want to say to your partner?

Be your own wordsmith

Some people think they’re no good with words and that therefore their wedding vows won’t be any good either. Not true. Your partner loves you as you are, and if your wedding vows sound like you, that’s perfect. I’m not just indulging you here – it’s true. When you use your own normal words and expressions, your vows will sound right. ‘Right’ means genuine, personal and original, which is exactly what your wedding ceremony should be.

Pair up your wedding vows

My final tip is all about pairing up your wedding vows, so you and your partner are both happy with them. Think about matching the length and the tone. You can choose to say the same thing, or your might personalise them. You could do something completely different from each other. Your vows should be serious and heartfelt, but you can add humour if that feels right.

Whatever else you say … remember to say ‘I love you’!!

Go for it!

And finally – start early, don’t procrastinate. You’ll feel great when your vows are done and they will be ‘wower’ with the extra time and effort you put in. Have fun with them and be proud of your vows.

Need more help? Get in touch – I’d love to help you create your perfect wedding. For more info on my bespoke ceremonies, take a look at my weddings page

If you love Xinmei and Josh’s wedding photo, check out their photographer White Stag Wedding Photography

The post All the wows with your vows! How to write your own wedding vows appeared first on Beautiful Day Celebrant.

I’m no politician, so I’ll tell you straight that my weddings cost £700. And now, can I tell you why a wedding celebrant is worth every penny, and what you’ll get for your money. You’re getting a beautiful, bespoke wedding ceremony, AND you’re getting something money can’t buy. In a nutshell, it’s a unique, richer more ‘wow!’ experience of a wedding ceremony that no one will have ever seen before.

Why have a wedding celebrant?

Weddings are full of beautiful things, but how many tug on the heartstrings like the moment you exchange your vows? This is the emotional heart of the day. It’s the bit everyone looks forward to, like the jammy heart in a jammy dodger biscuit. A celebrant frames that moment with a beautiful ceremony, full of your personality, meaning and joy.  It’s much more than just words: it’s a shared feeling of connection. Your guests get a deeper insight into your your world, and hear your love story told in a brilliant, original way.  And all that – even before we get to your vows!

So, let me tell you what I invest in your wedding.

What’s included in my ceremony fee?

My fee is based on the complete time we work together, not just the length of the ceremony. I spend time getting to know you, and then researching, thinking, creating, writing and delivering your ceremony. That’s the same process, whether your wedding is 30 minutes or 45 minutes long.

We get to know each other via face to face meetings, a couple of thought-provoking questionnaires, emails, phone calls and texts. I ask you questions; you ask me questions… like this one for a couple who met at Pizza Hut:

I give you my creative ideas, and my ability to upscale your ideas and make them happen, as you imagine. I have years of professional and creative copywriting experience, so I can express your thoughts, in a way that sounds natural and right for you. You get my degree in English Literature, which helps me find the kind of readings you might like, plus you get my nerdy obsession with interesting words.

You get my membership of celebrant networks, which gives me training and keeps my work fresh. You get my years as a registrar, to help you navigate the English legal marriage system. You get my industry contacts, to help you find the best suppliers of things like candles and ribbons.

You get my shiny new PA system and my fancy presentation script in a smart box. And you get free mileage 20 miles outside my home town of Bridport.

AND of course, you get ME – all the way from the booking stage to when you become brand new newlyweds. I’m here to muse with you, help you, celebrate with you, empathise and commiserate with you if this get stressful. I’m a sounding board for your thoughts, and someone you can turn to for wedding advice. I’m like a professional wedding buddy; we’ll have lots of chats and laughs in the run-up to your big day.

And when that day dawns, I’m very calm. I’ll help you with nerves, wobbly legs, a last-minute needs for water and tissues, the label that sticks out, the stray thread on your dress, the guest that needs a chair, or a chat. I’ll take a photo, move a table – whatever needs doing. And I’ll deliver your ceremony confidently and engagingly. When I look out and see your friends and family smiling at you, laughing at a bit of your love story, or shedding a sneaky tear – that makes me happy.

Together, we’ll have created something really special and wonderful memories you’ll keep forever. Everyone will enjoy it and talk about it. That’s the kind of wedding I offer. Is it your kind of wedding too?

Head over to my Weddings page to find out more.

The post How much does a wedding celebrant cost? appeared first on Beautiful Day Celebrant.

It’s not news that wedding planning in a pandemic is tricky.  It feels like being in a weird virtual wedding waiting room, where people keep coming in, but no one ever leaves. Most couples have had to review their wedding plans in some way. If you’ve postponed your wedding already, you know all about the joys of rescheduling. If you’re newly engaged, you may find it difficult to know where to start.

What can I say to help, as we wait for normality to return, sitting socially distanced, on our sanitised chairs, with the fragrance of alcohol gel filling the air …

I’d like to offer you my home-grown planning tool, to help you prioritise your wedding and make some contingency plans.

Contingency plans for peace of mind

Whatever your situation, being crystal clear on your priorities will help you. The results will either confirm what you know, or give you some new insights. They will give you more peace of mind and a greater sense of control. I think we all need plenty of those right now!

What are your wedding Must-Haves?

When planning a ceremony, a speech, or any event in my life, I class everything as one of these:

• Must Have (something I can’t/won’t budge on)
• Nice to Have (I really love this)
• Could Have, or Not (I could limit/ditch this)

For example, having your complete wedding guest list could be your must-have. You’d rather postpone the wedding than uninvite people. Alternatively, maybe the date is your must-have. You want to marry asap, or on a certain date, even if it means fewer guests. Maybe the venue is your must-have. It’s your dream venue, which works brilliantly for your guests too. Maybe you don’t know what your must-haves are yet. Now’s a good time to decide.

Make a list of the main elements of your wedding eg indoor/outdoor, type of ceremony and officiant/celebrant, the number of guests, what restrictions you will/won’t accept, venue, date, budget, entertainment, catering, clothing and so on. Next, rank each one as a Must-Have, Nice to Have, or Could Have.

There are so many tempting choices in the world of weddings. It seems like everything is a Must Have, but using this method, you’ll discover the difference. When you have zoned in on your Must Haves, they are everything you really, really want for your wedding day. This clears your mind wonderfully, and your Nice to Haves and Could Haves fall nicely into line.

Make Contingency Plans A, Plan B, and even Plan C

Your first choice and favourite wedding plan is your Plan A. It has all your Must Haves and a good selection of your Nice to Haves. The Could Haves will also be making an appearance.

Let’s hope you get your Plan A, but be ready with a killer Plan B – and possibly even a bonus Plan C. These will give you peace of mind, and options.

Please note: if this sounds difficult or worrying, remember that British people are naturally very good at this. We have an all-scenarios-covered checklist just to go to the beach. So, whether you’re British, or are marrying here, you’re covered. Don’t worry.

You can develop your Plans A, B, C as a written-out scenario. For example: Plan A is that we get married outdoors in the Mystic Hollow, in September with 100 guests. There will be no restrictions on numbers, catering and dancing. Plan B is we get married in Swish House, in December with 50 guests and a socially distanced dinner and no dancing. Plan C, we switch back to Mystic Hollow in September the following year, with our original plan for 100 guests. You could write each element of your wedding on a flashcard and lay them out in different combinations. Colour code your Must Haves – do whatever makes sense to you.

You may discover that no plan is absolutely perfect. Wedding planning in a pandemic is probably going to throw a couple of things off course. The main thing is your Must Haves. Do you still have them?

With a good slug of flexibility and good humour, you’ll get there. In the end, your biggest and best Must Have is your partner. You WILL get married, even if it’s not exactly following your Plan A. Keep looking for the unexpected silver linings that changes bring. I know how cheesy that sounds but it’s true.

On a practical note, if you’d like more information on celebrant weddings, and how they can complement your legal wedding, and what’s the difference, check out my Frequently Asked Questions

The latest info on legal weddings

If you’re looking for the latest info on legal weddings in Dorset, Devon and Somerset from the respective Registration Services, check out these links.

Dorset

Devon

Somerset

Keep talking to people, and reach out for support and advice. Just don’t get like this ….!

If you need any help or a friendly chat, I’ll be in my virtual wedding waiting room.

Contact me

The post Wedding planning in a pandemic appeared first on Beautiful Day Celebrant.

Everyone wants their wedding ceremony to be memorable right?! No one ever actually plans for anyone to forget it, yet the ceremony sometimes gets short-shrift. Couples tell me they’re worried about their guests being bored during their ceremony. If that’s you, you’re in the right place: I can’t stand boring ceremonies either. I specialise in ceremonies that draw people in, and which are original and memorable, and personal. Here are some ways you can make your wedding ceremony more ‘you’.

Make it engaging

If people don’t know each other or feel included, a ceremony can feel a bit exclusive. A wedding ceremony should be a shared, joyful experience, not something anyone is passively observing. It’s my job to engage your guests, whilst keeping the focus on you. Any celebrant can, at the very least, namecheck key people; better still have a bit of info on them. You can get your friends and family involved in readings, blessings and symbolic rituals. I also have a few ideas for embarrassment-free ice breakers and tricks, to get people more connected.

Make it emotional

A personal ceremony fires up the happy, lovely emotions, which we all want – especially at a wedding. Some British people have a low threshold for big touchy-feely displays of physical affection, but ALL of us want to feel the love on a wedding day. For starters, consider the words of your ceremony. Words are so powerful in expressing emotion. They can get us roaring with laughter, whooping with joy, and sometimes shedding a quiet, happy tear. The right words, which convey genuine emotion – are absolute gold.

Make it relevant

We’ve all been to a wedding unfortunately, which is the standard ‘fixed price menu’ of ceremonies. There’s an unspoken sense of ‘take it or leave it’, ‘this is how it is’. Often the problem is that the ceremony is stuffed full of random, generalised, gushy cliches about love and marriage that you can’t relate to.  It’s quotable, Instagram-able padding which adds nothing to the ceremony – except time. Can you tell I’m not a fan?! It’s boring and the opposite of memorable. You could be spending that time, champagne in hand, chatting to friends and family you haven’t seen for 10 years. You deserve a wedding ceremony that’s relevant to you. I reckon to spend around 4 hours actually talking and listening to my wedding couples. I also get more brilliant info from the questionnaires I send out.

Make the vibe right

A ceremony is memorable when the vibe is right. This is a nuanced thing.  If your wedding theme is boho, fun and the tone of the ceremony is too formal, there’s an obvious mismatch. The right vibe is the one you choose, and it’s very personal. For example, I might show two couples the same love poem and one will say it’s beautiful and romantic, and the other will say it’s cheesy. A good ceremony gets the vibe right all the way through, which enhances your whole wedding day. By the way, I think this photo is cute, but if you think it’s naff – that’s OK.

Make it original

As individuals we are all so brilliantly original. I’m not talking about creative genius, or Nobel prize-winning originality. I mean the everyday originality of each and every one of us.  When I meet couples for the first time, it doesn’t take long for this to come out in their funny/endearing/ridiculous/clever personality traits, habits and sayings. Next, I like to hear about the adventures, mishaps, jobs, families and friends. And the best bit by far, is your love story, with all its twists and turns, to the happy ending. Together it’s the most amazing cocktail for an original wedding ceremony. Celebrating your originality is absolutely always memorable and never boring.

For a wedding ceremony to be really memorable, it has to be personal, all about YOU. It needs to have energy, be relevant, not too long, with a mix of emotions, and a big soft heart in the centre, when you make your vows and your mum/dad/best friend start to cry. There are also so many extra sprinkles and sparkles of originality that you can add. As your celebrant, I bring lots of ideas to the table.

No more boring wedding ceremonies! I’m excited to hear your story. Find out more here about your original, beautiful wedding ceremony.

The post No more boring weddings! Five ways to make your wedding more memorable appeared first on Beautiful Day Celebrant.