My tips for a memorable, successful outdoor ceremony

In time-honoured blog fashion, I have 10 tips up my sleeve, and they apply to all kinds of ceremony. I’m interested in beautiful, practical and personal ceremonies, which skip neatly around most of the most common pitfalls.

1. The UK weather. Enough said. You and your guests are planning to look your best, so don’t let the weather ruin it. Having a Plan B is essential. Fortunately, we’re very good at this in the UK.  Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy are all things that happen. Wet weather is best dealt with by going under cover. Umbrellas work up to a point but only when the rain comes straight down, and even then you’ll have a soggy lap – not a good look. On a hot day, it only takes a few minutes sitting on a plastic chair to feel uncomfortable. So seek out natural shade, rig up an awning, hire a gazebo, or a marquee. Offer water, paper fans, white umbrellas and suncream. For the odd shower, white or clear umbrellas look nicer than a mismatch of wonky, patterned and  branded brollies.

2. Are they sitting comfortably? This question is just as much about focus and concentration. We all relax better when we’re sitting down. Also, it’s good to consider the needs of the older generation and families with young children. People tend to overestimate how long they’ll be comfortable standing. I reckon 20 minutes – tops. Arrange your seating in a warm, friendly curve, so everyone can see each other.

3. Create a backdrop. Again, Nature often provides a stunning solution. If you’re having a photographer, she/he will make a bee-line for a good backdrop. You can also create a beautiful focal point with flowers, awnings, archways, or just the view into the distance. I wrote a blog all about that, if you need some inspiration.

4. Think about the light. Most photographers prefer the light earlier or later in the day. It’s not only more flattering, but the noon sun can be unforgiving. The general tendency in life is to have a ceremony, followed by a feast, so if you’re offering lunch, I would start the ceremony at 11.30am. Sunset ceremonies are also lovely.

5. Theme it. Even a simple colour theme brings a ceremony together visually. Looking deeper, how do you want your guests to feel and remember about the occasion. Will your day be playful, joyous, serious or reflective?  If you want an relaxed, romantic atmosphere – what will you choose for the colours, sights, smells, tastes and sounds?

6. Manage background noise. When the stage is all set for a romantic declaration of love and someone decides that THIS is the perfect time to rev up the chainsaw or mow the lawn, it does breaks the spell. If you’re at a hotel venue, that’s less of a problem. If you’re using your own garden, have a friendly word with the neighbours.

7. Can everybody hear me?! Forget the chainsaw, even Nature can be surprisingly noisy and if you have seagulls (we have lots of seagulls in Dorset), or even just a windy day, you can lose sound very easily. A simple microphone and speaker may be needed.

8. Music makes a ceremony. The right choice of music really brings a ceremony to life and helps create the atmosphere you’re after. Live musicians are always wonderful. If you’re using recorded music, check your system and then check it again. It’s incredible how something that works perfectly in one setting, refuses to in another. If you’re paranoid like me, have a back-up,  preferably with lovely wires.

9. Have a clear beginning and end to your ceremony. It can be slightly more challenging to round up guests for outdoor ceremonies. Have a ceremony sheet or at least clear instructions that We’re Starting Now and Time For Champagne, and so on. At the end, you want to keep the momentum and not have confused people drifting off into the middle distance. Rounding people up and keeping them in the right place for the ceremony is also part of my job as a celebrant.

10. Put your heart into it. This is a bit of a cheat but it’s as true of an outdoor ceremony as an indoor one. A ceremony is only as good as the words that are used: beautiful, heartfelt words that capture your thoughts and feelings. The real magic comes when a ceremony is a true expression of you. This takes time, thought, experience and an excellent celebrant (lol). Words and I have been best friends for a very long time.

If you have an occasion in mind, think about how a bespoke ceremony could lift it from being a special day to an extraordinarily wonderful, brilliant day! If I can help you, I’d love to x.

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It’s the relationships and stories that star in the ceremonies I lead – be it a large, formal wedding or a small, intimate funeral. In the end, we are always celebrating Love and re-connecting with each other through ceremony, which is so vital in our fast-paced world. So, what can you expect from me as your wedding or funeral celebrant? A beautiful, bespoke ceremony, created by me in collaboration with you, delivered with warmth and professionalism. Every single ceremony is special and unique to me. It may be simple but never basic; elaborate but never excessive; creative but never glib.

The big days in our lives don’t come along very often, so it’s unusual for anyone to be 100% clear about what kind of ceremony they would like. I help you with that. Knowing what works and having an instinct for the flow of a ceremony all come from experience. Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why one reading feels better first or second. It’s usually to do with the flow and meaning of the ceremony. Sometimes it just feels better that way!

Whenever possible, I like to meet people in person before writing any kind of ceremony. By the end of that first meeting, I hope that you will have confidence in me – that I’ve understood what you want and that I’ll create a personal, memorable ceremony for you.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CELEBRANT

When you choose a celebrant, getting on well together and trusting them with your special day is so important. Celebrants come in all shapes and sizes but their personality and values are the x-factor.

I’m very calm and I’d like to help you feel calm, so you can be ‘in the moment’ on the day of the ceremony. I have a good sense of humour – in keeping with the occasion. Tuning into people’s feelings is an essential quality of an experienced celebrant. Whatever you’re feeling: excited, nervous, happy or sad – I will lead the ceremony we’ve planned and created together, exactly as you hoped.

Credit: Dawn Potter

I’m very grateful to get this kind of feedback:

“Thank you most sincerely for the beautiful service you gave for Jim on Friday. Everyone has said how lovely it was. You fulfilled my wishes completely making it all about him with humour and sensitivity. I was very sad but I know he would have been very happy with everything.”

“We just wanted to say a bit thank you for the way you conducted our wedding. You kept us all giggling and created a wonderful and relaxed ceremony and atmosphere which was exactly what we both wanted. Thank you for helping to make our day so very special.”

Kind words like this make me very happy.

For more information on the ceremonies I lead, please look at the pages on my website for weddings or renewals of vows or funerals

It would be a huge privilege to be your celebrant. Please Contact me if you’d like to talk about a special day that’s coming up for you.

The post What to expect from me as your celebrant appeared first on Beautiful Day Celebrant.