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from Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding - February/March 2022 (Issue 87)

HONEYMOON NEWS

Stellar wedmin advice from those in the know

LEARNING THE ROPES

We’ve heard about all of the different rituals we can have during a celebrant-led ceremony from hand-fasting to candle-lighting, but what’s the difference and how do we know which is right for us?

During a Celebrant led ceremony, anything is possible – there are no limits to what rituals (or elements as they are sometimes referred to) you can include, as long as they’re within the current law of the land. It’s a perfect opportunity to really make your ceremony reflect your personality.

Hand-fasting and unity candles are both gorgeous, traditional elements and can involve family and friends, plus you can still use them in a modern way. For example, you don’t have to use ribbons for hand-fasting, perhaps you’re both keen rock climbers and would prefer to incorporate a fancy-coloured climbing rope and some shiny carabineers with personal charms that mean something to you both.

As more and more families are coming together and blending as one, sand ceremonies are becoming very popular. A beautiful glass vessel is filled with different layers of coloured sand, each representing a person and the creation of one family unified.

Your personalities should shine through during your ceremony. If you’re karaoke fans, why not have a sing song with your guests to your favourite songs? For Harry Potter fans out there, you could even include a sorting hat or make a blended cocktail potion as part of a wine ceremony. If you’re eco-conscious, plant a tree or scatter a wild seed mix. If you’re both creative, paint something together or as a collective on a blank canvas, which represents the day of your wedding and a new beginning – you’ll always have a piece of unique art too. The only limitation is your imagination. Remember: this is your wedding, so do it your way!

We’re both a bit camera shy and are feeling anxious about photos on our wedding day, but also want a lovely album to look back on. Can you offer us some advice?

“I DOS” JUST FOR YOU

We’re interested in using a celebrant to conduct our ceremony and would like to know the process. Can you tell us more?

In choosing a celebrant-led wedding you have the opportunity to create a bespoke ceremony that’s uniquely yours, and memorable for all the right reasons! Once you’ve found the right celebrant for you the next step is to explore your hopes and dreams for your wedding.

After sending out a questionnaire with some playful ideas for sharing as a couple, we arrange a visioning session that includes suggestions for rituals and structure, so you can start to visualise the form of your ceremony. Your celebrant can provide ideas for making it inclusive with elements of participation and collaboration.

From here, your celebrant visits the venue and begins working on your wedding script, articulating your personal love story and suggesting readings, while designing a ceremony based on your preferences. You’ll have full editorial control over this and can tweak it to perfection.

Meanwhile, you’re beginning to write your vows and your celebrant can support you with this, offering inspiration and guidance so you can speak your own words straight from the heart. I also like to offer some practices for you to explore as a couple before your wedding to help focus your attention and enrich your depth of connection and commitment.

On your wedding day, your celebrant arrives early at the venue to set up the area and hold the emotional space for those present. This could include anxiety calming techniques, a neck massage or running over speeches. They welcome guests and conduct the ceremony in a caring and grounded way, to ensure the essence of love infuses the whole day and you feel truly supported and celebrated.

Isla Macleod | https://islamacleod.com Simply be yourselves. Our job as wedding photographers is to capture your day as it happens, as well as doing our best to look after our couples. I personally like to tell a story when shooting as your day unfolds and simply want you to be you. There is really no need to feel awkward in front of the camera, as with my documentary-style shooting, you’ll barely know I’m there most of the time!

It’s important to get to know your wedding photographer before the big day. An engagement shoot is the best way to do this, as is meeting up or exchanging phone calls. This will all help to put you at ease in front of the camera.

On the day itself I may prompt my couples with simple tasks such as, “Hold hands and walk towards me.” All nice natural actions to get the best out of you and your photos. You’re not expected to be super models for the day, so the best thing you can do is to relax and enjoy. It’s part of our job to make sure this happens (we don’t just take photos). Try to soak in as much as possible, then you can enjoy your album for years to come.

Flynn Guard | www.flynnguardphotography.co.uk

www.flynnguardphotography.co.uk

JUST DESSERTS

We want a showstopping big-day bake to wow our guests. Do you have any suggestions?

Why not go all-out to impress your guests with a dessert table – an artistic display of sweet treats, all decorated to match your wedding palette and theme? Treat your loved ones to delicious royal-iced biscuits, wonderfully light macarons, chocolate-covered cakesicles, buttercream-topped cupcakes, fluffy meringues, mini morsels of cake pops, sweet lollies, chocolate-dipped marshmallows and even miniature pots of flavoured jellies. Taking centre stage will be your wonderful wedding cake, making it the focal point of your wedding reception.

As your celebrant and wedding officiant I am devoted to creating meaningful and memorable ceremonies that celebrate who you are and what you hope to become together. With Soulmaking Ceremonies you are encouraged to reimagine the traditional wedding ceremony and create something truly unique. Choosing to create a bespoke wedding ceremony enables you to include your individual and collective dreams, inspiration and spiritual beliefs in a way that is relevant and authentic for you. Designing a wedding ceremony that is personal, participatory and held with care, love and intention is my speciality, as well as incorporating ritual and elements of the natural world to celebrate your connection with what you hold sacred. I welcome all faiths, genders and beliefs, holding an inclusive space for you and your guests to come together and share a profound experience of love that will infuse the rest of your day and future together. “Isla’s approach is thoughtful, intuitive and flexible. She worked with us to come up with the perfect order of ceremony, incorporating our ideas and suggesting rituals which would symbolise some of our goals as a couple. Our guests gave us fantastic feedback, even the most traditional saying it was the best wedding they had been to.” “She held the ceremony with such elegance and familiarity and conducted the ceremony with such gentle confidence and ease. From start to end we felt supported, loved and able to just be us. .”

ISLAMACLEOD.COM | INSTAGRAM @ISLAJMACLEOD

Unique. Elegant. Romantic

An award winning bridal boutique based in central Bath offering affordable designer gowns and bridal accessories. Featuring gowns by Enzoani, Blue by Enzoani, Ellis Bridals, Maggie Sottero, Ronald Joyce and Mia Mia.