The importance of a wedding rehearsal

Having attended another wedding rehearsal yesterday for one of our couples who are getting married this month it got me thinking that a little blog on the subject could be helpful for couples when thinking about their own ceremonies.  Should you have a wedding rehearsal?  Well in our opinion - yes you should and you should use it as an opportunity to do several things before your wedding day:

Image credit - Practically Ever After

 - Get comfortable.  You won't be walking down an aisle every day (one hopes!) so its not something that people are generally familiar with and having the opportunity to go over the entrance and the walk and who is where and who stands on which sides etc. is a great ice breaker so that you feel a little more comfortable about the day itself.  The emotion or nerves will usually get you on the day itself so its good to have had a little run through of this before the day.  Think about bridesmaids in front or behind the bride and where the position any little ones in the procession.  Personally I think it works best with bridesmaids to the front of the bride so that the bride makes her entrance last - make sure there is sufficient gap though between the bridesmaids and the bride so that the photographer can get a clear shot of the bride walking in.  The only time you may want to consider having 1 or 2 bridesmaids behind the bride is if her dress/train may need fixing as she walks down the aisle.  With the little ones it works well having them in front with older bridesmaids behind to nudge and guide them if they need it! 

 - Allow your bridal party to get familiar with what their duties are.  Your Vicar or Priest (or civil ceremony venue) will run through where all of your bridal party fit into the day itself and what is expected of them so they know a little more about where they should be and what they should be doing - if they turn up on the day without any rehearsal yes of course you and your day will survive but your wedding party will be a little "blind" on what they are meant to be doing! 

 - Allows you to try music (depending on your ceremony venue) and agree the volumes and test your processional and recessional songs to ensure that they are the right length and you know when during the song the bridesmaids and most importantly the bride should begin her walk down the aisle.  I don't think that Kate Middleton would have attempted her wedding without having a little "go" at her mammoth walk down that stunning aisle and it should not be any different for any other bride! 

 - You will get a chance to read some of your vows to each other which should help to combat some nerves on the day and also to check your own volume for the ceremony - you do want everyone to be able to hear you! 

 - Get people who are conducting readings for you to come along and have a practice.  They may not be used to public speaking or may not be used to standing at the front of a Church and speaking into a microphone so again its a good chance for them to see what it will sound like and how to conduct their voices. 

 - Try to get all of your main bridal party at the rehearsal if possible - its not always possible because of distances to travel and work etc but if you can have the following people there: Bride and Groom (of course!) both sets of parents, person giving away the bride if different, best man (men), all the bridesmaids, all the ushers and anyone doing a reading or singing or any other kind of performance during the ceremony.  Even the little members of the bridal party ie flower girls and page boys as it will really make it clear to them what they will be doing on the day and most little ones will take it in and it will make them more excited and less nervous about it all too. 

 - Try to have your Order of Service printed and take at least one copy with you to the rehearsal so that the person conducting your ceremony can have a copy in advance and you can run through it with him/her at that time.  Make sure you then arrange to get the Orders of Service to the Church in good time for the wedding day itself so that your Ushers can distribute them on the day. 

 - If you have a wedding planner or have a wedding co-ordinator for your day then your co-ordinator should come along to your rehearsal too as it is a good opportunity for your bridal party to meet the planner/co-ordinator and for her/him to go through some plans for the day and then on the day your planner will be there to remind and prompt your bridal party with the duties they have so they don't have to stress and worry about not remembering all they have to do!  Its so common as a planner to see Ushers and the bridal party get nervous and excited before the ceremony and forget where they are meant to be and when and all the little details they were asked to remember at the rehearsal!  Don't worry - planners will be there taking notes and will point those things out where important on the day!  

 - You may be thinking that if you are having a civil ceremony that you have not been offered a rehearsal and we do find this a lot because Registrars do not traditionally offer a rehearsal service which is a real shame.  However, some civil ceremony venues will still offer a rehearsal without the Registrar being present and it gives you an opportunity to have a run through even though a civil ceremony is shorter and not so full or formalities.  Even still, its just as important to make yourselves familiar and comfortable so do ask your wedding venue for a civil ceremony if its possible.  We find that if your wedding is a Saturday then a Friday evening rehearsal works best as a lot of your guests if not local will have travelled to stay the night before the wedding - so maybe a 5pm or 6pm rehearsal and then the bride and groom can part and be traditional and spend the night apart as they should! 

 - If your civil ceremony venue does not offer a rehearsal then here's a few tips for you.  You may not be told that the bride and groom will need to be seen separately by the Registrar before the ceremony to confirm identity, address etc.  Also, did you know that in this area the Registrar will usually ask the groom to pay, in cash for a copy of the marriage certificate before the ceremony.  The fee is normally £3.50 and why that cannot be paid in advance when you pay for your Notices of Marriage and the Registrar's fees I don't know but have some cash handy on the day!  When the bride arrives at the ceremony make sure that groom is well hidden as the Registrar will also wish to check identity with the bride before the ceremony begins so have somewhere where this can be conducted away from the guests and the groom. 

 - Its also a good opportunity to make sure that all the important people know where they are going for the wedding ceremony if they have not been there before!  If they come along to the rehearsal it gives them less opportunity to get lost on the day! 

 - It is a really good chance for your photographer and videographer to get familiar with the ceremony venue as well - particularly if they have not shot or filmed in that location before.  As a planner I will always ask the photographer and videographer to attend the rehearsal - its not always possible again because of distance and other prior commitments but I do always like them be present.  They get to check out the light and space and liaise with the person conducting the ceremony to see where they will be permitted to be during the ceremony.  Every Registrar and Vicar/Priest is different and will have different rules and likes and dislikes about where they will permit the videographer and photographer to stand during the ceremony and if they will permit film and photographs at all during the ceremony so its best to get that agreed before the day itself so that there is not so much of a rush on the day.  The Church may also ask your videographer for the special Licence they should provide to be able to video the service and again its best to do that before the day of the wedding itself.  Check with your photographer and videographer before you book if they will attend your rehearsal

 - If you are having a ceremony conducted by a civil celebrant such as Diana Saxby from Grace the Day   then Diana will always arrange a rehearsal for your ceremony wherever its possible to do so.  This is another great way to enhance  your wedding day so consider having the legal ceremony perhaps the day before which can literally be just the bride, groom and witnesses in jeans at the Register Office and then a beautiful and bespoke ceremony written just for you with a full rehearsal whenever you like before the day itself to make you feel entirely comfortable. 

Finally - if you are having your rehearsal perhaps the evening before the wedding day itself or maybe a few days before - what about doing things the American way and having a rehearsal dinner afterwards - what a lovely way to bring the families together prior to the wedding.  Arrange a nice meal for all of the close family and bridal party and have a chance to all get excited together.  

xx

All that glitz and glamour - of the Sunflower Ball

OK so its taken us a few weeks more than it should to report on this event but we are thrilled to at last get a few minutes to write an article for our blog on this event.  Even the appalling weather and lots of other challenges could not stop these wonderful guests having a the most amazing time a few weeks ago at the Sunflower Ball at the RNLI College, Poole. We were very pleased to be asked to come on board under our sister company brand of Simply Events, which specialises in corporate and private event planning, to help with the organising and co-ordination of this event which was hosted by Jacqui Frampton of WIBN South & South West  in aid of Lewis Manning Hospice based in Poole, Dorset.

We worked for a few months on this with a team of committed people who were confident from the outset that we would be able, even during these tough economic times, to get the lovely ladies of WIBN and their contacts, friends and family on board to support this cause and buy all of the tickets to make it a fantastic event.  And that they did!  In fact, we could have sold more tickets - we just didn't have the room!  There was a lot of love and support for the event and the committee who worked on this event worked tirelessly to get sponsorship behind the event and get support with some great auction and raffle prizes to make sure that the evening went with a real swing! 

The very kind sponsors for the event were Float The Boat, creative marketing and design, Simply Eloquent Mortgages, Tops Day Nurseries and Acquit Debt Recovery

One of the sponsors from the event - Emma Burt from Simply Eloquent

When we first looked at waterside venues in Poole and Bournemouth who could host this for up to 150 people we have to say its not easy and with Lewis Manning Hospice being a Poole based charity it was felt that a Poole based venue was needed so RNLI College ticked all the boxes.

We transformed the room from a fairly blank palette with black chair covers and bright yellow organza sashes topped off with miniature sunflowers on the back of each chair to run along with the theme.  The table centres were striking fresh sunflower arrangements and it was great to see that so many of the guests added sunflowers to their outfits in one way or another - lapel or wrist corsages or sunflowers in their hair! 

Girls looking very glam! 

Guests were treated to a delicious three course summer menu following which Max our MC and auctioneer got straight into the business of auctioning off some amazing prizes including a golf day with a pro golfer and some rather fetching ladies handbags and accessories!

Max in action on the auction 

Maria from Lewis Manning "doing her bit" with the auction items - well done Maria! 

Also featuring another sponsor Diane Banten from Acquit Debt Recovery 

Following the auction we had a quick and swiftly organised raffle which went down well so that guests could move on to the most important part of the evening - the entertainment and the DANCING!  Get your dancing shoes on guys and girls! 

We were very lucky to have secured the most amazing swing band Swing Unlimited comprising of 18 very talented musicians and what a night of music we had - well done everyone - you had all of our guests up dancing so much so that they did not want the night to end! 

Do you think they might be having some fun? 

The night would not be complete without some casino fun which came courtesy of our friends at Absolute Fun Casino who did a brilliant job of getting all of the guests into the mood to win the great prizes on offer and raise more money for the charity - guests purchased fun money to join in on the casino.  

So, you could say that a great night was had by all and over £3,000 was raised for Lewis Manning Hospice and the guests really did not want to go home!  Some guests stayed over for the night at the RNLI College and their night went on till...well the small hours you could say and then a breakfast was enjoyed in the morning to chat over the events of the night before.  We have already had requests for another BIGGER and better event soon so watch this space!

A HUGE thank you goes to all who sponsored and took part in some way and came along to support the event and helped to make it not only such a success and raise so much money but make it so much fun!  Thank you also to those lovely people over at Seeker who kindly covered the event for us and took these fabulous images and gave us permission to use them in this blog.  Please contact Seeker if you wish to purchase any of the images here or any other which they feature on their site from this event. 

Simply Events 

Real Wedding Feature - Kate and Ben - Magical Fairytale Marquee Wedding

Having just received the images from the wedding of Kate and Ben I was thrilled to see that the photographer  Sally Adams, freelance photographer has captured the fun of the couple and their family and friends perfectly.  This day was one which Kate had planned for so well and had been so involved in the creative side of the wedding.  Such a talented and beautiful bride, Kate had gone to such detail in making and creating so many of the decorations which adorned the tables in her marquee - right down to printing hundreds of miniature photographs of family and friends which were then hung with ribbons on the trees which she made as the table centres for the marquee. 

Kate getting ready for her wedding day and looking beautiful 

We were asked to come on board as Kate could see that bringing together her months and months of hard work would need someone else on hand on the day to ensure that she could enjoy the build up of the day and the day itself and there is a lot to think about and do for a marquee wedding.  We worked closely alongside Kate to make sure that the marquee ended up looking how she wanted it to look.  The marquee was built to such high standards by the team at Pole to Pole Marquees and Jason one of the owners of the business ensures that he is on site all day for his marquees and all evening to oversee the power situation - what a godsend with a marquee wedding running on a generator! 

Kate wanted the marquee and the day to have a magical, fairytale feel about it and it was full of decorations with that theme - fairies and goblins and pretty decorations in shades of purple. 

A view of the marquee from the top table 

The napkin table settings with pretty jewelled bracelets and garden leaves for decoration all within Kate's theme 

The bride arrived at the Church in a fun and funky Cadillac - this wedding was full of unique twists and turns which helped to bring out the personalities of the bride and groom and it was great to see a couple being brave and bold in their choices and not following the norm!  

Here comes the bride!

The bridesmaids looking amazing in deep purple greeting the bride as she arrives for the ceremony - simple posies of lillies for their bouquets 

The happy couple in the Church during the service 

Lovely image of the bride and groom after the service - grabbing some time for some personal shots before heading back to the Marquee to greet their guests 

The confetti shot at the gate of the Church 

Back at the marquee, the guests were treated to a drinks reception of rum cocktails and canapes on the lawn whilst waiting for their bride and groom to arrive.  The inside of the marquee had been kept a complete secret from the guests with the window walls draped from the inside so that guests could not see in!  Inside the marquee we had a reception area where the guests were received on a receiving line but the main section of the marquee was still sectioned off with drapes so that Kate got to do a complete "reveal" of all her hard work so that her guests all saw the finished look at the same time as her - it was a really great moment! 

One of the younger guests enjoying the outside before going into the marquee for the wedding breakfast

The most obvious thing about this wedding was how much fun all the guests were and how much fun they had!  This is really reflected in the photographs and captured so brilliantly.  Guests had an amazing time all day and all night! 

Go girls!  Girls just want to have fun! 

The groom making a really heart felt speech - had a few tears with the guests going thats for sure!

The guests were treated to a relaxed family style wedding breakfast of salmon and meats and delicious salads followed by the most sumptuous desserts which had been made by the groom's Mum and they all looked amazing!  Yes we did have some rain on this day as you can see from the back of the marquee in this shot but it really did not dampen the spirits of this wedding - the guests were having such a great time!  A few of our appropriately coloured wedding umbrellas just made it all the more fun for guests when dashing for the loo or having piccies outside on the lawn!  The rain didn't hang around for long and this left time for outdoor activities for the guests after the meal - especially the bride and groom! 

I LOVE this shot!  Well done to Kate and Ben for getting up there and having so much fun! 

It was a real pleasure being involved in this wedding day and helping it to go with such a swing!  Kate is so talented with her design of the day and her creative skills that I may be offering her a job in the not too distant future if she would like one!  The guests were all such a pleasure to deal with.  

There is a lovely video highlights about this day which was filmed by Ollie of  7876 Films which you can access via this link http://www.7876films.blogspot.com so do take a look as its beautiful and just adds to these lovely images. 

Many congratulations Katie and Ben and lots of love for the future 

x

Real Wedding Feature - Cambridge Blue at the Castle

A few weeks back we hinted at a wedding which we had been lucky enough to work on at the stunning Lulworth Castle, Dorset, and today we can bring you images and a little more background into this beautiful day for Ian and Scotty. Thank you to John Howarth of Columbia Photography  and to Ian and Scotty for allowing to feature these beautiful images from their day. 

Our couple were searching for a venue outside of London which would present them and their guests with the "wow" factor and it really helped swing it that this stunning Castle just happens to be surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside, not far from the coast which was important to the Groom and we could have sheep incorporated into the day in more ways than one! 

Ceremony Room set up ready and waiting for the guests and the bride and groom 

The guys getting ready - well - in the most appropriate way! 

The Bride and Groom and some of their guests were very wise in having chosen the most wonderful local house to stay in for a long weekend over the wedding so they were really close to the Castle and could all relax in the build up to the wedding.  We all met the night before for a rehearsal at the Castle and we started to set up a few things the night before and then the next day the Bride and Groom could relax and get ready whilst we were at Castle with the florists and the Castle staff and the caterers which was provided by the ever fabulous Beales Gourmet who are a relatively new addition to the approved caterers at the Castle and were about to embark on their first wedding at the Castle for Ian and Scotty followed by another wedding the following day.  And what a feast lay ahead for the guests! 

The beautiful Bride arrives to greet her Groom for the ceremony

The ceremony had a really lovely feel about it with some great music chosen by Ian and Scotty.  They also asked a close friend to play the piano during the ceremony and another close friend who just happens to be a professional singer who sang a stunning version of "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera which was very emotional and brought something very personal to the ceremony.  

Sealing the ceremony 

Bride and groom leaving the ceremony for the great steps outside the Castle for photographs 

After the ceremony the guests were treated to cocktails and bubbly on the lawn and we were blessed with a sunny (if a little windy!) day on the back lawns behind the Castle.  

A happy and relaxed Scotty after the ceremony 

Guests were entertained with croquet and other garden games and the Bride and Groom got to have photos taken with the all important sheep which was a must to be part of their day! 

Well I think these chaps look like they are enjoying themselves having a go at one handed croquet!  Its multi-tasking though!

Love this one - Bride and Groom feeding Larry the Lamb! 

The wedding breakfast began with the guests bursting into song before food was served - the words for Jerusalem had been sneaked into their napkins and we have to say that the guests all took part and did a grand job!  

The dining room ready and waiting for the guests - simple and elegant dressing with the Bride and Groom's chosen colours of Cambridge Blue complete with a chocolate lamb on each place setting to continue with the lamb theme! 

What followed was a wonderful selection of dishes - ignore the next few images if you are hungry!

Tiger king prawn starter 

Vegetarian alternative starter - deliciously fresh

For their main course the guests were treated to a trio of lamb and a chocolate dessert and following the cake cutting it was on to another very important part of the day - the party!  The Castle was such a great venue to work with.  The staff were really accommodating and whilst we have worked with Beales Gourmet many times before at their resident venue The Italian Villa and on outside marquee weddings and events it was great to work with them here.  The food was amazing with so many great comments from the guests and in the evening the guests got to feast again with a hog roast with all the trimmings and a beautifully displayed cheese board and the all important cake! 

Cake cutting with the Castle Sword! Very brave! 

This wedding was such a pleasure to work on.  There were some distance issues to get around as Ian and Scotty are not local to us or the venue so we set about booking supplier and venue visits and meetings grouped together at weekends or meeting part way between here and them!  We work a lot on phone and email and keep our couples updated with timelines and progress reports and it works well.  Ian and Scotty had some definite plans on what they wanted and decided to deal with some of the planning themselves so we fitted around what they wanted.  They and their guests were such fun on the day and it was all about having a great day and a great party. 

We hope we delivered - many many congratulations to you both and lots of love and best wishes for your future together 

x

On the Day Co-ordination Service by Bellissimo - what does that mean??!!

We like to be very flexible with the services which we offer and appreciate that not all brides want to hand over all of the planning of their wedding to someone else and really like to have some creative input, so we offer an on the day co-ordination service.  The title is a little misleading however as this does not mean that we just turn up on the day!  Perhaps a change of title is in order to make this more clear but most planners in the business do call it that service and we have found a lot of brides ask for exactly that. 

So - what do we actually do when a couple books us for that service?  Its such a HUGE range - we find ourselves doing everything from rushing around on the morning of the wedding changing shoes which dont fit for the bridal party and setting up cakes and flowers right through to cleaning toilets and getting down on the hands and knees and cleaning the dance floor before people arrive!  You could say that its certainly not all glamour!  

Final details pre-wedding with Groom and Best Man 

Image credit - Jennifer Sinclair Photography 

We certainly make sure that we mop up all the duties which no one has had assigned to them or that no one else either wants to do or are doing.  This makes sure that our clients' wedding runs as smoothly as possible and that the detail is never missed. 

I thought that what might be helpful is a brief run down on what will happen if you decide to use us for this service:

1.  We receive an enquiry which is usually on a recommendation from previous bride or venue (which is lovely!) and we have a brief chat with the bride or groom about how far they have got with their wedding plans.  We set up a time to meet to have a full consultation to discuss the plans which we like to do around 2-4 weeks before the wedding and preferably on site at the wedding venue so we can do a full "walk through" the day. 

2.  At the meeting we go through our detailed fact finding questionnaire and take full details of the day, the plans, the suppliers and start spotting anything which is left to be resolved and ends to tie up. 

3.  A lot of couples at this stage then like us to add to our on the day service by helping out with last minute supplier searches if things have been overlooked or if the busy couple have just not had time which is not uncommon!  We can do that - we are happy to be flexible with our services and add in where we need to along the way.  Don't forget that we are well connected with suppliers so we can often put our hands on suppliers at the last minute for you.  

4.  Once we have a full picture of the day and all details of the suppliers we start to work on a detailed time schedule for the day which our couple approve and once they are happy we distribute this to all suppliers so that everyone knows where they are mean to be and when and it gives everyone an opportunity to say if they think they need more time for something or if something needs to be changed.  We amend until everyone is happy then we work strictly to this during the day and this is how our weddings run to time!  Its all in the planning! 

5.  For the final weeks we encourage our clients to leave the contact with the suppliers to us so that they get to relax and we deal with any last minute issues.  

6.  If its a dry hire venue or a marquee where things need to be set up such as tables and chairs and chair covers, table centres, decorations - anything really - then we are on hand to do that the day before if we can or the morning of the wedding if we can't.

7.  We would usually go to the wedding rehearsal if there is one and encourage the photographer and videographer to go to.  We find this means that we get a feel for what's happening during the service and we get to meet the bridal party and introduce who will be covering the wedding on the day so that best man/ushers/parents know who we are and they can come to us for anything during the day.  At this point best man usually is not clear on what he has to do and when and likewise with the ushers so we do reminders here (or on the morning of the wedding if there is no rehearsal) to put everyone at ease. 

Sorting out the guys!

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography 

8.  On the day we start early and do any finishing off at the venue.  There are always flowers to deliver somewhere, checking of tables and table plans to do, dropping off of buttonholes to the guys and making sure they are on properly and they are all dressed correctly - vital point!  Buttonholes don't tend to look that great when not put on properly and hankies and ties or cravats not done properly is really annoying in photographs if not finished properly!

One of the most important jobs - the Groom's buttonhole

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography 

9.  During the day we would usually have 1 or 2 or us there depending on the requirements of the day - if one is needed at the ceremony perhaps to back up the photographer for photography calls or getting guests on and off coaches without missing anyone then 1 would be there and 1 at the venue making sure everything is set up, all the suppliers turn up when they are meant to and then there can be communication when the first guests are on their way from the ceremony to the reception so that the caterers can be ready for their arrival with drinks and canapes. 

Room set up in a barn for a countryside wedding - chair covers all done! 

Image credit - Jennifer Sinclair Photography 

10.  Usually we are there throughout the day until all formalities have been completed ie first dance, cake cutting - sometimes later if we are needed to stay until the end to help with clearing up and out if its a venue which has to be cleared on the night - what bride wants to be doing that at the end of her wedding day?  All day we will back up the venue staff or catering staff - we never tread on anyone's toes or tell them how to do their jobs.  We are there to compliment what they do and back up where necessary.  If there is wine to be poured or plates to be cleared and the caterers are busy then we will help and do that.  We are always looking out to make sure that our couple (and we always look after the parents very closely) are very well looked after and of course the guests as well.  

Set up for the ceremony which then had to be turned around for the wedding breakfast

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography 

11.  We are closely watching the timing and making sure that any line-ups are done to do, seating is done swiftly and the speeches run in the correct order.  We do announcements if there is no MC or Toastmaster to do this.  

12.  We will then make sure that bands/ DJs and any other suppliers arrive on time for the evening and ensure they are set up in time and fed and watered and are happy!  We will set up for the cake cutting shots and encourage guests to take part in this and same with the first dance. 

13.  After this - if we can and the party is in full swing - we may leave!  Usually the day can be anything from 10-18 hours on your feet. 

Glamour it is not.  Its all about very hard work, making sure no details are missed and if anyone does not turn up when they are meant to or there is a problem that we quickly react to that and solve it before the bride and groom even know. 

So far this season we have worked on quite a few marquee weddings which take a lot of preparation and set up and we will oversee all of this and tweek things as we go along.  There are always things to set up and tea lights and candles to light and replace and details to add.  A guest book or wishing tree to make sure people sign.  We always keep an eye on the wedding cards and gifts and make sure these go away safely either back to the house or wherever they need to go. 

We have some weddings come up where our services will extend to making sure guests do partake in some activities during the drinks reception which is really important to the couple.  We have quite a few more marquee weddings and some weddings where the timing is very tight because the ceremonies are quite late so its really important that we are there to ensure the day runs to time.  Otherwise, a couple could be paying for a fabulous live band who are due to do 2 x 1 hour live sets and if the day runs late you eat into this time and may miss half of it and it would be such a waste of money and a real shame.  We are always on hand with our emergency kit and you will be amazed what's in it and what people ask for....

So - does that sound like enough?  Its quite a comprehensive service and we are pleased to say that our couples love it!  Take a look at some of the testimonials  we have had for this and our other services. 

Why is this service so popular?  Well hopefully the above will speak for itself but we feel it gives couples real peace of mind that there is someone "in charge" on their wedding day - who people can go to and ask questions and deal with issues rather than bothering the bride and groom on their special day.  Descriptions for this have been "fairy godmother", "Wonder Woman" and "don't you ever sit down - you have not stopped all day!".  At one recent wedding the mother of the bride said that she felt that she had "been to some of the best hotels in the world but had never been looked after so well as I looked after her at the wedding and could ".  All of the comments we get mean that we know that the service works.  On the day co-ordination whilst its the smallest service we offer is in fact the most difficult as you are stepping in late to someone else's plans so our advice is always to consider full plan and let us take care of things from the outset - you would be surprised how much money and stress we can save you!

Clipboard in hand with that time schedule 

Image credit - Clay Photography 

Hope that does some way to let you into our world and what we do for just one small part of the services we offer.  Any queries or comments - we would love to hear from you!

x

Expert Feature - Diana Saxby - Grace the Day - Civil Celebrant

Diana Saxby, Grace the Day 

"What IS a Celebrant?" is one of the recurring questions since I started out, along with "So you are a Humanist?" and "Are you a Registrar?"

So, along with a smattering of public speaking accompanied by my trusty short presentation film, I welcome any opportunity to address these misconceptions, starting with what a Celebrant is NOT!

I am not a wedding planner

Wedding day co-ordination, seating plans etc are definitely the responsibility of the wedding planner or the venue co-ordinator and if these have not been addressed early on and a celebrant is asked to advise, then it may be wise to re-think who you have engaged for these priorities. As a trained celebrant I will only take responsibility at the venue for choreographing the entrance, exit and positioning of the bridal procession throughout the ceremony and officiating on the day by performing the ceremony as agreed with the bride and groom. While it's important to have a good working relationship with everyone involved, it's equally important that I don't tread on anyone's toes in the hope that they won't tread on mine. Everyone has a useful purpose and a valuable role to play which I respect.

I am not a Registrar

Celebrants offer alternatives to Church and Registry Office weddings and have a great deal more freedom than registrars, including the freedom to conduct ceremonies indoor and outdoors without a licence. Their ceremonies can contain religious or spiritual readings and music. A registrar is still required to legally register the marriage and authorise the marriage certificate in a simple and inexpensive visit to the local registry office, either before or after the ceremony. A celebrant ceremony will include all the meaningful exchanges of rings, vows and pledges and will finish with a blessing or reading which can be spiritual, religious or non-religious.

I am not a Humanist.

My own opinions are not reflected in the ceremony, which is designed entirely for the couple and no one else.

The ceremony script is written either for them or by them and their input, contribution and approval makes it totally bespoke and unique. My practice is to keep the script absolutely private and confidential until it is delivered on the day of the wedding. I have learnt from bitter experience not to work when a third party is present as my brief is taken from the couple and much of what is discussed is intimate and private until shared on the day. I will include any reading or vows which the couple choose as appropriate to reflect their own identity, beliefs and hopes for the future.

In my opinion, a good celebrant should be open-minded, flexible, adaptable, creative, articulate and a confident orator. They shouldn’t be bigoted or prejudiced, nor should they impose restrictions, particularly when working with other professionals, such as photographers and film-makers. A registrar or vicar may limit the number of photographs taken during a service and stipulate where a photographer should stand. I don't make stipulations and believe in working in harmony with others, so that we enhance each others work, not hinder it.

My previous work history included the organising of functions attended by the Royal Family and liaising with members of the Royal Household, so while I have knowledge and respect for protocol, I am neither bound nor restricted by it as a celebrant. I’ve valuable links with reputable professionals who I’m happy to recommend once I’ve worked with them and can personally endorse their work and professionalism. I also have links with a number of beautiful venues, some of which are private homes with large and beautiful gardens, and I'm listed as an approved supplier with a number of well known and well-kept secret venues in several counties.

A creative mind helps to visualise beautiful, elegant ceremonies in unusual and romantic settings and I am happy to suggest locations and venues from my portfolio when we meet personally to discuss planning the bespoke ceremony for two unique individuals. 

Diana Saxby is a Civil Celebrant and is the founder/owner of Grace the Day 

We work with Diana and have great pleasure in doing so and believe that Diana's ceremony services offer a really personal and unique element to your wedding day.  

You can contact Diana to discuss your own personal ceremony requirements 07760 110007 or email ceremonies@dianagrace.plus.com 

You can also visit Grace the Days website