Weddings changed around the year 1077 when the City of Westminster declared that no marriage was lawful outside of the church.
But times have changed drastically since then giving us much more freedom, here in the West at least.
This has meant that Celebrant led celebrations have almost become the norm. Inviting a celebrant to enhance your wedding day will make it the most unique occasion you could wish for.
It is important to note, that a Celebrant cannot legally marry you, therefore many couples choose to go to their local Registry Office to acquire the necessary documentation, for which there is a small fee usually around £80-£100 but you can choose whether you do it before or after the wedding day celebrations.
When you choose to use All ways and Forever, what happens next is an initial discussion in order to discover what is required and how it is to be performed, shall we say. Once this is done we then move forward to some brainstorming of ideas and exploring creative aspects that can be incorporated.
You and your betrothed may like the idea of having your ceremony in the gardens of a stately home such as Himley Hall, the grounds of which are quite beautiful, you will feel like the Lord and Lady of the Manor!
Think about having a Handfasting Ceremony, which was the original style of marriage blessing couples indulged in, perhaps the venue could be at the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.
It’s a very spiritual celebration and everyone gets something from it and a great opportunity to dress up with a theme perhaps. It is also a lovely way to involve the children you may invite along, because when we use the broomstick to jump over, all the guests stand in a line and take it in turns. This is so much fun and signifies the couple jumping into their new life together and of course their friends.
We use a special cord to “Tie the Knot” as it were, a symbol of being bound together in love.
You may choose to have a theme such as a movie you both enjoy, Harry Potter was brilliant, with bespoke wands and cloaks! Or you could hold your celebration at or in the place you first met, even if it was on a double decker bus! The ideas between us can be endless. Your exciting day – therefore your choice entirely.
My next blog will be about the beauty of Vow Renewal.