Once upon a time, there used to be only two ways to get married Church or Register Office. Not much of a choice is it? Especially if you are not religious. Yes, you can legally get married in a stunning licensed venue but this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and more importantly, the ceremony is still conducted by a Registrar which can mean they all start to sound the same. People have changed and so have relationships but the law is still decades behind the times. Fortunately, we came across Celebration Ceremonies & Weddings, a new company with a fresh and inspiring outlook founded by Jan Shillito. We were so very excited to hear of a new way of getting married that we just had to it share with you as it opens up your ceremony options a hundred fold! Like most good ideas, Jan was inspired to create her company out of her frustration when planning her own wedding when she realised that none of the options available fit with how she had envisioned her day. Jan explained “Like most brides setting out on their wedding planning journey, I knew what I didn’t want! I didn’t want a formal, impersonal wedding with set rules and ettiquette that was the same as everyone else’s and a ceremony that was inflexible and impersonal.” “I wanted it to feel “this is us”, include things that were meaningful to us and say the things we wanted to say and promise to each other so, I decided to find a way to do it my way. We visited the Register Office on the morning of our wedding day, did the legal bits with just our two witnessess, only taking about 10 mins, a bit like registering a birth or a death then we were free to have our “real” ceremony when, when and how we wanted, which was at home in our garden. The rest as they say is history. I went on to be one of the first to be qualified and be approved by Government training body Ofqual!” By doing it this way it means you can get married at home, at a private estate, a country house, an off-the beaten track venue or location in scented lavender gardens, a magical woodland, a rustic farmer’ s field or barn, a glamping site or just about anywhere that takes your fancy. We asked Jan to share a few practical tips on what you need to do in order to have personal ceremony and an outdoor wedding: Step 1- Remember it’s YOUR day When the reality has sunk in that you are actually getting married and you’ve stopped jumping up and down, you’ve rung your mum and best friend and changed your facebook status STOP. • Grab a wine, beer, coffee or tea, sit down together and think about how you want your day to feel, what you want it to say about you as a couple and what you want your guests to say about your day. • Then have a look on Pinterest and each set up a board of how you envisage your wedding, no peeping at each others until you’ve both finished!! • Then compare! Whether they are the similar of different it gives you a starting point and opens up the discussion on the when, where, how and who and how many. Step 2- Agree on a few date options Most weddings are booked a year in advance due to venue availability. But is doesn’t have to be. As you are not restricted to licensed venues, you have more flexibility and more choice and you don’t have to settle for sharing your venue and special day with another 3 brides! • Think about season- if you’re looking for an outdoor wedding in the UK they are usually between April and September (however if you were having a Papkata or tepee you wouldn’t know what the weather was doing outside and make lovely cosy winter venues). • Think about the day- Saturdays & Bank holidays in peak season are obviously the most popular but a lot of our couples make more of a weekend of it and have it on a Friday or Sunday. • Check availability with Celebration Ceremonies & Weddings who can help guide you though the process and answer any questions you may have. Step 3- Start thinking about “where” Firstly you need to decide what you want from a venue within the boundaries of budget; but remember outdoor weddings do not necessarily mean cheap! At this stage allow yourself to dream a little, write down what you both see in your head when you walk down the aisle it will help filter your options: • contemporary or traditional? • large or intimate affair? • street food, relaxed or formal dining? • does the venue fit with your style and “look and feel” • indoor or outdoor? • gardens, open spaces, or boutique eco sites? • rural or urban? • blank canvas or support facilities? • bricks and mortar or marquee, tepee or Papkata? • guest accommodation or glamping village? Then let you fingers and feet do the searching or ask us about our venue search. Step 4 Consider the following for an outdoor wedding A blank canvas outdoor wedding is a bit more of a challenge and requires a bit more planning and organisation so think about how hands on or off you want to be or you want your friends and family to be, especially on the day. • think about having someone who knows the pitfalls and can help you find reliable and trustworthy suppliers who have the skills and experience to achieve your vision • on-the-day co-ordination is worth every penny to remove the stress from you and make sure everything runs tickety boo. • before booking an outdoor location make sure your marquee, tepee or Papkata company has visited the site • think about some of the practicalities of access, parking, health and safety, lighting and toilet facilities and electricity supplies • If you’re an outdoorsy kind of couple then a bit of rain won’t bother you in the slightest but you should always have a plan B, just in case. • make wedding wellies and umbrellas a design feature of your day should you need them • check availability of your photographer but remember to choose someone that that fits your style and embraces the weather come rain or shine to get the best memories of your day. Step 5 Book:
1.Your ceremony writer & designer & conductor 2.Your Legal “ceremony” at your local register office it can be first thing on the day, the day before or any point before you wedding day- whether you choose to tell family & guests is entirely up to you 3. Your venue or site (and catering) 4. Your Marquee, Tepee or Papkata 5. Your on the day co-ordinator 5. Your Photographer Step 6- Find THE dress!!!! We’ll leave this up to you. Try lots on and have fun.
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