June 2016 • White Rose Ceremonies

Alice and Jo’s same sex Wedding Ceremony took place at the stunning Longstowe Hall in Cambridgeshire. Set in beautiful gardens, Alice and Joanne’s Wedding Ceremony was held on the Gazebo Island on the lake.

Having contacted White Rose Ceremonies in September last year, we met with Alice and Joanne several times to create a ceremony that reflected who they really are. Their wedding rehearsal was held at a location close to Longstowe Hall. We had a wonderful time with them and their families at the rehearsal, spending time walking through the ceremony so that they were completely comfortable with it.

The sun shone on their Wedding Day, guests were seated and the bridal parties arrived. Joanne walked with her father and bridesmaids first. Alice followed with her bridesmaids, escorted by her mother until she reached her father’s wheelchair. He was determined to walk his daughter to meet Joanne and to everybody’s delight, he did this. A very happy and touching moment that left us all with tears in our eyes.

Alice and Joanne’s Wedding Ceremony was emotional and funny in equal parts. Their rings were held closely in the palms of each family member to wish Joanne and Alice love and support in the marriage before being placed on their fingers. With beautiful readings and a signing of a commemorative certificate, Alice and Joanne’s happiness was there for all to see.

We had the perfect day with Alice, Joanne and their families. It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Alice’s father just three weeks after the wedding. He was a very special man and we were so glad that he found the strength to be there for Alice and Joanne on their happy day.

A poem for Giles – ‘He is Gone’

You can shed tears that he is gone,

Or you can smile because he has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,

Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him,

Or you can be full of the love that you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he is gone,

Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back,

Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

By David Harkin (adapted)

Photographs courtesy of: Andy Fountain Photography

Venue: Longstowe Hall

Conor’s Naming Ceremony at Quy Mill Hotel & Spa, Cambridge, was a truly lovely ceremony that included family and friends. Conor’s parents, Yvette and Paul, were married in the same venue six years earlier. They thought it a wonderful place to celebrate the arrival of their baby son and to welcome him into their family and circle of friends.

The Garden Room at the Quy Mill Hotel was the perfect venue for their guests. After all the rain in the week leading up to Conor’s Naming Ceremony, the sun came out to shine for him.

But what really shone through was the love everybody had for Conor and the love and support for his parents.

Conor is such a dear little boy and he enjoyed cuddles with lots of guests. We were able to sneak a few cuddles with him too!

With promises made by Conor’s parents, his Godparents and Grandparents, a reading by a much-loved family friend and a hissing balloon that had everybody in fits of laughter, it was a perfectly happy day for all.

Conor’s parents provided us with a lovely testimonial that explains the process we used to ensure that Conor’s Naming Ceremony was exactly the ceremony that they wanted:

“My husband and I wanted to have a naming ceremony for our son Conor. We were recommended White Rose Ceremony by the venue. I wanted the naming ceremony to be personal and to show the love and happiness that Conor has brought to our family.

We were given a booklet with lots of wonderful sayings and ideas that we could use on Conor’s day. We met Rebecca and Dave about a month before the naming ceremony, as soon as we met them we knew we had made a good choice.

They are lovely people and they sat us down and went through the booklet with us, allowing us to personalise it to make it more special to us and to Conor. They came across as wonderful caring people who just wanted to make the day as special as we did.

They went away and a few days later Rebecca emailed over a draft of how the ceremony was going to go. I cried with happiness, Rebecca had managed to get everything that I had wanted onto paper and it was beautiful to read.

On the big day Rebecca and Dave were there and they helped us to see how the day would pan out before all the guests arrived. It was a beautiful ceremony, the words that were chosen expressed our love for our son and our family.

It was an amazing day and Dave took some beautiful photos, which were emailed to us that evening. It means that I can look back on that magical day for years to come, knowing that Rebecca and Dave made it all possible.

Thank you both so very much. Yvette and Paul and of course Conor x”

It was a great pleasure for us to be able to lead Conor’s Naming Ceremony at Quy Mill Hotel. A special family occasion in which we were made to feel very welcome and one that we thoroughly enjoyed. The Quy Mill Hotel provided wonderful service and were attentive throughout.

Please do contact us if you would like to talk to us about a Naming Ceremony for a baby, a child or several children in your family. With a team of fantastic Celebrants, we now offer ceremonies in Cambridge, Birmingham and NorthDevon.