Civil Celebrant Archives • Page 4 of 4 • White Rose Ceremonies

Festival Wedding

3 May 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

Emma and Dan’s Festival Wedding was a riot of sunshine, laughter and love. A sensational field setting with bunting, flowers, hay bales, a beautiful willow arch, vintage ice cream van, tractor rides, saxophonist, pizza oven, a marquee, pom-poms and some specially selected tableware provided a wedding that was delightful in every sense.

Emma was committed to the the tradition of keeping her nervous groom waiting and arrived very sedately in a vintage VW Camper Van. Guests who had been chatting and laughing together while waiting were all up on their feet, eager to get the first glimpse of the beautiful bride.

Bridesmaids entered the ceremony area first with Emma and Dan’s gorgeous baby girl which brought a few tears to Dan’s eyes even before he saw Emma. The wedding ceremony included a touching hand fasting, readings, music and promises of love.

We ended with signing of the certificate, a marriage blessing, cheers, applause and hugs all round.

The afternoon celebrations included Pimms, icecream and music. The wedding breakfast commenced after the speeches from the best man, the bride’s parents and, of course, the groom himself. Pizza was served from the mobile pizza oven. Dancing went on late into the evening with a silent disco finishing the celebrations.

We had a fabulous time leading the celebrations for Emma and Dan. It was a truly happy day for a wonderful couple, their family and friends.

Emma and Dan gave us a super testimonial:

Thank you thank you thank you!! You were amazing from the moment we met you. Everything was perfect and you made our day so special, we couldn’t have asked for more…xxx”

Acknowledgements:

Yokan Photography

Elsie’s Ices – Ice Cream Van and Bike

David Waldron of White Rose Ceremonies

We had a really fabulous day – thank you so much to Emma and Dan for asking us to conduct their Wedding Ceremony!

Barn Wedding Ceremony Civil Celebrant Rebecca Waldron

Romantic Barn Wedding

14 April 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

We were absolutely delighted to be asked to conduct the Barn Wedding Ceremony of Lindsey and Matthew on Valentine’s Day this year. They chose to hold their romantic wedding ceremony in the beautiful Cromwell Barn, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. The barn had been dressed by their families with red berries, candles and ivy, lending itself to a sophisticated yet atmospheric Ceremony.

We all waited in anticipation for Lindsey to arrive and, when she made her entrance with her beautiful daughter, her smile dazzled everybody. Lindsey wore a long dress of sumptuous red, while Matt looked just the right side of nervous in a smart black suit with red tie and cream waistcoat. The fun and laughter present on the day was infectious, while the love felt during the Ceremony was not lost on anybody there. Neither was the celebration or sense of occasion.

During the Ceremony we conducted a handfasting with wedding vows and readings by friends and family. There were tears, cheers, laughter and applause during this very happy and celebratory Ceremony yet we still found time to remember those special people who had passed, a touching and poignant moment.

We spoke during the ceremony about Lindsey and Matt’s relationship, what was important to them and how much they appreciated all the support from their family and friends. This is just one of the ways we make our ceremonies completely unique to each couple. When we announced Lindsey and Matthew as man and wife, the barn erupted with cheers and applause and they left, dancing down the aisle, to Plan B. For a Valentines Day Wedding, this was a romantic, loving, fun and happy ceremony that everybody felt part of.

We thoroughly enjoyed working with Lindsey and Matthew and they gave us this wonderful testimonial…

“This lady is truly fantastic, she is so lovely and does such a fab celebration, Rebecca and Dave thank you for everything, you were totally wonderful and made our day so very special. It was an honour to meet you and an absolute privilege for you to say yes to do our ceremony, what a truly lovely lovely couple xxxxxxx”.

For more information about our ceremonies please contact us via our ‘Contact Page’ or call us on 07725 795316.

The beautiful Cromwell Barns isn’t advertised on the internet so it really is a hidden gem. We have the contact details if you would like to have them.

Photographs courtesy of David Waldron at White Rose Ceremonies.

Morrisons Supermarket Wedding Ceremony – as seen on TV!

3 April 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

Unlike any other Saturday afternoon in Morrisons Supermarket, this one was full of spectacle. There was music, applause, eyes wide with disbelief as the Bride entered the store with her bridesmaids and friends. There were big smiles as people realised what was going on, the jostling of shoppers, smart phones held high to take photos, ITV and BBC cameras, the Press Association and the Morrisons photographer all vying for position, cafe customers standing on tables. ‘Love is an open door’ played across the store as we started their Wedding Ceremony.

Rebecca Wooller and Blake Green chose an unusual venue of a supermarket for their Wedding Ceremony. After being introduced by their landlady and with Rebecca being quite poorly at the time, they had their first few dates in the Cafe at Morrisons. Not perhaps the most romantic setting you would think. But when it came to Rebecca and Blake’s Wedding Ceremony it had all the elements of a traditional and emotional wedding. It was full of romance, laughter and love.

We give all our lovely couples the Wedding Book we have carefully put together. Rebecca and Blake spent time together choosing readings, poems and vows. We also spent time with Rebecca and Blake finding out what they wanted in their wedding service. While they had chosen an unusual venue, they wanted to include readings, exchange vows and rings, have special people involved and do all the things you would want in a traditional ceremony. Blake read ‘A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton and another reading ‘The Cowgirl’ was included.

Rebecca and Blake were totally focussed on each other as they exchanged vows and we included our Ring Ceremony which involved all their invited guests. Rebecca’s 5-year old grandson was very much involved as well, the perfect little bodyguard for those all important wedding rings. We sang a rousing version of Dusty Springfield’s ‘I only Want to be with You’. Songsheets were handed round, the music played and we all sang at the top of our voices.

Morrisons Wedding Rebecca and Blake

After the happy couple signed our Wedding Certificate we announced them Man and Wife. They left the store to cheers, applause and many congratulations.

Rebecca and Blake check out of Morrisons.

And finally a picture of their happy family. We wish them all the love, laughter and luck in the world as they look to a happy future together.

Featured Wedding

2 February 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

We are over the moon to have one of our weddings featured by the fabulous Amara Bridal Registry. We have a real passion for what we do and we love being involved with special life celebrations such as Weddings. For this Wedding we worked closely with the wonderful Dominique Douglas and her team from Stylish Events Wedding & Event Management. The photographs were taken by the very talented Kate from Kate Neilen Fine Art Photography.

Leila and Johnnie had extended wedding celebrations and they included special people in different ways throughout their weekend. They thought very carefully about every aspect of their Wedding. They meditated on the significance of their union with close family and friends before their legal ceremony at the Registry Office. The next day they enjoyed a joyous Wedding Ceremony with extended family and friends, followed by champagne and punting along the beautiful river beside the historic Trinity College and Kings College. To top it all off there were more celebrations at their Wedding Breakfast and evening entertainment.

When we conduct a Wedding Ceremony we talk to our couples and find out what’s important to them. We will listen to how they talk to each other and write the script accordingly. We include all the beautiful and traditional features of a Wedding and can add different elements if our couples want them. These include lighting a candle to remember those who can’t be present, singing, dancing (yes, really!), applause, fun and laughter.

Follow the link to see how much fun our lovely couple Leila and Johnnie had and how they made their day so special – enjoy! White Rose Ceremonies in featured Wedding!

If you would like to talk to us about your unique Wedding Ceremony please call us on 07725 795316 or email us via White Rose Ceremonies.

Funerals are Dead Serious – right?

12 December 2014/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

“You can’t do that at a Funeral” is a phrase I’ve heard too many times. It’s not surprising that people think that way. The common perception of a funeral service is that it is a sombre occasion when people mourn, cry, sing hymns and listen to a Minister read prayers before the coffin disappears into the fire or ground. But not at a Civil Funeral!

Now, I’m not saying that we dance in the aisles, although I have had Morris Dancers and Line Dancers at my services, but we do smile, laugh, clap and, sometimes, joke. The content of a Civil Funeral really does depend on the character of the person who has died. Of course it is a sad occasion too and people will cry. But, with a loving and relevant service it provides a time to say goodbye that is full of light and shade.

It is all about that person and not about a particular religious institution. You can light candles, have poems, music, readings and family tributes, standard bearers if the person who has died was in the military, flags on the coffins, even a slide show of photographs – whatever content is meaningful to the family. In some crematoria you can also have an audio recording or video recording of the service.

If the person who died had some religious beliefs then a Civil Celebrant can include hymns and prayers at the funeral, but if that person was very religious then, of course, a Minister is the right choice to lead the service.

The final part of a funeral service is known as the ‘Committal’. At a Crematorium you can choose to have the curtains left open or closed. Generally, in the UK, the coffin remains where it is, so there is no opening of doors, squeaking of wheels as the coffin moves and certainly no flames!

Some families choose to leave the curtains open so that they can touch the coffin before they leave or put single stem flowers on it, while other families prefer to have them closed which, in a sense, brings them closure.

It is our privilege to be able to lead these services and we work hard to make sure the service not only reflects the wishes of the person who died, but that it also brings some comfort to their family and friends.

I would like to finish with this blog with a good old-fashioned joke from Tommy Cooper, which was used at one of the funerals I conducted recently:

“I went to the funeral of a tennis player the other day. It was a great service……”

Confessions of a Celebrant

31 October 2014/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

What is a Civil Celebrant?

It’s our first year anniversary this month and what an incredible year it’s been. From not knowing what a Civil Celebrant was, to becoming one, to experiencing and being involved in the full range of events that happen in people’s lives – Weddings, Baby Namings and Funerals.

I am asked so often, what is a Civil Celebrant? Well, we have some fabulous experiences with couples who want their wedding ceremony to be somewhere different, such as on a working farm – think of haybales, bunting, the clink of lemonade bottles and cattle in the background; in fields or meadows – think wild flowers, sunshine, a gentle breeze, ribbons on chairs; or at beautiful formal venues – think of the dresses we buy!

We laugh, we cry, we clap, we hug, we cheer, we get stuck in mud with our wellington boots, blown by the wind, barked at by dogs or lost in country lanes trying to find the right field.

We write scripts for all the ceremonies we deliver so that they are unique and, each time we do, we are reminded how privileged we are to meet such amazing and lovely people and, what a great honour it is for us to be asked to lead the happy ceremonies or more sensitive funeral services for these families.

A Civil Celebrant is a person who conducts civil ceremonies that focus purely on the people involved and are not linked to any particular religion or other institutional standard. We are free to deliver the ceremony or service that the family want and are not limited with what we can say or do. We are also free to conduct a Baby Naming or Wedding Ceremony wherever we are asked to although, for obvious reasons, funerals must be conducted either in a cemetery or crematorium.

We come equipped with lots of experience, stories to share, creative ideas and a professional yet fun way of working with people.

So, what is a Civil Celebrant? It is absolutely the best job we have ever been involved in and we wouldn’t swap it for the world!

Follow our blog for more insights into the life of a Civil Celebrant.

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What is a Civil Celebrant?