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Geraldine & Vincent’s Wedding Ceremony

29 May 2016/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

Geraldine and Vincent’s love story began on 14^th May and they kept true to that date when they held their Wedding Ceremony at The Bell Inn, Thetford.

Their love for each other and the importance of their families was the key message in their ceremony. Throughout their ceremony, their family and friends heard their unique story. Geraldine and Vincent’s support and friendly rivalry between Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United was cheered – and booed!

Their Wedding Ceremony included the lighting of a candle. This was a symbol of their newly combined family unit. It also acknowledged the love for Geraldine’s son who had sadly passed away some years ago.

Their candle was presented by Vince’s grandson, aged only three years old. This was a heartwarming and touching moment.

Geraldine’s friend read ‘I Like You’ by Sandol Stoddard and Vincent’s daughter read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres. Geraldine and Vincent’s wedding vows were exchanged, they gave and received rings and signed the commemorative certificate. With photographs taken, the wedding ceremony was closed with a lovely poem by Terah Cox.

Friends and family cheered and clapped as Geraldine and Vincent joined them to enjoy champagne and celebrations. Photographs were taken in the lovely gardens across the road from The Bell Inn before everybody took their seats for the Wedding Breakfast.

It was a real pleasure to conduct Geraldine and Vincent’s Wedding Ceremony. We enjoyed getting to know them and creating their ceremony script for their special day.

We wish them lots of love, luck, laughter and happiness in the world as they continue their journey together.

Photographs: David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Venue: The Bell Inn, Thetford

Have the Wedding of Your Choice!

1 January 2016/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

You can have the Wedding of your choice. The only thing that you have to do is to make sure your marriage is legally binding. Traditionally this has presented you with only two options. To have your Wedding at the Register Office or to be married in church where the church ceremony reflects your faith.

If a standard Register Office or a Church Wedding is not for you, consider the third option – using the services of a Civil Celebrant.

Every Wedding is unique. No two people are the same. The circumstances in which you met are not exactly the same as anybody else. Your life ahead will not be the same as anybody else’s and so there is no reason why you should have the standard script delivered at the Register Office or Church.

We love beautiful weddings that ooze tradition but we also love alternative weddings that ooze individualism. Whatever your preference, imagine your Wedding guests leaving at the end of the day with praise on their lips about your special Wedding day.

We can help you achieve that if you can change your perception of a ‘real’ Wedding. Change it from a Register Office or Church wedding to one that is conducted in a location that you connect to emotionally, such as in a forest, a field, a beautiful formal venue, your home or a beach.

Your ceremony will be much more significant to you as a couple because you have been involved with your Celebrant in writing your Wedding script. And so, your ceremony will be much more meaningful, emotional and joyful than a standard ceremony.

We must emphasise that, in England and Ireland, you do need to go to the Register Office with two witnesses to complete the legal marriage. At the time of writing this blog, this takes 15 minutes and costs £46. This can be special in itself. Go with close family or friends in jeans and t-shirts or make it part of your celebrations and enjoy a lovely meal afterwards.

Then prepare for your wonderful ceremony with as many family and friends as you wish in the location of your choice. You can have a unique Wedding Ceremony that reflects who you really are.

Your New Year’s Resolution? To have the Wedding of your choice! Contact us for more information via our website at White Rose Ceremonies, email us at whiteroseceremony@btinternet.com or call us on 07725 795316.

Photos courtesy of:

Bill Bowman Photography

Yokan

David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Chris Taylor Photography

Rebecca Waldron Civil Celebrant Naming Ceremony

Finlay’s Naming Ceremony

30 September 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

We first met little Finlay when we met his parents to discuss his Naming Ceremony. He was five months old and full of adorable smiles. Finlay’s parents wanted to formally welcome him into their family and circle of friends. They were keen to ensure that the Naming Ceremony was all about Finlay.

They also wanted a joyful, happy ceremony that would reflect their love for him and the family values that were so important to them. We provided Finlay’s parents with our Naming Ceremony Book which equips our families with lots of resources for each part of a Naming Ceremony. We then met with them to discuss what they would like in the script and worked on it to ensure it flowed well. We also wrote specifically about what was important to them and what they hoped for Finlay in the future.

The hall was festooned with banners and lots of family and friends arrived to support Finlay and his parents. Candles were lit to remember much-loved grandfathers who were no longer alive. Finlay’s Naming Ceremony included sincere and expressive parental promises and loving commitment from Godparents and Grandparents to support Finlay in the future. Finlay’s uncle read a very special poem that he had written specifically for Finlay and the family were surrounded by friends who gladly supported them.

Finlay’s Naming Ceremony ended with a lovely poem that included the line ‘Sleep with the moonbeams and play in the sun’, which suited little Finlay completely.

He was perfectly behaved and gave us all lots of beautiful smiles throughout the ceremony. It was a real privilege to conduct the Naming Ceremony for Finlay and we received a wonderful testimonial from his parents. We wish Finlay lots of love, luck and happiness in his life ahead and many days, months and years of happiness for his parents.

“Hi Rebecca, we just wanted to provide some feedback on Finlay’s naming ceremony and say a BIG thank you to you for all your planning to make the ceremony absolutely perfect and completely how we hoped it would be if not better. So many people who didn’t know what a Naming Ceremony was commented on how lovely you were and how personal you made it for everyone. It was great that you went above and beyond thinking of extra special touches to make the day such a success and we are so grateful that we can treasure the memories and the photos taken on the day. We honestly can’t thank you and recommend your service enough.”

Thanks go to David Waldron of White Rose Ceremonies for the photographs.

Labyrinth Wedding Ceremony

7 September 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

Astrid and Patrick held their Labyrinth Wedding Ceremony at the beautiful Tofte Manor in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire.

A Labyrinth Wedding Ceremony is of special significance. Astrid and Patrick entered the Labyrinth and then each took a separate path, meeting again in the middle, symbolising the different paths they had been on before they met. They embraced the present as they celebrated their wedding vows and celebrated their future together as they left the Labyrinth on the same path.

Astrid and Patrick were surrounded by family from America, Denmark and England for their wedding celebrations.

There was a wonderful atmosphere at the rehearsal with happy greetings, smiles, laughter and sharing of memories.

A beautiful High Tea was provided and, after our rehearsal we slipped away, leaving the family to spend their evening visiting some beautiful local hostelries.

The wedding day was hot and sunny, the guests were dressed to impress and the Labyrinth was decorated with beautiful flowers.

White chairs had been placed around the edge of the Labyrinth and a harpist, flautist and violinist played music as the guests took their seats.

Astrid arrived with her father, looking positively ethereal in her beautiful gown and with flowers in her hair. She and Patrick walked the Labyrinth with their flower girls and their ceremony began after they met at the beautiful crystal stone in the middle.

There was laughter and tears, an emotional exchange of vows and rings, readings by family and a beautiful rose ceremony. The guests formed an aisle which Astrid and Patrick walked through as they left the Labyrinth and confetti flew high in the air.

Celebrations followed on the lawn in front of the house with champagne, croquet, giant jenka, an ice-cream van and flags symbolising each nation represented by the bridal party and the guests. A delicious wedding breakfast was served after which the guests danced the night away.

It was a real privilege to lead this wonderful Labyrinth Wedding Ceremony and we can’t thank Astrid and Patrick enough for asking us to be part of their wedding celebrations.

Photographs: David Waldron

Location: Tofte Manor, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire

Civil or Christian Ceremony?

11 May 2015/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

I was a little surprised recently by a friend who said they “can’t relate to a Civil Ceremony” as they are a Christian. So many people don’t understand what a Civil Ceremony is. A religious ceremony is presided over by a priest of the religion involved and the service is mainly about giving thanks to a higher deity. A Humanist ceremony is presided over by a Humanist Celebrant who believes that life only exists when we live it and does not believe in anything spiritual, or life after death.

A Civil Ceremony takes into account the individual’s beliefs, whether those beliefs are quite religious or not religious at all. When we write scripts for weddings, funerals or naming ceremonies, we talk about what makes the people involved tick. Their qualities, their likes and dislikes, what’s important to them, what they truly strive or strived to be in life, the imprint they make or have left on other people’s hearts, the love they have been part of.

Am I a Christian? Yes! Do I go to church? No! Does that make me any less of a Christian? No! I am a vicar’s daughter but I strongly believe that we create our own form of Christianity through the way that we live our lives. Being honest, loving, welcoming, thoughtful, hard- working, giving – these are just some of the attributes that so many of us have. I have seen many people do their best to live their lives within a framework of traditional values and principles, with family and love being at the root of everything they do. Many of these people do not go to church yet it is obvious that they live a christian life.

So let’s get this clear, you can be a fully paid-up member of any religious organisation or have your own particular and singular beliefs yet still have a civil wedding, funeral or naming ceremony that meets your spiritual needs (whatever they are) and which particularly focusses on the person or people involved. Organised religion will provide comfort to those seeking interaction with like-minded people on a regular basis but you can get the same affirmation and sensation of togetherness at a line-dancing club – both are spiritually uplifting because of the people you are with, the music and the focus on one particular thing. Civil Ceremonies are all-inclusive regardless of your beliefs. The testimonials we receive reflect how happy people are with the services we provide as Civil Celebrants – take a look on the pages on our website.

Civil Ceremonies don’t discriminate and, please be assured, control of your own spiritual needs is still safe in your hands. Happiness and blessings to you all x

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.

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……”

DIY Wedding vs Wedding Planner?

11 November 2014/in Celebrant /by Rebecca Waldron

Last year I married my wonderful husband and business partner, David. We tied the legal knot in Gretna Green with two witnesses who just happened to walk in after us. Then, in the summer, we had a Civil Wedding Ceremony on the beautiful beach at Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk.

To save money we organised our ceremony in Norfolk ourselves and made a weekend of it with about 30 close family and friends. Our guests joined in with everything we organised and the only hitch was the high winds in the evening, which meant we couldn’t release Chinese lanterns across the sea.

However, when we talk about it my husband says “you didn’t cry” and he’s right, I didn’t. He is the man of my dreams and always will be but, on that day, I was not exactly ‘present in the moment’ at any stage. My mind was constantly thinking about what had to happen next. Would the hairdresser arrive? Would the flowers arrive? Where were key people? Where was the car? Will the rings get dropped in the sand? Will we get to the Reception in time…..etc.

If I had used the services of a Wedding Planner, I could have relaxed, safe in the knowledge that somebody was there ensuring everything would run smoothly and, even if it didn’t, I might not even have known about it and I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about sorting things out. I could have concentrated on the most important thing that day – my husband – and been totally engaged with every word, every smile, every kiss, every hug, every good wish and every moment there was for us both on that day.

DIY Wedding vs Wedding Planner? If I could experience that day again I would ensure I budgeted for and booked a Wedding Planner – there is absolutely no question about it.

There are lots of Wedding Planners out there, check their credentials and recommendations before you commit. Here are some fabulous Wedding Planners in our region that we have connections with. Have a truly wonderful and enchanting day, be present in every moment – you deserve it!

www.truly-scrumptious-events.co.uk

www.mjrweddings.co.uk

www.stylishevents.com

www.make-my-day-events.co.uk

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