Our creative, modern and discerning couples want to have as many choices available to them, as possible. And, if you don’t know already, you open up so many incredible options when you choose a Celebrant led wedding ceremony!

So, in the same way that a birth is registered, our couples happily get the legal registration of their marriage completed by the council registrar in a 10-minute appointment before their wedding day. And then they enjoy an amazing Celebrant wedding ceremony, sharing their personal vows and promises in the location of their choice!

Your perfect ceremony locations can be licensed or unlicensed – take a look here:

One – At home

Imagine the scene. You are getting ready in your family home, the garden is full of flowers, the house is full of memories, families and excitement!

If you, or a relative or friend, has a garden that can take it then this is the perfect place to share your wedding vows and create a really special moment in time.

Two – On the beach

For those of you who love the sand and the sea, having a super-relaxed wedding ceremony on the beach is just perfect. Even in the UK!

What’s not to love about getting ready in a beach hut and being barefoot in the sand? With a picnic or fish and chips to follow, it’s a fantastic day!

Three – In a forest

Perhaps you love the idea of exchanging your vows while surrounded by beautiful trees with dappled light through a canopy of leaves?

There is something really magical about trees. If this is you, find a forest or wood right now and get in touch to discuss how this will work for your ceremony!

Four – In a beautiful field

With an empty field at your fingertips, there is ample opportunity to fill it with whatever you want.

Do you want haybales for relaxed seating at your amazing wedding ceremony? A marquee? Tipi? Fairground rides? Whatever it is, you will have more than enough space to do it!

Five – Down on the farm

Farms provide lots of incredibly flexible options for your Celebrant led wedding ceremony. Clean out the cowsheds, dust down the stables, clear the paddock, line the tractors up.

Let’s get the bunting up, embrace the great outdoors and let’s celebrate in style!

Six – Cosy barns

If you want a beautifully authentic feel to your Celebrant led wedding ceremony, then let’s get in a barn that is decorated with fairy lights, foliage, rugs and lanterns.

Do it yourself or get events organisers to dress it for you. However you do it, it will feel magical.

Seven – Formal venues

We also spend a lot of time at some stunning formal venues. They may or may not have a license and that doesn’t matter! We work at the most beautiful venues with the option of having your Celebrant led wedding ceremony inside or outside.  Featured here is the beautiful brick barn at The Granary Estates:

And the stunning outdoor location at Longstowe Hall:

We work with so many beautiful venues that we will write a blog post especially for them soon!

Eight – Chateaux

We are recommended suppliers at Le Chateau du Val at Saint Just, Brittany and love the versatility along with the relaxed yet opulent style.

If you want to take your family abroad for a wedding, then a Chateau could be the perfect choice! Many offer exclusive weekends for your weddings and provide beautiful accommodation along with swimming pools and amazing scenery.

Nine – Dry venues with glamping

Several dry venues will have glamping and camping facilities, which means you can take over for the weekend and enjoy your celebrations at your leisure. Horsley Hale Farm has been one of our favourites ever since it opened, with a new range of stunning accommodation in natural surroundings that includes the most beautiful lake.

Wellington Wood is another favourite of ours in Norfolk. This beautiful venue has several options for your ceremony, including their beautiful Larch ceremony area. You’ve got lots of choices available to you for your whole day and a selection of accommodation, along with a flower meadow and ancient woodland. Just perfect!

Ten – On a river

And if you like a lazy sail on the river, then grab your crews, blankets, champagne and have the most special day of your life.

There are no limits!

The only thing that will hold you back is the limiting belief that you can only have your wedding ceremony at certain places. With so many perfect ceremony locations, you really can find one that is perfect for you.

If you want any help at all with discovering perfect ceremony locations in your area, just get in touch and let’s talk!

Photo credits

David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Chris Taylor Photography

Yokan

Nicki Shea Photography

Peter Denness Photography

Lorna Newman Photography

Sarah Brookes Photography

Vicky Plum Photography

Liz Greenhalgh Photography

The post Ten perfect ceremony locations appeared first on White Rose Ceremonies.

But have you taken the same care with your wedding ceremony? If you have the bog-standard council ceremony, how memorable will that be? Will the interest of your guests fade? Rather than really listening to your wedding vows, will your guests just be waiting for the drinks, food and entertainment?

With a wedding ceremony led by a Celebrant, the anticipation and excitement of your arrival is aided by the Celebrant’s engagement with your guests. White Rose Ceremonies encourage the happy chatter and applause for when the first member of the wedding party arrives.

We make sure everybody is seated and check that everything is where it should be for the ceremony. It’s part of what we do.

And we make sure your perfect wedding ceremony is all about you.

It may well include the lovely traditional elements of a wedding ceremony, such as readings, vows, exchange of rings and the signing of a certificate. It might include symbolic rituals that celebrate your commitment to each other in different ways.

But your guests will be engaged and immersed in your perfect wedding ceremony as we tell your story. We have lots of ideas of how we can include special people without them having to get up and read.  These are things that you won’t get with the council ceremony.

This is your day.  It is all about creating memories.  It is all about giving you your perfect wedding ceremony.  These ceremonies can take place at any location, licensed or unlicensed. We provide you with the opportunity to have your perfect wedding ceremony wherever you want it.  It can be in a formal venue, your home, your grandmother’s garden, on the beach or in a forest.

Your promises can be celebrated with as many people as you want and with the words, music and feeling that you want. Whether that is humanist, religious or secular (not connected with any particular religious or spiritual matters), it is your ceremony.

We have even conducted ceremonies with a translator for friends and families who don’t speak English and as for including pets – well, we are becoming quite the experts!

Creating memories for your perfect wedding ceremony is easier than you think. Contact us for more information!

Photographs courtesy of David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies.

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We met with Wendy and Mark for a consultation meeting in their home to discuss their ceremony. Choosing what they wanted and approving the wedding script that we wrote was all part of the fun and excitement in the build up to the happy day. We ensured they had the words they wanted, along with a few lovely surprises along the way.

The day was sunny and bright and, surrounded by friends and family, they exchanged their promises of love and commitment.  These were emotional moments, full of love.  Their children played an important part in the ceremony and all took part in the Sand Unity Ceremony, symbolising the individuality of each person, yet also symbolising the blended family unit.

Their beach ceremony included the signing of a commemorative certificate, the all-important kiss and applause all round.  Wendy and Mark then hosted a reception on the beach with Prosecco, fish and chips and lots of love and laughter. 

We had such a wonderful time and felt so privileged to be part of their happy day on the beach. They left us a truly wonderful review on our Guides for Brides page, and here is part of it:

“We were simply blown away by Rebecca and David from White Rose. Being a second time wedding we were worried that our options would be limited but on meeting them we realised that all of our dreams of a relaxed beach wedding in Norfolk were completely possible. From first meeting to the big day their service was truly outstanding. Our ceremony was beautiful and we went on to have a sand ceremony to unite our blended family into one which made all of the children feel that it was a really special day for them too. Our wedding only took place yesterday but we’ve already received lots of messages today saying that it was the nicest and most personal and touching service people had ever attended. Rebecca and David had us completely at ease, I don’t think We’ve never smiled quite so much. David’s photography is truly amazing and he’s given us beautiful photographs to remember the day. I wish there were more stars I could award to Rebecca and David, they’re not just celebrants .. they’re dream makers!”

Thank you so much Wendy and Mark! We wish you many many years of love, happiness and fun as a couple and with your gorgeous family.

Photos provided with kind permission of David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

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Different ends of the beautiful Victorian Long Barn hosted separate ceremony and reception areas. This barn has the biggest ‘oh-wow’ factor we have ever seen!  Childerley looked after the wedding with professional dedication and care.

Joe proposed to Karen on the historic Southwold Pier in Suffolk. Having waited 13 years, Karen was an absolutely stunning bride in her David Tutera wedding dress. Her three bridesmaids wore beautifully elegant grey dresses which complemented the tweed jackets worn by the groom and his groomsmen.

We celebrated their wedding vows in style. One hundred friends and family were there to share in Karen and Joe’s promises of love and commitment. There was laughter and tears when we shared what Karen and Joe love about each other. We even laughed aloud in the vows when Karen deliberately over-emphasised the word HUSBAND in her vows!

Karen and Joe’s ceremony included a personally written reading by their children, which was met with happy cheers and applause. Their friends Tomi and Victoria played and sang a beautiful Adele track during the signing.

Fairylights on bay trees flanked the ceremony area and were a real feature in the reception area, along with the silver glittery accessories. Delicious food including an Eton Mess Bar was provided by Puddini Caterers and their mobile bar with LOTS of gin was set up by Banquet Inn.

Made by Keen for Cakes, their beautiful cake was surrounded by equally delicious cake pops.

The evening celebrations were accompanied by foot-stomping music by the Indietones and carriages at midnight brought the celebrations to a close.  Many happy memories were made and these will last a lifetime.

Our congratulations to Karen and Joe – a wonderful Childerley wedding that had it all.

Celebrant: Rebecca Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Venue: Childerley

Food: Puddini Caterers

Drink: Banquet Inn

Entertainment: Indietones

Blog photographs: published with kind permission of David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

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This is not to say it’s wrong to want these things.  You should have what you want but the media puts a lot of strain on those wanting a simple day.  So, we think the biggest ‘wow factor’ is how much stress is involved!  Such pressure must surely take away from the true meaning of the day?

Your love for each other

Our wedding ceremony really was a simply perfect day, without the stress and it was memorable for that reason.

We had a long weekend up in Scotland and completed the legal paperwork at Gretna Green Registry Office with two witnesses.  This was wonderful in its simplicity, happiness and lack of pressure.

But for us, our Wedding Ceremony on the beach was most important and significant day.  We shared our heartfelt love for each other in our vows and exchanged wedding rings with a lovely ring ceremony.  Our guests were all quite happy to stand or sit on the blankets that they had brought with them and to generally ‘muck in’.

We just stood in a circle in the place we love the most and celebrated afterwards with tea and cake.  Refreshments were accompanied by sandcastles, bubbles and lots of laughter!

Simply perfect.

You really can have your Wedding Ceremony anywhere you want.  We have written about outdoor weddings in our blog and you can read it here.

If you want to know how it all works regarding the legal side of things, please use our Contact Form and we will get in touch.  We are always happy to share our knowledge and experience and we are here to help you make it the best day of your lives.

We hope you have a really wonderful time planning your simply perfect Wedding Ceremony.

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There are many people who think it is unlucky, for all sorts of reasons.  According to this BBC article, Friday is thought to be unlucky because it was the date of the Crucifixion.  The “unlucky 13” came about because it includes the number of people present at the Last Supper or the number of witches to make a coven. But it was actually the Victorians who put the day Friday and the number 13 together.

So, is it unlucky?  We don’t think so – and especially not if you’re planning a wedding.   One of our lovely couples, who booked a Friday 13^th Wedding at relatively short notice in 2016, found they had so much choice.

Venues and suppliers were more available and our couple had their wedding in the venue they wanted, with the suppliers they wanted, on the date they wanted!

Sending out their invitations brought an initial “Oh wow!” from their families and friends.  But they all thought it was a great idea and the whole day was wonderful.

However, these dates are few and far between.  Bookings at White Rose Ceremonies currently go into 2020 but none as yet fall on Friday 13^th.

Here are Friday 13th Wedding dates for the next three years:

Friday 13^th April 2018

Friday 13^th July 2018

Then a huge gap of 15 months until…

Friday 13^th September 2019

Friday 13^th December 2019

And then…

Friday 13^th March 2020

Friday 13^th November 2020

So if you want a wedding that will be remembered for everything – including the date – a Friday 13^th Wedding just might be right for you.

Good Luck.

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Here are a few points to help you decide who you want to conduct your Wedding Ceremony:

Celebrant

You have complete flexibility regarding the words and content of your Ceremony.  This can include spiritual references, singing and lighting of candles if you wish.

Your Ceremony can be conducted anywhere you want. These can be on licensed or unlicensed premises or on public land.  Remember to get the relevant permission from the landowner.  Think about formal venues, fields, forests and beaches.  Also at home, in poppy fields or bluebell woods.

Your Ceremony can be as traditional, quirky, emotional or as funny as you wish.

You will have met your Celebrant and spoken to them several times before your Ceremony.  You can meet our team here.

These Ceremonies do not have any legal status.

You will need to complete your legal license in the registrar’s office (a ceremony room will cost you extra) with two witnesses beforehand. This will cost you around £50 plus license fees and takes around 10 minutes.

Then share your marriage vows with each other in your beautifully unique Wedding Ceremony.

The Ceremonies can involve your families and friends and sets a happy, celebratory tone for the rest of the day.

These Ceremonies are ideal for couples who are happy to put thought and effort into creating a personal Wedding Ceremony that is unique to them.

Registrar

The words will be those that Registrars are required to use by law.  Find out more by clicking here.

You might have a choice between three very similar and standard scripts.

These ceremonies can only be conducted in licensed venues.

You will not know which Registrar will conduct your ceremony until you arrive for your ceremony.

You are not permitted to have any religious or spiritual references.

These ceremonies are legally binding.

These ceremonies are ideal for couples who just want to get the legalities done in a standard ceremony before the wedding reception.

Minister

These ceremonies will be about a God or religious belief and the sanctity of marriage.  Find out more here.

Words will vary depending on the religion.

These ceremonies can only be conducted in a consecrated building (church, chapel, mosque etc).

In most religions, this ceremony is legally binding.

These ceremonies are ideal for those who follow a certain faith.  They are particularly suitable for those who believe that the ceremony reflects their faith and who they are as individuals.

So…

…you know that old joke – a Celebrant, Registrar and Minister walked into a pub and….?  No, nor do we but we hope we have helped you understand the differences between a Celebrant, Registrar and Minister.

Please contact us to talk about your very own unique and wonderful Wedding Ceremony.

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And yes, your outdoor wedding ceremony can be absolutely wonderful.  To help you achieve this and, based on our experience, we have compiled a list of things to take into consideration.

Noise!

If you are having your wedding in a barn and/or field on a working farm then get comfortable with the fact that there will be NOISE. Tractors, geese, donkeys and even a light aircraft taking off just 200 feet away are just some of the noises we’ve had to contend with at White Rose Ceremonies!

Have a chat with the owner and tell them that this isn’t just a wedding reception.  Tell them that you are actually having an Outdoor Wedding Ceremony and it would be great if tractors, combine harvesters and planes could be kept under wraps for 30 precious minutes.

And if it is windy the voice of the officiant, the bride, the groom and anybody who is reading will be swept away.

So regardless of what the noise is, some of your guests won’t hear anything.  Having a good sound system for your ceremony MUST be part of your budgeting. It’s a great shame if your guests can’t hear your vows and they will probably mention it to you afterwards.

If you decide to have your ceremony in a Barn, you may still have a tractor or two driving past. We’ve even had wheat being harvested!

Additionally, if you have a mobile bar inside your barn, tell the supplier that they must not set up their bar while the Ceremony is in progress. The noise of clashing bottles, unwrapping plastic beakers and the squashing of empty plastic bottles is distracting, to say the least.

Rain!

If it is drizzling or raining, don’t assume that a “bit of rain won’t hurt anybody”.

If you want your Outdoor Wedding Ceremony to be exactly that – outdoors – regardless of the weather, provide a big basket full of umbrellas.  The umbrellas should be big enough to cover the whole guest, not just their head.

Have tarpaulin or plastic covers to cover hay bales or seats before the ceremony.  You can delegate the removal of them to your groomsmen, family or friends before the guests sit down.  Sitting on damp hay bales or wet plastic chairs is not a pleasant experience for anybody.

You might be completely engaged in what’s going on but your guests will be wondering how they can keep warm and dry.  They certainly won’t be focussing on you as a couple and your carefully written vows.  You really do need to have a Plan B!

Just remember – a soggy guest is not a happy guest!

The Sun!

Think also about heat. Will your guests be in full sun when your ceremony takes place? Advise them to bring sunglasses, a cover-up for shoulders, maybe a hat.

Consider having your ceremony under trees or big parasols so your guests have some shelter from bright rays. Even in the British sunshine the heat can be uncomfortable and having the sun in your eyes rather than a perfect view of the happy couple just spoils the experience.

Footwear!

It might seem obvious but, if your outdoor wedding ceremony is in a field on a working farm, make sure your guests know that they should wear suitable footwear.  High heels and fields don’t work – broken ankles are not great on a wedding day. And if the field is normally used by sheep, cows or geese then somebody really does need to get a spade out to clear up before you get ready for the ceremony!

If you are having your ceremony on a lawn, think about providing heel protectors for all those who wear high heels. Even a little rain can make grass difficult to walk on.  Otherwise your guests really will get that sinking feeling.

Enjoy your outdoor wedding ceremony!

If you take a little extra time to plan for these eventualities, your Outdoor Wedding Ceremony really can be every bit as happy and fabulous as you imagine.  Just make sure your guests can hear what’s going on and that they are sheltered and comfortable.

We hope these hints and tips help and finally, here are ‘our’ geese!  Have an absolutely wonderful day!

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Lilie and Scott had a beautiful wedding at the French Chateau du Val in Brittany, a country that they love and have visited many times. We spent plenty of time with them in the UK before the wedding, to develop their unique and personal ceremony script.

Their ceremony was held outside at The Chateau du Val in early May, on a bright and breezy day.  Lilie and Scott were framed by a beautiful flower arch as they exchanged their vows.

Family joined in with readings and their wedding rings were sealed by the love of their grandparents. Everybody sang their hearts out to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.  A really beautiful Ceremony!

Lilie wore an exquisite Mark Lesley dress from the wonderful Shades of White in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

She and her bridesmaids carried silk bouquets of peach and dusky pink from Judy Kennedy.  The bridesmaids were dressed in elegant shimmering and soft grey dresses.  Lilie’s little flower girl shone in white and carried a wand.

The Groom, his Groomsmen and the pageboy were all very smart in navy suits and grey ties, with the groom wearing a white tie.

The Chateau hosted a wonderful wedding reception in the beautiful summer room.  This room is particularly stunning with its classic look and chandaliers. The tables were decorated with homemade favours and named after places that Lilie & Scott had visited in France.

Their super wedding breakfast was enjoyed with background piano music. The evening celebrations continued with a disco and dancing in The Lodge and a spectacular display of fireworks, organised by the Chateau.

Lots of family and friends travelled over to the Chateau du Val in Brittany.  With fifteen rooms available to them, they spent a few nights in the Chateau, including the Wedding Day.  They were all able to take advantage of the swimming pool, the beautiful grounds and the surrounding area.

We were so pleased to be part of Lilie and Scott’s wonderfully happy day and we wish them lots of love, joy and happiness!

Here are the fabulous suppliers!

Wedding Venue:  Chateau du Val

Celebrant: Rebecca Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Wedding Dress: Shades of White, St Ives

Bridesmaid Dresses: DIY Dress

Hair and Makeup: Natalie Daniels

Groomsmen’s Suits: Moss Bros

Flowers: Judy Kennedy

Catering: Mark at Cerise Catering

Cake: Martin Fisher at Petits Anglais

Pianist: Iain Dunnet

DJ: Arnaud

Stationery: Point Graphics

Blog Photographs: David Waldron, White Rose Ceremonies

Official Photographer: AG Photography

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Think outside of the archaic marriage laws that exist in the UK and you can have the ceremony of your choice.

Many of our brides have had their outdoor wedding ceremony in gardens, in fields, by lakes and by the sea.  They were more than happy to complete the “wedding admin” beforehand.  They then had a completely bespoke wedding ceremony in a place of their choosing.

They chose to share their personal and unique promises of love with their families and friends through the very personal service that we provide.  You won’t know who your Registrar will be until your ceremony starts, but you will always have developed a friendship with us, your Celebrants.

All you have to do, after completing the notice requirements, is arrange to go to the Registrar’s Office with two witnesses.  There you can complete the legal administration of your marriage.  You don’t have to pay extra for a Ceremony Room, you have the right to request the basic package and use a Registrar’s Office. (You will find that availability is limited.  Your local council wish to make as much money as possible through use of the Ceremony Rooms).

After that you can have your outdoor wedding ceremony wherever you want!  And it will be completely unique to you. We had our wedding ceremony on a beach in North Norfolk and it was so wonderful that we started our business!

If you have any questions about this please do get in touch.  There is no obligation to book through us, we are more than happy to talk about what celebrants do and how they do it!

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