Inspiration for your wedding, civil partnership or vow renewal
3 Ideas – 3 Venues – 3 Suppliers

Ideas

Eloping 
Eloping became is synonymous with Gretna when the 1754 Marriage Act prevented couples from England & Wales marrying under 21 unless they had parental permission, so many young lovers dashed to this first village over the Scottish border to be hitched without restriction.

Elopement is still popular, but for different reasons. Some couples like the secret rush of ‘running away’ to be wed; others see their union as something deeply personal and for them alone. Just as smaller weddings have become popular, some couples take the next step and dispense with the big do, and the fuss and expense of organising it, and keep things simple.

There can be more to it than popping to the local register office for 10 minutes. For couples who want a small but special event, there may still be planning to do – such as finding a wedding planner or travel counsellor specialising in elopement in your chosen county or country.

Some couples opt for a celebrant ceremony after the legalities, in a place meaningful to them or breathtakingly beautiful – atop a wild moorland, a dappled woodland, in an ice cave, or barefoot on a beach. Not forgetting the right photographer to accompany them too and record their magical elopement.
 
Entertainment
Weddings can be long events, and many couples give thought to how to keep their guests entertained (other than at the bar). Here are a few.

• The ceremony itself

If you’ve chosen a celebrant-led ceremony, the fun starts right away, and your guests can enjoy being part of your ceremony, not mere witnesses to it. They can be part of symbolic acts – such as ‘warming’ the rings as they are passed around, placing a ribbon or cord in a hand tying – or underscore the vows by answering ‘We Do!’ to group promises personal to the couple.

• Post-ceremony to reception

Between the photographs and meal, hired lawn games are popular – croquet, mini golf, giant chess, Connect Four or Jenga, space hoppers etc.

For the reception, there are lots of table activity options – from custom jigsaw puzzles, ‘Guess Who’ with guest pictures and ‘Find Your Partner’ clues on the reverse of the place setting. Many are paper based – such as best man speech bingo, betting cards or finish the sentence (also called mad libs), date night ideas/best advice slips to go in a wishing jar, trivia quiz on the couple, and I Spy or scavenger hunt challenges (such as taking photos of a kiss, a group selfie, chinking glasses etc) with a hashtag to share them with online.

For hired entertainment, how about a magician, fire eater, stilt walker, poi performer, arcade game or photo booth? Not forgetting the music of course – your musician, band or DJ to get the party started.

Of course, the newlyweds or couple are the star, and either your best man/woman or the celebrant (if you’ve hired them to stay) can orchestrate their games. A popular choice is the Shoe Game – a Mr and Mrs (or Mr/Mr, Mrs/Mrs) type quiz with each partner holding one of their own shoes and one of their partner’s to raise to answer the questions with.
  
Entry
The archetypal image of the start of a British wedding that we’re used to is of a groom waiting at the head of the aisle anticipating turning round for his first glance of his bride as she processes down the aisle to meet him.

There are no rules though; you can mix it up according to what suits you best, plus, the bridal-party style entry may not work for those wanting a more equal ceremony, same- or other-gendered couples, or those celebrating a commitment ceremony, civil partnership, or vow renewal who don’t want a traditional ‘weddingy’ feel.

Other ideas include:

• Both entering together, hand in hand, walking or dancing down the aisle to your song
• Entering simultaneously but separately, taking different paths in before joining
• Reversing the gender roles – the bride waits and the groom enters
• For themed ceremonies, you might enter by alternative means – on horseback, by zipwire, carried on a palanquin, or unrolled from a carpet like Cleopatra!
• Having a non-straight aisle and seating layout: a cabaret style layout allows you to weave round guest tables and say hello, and a heart shaped could permit you to each come in around the sides to meet at the top of the heart

 
Links
Venues
Elsham Hall, N Lincs
www.elshamhall.co.uk/weddings/
Elderflower Events, Rural Lincolnshire
www.elderflowerevents.com
Elm Tree, Hundleby
elmtree.co.uk/weddings/

Suppliers
Elizabeth Kate Bridal, Crowle
www.elizabethkatebridal.co.uk/
Enchanted Garden, Grimsby
www.enchantedgardenflorists.co.uk/
Essence Flowers, Scunthorpe
www.essenceflowers.co.uk/

Inspiration for your wedding, civil partnership or vow renewal
​3 Ideas – 3 Venues – 3 Suppliers

Ideas

Candles
Candles are a popular decoration for weddings, as part of the décor, or part of the ceremony. Check with your venue whether lit candles are permitted; of course, many venue stylists use LED candles to great effect.

A unity candle ritual is a beautiful symbolic demonstration of the joining of two lives and two families. A large pillar candle is flanked by two slim taper candles. Traditionally, the two taper candles are lit by the couple’s mothers (but it doesn’t have to be), and then the couple use these to light the large candle, to create a shared flame.

Candles can be customised with your names, monogram, the date, and a design that matches your décor. If you’d like to incorporate other people, such as children, a display of tea lights in a heart or spiral looks pretty. For safety, it’s an idea to have a wooden splint and a small glass of water to hand.

If you’re remembering a lost loved one, a candle is a touching way to incorporate them within your ceremony. It’s up to you whether you’d like to light the candle as part of your ceremony with a few words of remembrance and a pause for reflection, or simply to have it there as a guiding light throughout.
 
Civil
This word is used in different ways, and it can cause confusion.
‘Civil marriage’ or ‘civil partnership’ is the term used by registrars to refer to the legal registration of a couple’s relationship. It’s distinct from religious marriage, conducted by a recognised faith leader in a place of worship.

Civil marriage is secular – the service cannot include religious content. Some couples may not have their preferred music or readings, if they are considered ‘religious’, but the lines are vague.
E.g. Robbie Williams ‘Angels’ or Aretha Franklin’s ‘Say a Little Prayer’ may be permitted, but ‘Pie Jesu’ or ‘Ave Maria’ might not be - you need to discuss this with a registrar.
So: LEGAL REGISTRATION, NO RELIGION PERMITTED

‘Civil celebrant’ means a celebrant not affiliated to any belief system or worldview, whether that is religious/spiritual, or a humanist organisation. Civil celebrants reflect the wishes of their clients; their personal beliefs are irrelevant. Whether a couple require an entirely secular wedding or vow renewal ceremony, or if they’d like some touches of faith – spiritual music playing, singing a hymn, or having a spiritual reading or poem, a civil celebrant will accommodate that.
So: NO LEGAL REGISTRATION, ALL BELIEFS EMBRACED

‘Civil Ceremonies’ is a celebrant training company, that enables celebrants to achieve the only nationally recognised qualification for civil celebrants – the NOCN Diploma (it’s where I trained in weddings). A couple of other training providers offer this too.
 
Cocktails
Marriage is like a cocktail – different elements combine to make something unique. Mixed in the right combination, it’s the perfect recipe for a happy couple and a lush cocktail.
Who doesn’t love a pretty cocktail or mocktail!?
If you’re partial to them, they can be part of your ceremony too.

Here are some ideas. Why not have…

• Cocktail toast instead of bubbly.
• Signature cocktails served on arrival or at reception – a classic, or new one created for or by you (just 2 or 3 ingredients is best – keep it simple, and practise).
• Cocktail mixing ritual, where you create your cocktail yourselves as part of your ceremony. It fun and looks great where there’s a colour change.
• Shared unity cocktail – seal your promises with a sip from a pretty flute, goblet, or quaich (a two handled Celtic cup)
• Your cocktail (re)named for the day, connecting to something personal – favourite TV, movie or music.
• Ingredients that symbolise marriage, or your past and future hopes – bitter and sweet, bright and fun, traditional and modern. E.g. coconut for the exotic honeymoon you’ll share, cranberry to remember the Christmas you met, honey as that’s your pet name for your beloved. 

 
Links:

Venues - C
Remember – a celebrant-led ceremony of any type can take place at any venue; it doesn’t have to be licensed for civil weddings/partnerships. Here are some venues for a Lincolnshire or Yorkshire  wedding.

Carlton Manor Hull
https://www.instagram.com/carltonmanoryorkshire
https://facebook.com/carltonmanoryorkshire

Cave Castle Hotel
https://www.facebook.com//cavecastle
https://www.instagram.com/cavecastlehotel/

Cleatham Hall Gainsborough
https://www.facebook.com/CleathamHall
https://www.instagram.com/cleathamhall/

Suppliers - C
​
Chris Waud Photography
https://www.facebook.com/christopherwaud
https://www.chriswaudphotography.com/

Coates Couture
https://www.facebook.com/CoatesCouturebridal
https://www.instagram.com/coatescouturebridal

Crosskills Florist
https://www.facebook.com/CrosskillsFlorist
https://www.instagram.com/crosskills_flowershop