September Weddings Round Up

I had two beautiful wedding ceremonies in September and they both happened to be on the same weekend!

Having had at least one ceremony a week for months, it felt funny to have three weeks off, but it was probably needed after such a busy season. I treated my hair to a fresh trim and my skin to a facial after months of curling tongues and lots of makeup!

Paige and Jonty

My first ceremony was on a Saturday for the lovely Paige and Jonty. They had found me on the East Soar Farm Instagram page and chose me to be their celebrant after having a video call with me.

They had just under 30 family and friends attending, so it was one of those gorgeous intimate ceremonies. They may have been smaller in number, but they were so up for a good time! It was my first time working with wedding planner Emma Twamley, singer and pianist Greg Agar and photographer Josh Iskander and what a great team we made!

I arrived 1.5 hours before the ceremony started to check in with Paige and her bridal party, as well as Jonty who had got ready off site and arrived at the venue early. When everything was set up and ready in the ceremony space it was show time! The groomsmen had handed out Limoncello shots as the guests were sitting down, and we had a moment where the newlyweds shared their first drink as a married couple with their nearest and dearest, which was so fun!

They signed the wedding certificate with their parents, said personal vows to each other and I shared their love story. Straight after the ceremony came a big surprise... (even to me!), as we all watched Jonty play the piano whilst Greg Agar sang! Paige had no idea he had been practising for months and it was very emotional, a real feel good, joyful moment!

I stayed for a drink and chatted with their family and friends for a while afterwards and then took myself home to prepare for Nicole and Sam's wedding the very next day...

Nicole and Sam

It was my first time performing a ceremony at Deer Park Country House, and what a stunning venue it is! Nicole and Sam chose to have their ceremony by The Summer House, which is such a magical spot. While I was setting up, all I could hear was birdsong and the rustle of trees, and I half expected a deer to jump out and amble across the grass at any moment.

I met Nicole and Sam at a wedding fair over 18 months ago, and we clicked straight away. We also found out we were practically neighbours, with them living only a 5-minute drive from me, which made it handy when we had our planning meeting!

I went to see Nicole in the main house while she put the final touches on her makeup and put on her dress, and then I caught up with Sam, who was chatting with his guests as they arrived. The rain was threatening to stay, but luckily it cleared up just in time!

Their ceremony was full of love and emotion, especially when they were saying their personal vows to each other. There wasn't a dry eye in the house! A really fun part was deciding who would say their vows first... they both had a shot, one with water and the other with vodka, and the person with vodka lost and had to speak first. Sam did a good job of pretending his was water until he started spluttering and needed a sip of water! It is safe to say he was the loser...

It was a pleasure to share their beautiful love story, and many guests said afterwards how personal it felt.

What Nicole and Sam said about working with me,

"Where do I even begin? Claire is such a beautiful, heartwarming and kind soul, we felt so comfortable with her as soon as we met.

She takes such pride in her work, she is so thorough and meticulous. She shows such enthusiasm for every single couple she works with. It's very clear how much she loves being a celebrant because it shows!

We had so many incredible comments & feedback on how loving, funny & entertaining our ceremony was. I cannot emphasise enough how I would recommend her to everyone & anyone. She will guarantee your ceremony is a dream, once in a lifetime experience."

I am now fully booked for 2027, but if you're getting married or planning a vow renewal in 2028, please get in touch with me to see if I'm available (I hope I am!)

Love Claire xxx