It’s a family tradition to marry on the family farm for Heather. There was nowhere else any of us would have rather been that day in July last year than the sun-baked slope of her parents’ land overlooking the Somerset Levels. This wedding ceremony was layer upon layer of natural beauty, every detail carefully hand-created by the hand of someone special to them in some way, or by Josh and Heather themselves. It was wonderful to be able to bring their love story out into the open air for them as part of their wedding celebration, surrounded by all their loved ones and framed by Heather’s very favourite thing – flowers and greenery. As a Somerset wedding celebrant, it felt like a 10-0 win at the home ground!
There’s no better description of Heather and Josh than their affectionate yet practical need to create delight for their families and friends on their own wedding day. Although each detail was quintessentially theirs, things were built, drawn, composed and crafted with someone else’s surprise and appreciation in mind. Heather and I now have a lifetime bond over books and stories, and she loves words as much as I do, but Josh, he keeps his word count low, and shows his love with deeds. A brilliant combination of two people who shine in each other’s presence so brightly, it’s like they hold a ring-light to their partner’s best angle and empower them to be their best. Josh is a chef at one of Somerset’s most celebrated eateries, and his organisation and preparation skills did not let him down, let me tell you. We all had roles, and on the day, it was so relaxed, human, life-affirming and hugely romantic.
Our ceremony was at the highest point of the family fields which had been curated into a haven of wild grasses and clover buds. We gathered and waited for Heather and her father and friends to walk up last. Heather is one of those women whose natural beauty can’t actually be bettered, and her choice of two-piece skirt and delicate floral top with a tie back was stunning. Her appearance at the top of the hill was joyous, we stood between the crates of wildflowers arranged by Aizel of Yallam Hayes which provided shouts of bright blues, pinks and corals, and a haven for the buzzy bees. And off we went.
Josh and Heather had given me so much of their hearts and their time in preparation for their ceremony, it felt so good to be able to give back to them with the ceremony I created. We balanced some of their funniest early-relationship stories with some serious points about the impact that committing to one another had on their life journeys. Josh is a proud New Zealander who came to this hemisphere to see it, and once he discovered his ideal travel partner, built her a customised camper van in the ultimate deeds not words play to win her heart and invite her along. Many jokes were made at the expense of Heather’s family tea-drinking addiction. Lots of tartan and knees were out in further celebration of her Scottish roots. Their lovely guests laughed and cried along with us as they exchanged rings, and their own vows, which completely reflected their personalities and hit all the harder for it. We had a poem about a penguin, because, why not?
And then came the moment I think Heather was most excited for – the confetti. For over a year, Heather and her mum had been gathering and painstakingly drying flowers to create a pick n mix confetti station for guests to stop at on their way to our ceremony. So, everybody showered them with lovingly chosen concoctions of aromatic, brightly coloured petals. It was a perfect example of real, intentional marriage preparation – an act of joy so connected with what would make her happy on her wedding day, and so rooted in communal activity, I loved it.
And then down the hill we went, everybody carrying their own chairs back to the stunning marquee for a feast that only a chef could plan, and a marriage toast with cider they had made using apples gathered from the farm. Little kids scampering. Jet-lagged relatives pushing through and soaking up the summer and the new voices around them. Proud parents and wasps and softly waving bunting and streamers. A treasure hunt, a quiz, and a seat for everyone somewhere. They even had a chill-out quiet room out of the sunshine. Heather and Josh thought of everything, but prepared it all thinking only of what marriage meant to them. It was perfect.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS WEDDING
- Bringing precisely the right amount of emotion and sentiment to a couple that needed a precise balance to make it feel comfortable and special. I know I got it right and I’m proud of it. The preparation we did and the understanding of their dynamic, and the laughs we had getting there, were very special to me.
- Seeing Heather getting ready in her childhood home. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and was so exciting to have that ten minutes with her before the ceremony.
- The confetti pick n mix. I struggle to think of a more laborious but gladly undertaken wedding task by someone with such cheer and good intentions.
- The walk back down to the party after the ceremony, all the brightly coloured dresses and kilts, and everybody so excited for the rest of the day.
- The fractional moment when Josh turned from man in control of event design to the realisation that he was also the recipient of the unbelievably beautiful wife coming up the brow of the hill. You could actually see it pass across him, like the opposite of a shadow.
WHAT HEATHER AND JOSH LOVED ABOUT THEIR CEREMONY
Where to begin with our review of Eleanor?! We could not have asked for a more perfect celebrant to create our wedding ceremony! My husband spotted Eleanor at a wedding fair and knew from the way she was talking to all the couples visiting her that she would be brilliant. In fact she was so popular that he didn’t manage to speak with her at the time but just took her card and I’m so glad that he did!
We arranged to meet Eleanor for a drink (with Mack the dog of course) just to chat and get to know if she would be the right choice for us. Eleanor talked us through her process of getting to know couples and how she went about writing her brilliantly personalised ceremonies. We came away from that first meeting, our heads buzzing with idea, reminiscing about funny stories and moments from our relationship and booked Eleanor immediately. I loved the fact that Eleanor sent us a handwritten card to confirm the booking, such a lovely individual touch!
Eleanor’s couples questionnaire and all her conversations with us helped her to write the most amazing, touching and personalised ceremony for us. We had so many wedding guests tell us it was the best wedding ceremony they had ever attended and how brilliant Eleanor was. We could not agree with them more! Eleanor was always responsive when we sent messages, helped us when we had concerns about writing our vows, organised our guests on the day and even lent us her bell tent to camp in!
Eleanor clearly really cares about creating the best possible ceremony that reflects who couples are, tells their relationships stories and suits their individual personalities. We could not have asked for a more perfect celebrant to help us celebrate our wedding. Thank you!! x
All photos courtesy of Heather and Josh and taken by the amazing Alice Whitby.
