Shruthi & Sam’s Spring wedding at Dewsall Court was extraordinary for so many reasons. However, it will stay with me because of their warmth and the atmosphere that pervaded their ceremony. Spring is a magical time to wed and the ambiance of this day, the textures and colours and sensory pleasure of it, well, it was immersive and beautiful from the very start.
Sam is from Northern Ireland, and the moment I heard this, I did a little skip of happiness, because, and I make no secret of this – I love Northern Ireland. As soon as I learned more about them, their family backgrounds and what they wanted for their wedding ceremony, I knew it would be a pleasure to create for them. Sam is so thoughtful that he even bought a bit of Belfast weather over for the wedding day, but this just made it even more fun as we all cuddled up on the benches on the West Lawn at Dewsall, and listened to their incredible wedding vows. Dewsall has a way of instilling every guest with real anticipation that something special was about to happen, and it really felt that way as we gathered to await Shruthi’s arrival.
As a woman of Tamil heritage, Shruthi was committed to creatively bringing some cultural traditions to the ceremony, and it was brilliant. If you’ve never had garlands of jasmine flowers tied into your hair before, it immediately makes you feel celebratory and beautiful, I absolutely loved mine and still have it, dried, in my memory box. Shruthi’s father and Sam’s mother gave a short reading from the Kurunthokai which is an important work of Tamil poetry, both in Tamil, and in English. As well as bearing the rings, Shruthi and Sam’s friends bought the Thali, a ceremonial gold necklace, as part of the ring exchange, placed delicately on a tray of petals. Sam brought the Celtic with his outrageously chic Irish tartan kilt and jacket. Shruthi’s bridal attire was simply stunning, especially her jewellery. I’d chosen a golden and green coloured suit and was very happy to match the bridal party colour scheme inadvertently!
To prepare for the ceremony we met in one of their favourite Belfast cafes and it was such a great morning, like seeing two old friends (with insanely good taste in brunch choices), and I enjoyed writing their ceremony so much. They put their hearts into the planning process and when I met their friends and families, I really felt like I had met them before, which I think made the ceremony atmosphere more relaxed and intimate.
The wedding ceremony was a non-linear look at their lives together, focusing on how they have built a life and augmented each other’s being since meeting at University. Music and the arts are a big part of their lives and watching them together, they are almost a piece of music themselves, flowing and matching each other in harmony, ranging from moments where there might as well have only been three of us there to giant swells of laughter and impromptu bursts of movement. I will never, ever forget the beauty of Shruthi jumping into Sam’s arms at the end. It was unadulterated happiness.
Shruthi kindly wrote in her review of our work together:
Don’t hesitate to choose Eleanor as your wedding celebrant. She was hands down one of the best decisions we made for suppliers at our wedding and no doubt was a huge factor in making it so special for us.
From the outset, Eleanor was incredibly approachable, friendly and keen to get to know us as a couple. In the lead up to our wedding she was on video calls, sending messages and updates and even took the time to meet up with us in person in Belfast while on her weekend break. Her kindness and sunny personality made it very easy for us to feel comfortable with her, and by the time of our wedding just genuinely felt like there was another friend waiting for us at the end of the aisle.
Her preparation to write the ceremony itself was so thorough, that she was somehow able to condense our whole relationship into a beautifully written ceremony script that felt personal, heartfelt and funny. Like a friend who had been with us the whole time. (She’ll also help you out with your vows if you’re struggling!)
After the ceremony we constantly got compliments from our guests on how beautiful and real the ceremony was. And how it felt very ‘us’.
The ceremony was our favourite part of the day and is something that will stay with us for a long time to come, thanks to Eleanor.
This was my first time working with The Mays of Marta May Photography, and honestly, they were the perfect choice for Shruthi and Sam. The light at Dewsall, particularly in the two colder seasons, is spectacular, and they made every image look as romantic and spontaneous as the day, and the party in the evening, really was.
If you’re a Dewsall Couple reading this, I’d love to meet you, so get in touch. It really is one of my favourite places on the planet.
