If you believe in fate, this story is for you. In August, I was Carl and Leacarla’s wedding celebrant at the majestic St Audries Park. It was one of the happiest, effortlessly fun weddings of my year. It was also a family wedding for me, and when they booked me from their living room in Melbourne, Australia, none of us had any clue that was the case. You see, it turns out that Carl and my husband are related. Carl’s Gran is my husband’s Auntie Maria. So it was a celebrant wedding ceremony with a very iconic twist!
All images: Just James Photography
We found out just by talking about Torquay, basically. Small place, not many Willocks, especially not original Scouse ones like Auntie Maria. From that moment on, I was fully invested in making their wedding ceremony as beautiful and romantic family occasion as I possibly could. Their wedding was a dream, an absolute joy, because everybody there was simply so up for it. When you are marrying on your home soil but living internationally, there’s something so very special about it. Everyone is so glad you are home. Everyone wants to make every second count for you. And this is exactly what happened for Leacarla and Carl. I genuinely drove home from the wedding ceremony feeling like I’d been part of something I’ll never forget.
The first five minutes of the wedding ceremony brought the most tears to all our eyes. Carl was feeling all the nerves and his lovely best man kept him calm and was so supportive. Leacarla’s sweetest flower girls preceded the delicious bridesmaids, glowing in their butter-yellow satin, and then Leacarla and her wonderful Dad, who I actually thought might explode with pride at one point. My gosh, she looked stunning. At this point all of us lost it a bit. And then we were off, telling their love story and witnessing their promises to each other, everybody gathered ready to celebrate.
“We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better celebrant! From the very beginning (once Eleanor and Carl had put their United/ Liverpool team differences aside), Eleanor was warm, professional, and completely invested in making our ceremony personal and perfect. In the lead-up to the big day we had many a calls from Australia and the time difference was always accommodated. Eleanor helped guide us through the entire process, helped us shape our vows, and made everything feel easy and exciting.
On the wedding day, Eleanor brought the energy we needed: calm, reassuring, and full of joy. Her words were heartfelt and meaningful, and she struck the perfect balance between emotion and light-heartedness. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, and so many of our guests told us how special and memorable the ceremony was.
We’ll be forever grateful to Eleanor for making our day so unforgettable. Highly, highly recommend!” – The Hunters, August 2025
what i loved about this wedding
- Because we were drawing together their two families, their community from Australia and the UK, the guest experience was magical. Everybody got to hear things about Leacarla and Carl that they either knew well, or didn’t know at all.
- The bride and groom sat facing their guests for the ceremony, which meant they got to experience everybody’s joy for them, as well as their own feelings. They were touching for the whole ceremony, in that way that makes you feel secure and loved. It was beautiful.
- We had two secret ring bearers who were absolutely made up to be randomly chosen, and it was so fun.
- There were no wedding readings, instead I surprised them with some very emotional contributions from their parents, and a quick vote from the guests on which of them was the better dancer. As well as making commitments to each other, their friends and family also made some group commitments to them, which was such a special moment for a couple that aren’t always geographically close to their families.
- One of the longest and most enthusiastic confetti lines I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous.
- Carl dancing with his mum and his gran to the music during the cocktail hour.
- Meeting family, like, actual DNA related to my children family, at a wedding ceremony, was a real privilege I’ll never forget. Auntie Maria was at my wedding 15yrs ago, and it was amazing to watch her amongst this party, surreal and wonderful.
If you hop over to the Somerset Wedding Photographer Just James Weddings instagram, you’ll be able to see a lot of the details of the day. I also got to work with Hannah from Wild Cherry Content, which was great fun, and Immy Heloise, on her debut at St Audries, which was queenly!
All photography in this post by Just James Weddings, who was a dream to work with as always. Thank you, Leacarla and Carl, for choosing me, for welcoming me to the party, for being everything that you are.
