When you are marrying your first love, at your dream summer ceremony, surrounded by family and friends who have been there for you for a long time, you’ve got a lot you want to say about how you feel. From the minute I met Jess and Kieran, I knew this was going to be beautiful.
The wedding was in July at the Tempest Arms in Elslack, a gorgeous Yorkshire village, with wild moors spilling out around the lanes. We planned a classic, romantic wedding ceremony, as Jess and Kieran had lots of fun and games planned for guests during the day. We had a classic aisle walk from Jess, her dad and her beautiful group of bridesmaids, to meet Kieran and I, and his groomsmen. Jess was literally sparkling, her hair, her dress, so classically romantic. Under a beautifully decorated archway, including a sparkly neon sign saying ‘better together’, Jess and Kieran made commitments to each other, and asked guests to make commitments to support them too. We did personalised vows (Kieran’s were so lovingly delivered I had to high five him afterwards!) and a gorgeous ring exchange, before they kissed to huge applause and walked down the aisle together.
What I loved about this wedding:
I adored this wedding for many reasons. It was a real privilege to celebrate two people who had found each other, and worked hard to love and support each other both as young people, and adults with busy lives and hopes for the future. Secondly, Jess had designed and made all their decoration, styled and created the florals, and done a beautiful job. She’s since launched her own small business, designing and making silk floral arrangements, and wedding party accessories, called 27 Wedding Designs. Lastly, I ADORED their mums. We had awesome WhatsApp chats about the bride and groom which resulted in the most tear-inducing section of the ceremony, which was a surprise for Kieran and Jess, where I said all the things to them that their mums didn’t get the chance to stand up and say.
After the ceremony, we had a brilliant confetti shower and I loved watching Jon Harrison, the photographer who took these brilliant images, at work. He had everybody laughing and feeling at ease. As I left, I got to watch Kieran and Jess’ dip kiss with the hills as a backdrop, before they headed down the lane into the sunset.
What Jess and Kieran said…
“We absolutely loved having Eleanor as our celebrant. She made our day so special. Everyone commented on how beautiful the ceremony was.
She really took in every detail, the script, the vow booklets, the video calls and everything was just spot on.
Eleanor is the loveliest person with such a great personality, we have had non-stop laughs and giggles.
She is more than just a celebrant, she is a friend and supports you throughout your wedding journey. We will forever be thankful for her coming up to Yorkshire to spend our day with us.
Mr and Mrs Halstead xx”
Photography with kind permission from the Halsteads and Jon Harrison
