Wedding Ceremonies in Essex

Wedding Ceremonies in Essex – Packages

There’s a choice of 3 different priced wedding ceremony packages but all ceremony packages include these 12 special complimentary features:

The full ceremony with a ceremony script and commemorative wedding certificate designed by my calligrapher and signed by you both as part of the ceremony.(witnesses can be included).
A set price so no extra charges for peak season or days.
Unlimited drafts of your personalised ceremony.
Your own Bespoke ceremony script and choreography advice, every detail is covered.
At least one in person meeting and ongoing regular communication via phone/text/email/video chat.
Ceremony rehearsals or talk through.
Vow writing guidance and coaching/support about reading your vows, and for any readers involved in your ceremony.
Advice and recommendations for top venues/suppliers if needed.
A choice of ceremony enhancements such as a tying the knot ceremony.
Booking out the whole day for your ceremony.
On the day early arrival and liaison with the venue and your suppliers e.g photographers, musicians.
Conducting your beautiful unique ceremony with professionalism, flair, personality and lots of memorable moments.

This is how it works:

We get to know each other, you tell me the sort of things you want in your ceremony and then we choreograph it together.
I write the ceremony (and vows if you wish) and together we ensure it’s 100% perfect for you. If you know exactly what you want that’s great, if not I have resources, readings and ideas to share. The ceremony we create will be personalised and therefore totally unique, trust me nothing comes close.
There’s no limit on type of ceremony content or location, it can in a set venue, in your garden, or somewhere special but wherever you choose I will also liaise with your venue.
We talk through every aspect from your entrance into the venue to when you leave after your wedding, this can include walking down the aisle, seating of family members involved in your ceremony and so on and so forth.
On the day I arrive at least 30 mins before the ceremony just to check in to make sure you and your partner are ok and everything is prepared just as you want it. I am there for as long as you want me, I don’t ever plan 2 ceremonies in one day, as I want to be totally focused on the couple that day.
Please see the details of packages and prices below. The enhancements in each package below are added to a normal wedding script which can be totally non-religious, semi religious, fairly traditional or themed. In terms of content there are really no limits, you can include whatever you like, it really is a blank canvas which makes it so special.

Wedding Ceremonies in Essex- The Bronze Package prices

Pricing: 2024/25 £920

As well as the 12 features listed above the details of the Bronze package includes:

Initial face to face planning meeting to discuss ideas, this will enable us to get into the detail of your ceremony, and also to get to know each other.
Written drafts of a ceremony based on your values, beliefs and ideas, there is no limit here, and the most important aspect is that it is just how you want it.
On-going contact by phone and email for any queries, advice, ideas, inspiration and support. A talk through rehearsal for both of you prior to the day.
Arrival 30 minutes before the ceremony for your assistance.
Officiating your ceremony.
A commemorative wedding certificate.

Additional features include:

Choosing your venue, essential questions guide.
A ceremony structure guide.
Vow writing guide with templates.
The choice of one of the 4 ceremony enhancements listed below.

Ceremony Enhancements.

A choice of one of the following special enhancements:

Tying the knot, Mother’s rose ceremony, Breaking glass, Ring warming/blessing.

Tying the knot – one of the most popular ceremony choices!

‘Tying the knot’ means to get married, but the knot tying ceremony is symbolic: as pressure is applied to the knot it strengthens, just like marriage. Some even believe the rope/ribbons will break before the knot comes undone.

Different from a handfasting, it’s an ancient wedding tradition that can help to make your ceremony feel more meaningful, personal, and full of occasion. Your guests probably won’t have seen it before and it gets a great response of awe and wonder as you tie your knot, it makes a great series of photographs too. Don’t worry it’s not complicated and we practise it together.

Once the knot is tied, it’s a lasting keepsake of your wedding day and can be displayed in your home. Most people choose coloured ribbons as the colours have various meanings or they just choose colours to match their wedding theme colours, some choose cord.

Mother’s Rose Ceremony.

This is a great way of honouring the Bride & Groom’s mothers or other family members during a wedding ceremony. This signifies the bride and groom showing gratitude for the love bestowed upon them, this is done by asking their Mothers to come forward so the couple can thank them and give their respective mothers a rose.

Breaking glass – based on the Jewish Tradition of Breaking the Glass it can be adapted.

The breaking of glass at the end of a wedding ceremony reminds us of the fragility of life, the uniqueness of the moment, the shattering of the old and the beginning of the new. It can also symbolise we’ll see a breaking down of the barriers and help create a world based on love, unity, peace, and understanding.

Breaking the glass is permanent; so, too, marriage should last an infinity of time–as long as it would take to reassemble the broken pieces of glass.

The best man will place the bottle before the groom and when the Celebrant declares the bride and groom to be “husband and wife” and says “congratulations, you may kiss your bride!,” the groom then smashes the bottle with his foot and kisses the bride.

Applauding and shouts of “Mazel Tov!” are appropriate in Jewish ceremonies at this point.

Ring Warming/blessing

Before the vows are said and the rings exchanged, the wedding officiant will ask various selected members of the wedding party to participate in a ring warming. The ring warming is an opportunity to send the bride and groom good luck and love through a silent wish to the rings when passed to them. The participants are advised as follows “As you hold them in your hands, pause for a moment, and make your wishes for the couple and for their future before you pass them on to the next person. These rings will not only be a gift from one to another but will be given with the love, support and wisdom of their family and friends.”

If you have any other questions about Wedding Ceremonies in Essex, please contact me here.

Wedding Ceremonies in Essex - Silver Package

Pricing: 2024/25 £1050

As well as the 12 features listed above the details of the Silver package includes:

Initial face to face planning meeting and at least 1 further meeting either face to face or on Skype to discuss ideas; this will enable us to get into the detail of your ceremony, and also to get to know each other.
Written drafts of a ceremony based on your values, beliefs and ideas, there is no limit here, and the most important aspect is that it is just how you want it.
On-going contact by phone and email for any queries, advice, ideas, inspiration and support
A walk and talk through rehearsal for both of you prior to the day.
Arrival an hour before the ceremony, and liaison with your planner/photographer/and key members of your party such as best man or matron of honour/bridesmaids.
Officiating your ceremony
A commemorative wedding certificate and a keepsake copy of your ceremony.

Additional features include:

Choosing your venue, essential questions guide and handy wedding venue checklist.
A ceremony structure guide complete with ceremony video guide.
A vow writing guide with templates AND a personal one to one vow writing session.

A choice of one of the ceremony enhancements listed below or from the bronze package.

Ceremony Enhancements.

A choice of one of the following special enhancements, Hand blessing, Unity Candle ceremony, Sand ceremony, Loving cup.

Hand Blessing.

A beautiful unity ceremony, usually this is in a wedding ceremony right after the couple exchanges rings. It flows beautifully as the celebrant says “while you are holding hands, take a moment to appreciate the gift you are to each other…” Some wedding officiants will do the hand ceremony before the exchanging of rings.

The two of you hold hands and appreciate how you will change over the life of your marriage through the actions you take with your hands. Examples from the ceremony include

Celebrant: [Bride], please hold [Groom’s] hands palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you and cherish you through the years for a lifetime of happiness.

Several other sayings follow and then after these vows the groom does the same with the bride’s hand.

Unity Candle Ceremony.

Lighting a Unity Candle during a wedding ceremony is a special way to symbolise two lives joining together as one. Children can be involved, ceremonial candles and stands are available and can be kept as a memento.

“Bride and Groom, the two separate candles symbolise your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends, in other words, your lives before today. Lighting the centre candle represents your two lives are now being joined together as one.”

There’s a great deal of flexibility within this ceremony, usually you would light the candles after exchanging vows but parents can be involved and children too, they can have their own mini-candle.

Your unity candle can be personalised with scripture, vows, or a photo from your wedding, so it becomes a beautiful year-round keepsake. Many couples choose to relight the candles each year on their anniversary.

Sand Ceremony.

This unique way to symbolise two lives becoming one is also a great way to incorporate children or family into the wedding ceremony. It’s symbolic and meaningful, easily customised, and the couple are left with a unique keepsake of the day.

It is an unexpectedly lovely moment for your guests to witness – remember, they will most likely be expecting just the usual vows, ring exchange and a kiss. It makes the ceremony unique for the couple. Not only is it a visual symbolisation of the bride and groom joining together in marriage, but if other family members are involved, it’s a beautiful representation of two families coming together. The sand-filled vase becomes a beautiful and meaningful keepsake.

The Loving cup or Quaich Ceremony (pronounced Quake).

A Quaich ceremony is a Scottish tradition, the cup is often a beautiful silver/pewter 2 handled traditional cup. It’s often referred to as the love cup as the bride and groom each take a handle to take a drink. Often the groom’s father or another important member of the bridal party is chosen to fill up the cup. The Quaich contains within it a whisky that is sweet – symbolic of happiness, joy, hope, peace, love and delight. This same whisky also has some bitter properties that are symbolic of life’s trials and tribulations, and “Loves Journey”. The Quaich can be engraved and kept a treasured keepsake.

Wine Ceremony. This is very similar to the ceremony above. The bride and groom drink from a single glass of wine. This symbolizes drinking from the cup of life and sharing all of its experiences together, both bitter and sweet.

If you have any other questions about Wedding Ceremonies in Essex, please contact me here.

Wedding Ceremonies in Essex - Gold VIP Package

Pricing: 2024/25 £2400

Within the Gold package as well as the generic 12 features already listed there are exclusive free extras. These are as follows:

A post wedding photography session with a top photographer. This could be a post honeymoon shoot or a family or one year anniversary shoot. Prints and a framed photo of your choice are included.
Also you can choose to have a a few lines of your ceremony or vows written by a calligrapher and framed.
A complimentary VIP wedding gift
Both of these options are included as complimentary VIP benefits of the Gold Package

You will also recieve:

Initial face to face planning meeting and at least 2 further meetings preferably face to face. This will enable us to get into the detail of your ceremony, and also to get to know each other.
Written drafts of a ceremony based on your values, beliefs and ideas, there is no limit here, and the most important aspect is that it is just how you want it.
On-going contact by phone and email for any queries, advice, ideas, inspiration and support
Guides on venue selection, ceremony etiquette and personal vow writing guidance.
A walk and talk through rehearsal for both of you prior to the day and if the venue allows a rehearsal at the venue for all involved.
Arrival an hour before the ceremony, and liaison with your planner/photographer/and key members of your party such as best man or matron of honour/bridesmaids.
Officiating your ceremony
A commemorative wedding certificate and a keepsake copy of your ceremony.

This encompasses all of the details of the silver package but offers a choice of a more elaborate special enhancement from the following options:

Hand fasting (your choice of special ribbons for the ceremony to be treasured as a keepsake)

Jumping the broom (the ceremonial broom is kept by you as a memento)

Anam Cara and gem stone wedding (you chose the gem stone from a selection to be treasured forever)

Or a combination of any 2 of the special enhancements from all of the packages for example a hand blessing combined with a Unity candle ceremony, or a hand fasting and a ring warming ceremony.

Handfasting.

A hand fasting ceremony has its roots in ancient Celtic tradition symbolising the binding together of two people hence the phrase “tying the knot!” A nature-related, spiritual tradition first recorded 4,000 years’ ago it represents a deal or a vow. The celebrant would begin by explaining the ritual and its meaning; this includes the idea of the couple binding their lives together and the union of their hopes and desires. The celebrant invites the couple to join hands, symbolising their free will to enter into the marriage. Then the celebrant reads a series of vows as cords are wrapped around the couple’s hands, they may make an additional statement about the completion of the binding and the commitment it symbolises.

Once the knots have been tied and the couple bound, their hands are freed and the hand fasting binding are kept as a reminder of their union and commitments to each other. Children, families and friends can be included and each wrap a different coloured ribbon around the arms of the couple. Braided long length cords, or coloured ribbons are available, and cords can be blessed or energised.

Jumping the Broom.

Jumping the broom is a phrase and custom where the couple jumps over a broom. The tradition of Jumping the Broom symbolises sweeping away the old and welcoming the new–a symbol of a new beginning. The Bride and Groom are sweeping together in a circle to signify the sweeping away of their former single lives, their past problems and their previous cares. The broom represents a threshold between past and present, and jumping the broom symbolizes the crossing of this threshold into a new relationship as husband and wife.

Anam Cara & Gem Stone Wedding Ceremony

As the guests arrive, they are each given a small gem to hold during the Celtic Wedding Ceremony. On this wedding day we celebrate the Celtic spirit of Anam Cara.

Anam Cara is translated from the Gaelic as “soul friend.” By solidifying your partnership with your anam cara, you are joined in an ancient and eternal way.

To the ancients, the four elements to be respected and celebrated were earth, (your chosen gemstone or stone represents the earth), water, (water is drunk) wind, and fire. (a candle is lit). There are special readings for each and an Irish blessing.

OR you can choose any 2 of the ceremonies for the Gold Package so you could for example have a hand fasting and a ring warming ceremony.

Other quirky ideas

Canvas Painting Ceremony.

A fun alternative to the traditional unity candle ceremony or sand ceremony, the Unity Canvas Painting Ceremony lets the couple celebrate their unity ceremony in an artistic way that truly represents them. Every marriage starts out as a blank canvas and every day is a splash of colour. This blank canvas represents the day of the wedding, and a new beginning. The couple then add their colours to the canvas and this creates a magical and sometimes humorous moment as well as providing a lovely keepsake of the day.

Love Letter and Wine Box Ceremony.

A Love Letter and Wine Box ceremony will serve as a lasting reminder of the commitments made by the couple to each other. Heartfelt letters, encapsulating thoughts and feelings are locked away in a wine box to be revealed several years into the marriage. This box contains a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a love letter from each to the other.

The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and they do not see what the other has written. The idea behind this is that should the Bride and Groom ever find their marriage facing hardships, they will open the box, sit and drink the wine together, then read the letters they wrote to one another to be reminded of the reasons why they are together.

The hope is, however, that they will never have a reason to open the box. And if this is the case, they are to open it to share and enjoy on their 5th year wedding anniversary, replenish and open on their 10th anniversary, and so on.

Ribbons, Doves, Butterflies and Bubbles.

Ribbons, Doves, Butterflies and Bubbles are a fun way of ending the wedding ceremony. This takes place just before the bride and groom recess down the aisle as husband and wife.

Doves are beautiful, devoted creatures; they symbolise unity, loyalty, love, beauty, devotion and peace. Watching them soar together in flight can be an inspiration and a joy to watch.

Butterflies are both beautiful and fragile. They symbolise transformation and all that is perfect in the world. As a couple join together in marriage, their commitment to love releases into the world a new wonder, a new beauty, a new perfection.

Bubble Blessing – All of the gathering are given bottles of bubbles and are asked to momentarily believe in magic and wish all of their blessings on to the couple. They should then be asked to take a deep breath and blow their bubbles out into the Universe and ask that the marriage be blessed and sacred for eternity, whilst sending their wishes, blessings and prayers to the couple.

There are many other ways to give a ceremony the wow factor, some couples now have owls or birds of prey to deliver the rings during the ceremony, others include their dogs or pets within the ceremony, and often the couple themselves have special ideas some of which may involve family rituals.

If you have any other questions about Wedding Ceremonies in Essex, please contact me here.