This wedding inspiration is pure romance and the ceremony had all the ingredients of a true love story, where a beautiful bride and groom found their soul mates.
At the end of August we conducted a very personal wedding ceremony for a very sweet couple at their country home & gardens in the Peak District. Thank you both for allowing us to share a few of the special moments from your ceremony that were captured by the talented photographer Matt Priestley.
All our wedding ceremonies are special, but this one told a particularly beautiful story of two individuals from different parts of the world and different cultures whose paths crossed and destiny brought together- well a spanish cooking lesson actually! In this case, paella was their food of love!
Instead of going down the more traditional route of a church wedding ceremony they decided to find their own way of expressing their love for each other, making promises and commitment to each other in a place that was meaningful to them.
Getting married at home was an important part of making their day personal as it would be the place that they would nurture their love for each other, weather life’s adventures and be the place that they would yearn to return to when away.
The ceremony itself was held under an ash tree, outside and alongside nature. The ash tree was traditionally thought to be protective and ward off evil. Some believe you can even invoke love using its leaves; it is often seen carved in churches around the country as “The tree of Knowledge” and commonly thought to be a sign of good luck.
Ash wood is also very strong, touch and yet elastic and it is said that a joint of ash will bear more weight than any other wood. Just as their relationship, it will burn for a long time with an intense heat.
After saying their vows and promises to each other they exchanged rings signifying their endless love and unity.
In addition to the exchange of rings they wanted incorporate a Spanish tradition dating back to 11th Century called “Las Arras” where the couple exchanged a set of thirteeen coins was presented by the mother of the Groom. Historically, they symbolise Jesus and his twelve apostles and the exchange of coins represents the groom’s promise to provide for his family and the brides trust in his ability to do so.
In Spain, the coins are usually stamped with the family coat of arms or your own personal monogram which is a lovely personal touch which could be kept as a keepsake and family heirloom. Here at Celebration Ceremonies we also offer design services so if you are interested in a bespoke monogram drop Jan a line. You can of course, add your own meaning and symbolism to the coins for example if you loved travel you could incorporate foreign coins to represent the countries that you have travelled to or want to travel to during your married life.
The Groom had written a beautiful poem for his bride called “Una Notche Mas”-“Just another night” and was a very special moment in the ceremony. Those carefully chosen words will say close to their hearts and remain in their souls for the rest of their married life.
If you have been inspired by this wonderful romantic home wedding ceremony or are planning an interfaith wedding and want us to help make your wedding ceremony unique & personal to you then drop Jan a line: ceremonies@janshillito.co.uk
Have a look at our other wedding ceremony inspiration and if you too are a couple from different parts of the world or different cultures you may also be interested in our blog on interfaith weddings recently featured on The Secret Wedding Blog
