VISIT SITE
Here is a selection of Q&As from Your Surrey Wedding magazine whether it be about flowers, hair and makeup, fashion, wedding themes, health & beauty, cakes, stationery, legal advice. If you would like your question answered by our experts, please email it to editor@yoursurrey.wedding
To view more expert advice on a different topic, please select one from the list below.
The Story Of Us
| Q | What is your advice on taking the first steps in wedding planning? |
| A | Janet Shell says: Many couples start by looking online or reading a wedding magazine, such as Your Surrey Wedding, so you've already come to the right place to get some specialist ideas! Depending on your timescale, you'll want to decide on a venue and book in with the person who'll officiate the day for you. Options here include a religious ceremony, which you'll know about; a civil ceremony performed either at the local registry office for a small fee but with limited time and no spiritual elements; or a civil ceremony at the venue of your choice, generally for a much larger fee with the same scenario. In each of these cases you are legally wed but there are restrictions on content and time. There is another option, which some venues don't make clear. That is to have the legal bit carried out a day or two beforehand and ask a celebrant to perform the ceremony for you on the date you booked to celebrate at your chosen venue. You can then include all the things you wish from great auntie Nellie doing cartwheels, to the music, words and readings you envision. You can have your own vows incorporated into the story of you and with a familiar face who you'll have liaised with already. There's no set scripts as yours will be individually crafted by your celebrant to celebrate you. |
Janet Shell, Janet Shell Ceremonies
Bespoke ceremonnies
| Q | My partner and I have different backgrounds and cultures, how can we incorporate this into our wedding ceremony as we're feeling limited with the conventional offering from a registrar? |
| A | Karen Dapson says: A celebrant-led ceremony can include absolutely anything that you want and there are no limitations to what you can do. Therefore this would be the ideal option in order to give you the freedom to include elements from your respective backgrounds in your very own, personally designed bespoke ceremony. A celebrant will strive to incorporate all your requests to fulfil your wishes by creating the perfect wedding day for you to remember forever. The only point that you will need to consider is that if you wish your marriage to fulfil the legal requirements required by law, then you will also need to organise a separate ceremony performed by a registrar. |
Karen Dapson, Bespoke Ceremonies by Karen
Hop into spring
| Q | My wife-to-be and I want a customised service for our spring-themed wedding and are thinking of booking a celebrant. Do you have any ideas on how we can incorporate our theme and make the day personal? |
| A | Helen Noble says: Having a theme for a wedding can sound crazy to some as the wedding itself is the theme, yet having been in business for over a decade and planned my own wedding, trust me, a theme or baseline makes planning so much easier. Spring is an excellent theme. The magic of a celebrant is that we get to celebrate your love through a bespoke script. We can talk about how the spring theme was a real inspiration, how this is a new chapter of your life, and we can tailor-make your choice of readings and music to reflect that exciting energy. You could even rewind to Henry VII's days when he had Morris dancers to awaken the spring energy with their bells and sticks – whatever takes your fancy! Incorporating your theme to make the day more personal is precisely what having a celebrant-led ceremony is all about. |
Helen Noble, Helen Noble Celebrant of Surrey
A perfect day
| Q | Our friends suggested we hire a celebrant to officiate our wedding, but we're not sure what to expect. What does a celebrant do? |
| A | Rebecca Douglas says: Having a celebrant officiate your wedding is a great way of creating a personal and bespoke ceremony. It provides you with the freedom to choreograph something meaningful and individual to you, as well as being engaging for your guests as they won't have seen a ceremony like yours, even if they have been to other celebrant-led weddings. When looking for a celebrant it's important to find one that shares your values, vision and possibly even your style. If you like modern and romantic, it would be pointless going for a quirky celebrant and vice versa. Most suppliers should offer a free chat so you can see if your ideas flow and you like how they work. I like to work closely with my couples, meet them a few times and get to know them. I find the information I need by chatting with them, but some celebrants may send out questionnaires. Find out if your celebrant is able to conduct a ritual for you, if this is something you want, as some do and some don't. They should have lots of ideas on how to help you create something that you and your partner will look back on for years to come and cherish. |
Rebecca Douglas, RD Ceremonies
Love is all around
| Q | We're thinking of hiring a celebrant for our upcoming wedding. What should we take into consideration before booking? |
| A | Helen Noble says: Treat your search for a celebrant like you would for your make-up artist or florist. Celebrants come from all sorts of different backgrounds, and it's their energy and style that are important. Once you like them and connect with them, the next step is checking the evidence. Do they have testimonials or blogs? Have they been in any media or publications? Do they have a YouTube channel? If research isn't really your bag, then dive straight in and give them a call. This is the best way to decide whether you should book them or not. Like a lot of wedding suppliers, we are creative people, and we are fuelled and driven by the clients we serve, so it's important you feel a connection before booking. |
Helen Noble, Helen Noble Celebrant of Surrey
