HOT TOPIC Local wedding experts answer your questions WEDDING BELLES What are the advantages of booking an independent wedding celebrant? Meet the expert: Claire Austin founded the handmade bespoke bridal hair and jewellery brand Claire Austin England and she has just founded Claire Austin Wedding Celebrant to help couples plan the ceremony of their dreams. Claire says: There are many advantages to booking a wedding celebrant for your ceremony. Most importantly, you get to choose who will be conducting it. As a wedding celebrant, I will work with couples over the months or weeks (depending on the time of booking) leading up to their wedding day with regular communication over email, on WhatsApp, via a video call or in person. I will learn everything about them as a couple so I can write a bespoke and personalised script for the wedding ceremony. One of my favourite parts of the ceremony is telling guests about each love story - where you met, how you got engaged and what you love about each other. I can incorporate religious, spiritual, cultural or symbolic elements into your ceremony. Whether it’s a hand-fasting; a unity candle or a sand ceremony or even a wine box time capsule; planting a tree; ring warming; a rose exchange or singing your favourite song together, I will make sure your ceremony is completely personal to you and a true reflection of your values and beliefs. You can have your celebrant-led ceremony anywhere and at any time. Be it in a barn, a manor house, in the woods, on a clifftop, in your garden, a theatre, or a museum. I will conduct a venue visit to see the space and meet the coordinator (if there is one). As part of my package, a ceremony rehearsal is also included. This can be held at the venue or location, or another meeting place (or via video call). I will arrive 60 to 90 minutes before your ceremony is due to begin to liaise with your venue and suppliers and help you or your wedding party with any last-minute public speaking jitters. I only perform one ceremony per day, so this is particularly handy if you are running over schedule. I will make sure your ceremony feels relaxed and unhurried. A celebrant-led ceremony is not legally binding, so you will have to visit your local register office either before or after your wedding day (for yourselves and two witnesses, you’re looking at approximately £50 to conduct the legal bit. You don’t need to exchange rings or say your vows). You can sign a wedding blessing certificate during the ceremony with an independent celebrant so it feels like you are getting married. Because the ceremony is not legally binding, it means there are no rules, and you can have anything you like in it. Feeling a bit worried about walking down the aisle? No problem! We can discuss ways to make you feel more comfortable, such as meeting each other a few minutes before the ceremony or even walking down the aisle together. Book a celebrant-led wedding for a personal, joyful and memorable occasion, designed to celebrate your love for one another in front of your family and friends, setting the tone for the rest of the day. www.claireaustinweddingcelebrant.com www.facebook.com/people/Claire-Austin-WeddingCelebrant/61571324546030 FOR THE NATURE LOVERS We want to enjoy a Cornish-based mini-moon in a bell tent, where can you suggest? Meet the expert: Claire Ridley is the editor of Your Devon & Cornwall Wedding. Claire says: I’m such a fan of bell tents, they make me want to book a glamping trip now! The Sea Forts campsite in Torpoint offers luxe bell tents with viewing decks perched off the beaten track enjoying 360-degree views for nature-loving guests. Perfect for honeymooning couples is the five-metre tent home to a double bed complete with linen, a duvet and pillows and a blanket and towels. The outdoor space is equipped with a firepit, griddle and pot (perfect for roasting marshmallows!) and also included is a picnic table, lantern, and solar charger. A highlight is the cosy Romantic Mini Moon Tent situated to admire stunning views across the valley. Luxurious white bed linen adorns the double bed and the tent is decorated with romantic lighting and benefits from all of the above plus a bottle of prosecco on ice to toast. The Guardhouse Café and Bar, a lovingly restored building is open until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday nights serving tapas and drinks. It hosts The Sea Forts Weddings and Celebration experiences. www.seafortscornwall.com www.instagram.com/seaforts_cornwall www.maxiphotography.com 44
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=