London Love on a Sunday

Hi everyone! Hope you're keeping warm and cosy on this snowy day.

I've recently had my first London booking and I'm so excited to be writing and performing a wedding in not only one of my favourite cities, but also my old stomping ground north of the river.

To warm your cockles I thought I'd share this lovely London poem by Wendy Cope, about falling in love in the capital. It reminds me of some happy (exciting ;-) times spent in the big smoke and would be a perfect reading for any couple having a London wedding.

Enjoy!

Christabel x

After the Lunch by Wendy Cope

On Waterloo Bridge, where we said our goodbyes,

the weather conditions bring tears to my eyes.

I wipe them away with a black woolly glove

And try not to notice I've fallen in love.

On Waterloo Bridge I am trying to think:

This is nothing. you're high on the charm and the drink.

But the juke-box inside me is playing a song

That says something different. And when was it wrong?

On Waterloo Bridge with the wind in my hair

I am tempted to skip. You're a fool. I don't care.

the head does its best but the heart is the boss-

I admit it before I am halfway across.

Photography by Hak Lohn via ohjoy.blogs.com

King and Queen of your very own Castle

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. I know, I know...it goes too quickly right?

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend by the sea in beautiful North Somerset, visiting relatives and meeting a lovely couple who have booked me to perform their wedding ceremony this summer.

The happy couple are holding their wedding at the amazing Walton Castle located in the Victorian seaside town of Clevedon. The castle is a Grade II listed 16th Century hill top property with 360 degree views over wooded North Somerset countryside on one side and the Bristol Channel and Wales on the other.

The main part of the accommodation is housed on four floors in an octagonal keep which sits in the centre of a stunning cobbled courtyard. There are several self contained suites located in the outlying turrets and even a swimming pool. Let the party commence!

This will be my second wedding at this wonderful venue and I'm already so excited to be visiting it again.

Photography via WaltonCastle.co.uk

What makes this place so special is that it feels like your holding a country house party at your very own rural retreat. You rent the property in its entirity, like you would a holiday let, meaning there are no venue staff on hand to direct you.

The owner is more than happy to recommend local suppliers, so you are not entirely without expert advice. The fabulous Seth's Kitchen comes highly recommended...which I can also personally vouch for :) DELICIOUS!

If you fancy being King and Queen of the Castle for a wedding weekend to remember, you can contact the owner by email: waltoncastle@aol.com

Walton Castle is not licenced for civil ceremonies but if you're hoping to say "I do" in the grounds of this amazing place, simply contact me ChristabelCelebrates@gmail.com and I'll be happy to help!

Christabel x

Photography by Nick Williams via WaltonCastle.co.uk

Setting the Scene: Your ceremony backdrop

The lovely Alice in Weddingland recently asked if I'd be happy to provide a quote for her blog post The Alternative Altar: Unique Wedding Venues. Was I happy? I was over the moon! I LOVE this blog. It's full of beautiful and inspiring things and jaw-dropping photography. You can read the post here

As someone who writes and performs wedding ceremonies this post was very close to my heart. I believe the ceremony is the heart of a wedding, the moment when a couple express their love for each other and make promises for the future.

In such an intimate setting why not dress the scene to match the theme of your special day. Use objects, materials, flowers or fauna that you love or mean something to you.

The alternative altars featured by Alice in Weddingland are beautiful examples to inspire your own backdrop creations. Streamers or bunting, floral arches with exotic flowers, shabby chic furniture or sumptuous drapes are just a few of the gorgeous ideas that will give your ceremony that wow! factor.

Here are a few more to get the creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Christabel x



 Fresh in Love Photography via 100layercake.com

Jackson Wright Photography via Ilovefarmweddings.com



Eric Kelley Photography via loveandlavender.com

Stephanie Fay Photography via bvweddings.com



Anahi Navarro Wedding Photography via anahiphotoart.com

Happy New Year and what a year it's gonna be!

Wowzer. Well, what a start to January 2012!

Typically the start of a new year is always a bit of a downer. The excitement of Christmas has finally subsided; you've eaten too much, spent too much and had way too much to drink. You find yourself a few pounds heavier, everywhere except your wallet.

But for the start of this new year I'm going to laugh in the face of misery! I'm telling depression to 'take a hike'. Lethargy to get 'on your bike.' And self-doubt, well you can just ummmm, do one!

So, I'm feeling rather bouncy about 2012. Maybe it's the Olympics or the Queen's Jubilee. A year of celebration stretches ahead and I shall be sharing some magical moments with couples getting married, renewing their vows, and naming their babies.

To get the celebrations underway, I'm delighed to say that a wedding I performed at has been featured on the legendary Rock 'n Roll Bride blog.

You can read all about this magical wedding and swoon over the gorgeous images by Joanna Millington here

Before you click, here is a pic of me peforming the nuptials.

Photograph courtesy of Joanna Millington Photography

Happy New Year to you all. Hope it brings you health, happiness and joy plus plenty of reasons to celebrate!

Love, Christabel x

To say my new baby has been neglected is an understatement. My human babies, as opposed to my new blog baby, are taking up A LOT of my time. Add to that a full time job and building my Celebrancy business, and quite frankly I'm a little pooped!


Only three weeks until my contract with the lovely Escapade PR draws to a close and I will be concentrating semi-time (as opposed to full or part) on my dream career as a Celebrant.


The past few weeks have been really busy with tweeting, facebooking, contacting wedding suppliers and generally getting my name out there. One result of this has been connecting with the lovely Emily from Take A Vow who is a very talented wedding coordinator.


She has written a wonderful blog post about the services I provide to couples looking for a truly unique and personal ceremony. You can read it here


More about Emily and Take A Vow coming soon to this blog.....so watch this space.


Love, Christabel x

A lovely message from Vashti and Stuart whose ceremony I performed at a stunning cliff top castle outside Bristol. Gorgeous couple and a truly fabulous venue. Stuart has his own bespoke event catering company Seth's Kitchen - oh boy the food looked damn good!!


"Thank you so much for making our ceremony so special. We have had so many comments on how sincere and relaxed the ceremony was. We really felt like it was true to who we are and was exactly what we wanted. Thank you for putting the ceremony together and for helping us to work out what we we wanted to say." 


Vashti and Stuart Seth - Walton Castle, September 24th 2011 

Erm...What exactly do you do?

Since becoming a Celebrant I've lost count of the times I've been asked: "So what exactly is it that you do?"

Well, I'm not ordained and I don't wear ceremonial robes (unless on request ;-).


So in the words of Kelly Rowland: "I'm a gonna break it down for y'all."


Here is my nutshell Guide to Being a Celebrant.


1). What ceremonies do you conduct?


I conduct ceremonies of any kind - usually weddings, civil partnerships, renewal of vows and baby namings. But it doesn't stop there! House warmings, divorce healings, sweet 16, retirement, anniversaries...even pet weddings (love knows no boundaries after all). 

2). Why use a Celebrant?


If something momentous is happening in your life and you want to mark the occasion by bringing friends and family together and having a bit of a "do", then a Celebrant can add structure and formality to your event.


This gives you the chance to gather loved ones together, say a few words and reflect on the day and its meaning, followed by something symbolic like a balloon release. Anything is possible.

3). I'm getting married soon. How are you different from a Registrar?


Want to say "I do" on a barge? In a bluebell wood? Perhaps your back garden? I conduct ceremonies in ANY location. It does not need to be licensed. This does mean you have to obtain the actual license beforehand, which is quick and simple to do.
 
A Celebrant will create a unique and personal script for your wedding ceremony that truly reflects you and your very own love story. I meet couples months before for an informal chat about their dreams for the big day and their future together. This gives me an understanding of who they are, which is key to creating a truly personal ceremony. I can offer help and suggestions on writing vows, readings, music, choreography and anything else they want to include. The only limitation is your imagination.


 
4). What do you wear? (Believe me I get asked this A LOT!)


Usually something smart and relatively formal. However, if your wedding is themed I'm more than happy to play along with your ideas.

 5). What are the main benefits of using a Celebrant?

• Freedom of choice
• Unique and truly personal  
• Original, memorable and let's not forget - fun!

If you're looking to celebrate an important milestone and want to make it truly memorable, please contact me ChristabelCelebrates@gmail.com