It took a while...but yesterday I delivered my newest baby into the world...my first carefully crafted Wedding Ceremony.

I loved the whole process of working with the happy couple and translating their ideas and vision into a perfect ceremony. Seeing the happiness on their faces made me quite emotional!

It was a massive learning curve for me and I have learned many things. 

I was surprised at how much responsibility was placed on me by the venue...the wedding planner asked if I would like to allow alcoholic drinks into the ceremony (I curled my toes and concluded not...I wanted to avoid any opportunities for heckling !)...what music I had brought for the seat filling minutes (not something that had been mentionned before...thank you Amazon music on my phone!)...whether to allow a pause in the procedings for a photo opportunity of the couple (again, new suggestion which I did manage to present happily to the couple and which ultimately worked really well).

I was glad that I had noted down the names of key players in the ceremony so I could hunt down best men etc by name. Sticking vows and readings onto blank cards was an inspired idea to keep it neat and manageable for those speaking at the front. I enjoyed the additional private banter with the couple to reassure them and felt some shared, private intimacy in their special moments.

Most of all, I feel I need to work at my ending and departure...being concerned not to interfere in the family celebrations I held back after the service. The wedding party congregated on the front steps...I found the bar staff to whisk me out of the tradesman's entrance at the back...and I ended up feeling slightly flat after no feedback. I managed the briefest of conversations with the Mother of the Bride, my good friend, where I actually told her what a lovely service it had been! She gave lovely feedback the next day but I did spend the evening feeling concerned that I hadn't heard whether they thought I'd done a good job.

So, overall, a job well done...on to the next...


It's a Celebrant Thing...

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