Clare and Chris at The Devonshire Dome
When you know what you want…
What can I say about this bonkers pair? The first time I spoke to Clare she told me what she and Chris didn’t want… a ceremony that had been written for the masses which is why they chose to book me as their Celebrant to write and carry out their ceremony. They wanted a wedding ceremony that was a little bit traditional, a little bit quirky and with a lot of their personalities woven in, in short, a ceremony that was as unique and individual as the two of them, and that is what they got…
When we met it was clear that they were no ordinary couple. Both of them are a little bit crazy… and when their kind of crazy meets it’s best to fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride! After all, who turns up on a date carrying a big bunch of flowers… in a vase! or has their photo taken naked in a wheelbarrow?! They may not be the most outwardly romantic couple, in fact they are a bit ‘Jack and Vera’ loads of banter and both having to have the last word, but they know each other inside out and would never be without each other, they are each other’s greatest challenge and each other’s inspiration.
Image by DSB Creative
Before we talk about the ceremony let me tell you about the wedding party, everyone looked stunning I don’t know what I loved more, the horse drawn carriage, the stunning bridesmaids or Chris and Clare’s daughters who were the cutest flower girls ever, in this image Clare has just arrived with her dad.
Chris looked amazing and completely pulled off the ‘tall dark and handsome’ look but of course Clare outshone them all, she’s beautiful anyway and was totally stunning, Clare’s wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses (don’t you just love that colour, so dramatic) were designed by Mark Lesley and came from Dream Dress Bridal in Bredbury. Clare’s bouquet and flowers were from Red Floral Architecture, more about that later…
Building on words
When we were crafting their ceremony we communicated regularly, phone calls, text messages and emails swapping ideas, sending them words for sections of the ceremony and talking through what would work for them and finally we had a ceremony that suited them down to the ground.
“His proposal was so romantic, there was Chris on the doorstep on one knee, the street lights, lighting up the softly falling snow behind him”
Chris and Clare wrote their own vows which were heartfelt, touching and funny, just as you might expect, and perfect for them. I can still feel the crackle of excitement as their guests waited for Clare to arrive and the hush that fell as the music began and they realised this was the moment.
Image by DSB Creative
Her Dad was so proud as they walked in together and Clare’s beaming smile just said it all. Chris was almost holding his breath as he waited, turning to see her looking radiant as she stood by his side.
Image by DSB Creative
A candle, a bell and a box
When I told them about symbolic ceremonies they liked the idea so much that they decided that they would like to light a candle at the beginning to honour and remember their lost loved ones, whose flame burned throughout and symbolic of their presence during the ceremony.
Image by DSB Creative
They had done the legal bit at the Registry office so decided not to exchange rings during their big day, instead they had a truce bell ceremony, they called it a time out bell ‘for those Jack and Vera moments’.
Image by DSB Creative
Like a good champagne or a great whisky a great love will deepen and mature with age. Chris and Clare had captured their thoughts leading up to their wedding day in personal notes to each other. And they created their very own time capsule which contained a small bottle of Southern Comfort and a small Bottle of Champagne as well as their love letters which were sealed in individual envelopes. They have not seen what the other had written, and they will be opened on a date of their choosing. A lovely way to celebrate their relationship and to remember the feelings that they had whilst writing their notes. They can also reminisce about all of the wonderful memories they will have made over the years and of all of those yet to come.
Image by DSB Creative
Compliments and contributions
When I was writing their ceremony I contacted some of their friends and family who gave me the low down on them, some great stories… but what shone out more than anything is that they are well loved, in their own right and as a couple, everyone agreed that they are the best thing that has ever happened to each other. Their friends also contributed by reading poems, a romantic one and a funny one, no surprise there!
Ladies and Gentlemen please stand to applause the happy couple as they walk down the aisle together to begin their married life, it gives me great pleasure to present to you, MR & Mrs Brown… and they didn’t walk, they boogied…
Image by DSB Creative
As I was leaving Clare had spotted a vintage bus outside the venue and in true Clare and Chris style worked the opportunity for some off -the-cuff pictures.
Suppliers on the day.
The Devonshire Dome is such a gorgeous venue, though I wouldn’t have expected anything less as Clare is a very well known Make Up Artist (Harry Jon MUA) and knows the best in the business, what really stood out were the huge floral displays that had been created by Red Floral Architecture, so striking, and the scent that they gave off was fabulous. And the images of course were from the lovely Damion of DSB Creative.
Image by DSB Creative
Matt and his team had really pulled out all of the stops to create a beautiful display that was just breathtaking. The Videographer was Tom at Silk Wedding Videos and The photographer was the lovely Damian from DBS Creative who has kindly agreed to share his photo’s with you on this blog.
Kind Words
We just wanted to say a huge thank you to Liz, we met up and waffled our way through our life in a nutshell, sharing stories and quirks with Liz like we’d known her for years. Liz asked questions and we sat quiet, awkwardly answering and came away thinking ‘do we sound like we don’t know each other!?!’ Well, Liz must be a seriously good listener and our waffle paid off. Chris and I sat, both of us crying as we read the first draft of our story – in fact Chris couldn’t speak. It was fantastic for us. It had romance, comedy and the odd tear jerker in there, Perfect. She even gave us the courage to write our own vows and I’m so glad we did. There is no stress with Liz, she’s professional and effortless, taking everything in her stride, truly amazing at her job. Absolutely worth every penny, and the perfect Celebrant to share our day.
Clare & Chris xxx
Image by DSB Creative
Click on ~ Clare and Chris’s Video ~ for a little snapshot of the Ceremony from Silk Wedding Videos
About the Author
Liz Thompson
