Diary of a Boho Bride – Laura and Chris, Entry 6: The Ceremony

Today Boho Bride Laura is back. She has been busy getting on with her wedding plans. Last time we caught up with her she was talking to us about her flower choices and how the movement of her wedding date had made her change her flowers, which actually turned out to be a good thing!

Today Laura is going back to basics and telling us all about the most important part of the wedding, the Ceremony.

I’ll pass the Blog over to Laura……….

Hello hello – lovely to be back on these turquoise pages, it seems bleedin’ ages since I’ve written an actual update! To be honest, when Kelly gave me a little nudge and reminded me I owed her an update, my mind went blank.

What have we done?

Well, we’ve done some bits and bobs here and there and I’m still crafting my butt off, but as Chris now lives away for work we don’t get that much time to actually ‘plan’. Yes we discuss music, food, cake (lots of cake), I worry about shoes and the like, but the real thing that weighs most on our minds, especially being in a long distance relationship, is the marriage itself – what it means to us and what we consider to be the important aspect.

So I thought today I’d go back to the start. The ceremony. By far (in our opinion) the most important part of the day. You could give me a bin bag and a bottle of Lambrini and I’d be happy, if only I got the chance to tell Chris just how much I loved him and leave as his wife.

I think I’ve said before, we aren’t religious people. I love the grand architecture of churches and similar buildings but it just wasn’t suitable for us to have a church wedding. This, understandably, can be a little upsetting for family members who expect it of us and are very traditional, but what’s the point of going through with a religious service when you disbelieve/fail to connect with the words and principles which are being said? Does this create a good foundation for an open and honest marriage? In my opinion, no. I understand this is perhaps a bit of a controversial issue, but it is only right that we got married somewhere we feel a connection with.

Our venue, the lovely Woodlane countryside centre, is licensed for a civil ceremony. Now, I know it varies by council and individual registrars but where we live it is actually very expensive to have a registrar conduct a ceremony at another venue, and quite strict rules are in place regarding readings and music. We want loud crazy music, to say our own vows and pick whatever readings we like. Hmmm…

Then (on this blog I do believe) I was introduced to One Life Weddings. They ‘offer an exclusive service that puts your wedding ceremony at the heart of your wedding day and offers something that you and your guests will remember for years to come. One Life Weddings help you to hold a contemporary wedding ceremony that expresses your individuality as a couple and work closely with you to ensure every word, vow and reading is right for you.’

 a gorgeous outdoor setting

Essentially then, we can get married wherever we like (outdoors!), write our own vows and Chris’ mum can read a poem I’ve written for her reading. Why on EARTH would we not book them? A bespoke, completely original and personal ceremony for us! It will be heart-warming, emotional, touching and relevant to us. Just what we think a wedding ceremony should be.

There is a small issue that it is not a legal ceremony, but on the advice of Maria from One Life, and plenty of other lovely wedding people we’ve decided to nip off to the registry office on the morning beforehand to do the legal bit. Just us and our parents; we are treating it as a ‘quick dash to the office to get permission to have our ceremony how we like it’. I fully imagine I’ll get emotional on the Friday, but it is no way our wedding day and is just being seen as a necessary part of how we want our wedding to be. Naturally I’ll get a new pair of shoes…any excuse!

 (Photo credit: www.leeallenphotography.com)

Just writing this out has made me really excited actually, and I realised that we have arranged things, they just seem very trivial and unimportant at the moment – I just want him home and to be his wife. We have, however, booked a caterer but not finalised the menu, found an amazing music solution, picked chairs (!) and ordered the bridesmaids dresses. Chris got a suit and my dress arrived at the shop; I think I’ve finally found some underwear that doesn’t show under it and decided a garter isn’t happening. But as the excitement continues to grow, I’ll leave those ‘til next time!

Laura x

Thanks Laura. I promise this isn’t a sponsored post for One Life Weddings BUT I have to say hand on heart they are amazing! I have done several weddings with them now and each time I have found them incredibly touching, well written, personal and a cut above any kind of church or civil service you can get! 

So what plans do you have for your wedding ceremony? Have you planned something different? An outdoor ceremony? A blessing? do you feel it detracts from the legal ceremony at all? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

♥ You can read more about one life ceremonies HERE ♥