“For every human being there rises a light that reaches straight into heaven.  And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being”

Baal Sham Tov

“Our 25th wedding anniversary Celebration and Commitment ceremony was wonderful.  It provided all that we had hoped for: an important part of sharing our day with family and friends.  The whole process of preparation took us to a deeper appreciation of our life together and anticipation for what lies ahead”

Lesley and Mick

Weddings, Commitment and Same-Sex Ceremonies,
Vow Renewals

Marking Life Transitions

Weddings

Your wedding day is one of the most important of life's milestones. This is an opportunity to begin your life together with a beautiful, tailor-made and personal service of celebration and joy.  You are asking your families and friends to share your happiness and witness your expression of commitment to each other. It needs to be celebrated in a way which is true to your ideals and aspirations, and which will provide strength and inspiration for the rest of your lives, as well as many happy memories.

Creating your own ceremony, including your personal vows, is an inspiring alternative to the current options available, especially if you wish to make a serious commitment to share your lives, true to your personal beliefs and backgrounds.

An important part of the service I offer is the opportunity to explore your relationship a little, in areas that you may not have touched on. Having a couple of honest conversations about key areas, especially your hopes for the future, is a powerful way to deepen and strengthen the love and understanding between you. This has proved to be a very helpful way to support couples to enter into their marriage commitment with real clarity and to truly blossom together.

Legal Requirements

In England, given the present state of the law, the ceremony is in two parts:

1. The legal requirements of marriage take place before a registrar and witnesses are required. Often couples will want to regard this part of the proceedings as separate and distinct from the main ceremony. At the registry office they may wish simply to meet the basic requirements, completing the paperwork with a couple of friends to act as witnesses.  They will quite often not exchange rings and there may well be no festivities afterwards.
2. The wedding ceremony and celebrations take place wherever the couple wish and can take whatever form they choose.  Here rings can be exchanged and all the joy that one would want to inject into such a happy occasion can be expressed.

Commitment & Same-Sex Ceremonies

Love knows no boundaries of race, class, age or gender.  The yearning to consecrate true love in a ceremonial way is deep within all of us.  Many same-sex couples are choosing to acknowledge their promises to each other with commitment ceremonies, a spiritual ceremony outside the restrictions of a particular denomination.  A ceremony can be created that is an authentic reflection of who you are, both as an individual, and as a couple, honouring your intentions and purpose for the future.

Vow Renewals

A vow renewal ceremony is a beautiful way to recognise and honour the journey you have already undertaken together and the journey still to come.  This is a great way to remember and honour the relationship as one of two individuals and as a couple, deepening the bond between you.

It is a wonderful opportunity to involve family members as well, especially children of the marriage or union. Through the ceremony, you  acknowledge the growth of a stable bond between you.  It is a good way to involve new friends who were not present at the original wedding ceremony. This is a chance to acknowledge the new as well as the old and set your vision for the future.