If you are looking for a celebrant to create and deliver your wedding ceremony chances are that you are super excited about making it your own and telling your story, brilliant! Most couples still want to include some or most of the usual wedding traditions which is also great, here I will share some ways that you can keep traditional elements but add your own unique twist.

You may want to walk arm in arm with your father down the aisle but processionals can be the perfect way to start to do things your way. Both partners could enter together from different places, with parents, children, pets or alone! If you are getting married in an outside location you may want to process with your whole wedding party and guests to the ceremony spot. You may want to walk in together as a couple, again with children, pets or close family or friends, why not have your favourite music playing or even have everyone involved in a singalong to really set the mood!

​There are some truly beautiful traditional wedding readings, religious and otherwise however this could be an area where you can make your ceremony truly personal and unique. You could ask a friend or family member to write you a poem and read it (this is especially cute and heart warming from a child). You could choose a passage from a book you love or  the lyrics of a song that are meaningful to you both. Finally you don't need to have any readings at all! If poetry is just not your thing, that's totally fine, choose something else that does feel right for you instead.

Many couples like the safety of traditional vows read by the celebrant and repeated by the bride(s) or groom(s). A great way to twist up tradition and add your unique personalities to the ceremony is to write your own vows. You can do this individually, together as a couple or with the help of your celebrant. They should be a true reflection of you as a couple, if you love using humour in your relationship; make them funny, if you want to be truly romantic; pour out your heart, if you want to let everyone know your unique hopes, dreams and commitments to each other; shout them out! It is guaranteed to be one of the most memorable, emotional or hilarious parts of your wedding day!

Rituals are a wonderful way to make your wedding ceremony truly memorable for everyone present. Most people like to include the traditional ritual of exchanging rings and there are so many other options to consider including;

* Handfasting
* Sand ceremony
* Unity candle
* Cocktail blending 
* Tree planting
* Jumping the broom
* Ring warming/blessing

Please do get in touch for any further information for any of the above, enjoy twisting it up!

susanvieiracelebrant@gmail.com

There are lots of options for wedding ceremonies and lots of key decisions to make; where do you want to get married? What music will you play? Will you write your own vows? Who will be involved? One thing I know for sure is a Celebrant led ceremony will give you the freedom to make your own choices, bring your own personalities to the day and ultimately create with you a personal, unique and unforgettable wedding ceremony for all who attend. Here’s how…..

The possibilities are endless! You can really think outside the box in terms of location with a celebrant as, unlike registrars, we are not restricted to perform ceremonies in licensed premises. There may be a popular wedding venue you like that has a lovely outdoor space you could use or a restaurant or pub you often go to that has an attached meadow or woodland perfect for your special day. If you live by the coast or an area of natural beauty you can hold your ceremony there or even in your own garden if you like! Choosing somewhere that is special to you rather than a Register office or hotel room makes such a difference, you can feel relaxed and inspired as you make your commitment to each other.

​Your wedding ceremony will be written specifically for you, no set words or phrases, no ‘legal’ words that need repeating, no standard, unforgettable readings.
Your celebrant will get to know you as a couple and your story, they will talk to you at length to really understand who you are as a couple, the ins and outs of your relationship, your pet likes and dislikes, your hopes for the future. They will then weave all these details into a bespoke ceremony that tells your unique love story. Stories are what connect us as human beings, telling and sharing your story is the most beautiful way to capture this most special of days with your family and friends.  There may be tears, there may be laughter, it will certainly be unforgettable!

​You can include music that really means something to you as a couple. Are you Country & Western fans? Hard rockers? Lovers of classical music? Let your personalities show. In a celebrant led ceremony you can include any type of music you like. You may have a talented friend or family member that can sing or play an instrument, a favourite tune that you would like everyone to listen to as you sign your wedding certificate, a choir that you or someone you know is part of to get everyone clapping along or even a singalong where everyone can get involved!

​You may want to go traditional, which is lovely but there are other options available. Your celebrant can help and guide you to write truly personal vows to each other. These are your promises to each other so if they can truly reflect how you want to treat your partner and grow with them and include your values they will be even more meaningful and memorable. You may want to inject a bit of humour if that is your style; “I promise to do my own ironing or always give you a foot massage when asked!”, this can be a fun moment too!
There are also different ways in which you can say your vows, if you are feeling nervous you may want your celebrant to help by reading them and you repeat, you can have them written on a special card that you can read from or learn them off by heart. It can also be a lovely surprise if you keep your vows secret from your partner until the ceremony… guaranteed to bring on the tears!

​This is your special day but that doesn’t mean you can’t involve other people. Instead of having your family and friends being simply observers you can get them to play a part. If you have children you can involve them by entering in with them or holding a sand ceremony to symbolise the blending of your families. You can get the ‘Mums’ up to give you your ‘last kiss’ before you get married just as they gave you the ‘first kiss’ when you were born. You can get everyone involved by ‘warming or blessing the rings’ or having a group singalong, being truly a part of your ceremony will make it unforgettable for all who attend and they’ll be talking about YOUR wedding ceremony for years to come!
 
Choosing a celebrant to create and lead your wedding ceremony gives you ultimate freedom to do things your way and start your wedding day off in the most personal and memorable way.
 
Susan Vieira – Wholehearted Ceremonies
www.wholeheartedceremonies.co.uk

I am so glad to welcome you here to my celebrant blog.

I will be covering all sorts of lovely topics and answering common questions about weddings, baby namings and vow renewal ceremonies.

As the most important factor of my job is getting to know you and your story I thought I would start by sharing a little bit of my own....

A Yorkshire girl born and bred I have spent most of my adult life either in London or trotting around the globe. I have been lucky enough to call the wonderful countries of Brazil, Costa Rica and Spain home for periods of time and am so grateful for all the wonderful experiences I had there. I not only discovered some breathtaking nature (beaches, rainforests, waterfalls, mountains) and world famous culture (Rio carnival, Sagrada Familia, Christ the Redeemer, Picasso’s museum) but had the privilege of meeting and getting to know local people and travellers and hearing their unique stories.

I left Yorkshire for London at the age of 18 to join one of the UK’s most prestigious drama schools Mountview Academy. I completed a 3 year intense Acting degree and ever since performing has been a major part of my life. As an actor I get to explore people’s stories, empathise and connect with characters that are so far removed from my own life experience and I adore absorbing this new knowledge, exploring it and ultimately bringing it to life.

In the more recent years I returned to London and started on the joyous (and often hard!) journey of being a parent. I now have a 4 year old boy and 1 year old baby girl who keep me very busy!
Since becoming a mother I have continued to perform, although less frequently due to family life. I have also used my training to teach and coach. I currently work as a speech coach helping people achieve their communication goals whatever they may be, and guess my favourite part? I get to meet a massive range of people and hear their stories, their struggles, their wants and needs and I get to help them to achieve those goals.
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This brings me to my role of being a family celebrant. What better role could I ask for? I get to meet people from all walks of life, hear their unique stories, empathise with them, bring their stories to life and celebrate the beauty of love, relationships and life.

I can’t wait to hear your story! ♥♥