Megan + Joe at Ellingham Hall | August 2025
“We couldn’t have asked for a better celebrant. From the first meeting, she was thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely interested in getting to know us and our story.”
It’s unusual for me to not meet my couples in person before their big day, but it does happen every now and then if they are on the opposite side of the country - say a Bristol or Bournemouth to my Northumberland. Well, Megan and Joe were enquiring about a celebrant from the opposite side of the world, and only arriving a matter of (busy, wedmin-filled, family-filled) days before their wedding so we met for the first time in Ellingham Hall as they were getting ready. And they were an immediate joy to be around, as I could tell from our video calls they would be. The sort of chilled, fun Brits who would choose to emigrate to Oz.
Photography by Dru Dodd
After never having met him before, despite Dru being not only a well-known local photographer but a neighbour from down the road, Dru and I found ourselves doing our second wedding together in five days in the summer of 2025. There’s part of me that always hopes anyone I work with twice in close succession doesn’t feel like they’re hearing any of the same jokes, but I’m sure videographers, photographers, planners and venue managers have enough on their plate and aren’t hanging off my every word. Plus with every wedding there’s fresh material for my enthusiastic, marmite humour. I mean….this one had peacocks wandering round. And a couple who met working in head office at a supermarket (“more reasons to shop at Morrisoooonnnns”).
When it came to the ceremony - outside the main house on the lawn - Megan’s entrance was just gorgeous: arm-in-arm on one side with her dad and one side with her mum. And, when I complimented her beautiful mother on how lovely it was to see Megan arrive like that, accompanied by both parents, her mum responded “Well, of course we would both walk her down the aisle!”. A brilliant answer. It’s so gratifying to watch traditions change and evolve.
You’ll be familiar with popular wedding reading, Union by Robert Fulgham. It’s lovely, it says so much about marriage, it’s chosen for a reason.
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way.
All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe" - and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.
All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed—well, I meant it all, every word."
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another - acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years.
Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you.
For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this - is my husband, this - is my wife.
Well, as the couple’s friend Scott read the line “you have been many things to one another - acquaintance, friend, companion, lover” he added “manager” and got a big laugh. It was early on in the ceremony and it really set the tone. It was before I’d even recounted the story of how they met at work, but the guests already knew, and laughed and laughed. I love when someone takes the initiative - and has the confidence - to add a joke, to ad-lib, making a wedding even more personal and memorable.
Like I said…peacocks
Some of my couples, although not many, choose to sign a certificate as part of their ceremony as a keepsake - and, of course, a photo opportunity in the proceedings. Megan and Joe, over from the other side of the world for this celebration, were keen to have these recognisable moments in their day so their UK loved ones could be witnesses to as much as possible.
I was pleased for these Brits living Down Under - literally by the beach in Sydney - that we had gorgeous, sunny weather for their outdoor wedding at Ellingham Hall. Loads of the guests had sunglasses on for the ceremony and I remember saying that we just all needed to be barefoot and they would feel right at home. Almost like we were in Manly. The only downside to this stunning day were the wasps that circled us all as the drinks came out post-ceremony - sweet, sticky proseccos and hoppy beers - but the bride and groom were too loved up to notice. And the guests batted those wasps away and fed off the vibes of chilled Megan and Joe: all is good. Life is GOOD.
“On the day, she struck a balance between heartfelt and funny. She kept everyone smiling and engaged.”