Sophie + Peter | July 2023
“Sarah made our ceremony so relaxing and fun the guests found it the perfect ceremony!”
Planning for Sophie and Peter’s wedding ceremony made me feel like I’d taken my fledgling celebrancy business a lil’ bit international, taking place between my home in Northumberland and theirs in Darwin, Australia. Not to mention the fact that Sophie and I had already met once before, by a rooftop pool in Bali in 2017. She partly chose to hire me as a surprise for her sister Rosie and best friend Megan, also part of the Bali group, who had been following my new venture on Instagram.
Photography by the very lovely (she even gave me a lift afterwards!) Jasmine Rose
The couple wanted a laid-back ceremony that reflected their relationship - their humour and sense of adventure - and I loved getting to know them both better as their day grew closer.
Athena the violinist serenaded guests throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour
Sophie and Peter’s love story began on the dating app Hinge; Hinge’s tagline is: “go on your last first date”. And they did, British Sophie and Aussie Peter hitting it off immediately. Cut to a Christmastime beach engagement out in Oz, and then this beautiful July wedding day in London’s Belair House, in Sophie’s childhood neighbourhood of Dulwich.
Although, of course, British weather being British weather, this particular summer’s day started with torrential rain. The sun came out just as the bridal car pulled up outside, the dark clouds parting and light streaming into the white-walled ceremony room, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Guests were treated to two special readings: Peter’s three sisters all reciting a piece together, and Sophie’s cousin Isabelle reading a poem - Valentine - written by Sophie’s grandfather.
You'll always be my Valentine
Secret remote and clandestine
A vision locked within my heart
Close when nearby or far apart
…the first verse read.
Signing a symbolic marriage certificate is always an option in a celebrant wedding
One of my favourite aspects of leading a wedding ceremony are the moments where I can ad lib; my words are prewritten and preapproved but there are always unexpected things you can’t account for that inject a little levity (the rings being with the ‘wrong’ groomsman, a child heckling, emotions bubbling over) in which the bride and groom get to have a little laugh and release some nervous energy. Peter and Sophie, as well as their bridal party and closest family, were all so brilliantly witty and easy-going that I found myself (lovingly!) teasing them. The guests recognised the pair they knew and loved as I teased teacher Sophie for the fact she had taken it upon herself to print and laminate all the vows and readings, and Peter for a photo of him holding puppies that I’d seen just before the ceremony that he’d admitted played a key role in drawing women to his aforementioned Hinge profile (“chicks love puppies”).
This pair were a self-deprecating delight: holding themselves not too seriously, while celebrating a partnership that we could all see they couldn’t be more serious about.
“A wonderful ceremony...it felt very personal”