Rebecca and Jon celebrated their blessing of marriage on Monday 17th July 2017 at Camp Katur.

Camp Katur is a glamping venue set ‘off grid’ on a few acres of farm land near to Bedale in North Yorkshire. It provides the most charming setting for a fairy tale wedding in the woodland clearing, and guests are welcome to ‘glamp’ out in the meadow with a choice of stay in Safari Tents, Tipis, Bell Tents, Hobbit Pods, Geodomes and Unidomes… the options, it seems, are endless!

Now if there’s anything I love more than working with a super-awesome-cool couple already, it’s working with a super-awesome-cool couple who know exactly how to OWN their wedding too, and who are actively set out to create and craft a perfectly personal ceremony.

Rebecca and Jon did not disappoint. Just look at the array of personal items and portraits from home that they brought with them to decorated the space amongst the tree stumps!

Rebecca and Jon decided to include a ‘first look’ before their ceremony. This is a phenomenon  already very popular with couples in America, and it’s recently become a growing trend in British weddings too. It’s the perfect way to start the proceedings when a bride and groom choose to enter the ceremony together. This is the moment where the groom sees the bride for the first time, away from the eyes of their guests, and allowing them a moment to celebrate their union before the start of their service.

I think this example of Reecca and Jon’s first look may be one of my favourite photo sequences of all the time. The anticipation and excitement captured here as Rebecca runs towards her groom makes my heart skip a beat!

After the first look was complete, Rebecca and Jon made their way to the ceremony. Guests waited anxiously for the arrival of the couple… as did I! Where were they?!

It turned out, Rebecca and Jon couldn’t hear their music and didn’t know it was time to enter… I guess these are the risks of holding an outdoor wedding surrounded by woodlands! But not to worry, they soon realised it was time, and made their way towards the smiling crowd! They certainly made a very glamorous late entrance.

At last, they arrived!! And how utterly gorgeous did they both look, too? Jon paid tribute to his Celtic heritage and family clan in green tartan. They complimented each other perfectly, and Rebecca’s dress was simply exquisite; a pale shade of gold and emblazoned with bright flowers.

This fierce queen wore her crown with total style for the whole of the wedding. She owned it!

We began the service by sharing the story of how Rebecca and Jon had met in Derby, and the sickening sweet tale of when Jon asked Rebecca to be his wife. It was here at Camp Katur on this very same spot, at the side of a camp fire, that he had made his proposal and Rebecca said yes.

Admittedly, it was rather spontaneous, and they fashioned a makeshift ring out of tin foil for the occasion. But they more than made up for it now, by returning to the same spot to say the words ‘I do’ with friends and family here to share the moment.

Rebecca and Jon asked their friends to be involved in their day as well. One friend gave a reading of a poem she had written for the couple especially. The ceremony was given extra detail with a song – At Last by Etta James – sung by a very talented and willing friend.

Then came the formal part! As much as Rebecca and Jon’s wedding day had broken many existing wedding traditions, they still asked to exchange their wedding rings and read their own vows. This made it just as much their day as any other. It was a very sincere and sweet moment, as they had both had their rings designed and made especially to compliment their style.

We included a symbolic ceremony too – a sand blending. Reecca and Jon chose orange and blue as their individual colours. Bright and bold, just like their wedding.

The sands were poured and blended together in an hour glass. Rebecca and Jon made a promise to turn this glass once every year on the anniversary of their wedding day. It would serve as a reminder of the vows that they had made, and the colourful bond that their union has created.

Even though the pattern of the sands will change as time continues to turn them, they will remain always beautiful and increasingly difficult to part.

At the end of the ceremony, everyone became involved in the celebration as the flower girl began handing out confetti by the fistful to the waiting guests. Rebecca and Jon had decided to go for a live end of ceremony confetti shot (rather than an arranged confetti throw after the service) so I got everyone onto their feet and group together to form an aisle for our couple to walk down.

A final announcement was made for every one to cheer our new married couple and away they went… but not until after one heck of a smooch! Always the best bit, don’t you think?

Rebecca and Jon’s day was simply beautiful, and I was very honoured to be invited to join them for afternoon tea following the ceremony. They even proposed a toast to me in the speeches – I was very touched by extra little thank you! It was certainly a very memorable moment for me as their celebrant.

As the guests headed over to the barn for tea and toasting following the ceremony, I stayed back with the couple and their photographer to take some pictures. We suddenly realised they had no transport to get them back quick across the field… luckily though, I had been allowed to park up by the ceremony. So, to finish the day this celebrant turned chauffeur transported the happy couple back to their wedding… and we even managed a cheeky in car selfie too.

Well, why ever not? Congratulations Rebecca and Jon xx

Photography credit to: Gary Phillip of One Love Photography
(except for the selfie… that one is my own!)
Venue: Camp Katur
Celebrant: Samantha Kelsie | UK Celebrant