I first met this fab couple at two different wedding fairs, and together we talked through what they were looking for, and they decided upon the gorgeous Barnett Hill Hotel as their venue to host their wedding day.

Having spent many months writing, preparing, and planning their ceremony, the day arrived, and we were all set to have the most beautiful celebration.

With sunshine and blue skies embellishing the setting, I arrived to see the ceremony space bathed in sunshine, beams of light literally streaming in through the windows, and the space looked incredible.

It was like the front of the room was illuminated to showcase them perfectly, and I was so excited to be helping them have the best day possible.

After checking in with their co-ordinator, photographer, and venue team, I popped up to chat through the final details with the bridal party, and had a lovely moment with the bride's father, just running through the details for the procession.  It is always lovely to spend time with the people involved in this way, and the bride seemed to be calm and collected, and her amazing sister and Maid of Honour was doing a grand job of getting everything ready and keeping the bride on track.

The hotel looked magnificent with the Christmas lights and decorations creating the perfect wintery vibe.

I then had a chat and check in with the groom, and his best man, and I could sense a few nerves, but we navigated this, and I reassured him that I would be there every step of the way, at the front, and I would be guiding them both through this special part of their day.

With everything now all in place, we were ready to welcome guests into the ceremony room, and as they filtered through from the bar, the atmosphere in the room changed from serene to one full of vibrancy, lively chatter, and beaming faces. It was lovely to see them all, and as we were then moments away from welcoming the bridal party, I settled everyone in with a few messages, and we made sure the groom was ok, and ready to see his lovely bride.

With cues received, the guests took to their feet, the pianist began playing, and the doors opened.  The bridal party entered, and as the bride and her dad came into view, I looked to the groom to gauge his emotion, and he let the tears come.  It was beautiful to watch, as she came ever closer towards him, she maintained a wonderful smile, which said "I'm here, it's ok", and they were finally reunited at the front.

I find that it is important to allow some time for the couple to adjust, and so as I formally welcomed everyone, including the lovely Frankie and Jesse, to their ceremony, the couple had a moment to breathe and to settle into the space.

It was important to them that we spoke of their achievements, their dynamic, and included some details of their story, but the key elements of their partnership would be shared in their own vows later on.  

We had a warm welcome with introductions, and a lovely moment where both the bride's mum and dad stood to acknowledge their roles in supporting and accompanying their daughter to this special ceremony.  We had a lovely reading from the groom's mum, and then we talked about what marriage means to the couple.  The room had so much love and laughter within, and the couple seemed to visibly exhale as the atmosphere became more relaxed.

It is my job to look after them, and to represent them, and to maintain a good feeling amongst their guests, and so we had a few lovely moments where I got to involve them all, sharing some of my own personal words about the couple, and wishing them well for their next adventures.  It was such an honour to stand at the front with them as we moved into the really emotional moments when they shared their very own secret vows.

After moving into position facing each other, I handed Jesse his words first, and you could feel all of the emotion that came with his promises, and the stories that he shared.  I had managed to read their vows in advance as I knew it would be so heartfelt, and when Frankie began sharing her experiences, and feelings for Jesse, there wasn't a dry eye in the space.  She reached for his hand, and my eyes filled with tears too, and it was a struggle to maintain composure, but they did so well, and I was so pleased that they had made it so personal to them.  It was truly a wonderful moment, to witness, and the tissues that were on hand were certainly put to good use!

We then had another twist on the traditional, with both the Best Man and Maid of Honour coming up to assist with the ring exchange, and to witness the promises made before Jesse and Frankie placed wedding bands on one another's hands.

As I announced their first kiss, the room erupted with applause, and they celebrated before heading round to the signing table to add their signatures to this lovely memento of their wedding day, along with both mums as 'witnesses' to their ceremony.

As the couple emerged from behind the table, the sunshine still streaming in through the windows, they stood facing their guests once more, and I reminded everyone of all of the lovely things that we had witnessed.  Then came the big moment, where we confirmed their new hyphenated married surname, and they walked back up the aisle as Mr & Mrs Pritchard Brown!

We all then headed outside for a fabulous confetti throw, and as I congratulated the happy couple, I left them all chatting and smiling, and talking about what had just happened.  It was so lovely to see how much it meant to them and their loved ones.  What an incredible start to this special day for these two wonderful people.

A huge congrats from me to Jesse and Frankie! May you laugh together always and love one another fiercely, as you journey into the next unwritten chapter of your lives as a Mr & Mrs.

Jenny

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