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Wedding promises to your children.
Allow me to give you a glimpse of the story of Shireen and Aaron who wed at the beautiful and elegant Spicers Clovely Estate. Their wedding was a very classy occasion.
However it was also clearly a family affair, including promises to the kids.
A family affair
When I met Shireen and Aaron, it was evident that love for their kids was paramount. In fact the kids came with them to their wedding appointment with me; gorgeous kids, with a sweet attitude, and calm demeanour. They played on the veranda daybed while we arranged the wedding ceremony for Aaron and Shireen.
More than wedding vows
This wedding had to be about family as much as it was about two people. Their kids are darlings. It was clear how much love and care they have in their family surroundings. The family unit is the most important part of Aaron and Shireen’s lives. Part of the aim of this wedding was to unite the family in name as well as heart. Designing their wedding ceremony had to include the kids as a really important part of the day.
Of course they were part of the bridal party, as page boy and flower girl. They walked down the aisle hand in hand, dressed to perfection, and stole the show… at least from the photographers point of view. They stole our hearts.
When designing the ceremony, we needed to include something more poignant than appearances as well.
Creating Wedding Vows
In the meeting we discussed the meaning and reasons behind wedding vows. Wedding vows are said from one partner to the other. These wedding vows are often humble and generous promises for future, for commitment and personal endeavour. They reflect an endeavour to strive for a positive outcome no matter what. In the case of Shireen and Aaron, it was clear there were other marriage promises in the air. Their promises to each other seemed to include an unspoken promise to their children.
Vows to children
The more we talked about it, the more it seemed appropriate to make this unspoken promise an outward and public promise. As a symbol of family unity and a commitment to the nurturing of these children, they chose to make a public wedding vow to their son and daughter.
Darlings, we just want you to know that we love you dearly.
Part of this ceremony today is a promise to you,
that we will always love you,
always care for you,
and always be willing to listen and be present for you.
Together we will go forward, united in same name as the “Amour” family.
A family story
Their wedding was truly sublime. A family affair from morning to night.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Thanks to Taylah of Tay and Francis for the stunning images of this wedding at Spicers Clovelly Estate.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
French Wedding in Australia
Aurélie and John are adventurers, so of course they chose a wedding ceremony on a wild Australian beach, with French attitude. It was the ultimate French Australian wedding on the beach!!
Married on the beach
The clouds and rain in the morning worried us a little. However the bold Australian sun came out, the clouds cleared away, and the sky became a brilliant blue for their wedding on the beach.
It was not your usual French wedding for sure. It was not the standard Australian beach wedding either. It was a combination of who Aurelie and John are, and the adventure they embrace in marriage.
Their ceremony was designed just for them, with fun French traditions, relaxed Australian vibe, and became quite an experience for the French family. Weddings in France are quite different.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”38818″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Touches of French
Aurélie is French and John is Australian, so they embraced a bilingual wedding ceremony. They chose a sublime combination of French poetry for their French wedding ceremony and bare foot in the sand on Mudjimba Beach, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland for that authentic Australian touch.
During their ceremony, Aurélie and John embraced a French celebratory tradition. Imagine the crossroads of fragrant roses and bubbles of champagne. For details on that tradition read this story on Rose de Reims and Champagne
Aurélies’ family and indeed two of her bridesmaids had come over from France only weeks before the beach wedding. To help them feel very welcome and quite at home, the entire ceremony was conducted in both English and in French. This is something I can do for you too. Ceremonies n French or tapping into some French cultural traditions is a specialty for my celebrant services.
Check out the story in these awesome photos by Luke Middlemiss.
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And here we leave them, enjoying their reception in the Tipis at Twin Waters Resort.
Thanks and credits to:
Luke Middlemiss for the generous use of his awesome photographs. Luke is a champion photographer, capturing all the great moments.
Heavenly Blooms for the truly heavenly flowers. I loved the flower crowns, which worked so well in the beach breeze.
Blush weddings and Events for the styling. Elisha and her team were troopers carrying the decor down the beach, and creating a magical wedding ceremonial place.
The Stylist Collective helped create Aurelie and the girls’ blushingly beautiful hair and make-up.
Twin Waters for the beautiful tipis at reception held on the sand by the pond.
“With this ring I thee wed…..”
a wedding ring is considered to be a circle with no end, a symbol of the wedding vows.
Many a wedding is not complete without an exchange of wedding rings.
“With this ring I thee wed.”
Do we recall this phrase from old movies? Many a wedding is not complete without an exchange of wedding rings. A ring is not technically part of the legal aspect of a wedding ceremony. However, in my celebrant experience 98% of couples choose to enact this traditional ritual, and place a ring on each other’s fingers. Although, I have had one Bridegroom who chose an earring in his left ear rather than a wedding band on his left hand! And one couple made their rings from woven fibres.
BUT none that I know, have elected for a ring on the nose like the one chosen from the Piggy-wig by The Owl and the Pussycat. You can look up that famous poem.
diamond ring by John Bexon
a circle with no end…
A ring, as we know is a circle with no end, symbolic of a completeness, or a union with no end, a marriage to last forever; the unbroken circle of love between a husband and wife. Worn as a reminder of wedding vows made by one to the other, the wedding band holds great importance to most wedded couples.
It can be said at a wedding, “A circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. In these rings it is the symbol of unity, in which your lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, you will always return to one another and to your togetherness.”
The ring may or may not have enormous resale value but becomes absolutely precious to the wearer, an enduring and valuable symbol of promises made on their wedding day. It takes but a moment to say I love you, it takes a second to place a ring on the finger, but marriage is the promise of forever, and that is why most couples choose a precious metal – gold or platinum, reflective of the preciousness of their rings in their married lives.
ring by Bold in Gold
I know of many women of my mother’s generation who have never taken their rings off. Their husband first placed them on their third finger of the left hand at the marriage altar.
Some modern women may take their ring off now and again whilst doing jobs that may scratch of damage their wedding ring. But always it is a ring that one would wear constantly. Other jewellery may come and go. Some is worn for special occasions. However, the wedding ring endures as a timeless treasure.
So given it is something to cherish for many many years, most couples will take their time to choose the perfect ring. Some even have them custom made.
design by Loretta Bexon
finding the perfect wedding ring…
I’d like to introduce some ideas of where to go to find your perfect wedding ring.
a local jeweller…
Shop local, it is the thing to do. Embrace the idea of the personal touch. Here on the Sunshine Coast we have several fine jewellers who make bespoke products to fulfil your design wishes.
Take in your inherited jewellery and have it remodelled for your own wedding. You could have Great Grandmas rings remodelled in a modern style. Something old, something new? Perhaps you’d prefer order a set of wedding rings to a custom design. Bring your local craftsperson an idea or a picture and they can make it a reality for you. Watch them work your piece for you and bask in the warmth of something made locally AND professionally.
rings by Bexon Jewellers
finding the perfect wedding ring…
A meaningful alternative to mass production, is to have your wedding rings made for you by a local craftsman. These artisans are practising a craft centuries old. They dedicate their lives to a particular craft, and the skills required to keep their craft up to date. In an age where we are often disconnected to how our daily things are made, having your wedding ring designed for you especially is a memorable gift, a lasting reminder of your wedding day. You can even visit your rings and watch their progress.
There are so many wedding venues in and around Montville on the Hinterland Range above the Sunshine Coast. If this area is your dream wedding location, you may like to visit Bold In Gold in Montville, while you’re planning your wedding day.
Bold in Gold offer you the chance to have your wedding rings individually designed and handcrafted by a team of highly skilled designer-goldsmiths. Their designers ensure your finished wedding rings represent your individuality in beautifully finished rings in the materials of your choice.
If you have no firm idea on your wedding rings, don’t be too concerned, you can first view many different designs to get the feel for your likes and dislikes and then use the ideas this generates to design your very own unique wedding rings, even unusual, yet always exquisitely hand-crafted.
The work of Bold in Gold is often different to classic styles, featuring unusual shapes and settings, or a mix of precious metals. Get a matching pair made.
rings by Bold in Gold
Awwwwhhh it makes want to get married again, just to rediscover the joy of choosing my wedding ring.
Check out some local suppliers that I have worked with.
But wait there’s more.
If you want to do something really unusual, you can take it a step further and even make your own Wedding Rings! There are a few artisans who run make your own wedding ring workshops. These come and go, so search in your locality for a specialist jeweller. Now that would be a truly romantic experience, spending a day in a goldsmiths workshop making your rings together.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column]
Now what to say?
Here’s 8 things to say when exchanging wedding rings
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Fields of love
Congratulations to newly weds, Anna and Jon, wed on a stunning day at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens. Their wedding was a true love story, simply full of love and care. Anna and Jon chose to wed, almost exactly five years from their first date. Five years and one day to be precise! The photos by Luke Going tell the tale of their wedding day.
Today’s story is about married names. Anna and Jon came up with a new solution to the traditional bride’s change of name…. they considered how much love abounded in their family union; bucket loads, fields in fact… fields of love.
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The Wedding location
The Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens are one of the most delightful natural places for a wedding on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It’s not quite a set of fields…. However, natural bush is all around, yet there are sculpted gardens for ceremony locations. A glade of stone sculptures is divine for a wedding backdrop. The grassy areas are perfect for a wedding picnic or for wedding photos. During the wedding ceremony there is no traffic or humdrum noise, but simply the sounds of the bush surrounding you. It is an exquisite retreat from life for a special occasion. On a more practical level, there is plenty of car parking, amenities and access to a pavilion for wet weather options.
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Focus on Love
A great deal of thought and love and attention to detail goes into every wedding day. Anna and Jon focused on love, as the defining theme around which all the details were designed. It was a joy to witness their attention to the details of how each special guest would feel, and how their role in the day could be made perfect. Every family member was considered, thought was given to each child or friend and what to do to make them feel comfortable with the wedding day and the combining of two people’s lives in marriage. Extra special consideration was given to Jon’s daughter; how to make sure she felt comfortable with the marriage of her Dad to Anna. Standing beside her Dad, she was proud to be the official “groomsmaid”. Bless these two for their deep thought and care for others on their wedding day.
Weddings are often about more than two people; bringing two or more families together, a community of friends and a wider circle of acquaintances and colleagues. The way these two negotiated the path towards their wedding day was a delight to behold. For example, hanging in the trees, a string of bunting created from photos of loved ones who could not be there. Consider the role of a daughter, the groomsmaid, who strolled with the gals, then stood by her Dad’s side.
Fields of love
It is a western tradition for a bride to celebrate her marriage, by taking a new name, the surname of her husband. And the law gives modern brides a few options for how she can negotiate this tradition. Ask me how.
In fact, it is a tradition of many cultures to celebrate many of life’s milestones with a new name, not just in marriage.
On their wedding day both Anna and Jon, chose to celebrate their union by both taking a new surname, in a kind of acknowledgement of equality and indeed in celebration of a new beginning together, and a new future to plan.
The name they chose? Fields; fields of love, fields of natural beauty, fields of possibilities stretching out before them. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Fields, you are a great example to us all.
As a marriage celebrant I can guide you through the minefield of name changes and give you the options… plus an extra something to make it even easier. To follow in Anna and Jon’s footsteps, there is an easy way, if you organise for it early in the wedding planning. Ask me how.
And they said:
Thank you Kari, for the most beautiful ceremony! You were there for us every step of the way – providing guidance with a warmth, depth and spirituality that fit with us perfectly. We could not have asked for more … Jon & Anna Fields xo
Thank you to photographer Luke Going for the story in pictures. He manages to capture the details of the wedding story, in a natural non intrusive fashion.
Here is a glimpse:
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Married at Yandina Station
Congratulations Adele and Paul, married at Yandina Station between Yandina and Coolum.
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Vintage Theme wedding
Using a vintage wedding theme, Adele decorated the homestead with a table of old cameras, old books tied with string, bottles of old fashioned sweets and a vintage typewriter for writing messages.
Historic Yandina Station
Yandina Station was perfect for their theme. The old homestead still has the original hardwood weather boards, delightfully aged to silver. The gardens reflect a time gone by, yet retain a relaxed and homely feel, with herbs and flowers. Old worldy games on the grass were very welcoming, and the sunny day was perfect.
Kids at a wedding
Their son Mac was a star, carrying the rings on a string around his neck.
Their wedding ceremony
Adele and Paul’s wedding ceremony began: “Unions have been made in this area for millennia. Today Adele and Paul join the natural scheme of things and wed in this sacred place between Mount Ninderry and Mount Coolum close to Maroochy River. For 10’s of thousands of years these mountains have been revered and blessed, and honoured for their significance and power. It is a healing place, a happy place. In the shadow of these mountains people feel safe and warm and blessed. To be able to see both Ninderry and Coolum from here makes this place very special. No wonder Adele and Paul chose this historic property for their special day. Yandina Station homestead, well over 100 yrs old, and now lovingly restored is the oldest continuously lived in and working farm in the region. Many pages of history reside here. And today we add to those pages with a love story.”
Photos by Andrea Sproxton
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