 I am so looking forward to Saturday when I'm conducting a wedding on the shores of beautiful Lake Macquarie. And, for me, the most exciting part of the ceremony will be the joining of the three children of the bride with the two little ones of the bridegroom into a whole new blended family. Children are so precious - the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow...
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 A beautiful wedding ceremony at Roberts' Restaurant's Moptop Aisle in the Hunter Valley. The couple chose to have a sand ceremony which was fun and something a little bit different.
It was lovely to receive this thank-you from them afterwards. "We loved the ideas you put forward and really felt that you understood what we wanted. We are really pleased with how everything went from the planning stage to the ceremony." I send them my very best wishes for a long and happy marriage.  In the 'olden days' when brides were very young the flower girl would lead her forward to her nuptials as a symbol of innocence blooming to become a wife and mother. In ancient Roman and Greek days the flower girl would scatter herbs and grains to attract fertility in the new union.
But today flower girls are often chosen from family members and their main job is to look cute! Do you have any pictures of particularly cute flower girls? Post them up here and we will place votes for the cutest!  What a wonderful weekend - a wedding on both Saturday and Sunday and what made it so super special was that they were weddings of friends and family. Here the stylish bride and groom arrive after having photos taken to greet their guests in the ballroom of a lovely hotel. The bride looked just like a fairytale princess and her groom, Prince Charming.  I am so lucky that I am still very close to my ex-husband's family. Though we divorced and he's remarried I am always included in family events. But what a thrill to be asked to be the celebrant at his brother's wedding!
The ceremony and reception were held at the family home and it was a simple but emotion-packed ceremony. Afterwards the bride's sister, who had flown over from Thailand, conducted a Sai Sin ceremony - where guests tie string which has been blessed by monks round the couples' left wrists to bring good luck for their future. It was such a wonderful, relaxed and happy day, with so many special people present. It made me, once again, so thankful that despite divorce we're all good friends.  A really lovely couple who only had a very small wedding 14 years ago always intended to have a really special ceremony and reception when they could afford it. Friday was the day! It was the happiest occasion imaginable...so much love, laughter and smiles...beautiful children, a stunning 'bride', a handsome 'groom' and immaculate bridal party...with a ceremony overlooking the ocean. The guest register was a special book I created for them tracing their 14 years together. And did everyone enjoy it? You bet. The couple have just emailed me to say, "We both just wanted to thank you again for the amazing job you did with the ceremony and the book. Everything was perfect." Thank you guys, I enjoyed every single second with you.
 I'm hoping we get plenty of rain this week so Saturday is dry and sunny for an outdoor wedding I am conducting. What makes it even more special is that there will be with five pageboys and five flowergirls ranging in age from three to ten. A young son is to give the bride away and the bride is wearing black, the bridesmaids white...
 I have some upcoming weddings where the attendants are very young - aged two and upwards. I think it's essential we do a rehearsal so the little ones can practice what they are going to do. But did you know using young attendants is quite traditional in the British royal family? At Queen Elizabeth II's wedding in 1947, there were eight bridesmaids, most younger than the 21-year-old bride. Diana had five bridesmaids, the youngest was 5. Kate Middleton took it even younger in her 2011 wedding, inviting her husband-to-be's goddaughter and Camilla Parker Bowles' granddaughter, both 3, down the aisle. At my daughter's wedding we gave the little flowergirls a toy bag each to keep them amused but they ended up having more fun filling their skirtsdresses with stones - and eating them!
 I love meeting new people - and have been privileged recently to meet several lovely young couples who want me to conduct their wedding ceremonies. And it's so special when they contact me after we've met and say how much they enjoyed meeting me too. One couple said there was no way they wanted anyone other than me to conduct the ceremony on their special day! I just adore creating a ceremony that is unique to the couple and which is just what they want. I am getting more pleasure out of making people happy than anything else I have ever done in my life - apart from bringing up my beautiful daughter of course!
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AuthorRebecca Skinner is a journalist, editor and writer who is also a civil celebrant, committed to helping people cherish special moments in their lives. From ceremonies with a difference together with books of living memories as a unique memento - to writing life stories - she is the specialist in celebrating life's many chapters. Archives
April 2018
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