A modern elegant wedding ceremony with warmth, humour and connection

Conor and Charlie got in touch with me just under a year before their ceremony and it wasn’t long before we met to see if we’d be a good fit for each other. As we got chatting, it was clear we shared a massive connection to Glastonbury Festival -  it was a key part of their story. They wanted a modern elegant wedding in the Cotswolds and chose me to deliver a personality-led ceremony to reflect that.

I won’t lie, I was very excited when they said that they were holding their wedding at Ivy Lodge - one of the newest venues owned and run by Cripps and Co. It was so new that at the time I first spoke to Conor and Charlie, it hadn’t even opened yet! But it was clear that it was going to be one of the most unique wedding venues in the Cotswolds.

How we created a modern elegant wedding ceremony at Ivy Lodge

We visited the venue together around three months before their day and spent some time walking through the ceremony. We looked at:

• how they were going to make their entrance

• where they were going to stand

• how family and friends were involved 

• their positioning for the vows and ring exchange

• where to set up the wine box ritual

• how they were going to exit as a couple

They opted to stand in a horseshoe formation with me - this is hands-down the best configuration for maximising ceremony impact. They could see their guests, their guests could see them and it meant that I could duck out of the way during the more intimate moments. No one wants their celebrant photo-bombing all of the professional shots!

To add a really personal touch to the proceedings, the couple chose to include a wine box ceremony. They placed a bottle of their favorite wine into a commemorative wooden box, and right after exchanging their vows, they slipped the handwritten scripts inside alongside it.

The plan? They will unseal the box on their first anniversary to drink the wine, read their vows, and reminisce about the day. Even better, they can replace the bottle, seal it back up, and keep the tradition going for future milestone anniversaries.

Conor and Charlie also showed me how they were going to make their entrance into the Granary Barn for the wedding breakfast. They’d timed their walk through the guests sitting at the tables to perfection and their accompanying music brought just the right vibes - Rock DJ by Robbie Williams.

On the day, I arrived at the venue 90 minutes before the start of the ceremony. I checked in with the venue team and made sure that everything was in place for the ceremony. It was, of course. Conor and Charlie had chosen a white theme for the decor - white roses, white candles, white ribbons along the aisle seating and drapey white chiffon on the steps at the front of the venue. It was so modern, so elegant and complemented the Ivy Lodge facade beautifully. 

The ushers were gathered together by the venue and were given clear instructions - all of them knew exactly what they had to do. They’d also have very clear instructions from the couple and this is something I recommend that all couples do. Tell the members of your wedding party exactly what to do in the run up to the ceremony, directly after it into the speeches. 

The ceremony was a dream - each moment flowed into the next. Contributing guests did a fantastic job and there was an original poem written by two of the couple’s friends. The vibe was quite electric and it was clear everybody loved feeling part of the ceremony with so much laughter, many happy tears and even the odd polite heckle just proving that you can have a modern elegant wedding with plenty of soul, warmth, humour and real connection.

Venue: Ivy Lodge by Cripps & Co

Photography: Claire Menary Photography

Get in touch to see if we can bring the warmth, humour and connection to your wedding ceremony: https://samwhitecelebrant.co.uk/contact and find out more here: https://samwhitecelebrant.co.uk/weddings