Autumn sunshine at Crayke Manor, North Yorkshire
Outside the covered courtyard at Crayke Manor.
An intimate wedding for family and friends
Katie + Craig are my friends and neighbours, so I was very excited when they asked me to be their wedding celebrant. They wanted a wedding ceremony that was honest, informal and fun - ‘not in the least bit stuffy’!
The grounds of Crayke Manor were the perfect setting for a simple wedding, and although it was October, I think this was the best wedding weather I had all year!
Katie walked down the aisle to a strings arrangement of Truly, Madly Deeply - a tune she once memorably did karaoke to on holiday! Music is very important to Katie + Craig’s relationship, so they made sure that their wedding day reflected that.
Aerial goose invasion!
Celebrants train for all sorts of eventualities, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for the intrusion of a flock of geese, unloading their lunch on the wedding guests! If being pooed on by birds is good luck, Katie + Craig’s union is well blessed! Once I’d got the hysteria under control, we carried on!
Katie surprised Craig with a poem she had written, The Soundtrack to My Life. Absolutely laden with puns, it referenced the music and places that made up their story. It was amazing to see Katie stand up in her wedding and do a reading, and I would urge other couples to get in touch with me if you’d like to try this!
Katie + Craig shared classic wedding vows and exchanged wedding rings, ably supported by best man Lewis. After their first kiss, they walked down the aisle to a song that had become an anthem for them on a recent holiday - Madre Tierra (Oye) by Chayanne. Katie managed to restrain herself from doing the accompanying dance - aka the happy dance!
Near Easingwold in North Yorkshire, Crayke Manor is available to hire as a holiday home and also for weddings. This meant that there was plenty of space for the bridal party and their families to relax the day before the wedding, and get ready in the morning. Plus Katie had a lovely view of the ceremony space from her bedroom!
Suppliers
Photography Peter Rollings
Catering F4D
Drinks Bar Events UK
Men’s suits Moss Bros
Band Jonny and the Dunebugs
