A laid back, boho Humanist wedding for childhood sweethearts Abi + Jack at Eden Barn, Cumbria

Abi + Jack celebrated their marriage with a Humanist wedding ceremony at Eden Barn, near Kirkby Stephen in the Lake District. Their ceremony included personalised vows, a ring exchange and a wine box ceremony, as well as the involvement of family and friends (and the cutest little flower girls)!

Images by James Hicks Photography.

A young white woman in a white wedding dress carries a bouquet as she walks down the aisle towards her husband-to-be. She is supported by her father, and surrounded by her smartly-dressed family and friends. The wedding is in a stone barn.

The bride’s entrance

Supported by her father, Abi walked down the aisle to a song by Paolo Nutini, Growing up Beside You. This song reflected the couple’s long relationship journey, from the age of eleven when they first met (and didn’t think much of each other!) to their teenage love and today: their wedding day as adults.

Both Indie kids, Abi + Jack chose the Arctic Monkey’s Baby I’m Yours for the certificate signing and they walked out of their ceremony to Oasis’ Songbird.

A laughing bride and groom sit during their wedding ceremony. A candelabra is behind them, and the celebrant's script is just visible.

Love story

During their love story, we learnt that Abi thought Jack was annoying with ‘emo hair’ on their first meeting, and Jack found Abi to be a goody two shoes! Thankfully they came to know each other better, realising they are the boy and girl version of each other with the same sense of humour. I love how relaxed Abi + Jack look in this photograph; exactly as you should be on your wedding day.

I was doubly honoured to be asked to lead Abi + Jack’s wedding; firstly because Abi is my niece, and secondly because she is a wedding photographer so she sees lots of wedding ceremonies (and knows what she likes!!). It was lovely to be marrying a couple I have known for over a decade (plus I could make my husband do the music)!

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Wedding winebox ceremony

As Jack is a joiner, we thought it would be fun to include a wine box ceremony in the wedding. Abi + Jack both wrote letters to each other expressing how they felt about their marriage, and using Jack’s hammer, they sealed them in a box with a good bottle of red wine. They will open the box and read the letters on their wedding anniversary (or sooner, if they need reminding why they married)!

In a stone barn, a couple stand holding hands in front of their celebrant. It is their wedding, and they are watched by their family and friends. — Wedding vows

Laughing, a bride slides a wedding wing onto her groom's finger. Their celebrant stands behind them, wearing an orange dress. — Exchanging wedding rings

Wedding vows and ring exchange

As well as saying ‘I do’ using traditional wedding vows, Abi + Jack each wrote a personal promise which I read to them and they answered, ‘I do’. This gave them a little surprise each, while keeping them feeling relaxed as the spotlight was off them both!