A smiling couple during their personalised wedding ceremony by a Surrey based wedding celebrant at Chafford Park, Kent. Photo: Parkershots

Hannah & Alex’s beautifully personalised wedding ceremony at Chafford Park, Kent

Meeting Hannah and Alex

I first met Hannah and Alex at a showcase at Chafford Park, a beautiful wedding venue in Kent. It was my first time visiting this new Wonderland Wedding venue, and I was instantly chuffed by just how wedding celebrant-friendly the venue was.

With its relaxed barn, open fields and views for days, Chafford Park is the perfect setting for a personalised, celebrant-led wedding ceremony. And that’s exactly what Hannah and Alex chose, helped along by Hannah’s sister and brother-in-law, who had recently had their own celebrant-led wedding. They had such a positive experience that they became huge cheerleaders for Hannah and Alex to have a celebrant-led wedding of their own. In fact, their wedding had inspired Alex to propose to Hannah after six years together.

Hannah and Alex wanted to be sure that a celebrant-led wedding was right for them, so I offered to meet them in person, following the venue showcase, and we arranged to meet at one of their favourite drinking spots in The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells.

I always love meeting couples in places that hold special meaning for them. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know Hannah and Alex better, hear more about their love story and generally have a good old chit-chat to see if we were a good fit.

I was overjoyed when Hannah and Alex followed up by booking me as their wedding celebrant. It was made even more special by the fact that Alex had originally booked a registrar for their wedding ceremony before we met – and I had convinced them that a celebrant-led ceremony was the way to go!

A couple enjoying their celebrant-led wedding ceremony by a wedding celebrant based in Surrey at Chafford Park, Kent. Photo: Parkershots
Wedding guests enjoying their celebrant-led wedding ceremony by a wedding celebrant based in Surrey at Chafford Park, Kent. Photo: Parkershots

A wedding ceremony inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh

Hannah and Alex have a beautiful connection to Ashdown Forest in Kent, the home of the Hundred Acre Wood and Winnie-the-Pooh. Naturally, we wanted to weave this meaningful connection into their wedding ceremony. The key was to include the theme delicately, so it helped tie their ceremony together without ever feeling gimmicky.

Alex’s mum, a primary school teacher, was a natural choice for a reading during the ceremony. With my help, Hannah and Alex chose a reading inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh, Friends Forever, which perfectly reflected their relationship and the importance of friendship within their love story.

Personal wedding vows written just for them

One of the things I love most about being a wedding celebrant is creating a ceremony that genuinely feels like the couple. Hannah and Alex shared stories, memories and little details about their relationship with me throughout our meetings, which gave me everything I needed to write personal vows that reflected them and their relationship.

A beautifully personal wedding ceremony

Hannah and Alex’s wedding ceremony was a divine combination of personal touches and traditional wedding ceremony elements. It was completely them – thoughtful, meaningful, relaxed and full of love.

A beautiful couple exchanging rings during their personalised wedding ceremony led by an independent wedding celebrant creating and delivering personal ceremonies in Surrey, Kent and the South East. Photo: Parkershots
Surrey based independent wedding celebrant delivering a personalised wedding ceremony at Chafford Park, Kent. Photo: Parkershots
Happy couple exiting their celebrant-led wedding by Surrey wedding celebrant. Photo: Parkershots

Kind words from Alex & Hannah

We couldn't recommend Em highly enough. From the very beginning, she invested so much time in getting to know us and our story. Nothing ever felt rushed, and she was always happy to chat whenever we had questions or wanted to discuss ideas. Having a dedicated WhatsApp group made everything so easy and meant we always felt supported throughout the planning process.

The ceremony itself was everything we had hoped for and more. Em took the time to truly understand us as a couple, and the ceremony she wrote reflected our journey together perfectly. It was personal, heartfelt and full of warmth, while also including moments of humour that had everyone smiling. So many of our guests commented afterwards on how special it was and how it felt like it had been written by someone who had known us for years.

If you're looking for a celebrant who genuinely cares, goes above and beyond, and creates a ceremony that is completely unique to you, we couldn't recommend Em enough. Thank you for making the most important part of our wedding day so memorable – it's something we'll cherish forever.

Alex & Hannah’s Wedding Suppliers:

Venue: Chafford Park

Celebrant: Me! Made With Love Celebrations

Photography: Parkershots