Malc and Jackie’s wedding celebration was held at their home in Devon on Saturday 10 July 2021…
…. And it was a truly awesome event packed with laughter, tears, symbolism and surprises!
Malc and Jackie – where to start?! They are one of those couples you know you will never, ever forget – partly because we’ve been on quite a journey with them, and partly because they are completely unique and totally adorable people!
Like so many of our wonderful clients, Malc and Jackie had experienced a number of postponements due to Covid. Undeterred, they eventually managed to get a register office ceremony for the legal paperwork to coincide with the same day they had planned for their wedding ceremony at home – the only difference for us, was that we swapped beachy Cornwall for green and gorgeous Devon!
Frequent visitors to the Duchy, Malc, Jackie and I were able to meet on a number of occasions before the big day, Malc always armed with his notebook full of prompts - and a bottle of home-made wine! We planned a ceremony which shared their story with lots of fun detail and serious depth, while embracing and including many meaningful elements – some known to the couple, and plenty unknown, which didn’t phase them at all :-)
In the lead-up to the main event, our couple had set themselves A LOT of work to do, transforming their beautiful home and garden into a ceremony space for 30, prepared for rain or shine (the weather was crazily changeable in the lead-up), with an incredible bar area built especially by Malc and lots of additional spaces for dining, drinking and dancing. The attention to detail was simply stunning – I think Jackie should be an interior designer in her next life!
Live music was a big part of this celebration – the brilliant Al Wallers (an old friend of Malc’s) provided the background music as well as playing and singing live throughout the ceremony. He and I liaised in advance to work out the set list and a cue sheet – and as it happened, he was an absolute STAR! Highly recommended for anyone looking for a versatile and experienced vocalist and keyboard player.
Among the ceremony surprises, was a reading from Jackie’s youngest daughter. She and I decided to keep this secret – and the very talented Kaitlin managed to prepare a poem all about Malc and Jackie’s life together, written in complete rhyme, which was incredibly clever and the comedic and cheeky lines had people clutching their sides.
Malc and Jackie were accompanied by all five of their children and one of their grandchildren in a beautiful sand ritual, combining small vessels of sand from their local beaches, into one larger vessel representing the blending of the family and the impossibility of separating all the grains of sand once combined. Malc was worried he might spill the sand, but on being instructed to pour it as if it was a glass of his favourite red, interestingly, not a grain was dropped!
Our couple also literally tied the knot in an emotional handtying, with a gorgeous cord they had made themselves, based on items they had found on their favourite beach where Malc had proposed to Jackie. They were a little nervous having not practised this ritual, but I assured them it would be fine, and in fact they tied the knot perfectly – which was rather serendipitous, I felt.
Malc and Jackie finally read their vows to one another – which they had written independently, but which I had sight of in advance, just to check they were on the same page! Normally I would discourage a side of A4, which they both managed to provide – but their vows were SO GOOD, and complemented one another so well, I couldn’t possibly edit them. This part of the ceremony was truly from the heart and prompted another round laughter AND tears - we were really went through the whole range of emotions with these two!
Finally, as the ceremony drew to a close, our couple exchanged wedding bands – a much awaited moment, ably assisted by grandson Leo who had the most important job of looking after and presenting the rings. After so much preparation, the ceremony was complete and my work with Malc and Jackie had come to an end.
I did enjoy a cheeky glass of wine with their guests after the ceremony (I wasn’t driving!) and it was so lovely to later be invited to share in the many photos and videos of the after ceremony activities – which included a wonderful wedding banquet, some brilliant speeches (poem writing was popular that day!) and the chance for everyone to throw a few shapes on the unofficial dance floor. Exhausted but exhilarated, the new Mr and Mrs Collier then spent the following day clearing up before escaping to the Lakes and Ireland on a much deserved honeymoon. Malc and Jackie were such fun, and so relatable, I genuinely believe we will stay in touch. The review they posted for me left me quite misty-eyed – here is a snippet from it:
Lisa, we can’t thank you enough for the time, effort and genuine care you put into Our Day. We will never forget it, nor you, and would not hesitate to recommend you to other couples to inspire their day.
And you can read that review in full here :-)
Comments