AltarNatives

01/10/2023

Spent some time with these heroes this weekend Paul and Sam walking the SW Coast Path check them out and keys blow thier Fundraising limit out of the water!

25/09/2023

🌸🏰 Dreaming of a fairytale wedding? Look no further than Château de Vaudezert! Nestled amidst breathtaking landscapes, our enchanting venue offers timeless elegance and unparalleled romance. With exquisite architecture, lush gardens, and impeccable service, your special day will be nothing short of magical. Say "I do" at Château de Vaudezert, where dreams come true. ✨💍

06/08/2023

Happy anniversary Marcus and Carol and you two make the best match ###

09/02/2023

I was asked this question by so many of you and by Chateau de Vaudezert this week and so thought this might help. It is no barrier to getting legally married elsewhere - In fact, it is very French indeed - It is also how I got married and I can vouch for it being a GREAT idea!

14/10/2022

This week I had the great fortune of meeting one of the founders of Luminary Bakery (In my other life as a charity supporter). They are a social enterprise that provides a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically – encouraging ambition, restoration, and second chances. and aim to break cycles of poverty, violence & disadvantage once and for all.
They not only live their values but make some of the most beautiful wedding cakes in London. Although my weddings are usually in France - I wanted to make sure everyone knows about these inspirational people.
Wedding cakes look beautiful and hopefully taste great - but when they help people too...everyone wins

13/08/2022

What a joyful day - full of love and laughter

08/08/2022

What a wonderful week of weddings! Three beautiful couples, three totally different ceremonies and so many amazing people behind the scenes making it work.

From a beautiful old church in Bristol (with a bit of Jedi in the mix) to a large chateau with a traditional Scottish theme to a brilliant purple and blue brothers extravaganza.

All different, all personal, and every single one of the couples made my heart soar.

I love this part of my life. What an honour!

30/07/2022

What a beautiful wedding for two incredible guys. Dan and James it was such an honour. The love you give and the love you have is beautiful.

27/07/2022

Some last minute prep before a 3 wedding week. Each ceremony totally different- each couple unique- each one such an honour! Thank you Helen for your mad craft skills and Paul for your inventions x

23/07/2022

I just love having a behind the scenes view of weddings. This first look made me cry like a baby before the ceremony even started! Luckily, as you might hope, I was all professional when it came to my bit. Should I feel that much? Hell yes, and when I don’t, I’ll stop. Your wedding should always move me and I should always care. Thank you for letting me be part of something so beautiful x

03/07/2022

Live. Laugh. Wedding!

06/06/2022

For once - I got to watch all the way through! Because when Millie married her Paige it was a relationship I got to know about from the beginning.

From watching this beautiful woman grow up to meeting the love of her life has been an honour and a privilege. The daughter of a most cherished friend Julie, this was one of the best days of being a celebrant.

I also got to be one of the last on the dance floor and take home some cake when normally I drift away after the ceremony. I threw confetti, drank champagne and cried at the speeches!

To me every single wedding is personal, emotional and totally unique. But this one - I got the full 360° and I loved every minute of it!

26/05/2022

Testing testing 123… getting ready for Saturday

25/05/2022

We have two wedding booked in this incredible place this year has made us feel very welcome and most importantly made our couples feel welcome and special all at the same time. Not a bad spot to work in is it?

One weeding in glorious sunshine in April and one to look forward to in September. Cannot Wait!

We have two weddings booked in this incredible place this year has made us feel very welcome and most importantly made our couples feel welcome and special all at the same time. Not a bad spot to work in is it? but then again - its not really work for us - it's joy.

04/04/2022

What makes a wedding this special?

First Wedding of 2022 and my first in two languages including a rap and handfasting? Sure....

The best wedding team I have ever had the pleasure of working with? Well yes, definitely that...

A stunning venue Les Jardins des Renaudies well YES but...

This wedding was made special by a beautiful couple - beautiful inside and out. They were a joy to work with and even more of a joy to see married. Their friends and family were amazing, helpful, funny, and kind. Everyone there genuinely loved and cared for each other. It left me exhausted and absolutely elated to be part of such a beautiful day.

The Best caterers bar NONE The Hungry Cow

A stunning set up and such an amazing caring and hard-working hero Natalie Albon from Beau Occasions - North west France

Handfasting chords made by my special and talented friend Helen Wootton

And the most helpful - genuinely kind and sooo knowledgeable Kristan Hosea as a DJ who worked through the night and never stopped loving it!

01/03/2022

After a very quiet winter for weddings, it appears spring has sprung. Alternatives have made the decision to do only a few, bespoke weddings this year. We are honoured to be helped some people who have had to cancel because of COVID or have had to change their plans. Some of our couples we have got to know for over two years of extra waiting, so Spring this year brings even more hope than usual.

28/09/2021

A very happy anniversary to the wonderful Sarah and Felix. One of our favourite, beautiful, personal weddings - before they were popular this pair of soul mates chose small and magical. Here are their wedding symbols - they fitted very well with the little prince poem.

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

03/08/2021

Genuine photo, taken by our Lara a few years ago in London.

She found love in a hopeless place!

When you find it - don't trash it!

08/06/2021

So is a Harry Potter wedding for you? Some really fun trends coming through for this year. So if someone has used a Lumos spell to light up your life and has disarmed your heart with an Expelliarmus spell, tell us all about it!

No dark arts practiced here, only the beautiful magic of a wedding.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/biggest-wedding-trends-of-2021-more-couples-choose-harry-potter-theme-when-tying-the-knot-1.1236399

13/05/2021

Earlier today I was thinking about my daughter's wedding a few years ago; she wanted everyone who could to be able to stay over, so chose somewhere with cottages and a pool onsite. Family and friends were able to have a good time together, not just on the wedding day but also the following day, when we had a BBQ.

Choosing to have your wedding in France, when you are based in the UK, means that your guests can have an extended period of time together.

How does that appeal to you? Have you chosen your venue so that this would be possible? Tell us how you found it...

10/05/2021

You know we love a wedding bargain! How lovely is this dress? Just had to share. My wedding dress was £30 Sometimes I wish I had spent a bit more! How about you?

You don’t have to spend half of your monthly income on clothes to look good. You can’t buy fashion sense in a store. The people from this article were able to find true masterpieces in thrift stores. Plus, buying clothes this way has its advantages: the pieces have their own history and spirit, ...

06/05/2021

We recently re-watched Forrest Gump, which is such a beautiful story about love, life and loss. It made me think about the fact that we never know what tomorrow is going to bring, so you have to live your life to the full while you can.

So many couples have had to postpone their big day over the last year and there is still a lot of uncertainty about when they might be able to go ahead. In the meantime, keep being kind to each other, find ways to enjoy and be grateful for each day together and know that, soon enough, things will improve.

Much love from us all at AltarNatives ❤

05/05/2021

So this is one wedding we would love to do! I suspect they are going to get a local in, and quite right for the PM of a nation. As big fans - we wish you both a brilliant wedding and all of our love.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plans to get married during summer but did not disclose the date, local media reported on Wednesday.

29/04/2021

After many months (over a year) this week, we wrote two draft wedding ceremonies. What is more, they are for two amazing couples and are both filled with special elements that make them extraordinary.
Its what we do, its what we love, its our raison d'être - out métier

Charlotte, James, Andi, and Adam have made us very happy indeed .

23/04/2021

The team at AltarNatives would like to wish Karen and Wayne from Chateau de Vaudezert a very happy 25th anniversary. Happy Silver to a solid gold couple. xx

20/04/2021

We were introduced to Bigflo and Oli as part of our Fench lessons by the amazing Daphne Dagnall . Every song has lyrics that get to the heart of being a human. They are funny, clever and make you think about life.

We value individuality and personal touches so much - The art of being yourself is everything - so these lyrics spoke to us. Check out the whole song - Sur la lune

09/04/2021

Beautiful, and perfect for a wedding in France. Just saying!

( ) "Voici mon secret. Il est très simple : on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." 👑🦊❤️

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( ) "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. " 👑🦊❤️