Spot On Ceremonies

10/07/2024

FOUR photos. ONE factor in common…

Stories. Backstories, new stories, love stories and life stories…

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing War Horse author Sir Michael Morpurgo. The book is an epic tale, but I discovered that the story behind the story was every bit as fascinating.

Then there was the ceremony for my Godson’s graduation in Malta. Recounting the individual journeys of the class of 2024 was beautiful, moving and celebratory.

Next, a vow renewal for a special couple who said ‘I do’ 10 years ago at Gretna Green. Their world has since tilted dramatically, as K faced awful health problems. But their love remains stronger than ever and we had a small but perfect bedside ceremony, full of love and with their three beloved dogs as guests of honour.

In the past couple of months I have also had the privilege of officiating at funerals with attendee numbers ranging from 4 to 700. In each instance the life stories recounted were full of wonder, surprise, love and laughter.

Whatever the ceremony, telling the story faithfully and with feeling is front and centre for me. Because that way a story becomes a memory to treasure.

Oh, and the National Theatre’s War Horse gallops out on a new national tour soon. Go see!

ID: four photos: Top (L) image of the book jacket for War Horse. (R) firework fountains. Bottom (L) photo from D&K’s wedding at Gretna Green. (R) from a styled shoot at the fabulous Elessar Yurt Village
🐎❤️💍🍾

28/06/2024

Always my privilege 💛

-

19/06/2024

Planning your wedding? Who do you REALLY need in your corner? Read the blog! Link in bio.

ID: a snapshot of Vicky, a short blonde haired celebrant, accompanied by text reading: My ideal couple? I can tell if I’m a Love Match with a couple in a heartbeat, because they tell me that… READ MORE! Link in bio. The Wedding Industry Awards Regional Highly Commended badge also features.

09/06/2024

Dating back to at least as far as 7000 BC, hand fasting has evolved into a wedding ceremony ritual that symbolises commitment and the union of two people. And while some couples love to include it in all its traditional glory, others like to mix things up a bit and put their own stamp on things.
Blending tradition with a truly relevant twist is RIGHT up my boulevard! Have a swipe for a few snippets of inspiration, but if you have your own idea, let’s give it life!
🫶❤️💍

31/05/2024

With family, friends, a bouncy castle and a seriously impressive spread, baby D was celebrated, had promises made to him and was named amid a joyous shower of bubbles!
Accompanied by beautiful readings, a sharing of candlelight and three cheers, there was a LOT of love in the room.
Naming ceremonies are a really special way of welcoming a little one into a loving community of friends and family and can be held pretty much anywhere. More info? Get in touch.

ID: photo top right of adorable baby D and his mummy and daddy. Photo bottom right: an ornamental tree that guests later hung luggage labels on, each with a wish for baby D written on it.
Accompanying text reads: “So approachable and accommodating, you are the friendliest, loveliest lady! If ever we tie the knot we’ll be in touch! Kirsty & Sam.”
🫧🍼👶❤️

25/05/2024

I’m really delighted to have been involved in this video showcasing a glorious alternative funeral service setting: Elessar Yurt Village. Natural, peaceful, beautiful and with spaces to suit groups of all sizes and all weathers, this perfect woodland site, just north of Chichester city centre, enables families to personalise a goodbye and to take all the time they need to do so. Whether it’s a quiet and reflective service, a more upbeat celebration of life or something entirely different, the team at Elessar will help you do things in the way that feels exactly right. Catering and accommodation packages are also available.
🌻🐝🌳❤️

Huge thanks to all involved. Roll credits:

Elessar Yurt Village - a breathtaking venue (run by a smashing team) for glamping, weddings, parties, team building and now funeral services. to.heaven.co.uk - beautiful natural & eco-friendly caskets & coffins
Hedge Rose - Chichester Florist - fabulous flowers for all occasions from Meg in The Hornet, Chichester
-Oaklands Funeral Service, ChichesterChichester-based independent funeral director with a whole lotta love, compassion & kindness
Spot On Ceremonies - ceremonies with heart, soul and WOW!
Raw-Pixels- awesome video creation & production

18/05/2024

Feedback like this is SO much more than an ego stroke. As well as reassuring me that I have understood and delivered what a family wanted and needed, it also helps me professionally - I was recently booked by someone who said that they could tell from my testimonials that I was ‘an intuitive, creative and compassionate celebrant.’ Wowzers! I’ll take that!
So to anyone who has taken the time and trouble to send me feedback or to leave a google review, THANK YOU! I’m so grateful. x

Alt text:
A photo of a pair of teal-coloured velvet boots. Text reads: “We just wanted to thank you again for yesterday. Everyone said how much they liked the service and we thought your tone and delivery were just right and very positive. From start to finish we had a lovely memorable day and D would have approved.Oh! and we loved your boots!!”

12/05/2024

Oh my ❤️!
Romantic, international, intimate and downright beautiful! Andy & Kelley’s wedding was the stuff of fairy tales.
At the beautiful in the Kent countryside, we retold the story that brought together two people and two nations.
With their vows made and then set in oathing stones (one from each of their homelands), the love and emotion was not only tangible, but it was really bloody moving too! Cue the happy tears!
An honour and a pleasure to be their celebrant, remember you two beauties: Vow renewal 5 years time!
Photo creds: Will Fuller Photography

ID: a gorgeous photo of a white bride & groom, Andy & Kelley, embracing on their wedding day. Accompanied by a testimonial that reads:
We were honoured and privileged to have Vicky as our celebrant. She brought in humour, compassion and insight into our very special story.
A truly magical and unforgettable experience, Vicky - thank you so much. Andy & Kelley.
❤️❤️❤️

09/05/2024

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!
Oh Cissbury, you totally have my heart!
The perfect location for Dylan & Aisha’s wedding, the sun getting its arse in gear meant that we could hold the ceremony outside in the magical glade. Overlooking the valley, beneath blue skies, these beautiful “and ever so slightly quirky souls” made fabulously thoughtful declarations to one another. We had gorgeous readings from the two dads - Neil Gaiman and a lyrical Welsh love poem - and we even managed to beat the breeze to light a unity candle. Topped off with the loveliest of love stories, gorgeous guests and a LOT of laughter, I drove home with a mile-wide smile on my chops.
Wishing you happy everything always, Mr & Mrs Bonds. ❤️❤️❤️

Roll credits:
Venue Cissbury Barns
Photographer Lucy Dracott Photography(these are my snaps, not Lucy’s brilliant and skilful shots - watch this space!)
Flowers Ginger Lily Florists - Brighton
Celebrant Spot On Ceremonies

ID a photo montage of the wedding and location described that features Vicky, a short fair haired celebrant with the bride (traditional white dress) & groom (dark suit and cool sunglasses!)

07/05/2024

A perfect day for a perfect couple. Big love, Mr & Mrs B x

02/05/2024

NEW BLOG ALERT!

Planning your wedding? Cop on and read on. https://spotonceremonies.co.uk/is-it-me-youre-looking-for/

‘While it probably doesn’t matter if you get on like a house on fire with the person supplying your portaloos, anyone you’re going to be spending a lot of time with, and who really needs to understand and support your wedding plans, should be chosen with care. (Celebrants are under the spotlight in this blog, but the same advice could easily apply to planners, photographers, videographers and hair & make-up artists.)’

ID: a photo of Vicky, a short blonde haired celebrant standing between a handsome groom and a beautiful bride. The Spot On Ceremonies logo and The Wedding Industry Highly Commended badge feature, alongside text that reads: Hello. Is it me you’re looking for? Finding the right wedding suppliers for you is worth taking your time over. But how to swipe right with those key players?

25/04/2024

INSPO FOR KIDS AT WEDDINGS!

A wedding is a long day whatever your age, but for a child it can be a real endurance test. Having a gentle activity on offer creates really welcome chill-out time, and at a wedding I led last year the couple turned a gazebo into a pop-up studio. Accompanied by a brief to all kids to draw scenes from the day, some adult guests even ‘sat’ for the artists!
The children embraced the idea and as art was produced, it was blue tacked to the wall by the bar and admired.
After the wedding, my lovely couple created a booklet of these special memories, adding a paragraph about each artist: BEATRICE, AGE 5, ‘OLD PEOPLE DANCING’ IN FELT TIP AND CRAYON!
This beautiful portrait, replicating the photo below it, was created at another wedding - John and Rosie’s - by one of their super talented bridesmaids. Loving the depiction of me in action!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: a child’s drawing of a wedding ceremony featuring the bride and groom, Vicky the Celebrant at a lectern, a dog and three wedding attendants. The word LOVE titles the picture. Below the picture is a photo that inspired the drawing. The text on the bottom right of the complete image reads ‘Wedding Art’.
-

18/04/2024

Fabulous Flowers.
Top Team.
Highly recommend all suppliers involved in this awesome styled shoot at Lordington Park

Beautiful Blooms😍

Planner & Stylist 
Photographer 
Venue 
Florist 
Celebrant 
Hair & Make Up Artist 
Dress 
Menswear 
Calligraphy .and.copper
Cake 
Food 
Wine 
Embroidery .brice
Model 

14/04/2024

Busy, busy, BUSY! But with a whole bundle of fun and loveliness.
Top left pic: one of my sneaky snaps at a glorious styled shoot at Lordington Park of a beautiful model bride with one of LP’s resident pooches - reader, I lost my heart!
Top right: a card from a client thanking me for taking a special farewell
Bottom left: an awesome art project I’m involved in with The Bognor Regis Time Portal
Bottom right: Not one, but TWO oathing stones from Andy & Kelley’s wedding - one from each of their homelands.
Never a dull day!
💗❤️💛

09/04/2024

Me & Ms B chatting all things Celebrant!

Have you read local celebrants and article in our April issue? Head over to thevillagemagazine.co.uk page 22

06/04/2024

A replica wedding cake from the Royal Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The creative team was assembled by Woman's Day Australia. Displayed at the Queen Victoria Building on 2nd May, 2011 in Sydney, Australia.

Made of eight tiers, standing three feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, it was a traditional fruit cake but by request with a softer sugar paste icing instead of royal icing.

Photo by Mike Flokis/Getty Images.

05/04/2024

Oooh! New followers! Time for a quick reintroduction…

I’m Vicky from Spot On Ceremonies. An award-winning Celebrant, I travel as required to lead weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies and vow renewals. I also offer new chapter ceremonies and can take on a Master of Ceremonies role.

Originally trained as an actor, I’ve also worked in broadcasting and PR. I’m also a published author, including two books on weddings, and a writer of magazine and newspaper interviews & features.

Wedding celebrations that are meaningful, memorable and downright fabulous are my specialty. Totally personal to YOU, my ceremonies have earned me recognition from The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) and lovely reviews from my couples and families.

And while weddings, vow renewals and naming ceremonies crank my joy levels up to the max, I find the poignancy of funerals and new chapter ceremonies profoundly moving. Telling life and love stories really is an extraordinary privilege - I truly love what I do.

Some other things I love: dogs, fancy afternoon tea, adrenaline-pumping funfair rides, blue cheese, belly laughing with my friends and playing rude word games (it’s a long story…). Some of my most unfavourite things: reptiles, anything to do with my car, unkindness and buzz words and phrases including (but not confined to): Deep Dive, Reach Out, FYI and Date Night - just NO!

There’s more on my website (link in bio), but if you’re looking for a celebrant, why not get in touch and tell me about YOU?

Image description: Vicky, a fair haired celebrant raising a glass. The Wedding Industry Awards ’Regional Highly Commended’ badge features. Background is a pink, yellow and white sunburst featuring the Spot on Ceremonies logo. The word ‘hello’ appears in yellow lettering across the photo of Vicky.
-

02/04/2024

We like this from Option B

Words can have a powerful effect on us. The Irish language recognizes the fleeting nature of emotions by saying 'tá brón orm' or 'sadness is on me' instead of 'I am sad'. ⁠
⁠
It's a beautiful reminder that emotions don't define us. We are more than what we feel.⁠ And knowing this can help us acknowledge a difficult feeling when it comes up and letting it move through us until it has passed.⁠
⁠
✍️ Quote by Pádraig Ó Tuama

31/03/2024

Yippee! S&K’s wedding was not only one of my favourite days last year, but a nomination from these two smashers helped me to success at The Wedding Industry Awards too!
Held in the magnificent Gridshell at the Weald & Downland Living Museum we laughed, cried joyful tears and ate a LOT of pick n mix! But most of all, we celebrated love. (There we’re also some ducks involved, but that’s another story)

Alt text (alongside the testimonial): a photo of Sara and Karen with Vicky, a short fair haired celebrant wearing a green dress. Sara wears a fabulous vintage tweed suit and Karen wears a beautiful white wedding dress. The Wedding Industry Awards Highly Commended badge features below the photo.
💖💕💛

26/03/2024

You don’t have to have traditional funeral poetry or readings at a funeral (you don’t have to have ANY poetry or readings come to that). But if you want to include something more relevant (I recently read an extract from a lady’s favourite novel that had nothing to do with death and everything to do with horse riders getting saucy!) or something more personal, go for it!
This gorgeous little poem was written by Kayleigh when she was a child and her Nanny kept it in her purse thereafter. Nothing could have been more appropriate for her beloved grandmother’s farewell. Focussing on the personal rather than the occasion can be really comforting for families, so don’t be constrained by what you think you ‘should’ choose. Go with your gut instinct - go with love.

Image description: a poem framed by flowers that reads:
My Nanny is as wise an owl
Her hands are soft and bumpy like a stone
Her feet remind me of spiders
Her lipstick is as pink as flowers
She is like a squashy cosy cushion
When I go to her house I feel comfy
I love her as much as my mum and dad.
❤️💛❤️
-

17/03/2024

To misquote Dorothy: BRIDES AND BAGPIPES AND BEARS - OH MY!

It’s been a busy few weeks, including:

❤️the first wedding of the year (gorgeous Andy & Kelley - their story is SO romantic it needs its own post, so watch this space)
❤️a beautiful farewell for a Scottish-born lady, complete with Piper Chic Mackie to play her out
❤️ donning the fun fur to help raise money for a brilliant cause Minnie’s Broken Heart

Image description: a trio of photos featuring Vicky, a short fair-haired celebrant, in the setting of each of the above described occasions. In the reference to fun fur Vicky is dressed as Bella Bear and is flanked by two children.

16/03/2024

13/03/2024

🤭 Bundle me, Baby!! 🤭

🤭 Did you know.....
Bundling or tarrying, is an old tradition in which an unmarried courting couple would spend a night in bed together, with some sort of barrier between them

This was to stop any premarital hanky~panky.

🤭 This practice was believed to encourage intimacy in a courting young couple, without allowing for any 'actual sinning' to take place.

There were many forms of bundling, including placing a board down the length of the mattress to create separation, or using a rolled-up wad of bedding along the bed.

🤭 Another way was having the man lay on top of the covers and the woman under, wearing unique sack-like clothing that was difficult to get out of.

Alternatively, both people could lay in a sack, with a seam sewn down the middle.....

🤭 While some religious leaders preached against bundling, it remained a widespread practice well into the 19th century.

In the United States, the practice was especially popular among Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, and Amish settlers.

It is believed that bundling may still be used during courtship by the Nebraska Amish community today.

🤭 While it is a charming system in theory, it’s hard to believe that amorous young lovers wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to outsmart a board....or a sack 😉

https://www.facebook.com/groups/537859523834021
🤭 Source~HistoryCollection
☕ https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

13/03/2024

Alt text: a testimonial reading: How you managed to understand someone you had never met so perfectly is beyond me. You made R’s funeral him to a ‘T’ - he’d have loved it! Thank you so much for ‘getting us’ too, and for making such a sad day so very right. xx

07/03/2024

Oh you beauties! Another smashing nomination from The Wedding Industry Awards
Thank you so much, Hulk Hands & SugarTits (AKA Scott & Nicole). Your glowing testimonial helped to make me a winner!

Alt text (alongside the testimonial): a photo of Scott & Nicole at their wedding Southdowns Manor The bride wears a stunning white bridal gown and veil. The groom is in Scottish dress. The Wedding Industry Awards Highly Commended badge features below the photo.
💖💕💛

29/02/2024

HELLO BOYS!
As today is traditionally the date when women can propose to men (although I say knickers to having to wait for a leap year- you go for it whenever you fancy, gals!) let’s give it up for gorgeous grooms!
And when it comes to ceremony planning, I love it when the lads get involved. In this quartet, between them the boys were responsible for some blinding music, some heart-melting vows, a beautiful ritual and for inspiring some of the worst 80s pop puns EVER!

ID: 4 photos featuring gorgeous grooms

22/02/2024

Finding words that reassure is part of my role as a Celebrant. But they need to be the RIGHT words. So for a Terry Pratchett fan who was described as ‘leaving a legacy of far-reaching fabulousness’ this quote was perfect.

Alt text:
A quote in grey, red and yellow coloured text reads:
No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.
TERRY PRATCHETT

18/02/2024

Your wedding ceremony SHOULD be:
Meaningful
Memorable
All about you
Creative
Unique
A showstopper that starts the celebrations and brings the house down!

Your wedding ceremony should NOT be:
Bog standard
Dull
Impersonal
Uninspiring
A boring talky bit before the party starts

If the first list floats your bridal boat, a celebrant-led wedding will deliver. Bespoke, created exclusively for YOU, it’s no surprise that Celebrants were NUMBER ONE on the Hitched 2024 wedding trends list. Curious to know more? Get in touch!

Image description: a wedding party taking a curtain call bow.
💍💍💍

16/02/2024

A school or nursery with an appropriate bereavement policy is prepared and has plans in place to deal with death, grief, and bereavement.

Download our framework for structuring your bereavement policy, as well as template letters for parents and carers: ow.ly/77Zg50Q3yqO