I Do Declare

01/04/2024

Our 10 Year Anniversary!! Whoever could have imagined that this cute boy from India with his backpack on would become my husband of TEN YEARS! What a journey it has been so far, with plenty of ups and downs, doubts, disasters and triumphs! I love him more than ever and couldn't imagine life without my incredible team mate and partner Martin Aruvickal.

Discover my secret thoughts on long-term love here:
https://www.idodeclare.co.uk/i-do-declare-blog/clare-from-i-do-declare-celebrates-10-years-of-marriage

13/12/2023

Christmas is so intense!! In my recent blog post I suggest ways to beat the Christmas Fear if you're anticipating being cooped up with tricky members of the fam or just hate shopping for a load of crap that no one needs!! Take plenty of breaks and make sure you still do the things that make you happy this festive season!

https://www.idodeclare.co.uk/i-do-declare-blog/christmas-cheer-or-christmas-fear

03/11/2023

03/11/2023

My little pumpkin amongst the pumpkins!

Autumn Days

Autumn days when the grass is jewelled and there's silk inside a chestnut shell.
Jet planes meeting in the air to be re-fuelled and the things I love so well.
So I mustn't forget...
No I mustn't forget...
To say a great big thank you I mustn't forget... ❤️

Who remembers this song from school?!

11/09/2023

My last wedding of the season! (I'm still available for shotguns though folks!!)

This splendid and silly pair opted for a handfasting and a ring exchange and a surprise sing-along for their guests as well as a couple of other wonderful components! On the hottest day of the year! Phew!

It was a real treat and I'm still grinning from ear to ear 😁😁😁

31/08/2023

Congratulations Beth and Sam! Yet another amazing couple wedded. Beth made her own wedding dress in the style of a Victorian mourning gown. Their bridesmaids wore black and they had a buffalo skull hanging from the rafters... What more can you say?

28/04/2022

Viki and Dom had to postpone their wedding twice due to COVID19 so instead they opted for two simple year-and-a-day ceremonies to keep the dream of their big event alive! I'm so glad they will finally be able to celebrate with all 180 guests this summer!

(image description: Graphic design showing white text on a purple background. Text reads: Clare is so calm and welcoming. She has a beautiful voice and found all the right words to make our ceremony feel extra special and personal. — Viki & Dom)

23/09/2021

Happy Autumn Equinox everyone!

"To truly find balance
We must accept the light and dark
which resides in all of us.

In the darkness there is passion
In the light there is truth and integrity
We are both
We can tread the path between
There is nothing to fear
For when we walk in darkness
The light is always near"

Thank you so much for this reading last night Emilie Witham!
Thank you for the fab photos Helen Winstanley

Love to my fantastic tribe it was lovely seeing some of you last night ❤❤❤

If you'd like to create a ceremony with me you can find out more about what I do on my celebrancy website:
www.idodeclare.co.uk

21/08/2021

My latest reviews have left me bursting with pride! Here's a little taster:

"Clare was absolutely amazing... Her calm demeanour and professionalism were beyond satisfactory."

"The highlight of our wonderful wedding day was definitely the beautiful ceremony that Clare wrote for us."

To read them in full click here: https://www.idodeclare.co.uk/testimonials

30/07/2021

All hail the tiny ceremony! This week we performed Viki and Dom's second handfasting as their wedding was postponed for the second time due to COVID-19. Aaah man. Refusing to be glum about it, they booked me for a sweet and intimate ceremony at Brandon Hill in amongst the beautiful gothic gardens there. Viki looked once, twice, three times the stunning lady that she is. Big thanks to Dom for co-writing the ceremony with me! Looking forward to next year for the big one! ###X

26/06/2021

If you are planning a baby shower for a friend, you can go one step further by creating a Blessingway for them. In my most recent blog I have given some of the main building blocks for creating and faciliating a ceremony that is meaningful and beautiful.



https://www.idodeclare.co.uk/i-do-declare-blog/u15p3brmzbgn7dde4nf4dwtnaailmk

Here are some of the steps I usually take when building a Blessingway:  Consider the Vibe   Depending on the participants you can create a ceremony which is as reverent or casual as you wish. At the last Blessingway I held there were

25/05/2021

Look at this thoroughly cheerful Sheela Na Gig I made for a Blessingway on Friday!

The Sheela Na Gig is an ancient figurine that can be found carved on castles, churches and other buildings across Europe, with most being found in Ireland. Archaeologists and historians don't agree on what her true purpose was, but a modern feminist perspective is that she acts as a symbol of female empowerment and sexual positivity.
Giving a Sheela Na Gig to a woman who is due to give birth opens up a dialogue around one of the most profound and humbling experiences a woman will ever go through. It may also cause a giggling fit!
Today there are countless Sheela Na Gigs being passed from woman to woman across the globe. And if you don't have one, make one! It can join the others spreading the message of the divine feminine which lies within us all.

06/05/2021

Hey what a lovely article about celebrants I've just read! Turns out, celebrants are amazing, as is having a celebrant-led wedding. Well who'd have thought it!
"Celebrants are dedicated to creating a personalised wedding experience for you and your guests." True dat!
https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-ideas/celebrant-ceremonies/

Looking for an alterative to a civil ceremony? Here we will guide you through everything you need to know about celebrants and celebrant-led ceremonies.

30/04/2021

I have a Blog! This week's post is called 'Any Om's a Good Om'...

I wanted to write an homage to this mighty little word and the profound affect it has on the mind and body. We often use Om to open and close our women's circles. Click through to find out more. https://www.idodeclare.co.uk/i-do-declare-blog/any-oms-a-good-om

Big thanks to my Moon Lodge sisters for all the inspiration and wisdom they have given me over the years. Where would I be without my like-minded kindred spirits!

Also if anyone else has been doing their group meditation/chanting via Zoom this last year you'll know exactly how nuts the sound goes when you all try chanting together! 😂

A good ceremony has a beginning, a middle and an end. It tells a story with intention, direction and meaning. But the human brain is not like this! The mind is erratic and capricious and prefers to follow a constant stream of thoughts. By the time we are adults most of us struggle to bring