My Ceremony
I am so excited to share with you my full ceremony script.
We decided to have a celebrant lead ceremony because we wanted it to be super personal. I hope this helps you all when it comes to what to say and how it works.
Our ceremony was written and conducted by Faye Hughes - Faye Elizabeth Event Services. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
Please be upstanding
Acoustic version of the Friends theme tune played.
Bridesmaid & Flower girl
Bridesmaid and Isla
Georgie and Father of the bride
*Georgie flowers to Isla.*
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Faye Hughes and I am an independent professional celebrant. It gives me the greatest honour to be here today, to celebrate the marriage of two friends Georgie and Brian, and marking a moment for a perfect family of three. A moment that I know you have talked about for 12 years. Rhyse Farm means a great deal to Georgie and Brian, Georgie discovered this beautiful venue in its very infancy and has had her heart set on getting married here ever since. Georgie and Brian have spent days here working together over the last year so it has become a goal for them both to be standing here today.
*Martin takes Georgie’s hand*
Martin, as Georgie’s father you have supported her continually in her journey with Brian and Isla so far, and today represents a celebration of all that they have been and all that they will continue to be. So, I ask, do you give this beautiful woman to be married to this man?
Martin: I Do
*Martin gives Georgie’s hand to Brian*
You may now be seated.
For many of us here, we know Georgie the UK wedding planner and bride of 2022 and Brian the policeman turned financial guru but the beginning of this story is a little more humble. Time to cast your minds way back to November 2009 when JLS ‘everybody in love’ was number one, the first smartphones were released, we were wearing bootleg jeans with kitten heels and some men had questionable diamond piercings. You’d be right to think this feels like another lifetime! It’s fair to say that Georgie and Brian really have grown up together. TGI Friday’s is at the beating heart of their relationship, it’s where they first locked eyes across the bar, Brian was working and Georgie starting her first shift. Brian said Georgie was on a trial shift and he fell in love with her. She was offered a few jobs, but this was the one that she picked, and she was there just a couple of weeks. But that was all that was needed for her to meet Brian and make a great impression. Georgie said that Brian was an “exotic person, he lived on his own and was a proper man”. Even at this early stage they were completely on the same page and there was an undeniable spark, they would both move their shifts around to work together and had found someone with an identical sense of humour. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t quite right and they were both ‘happily in other relationships’ until Brian needed a lift home from work and Georgie politely offered to take him in her purple Renault Clio, they took a detour to KFC and sat in the carpark chatting for hours and listening to music. This became a bit of a regular pastime and those early conversations were always humorous and sarcastic but from the off, there was talk of commitment, marriage and family. This all sounds perfectly romantic, but it wasn’t without a little blip in the middle where Brian ignored Georgie’s pings on MSN and pretended, he didn’t see her in the queue for Liquid one day, the first hurdle they overcame!
In 2010 they went on holiday to Dubai, the first time Georgie had met Brian’s mum and sister who have made Georgie feel part of the family since this moment and where Brian asked Georgie to be his girlfriend on the 21st August 2010.
After they returned, it was time for Georgie to go to University, she had chosen the location before getting together with Brian so travelling to Hertfordshire on a weekly basis and coming back in the middle wasn’t sustainable, we all know that she didn’t need a degree to succeed so I'm glad she didn’t waste time and after 3 months returned home and got a job, moving in with Brian and, now best man, Ben. For a young couple, Brian and Georgie jumped in at the deep end with going on amazing adventures together including three months travelling to Dubai, New Zealand, Vegas, San Diego, San Fransico and LA.
Over the next couple of years, Brian was committed to becoming an incredible bar tender, I’m told he has had the nickname of Brian McFadden due to his obsessive nature when it comes to a new idea. But this paid off, winning competitions and striving to be the best, but the dream of being in the police was always there. Georgie remembers evenings spent testing Brian on cocktail ingredients and having to taste the samples. Georgie had started working at a wedding venue, Brian remembers trying to convince Georgie to be self employed at this stage, when we chatted Georgie said she didn’t have the knowledge to which Brian responded “when has you not knowing anything stopped you”. I think this perfectly sums you up as a couple you are both committed to being the best that you can be and working hard to achieve and succeed.
So, after a couple of years of exploring, achieving, working and saving. Georgie and Brian set out to buy their first house.
On the very same day that they put the deposit down in January 2013, Georgie aged 21 and Brian 23, their life changed in the most spectacular way. Yes, they had made their first big commitment but they also found out they were expecting a baby! By this stage, Georgie and Brian had worked out each other’s emotions and how they dealt with news, it was always together, but they always gave each other space to consider change. Georgie extroverted and Brian introverted meant that there have always been differences in perception but never in personality. Georgie and Brian moved into their first home when Georgie was 6 months pregnant. Both mature and settled, being young parents suited them perfectly and along came Isla Rose Mitchell.
Isla gave Georgie and Brian a few little scares in those early weeks and months but Georgie and Brian have an amazing “get on with it” attitude, they don’t dwell on weakness or difficult situations but instead, laugh in the face of them! You only need to take one look at the amazing, strong girl Isla is now to see this.
After a lot of individual growth, they had both become stronger and more self-assured as individuals so took some time to focus on how they wanted things to look as a three. We spoke in depth about the meaning of New Year’s Eve, I had wrongly assumed it was all about the party and the cocktails but it is so much more. New Year’s Eve represents fresh starts, new beginnings, setting goals and reflection.
Rob please come forward with today’s reading...
“Words from Jordan B Peterson
Your life isn’t margheritas on a beach in Jamaica
That happens now and then,
Those are exceptions.
Your life is how your wife greets you at the door when you come home
Every day
Because that’s ten minutes a day.
Your life is how you treat each other over the breakfast table.
Because that’s an hour and a half or an hour
Every single day.
You get those mundane things right,
Those things you do every day,
You concentrate on them and you make them pristine.
Then you’ve got 80% of your life put together.
These little things that are right in front of us,
They’re not little,
That's the first thing.
They’re not little, and they are hard to set right.
And if you set them right, it has a rippling effect.
And fast too.
Way faster than people think.”
2018 was the start of the new chapter for this lovely family. Brian had met his goal of joining the police and after dropping Isla at her first day of school they went to Brian’s Police training graduation. Georgie was settled into working part-time at Hey Pesto and it was time to celebrate the everyday. The tiny moments became the most important, like how you both just know that its dinner, Isla to bed then grab the blankets and curl up in front of a TV series. You share the household chores and the three of you absolutely smash ‘family time’.
For Brian’s 30th Birthday, Georgie planned a trip to Canada, it was their first big adventure as a 3 and you both beamed when you chatted with me about this family trip and how much it meant to be able to provide Isla with such amazing experiences at such a young age. Georgie finally reached her goal of becoming self-employed and Brian, as Georgie put it “became an amazing person”. In January 2020 Brian was onboard with setting goals with Georgie and after planning to read 30 books in the year became interested in investment ISAs, pensions and making an early retirement plan. When we spoke, you both laughed about telling 10 years ago Brian and Georgie that these words would become part of your everyday but you have become so focused on being smart with your time and money to enable you to have a happy life together full of amazing memories, I don’t think I'm alone when I say I'm in awe of the lessons you have learned, the facts you have faced and the future that you are creating together for your three.
Georgie always had high expectations of how a man should behave as her dad Martin has been such a steadfast role model. Kind, loving, strong and fiercely protective and now Georgie has two men in her life who share the same values, are model fathers and provide extremely high standards for anyone Isla may meet in the future. And Georgie, Brian describes you as determined, kind-hearted and strong. These qualities have enabled you to become the most amazing mother and friend to Isla and as Brian put it, you are capable of anything you put your mind to, this ambition is clear in Isla too for all she has already achieved in her commitment to cheer.
Isla, I believe you have a few words that you would like to share....
Isla’s Reading
My Mum and Dad are the best that can be
And I want to tell you all why
Since the day I was born,
They've told me my dreams should shoot as high as the sky.
We work really well when it’s just you and me
In the house that we call a home
You both work so hard you make it perfect
And somehow you never moan
Outside of our three you have the best friends
They always look out for me
We spend time together and they make me feel
As happy as can be!
Family days are the best thing ever
We always have the most fun
We pick places to go and things to eat
I like it best when I've won
Mummy you are the best I could want
You are so kind and generous
You are always happy and work so hard
You make me very ambitious
Daddy whenever I get stuck
With a sum or spelling words
You always help me, I like our time
Of being the family nerds
Today is a new beginning
We have had so much fun so far
I will wrap this up now
Because I know that all of you
Really want a cocktail from the bar
One day Daddy shared a secret with me
That he was to make mummy his wife
This made me so happy
Because now I was sure
We will all be Mitchell’s for the rest of our life.
In autumn 2020 Brian sent a very important message to Holly Robinson, it was time. For those of you that don’t know, Holly creates beautiful bespoke rings and is a great friend of Georgie’s. As if Holly had a special folder set aside ready for this moment, she presented Brian with some options for an engagement ring having had multiple conversations with Georgie over their friendship about the details that she might like. Holly did a sterling job at throwing Georgie off the scent by dropping into conversation one day that if Brian ever approached her about creating a ring then she wouldn’t be able to talk to Georgie for a few months because she wouldn’t be able to lie so their daily chats put pay to Georgie having any idea that a proposal was coming soon.
In a very special moment, Brian showed the ring to Isla who kept it all a secret from mummy and even painted Georgie’s nails the night before the proposal to ensure that her hands were Instagram worthy.
Covid sparked a few challenges for Brian and it wasn’t going to be possible to propose with any huge gestures or big groups of people. On New Year’s Eve 2020 Brian began a tour of their milestone locations with a poem prepared for each one. They had dropped Isla with a friend and Brian took Georgie to the TGI Fridays car park. The first poem was presented and Georgie knew, this was it...she couldn’t help but hope that the question wasn’t about to be popped in a car park – thankfully Brian knows her well enough! The tears started to flow and she tried to take in every moment. When they pulled up outside their home for Brian to present Georgie with the penultimate poem, friend Kev passed by the car, the most awkward conversation took place as Georgie and Brian were convinced it looked like they were breaking up, but as they hadn’t actually acknowledged to each other what was happening, they could hardly tell him, thankfully he moved on and they headed for Crickley Hill where on a bed of snow, Brian got down on one knee, presented a Holly Robinson box, a pleasing sight for Georgie, and popped the question. And here became the first time Georgie said the words we have all heard a few times now “I’M ENGAGED”.
This wasn’t just the start of their journey to their marriage but the beginning of a successful business partnership now known as “GBI Mitchell Limited” which encompasses their joint social media business simply peak and their individual passion project Georgina Rose Events and Frugal Spender.
Georgie and Brian, I asked you both what being married will mean to you. Your answers were so perfectly aligned, describing how no matter who has come and gone, you have built your life with everyone standing here today playing their own part, friends becoming family enabling your little family to become friends.
So, I would like to invite you to join hands
*I Move to aisle*
Brian, do you promise to commit to Georgie today,
Do you promise to provide a loving home, a secure future and a lifetime of adventures?
Brian: I DO
Georgie, do you promise to commit to Brian today,
Do you promise to be his constant, to support him in his individual endeavours and share a lifetime of adventures?
Georgie: I DO
As friends and family, you have all played a part in Georgie and Brian’s relationship so far. Will you continue to support them as a couple and as a family in their future beyond their commitment today.
All: We Will.
Georgie and Brian, I would like to invite you to share your vows.
Brian & Georgie share vows
*I MOVE BACK TO NORMAL PLACE*
Thank you.
Ben, can we have the rings please. And Isla, can I ask you to join us please.
Brian and Georgie have written their own promises which they will now share upon the exchanging of their wedding rings.
BRIAN TO GEORGIE
I promise to not hold you back, but instead let your ambition and creativity lead you in the direction that it always has, the right one.
I promise to be by your side during the laughs and the cries, when things go well and if it feels like the world is crumbling around us.
I promise to keep making you my mash potato you love so much, for as long as I am physically able to
I promise to be your biggest cheer leader, standing behind you and supporting you in whatever it is you choose to do.
*PLACE RING ON AND SWAP HANDS*
GEORGIE TO BRIAN
I promise to support you fully but also continue to challenge you daily.
I promise to like and share every TikTok you make.
I promise to fill our home with laughter, fun and adventure.
I promise to work together to build the most beautiful life for us.
Isla takes ring and Ben sits down
Isla to Georgie
Mummy, being a Mitchell means being strong, brave and silly. Since you are already all of these things, I give you this ring to represent the never-ending love and bond between us three.
Isla takes my place, I step to the side
Georgie and Brian, becoming parents has been the making of you as a couple and you have shown such dedication to Isla. Please could you hold Isla’s hands and repeat after me together.
Isla, we commit to you today,
We promise to show up,
To be there with you and for you
To commit to your future
It will always be us against the world
*Isla sit down*
Georgie and Brian, today isn’t about marking the start of your life together, it’s about recognising all that you have achieved in your relationship so far, the journey you have been on and the future that you hope for. There is nothing I can tell you about how to have a successful marriage that you don’t already know for yourselves so instead, I want to share with you what I have learned from your relationship so far.
- Laugh every day, don’t be afraid to face challenge with humour, it might be the best way to carry through.
- Be brave, set big goals and be committed to achieving them, it could be the making of you.
- Enjoy the little moments, marriage can’t always be about the big gestures so embrace the everyday.
- Embrace fate, life has funny ways of bringing you something you never knew you needed
Georgie, I am sorry that you have said for the last time “did you know, I’m engaged” but I hope that being able to say you have a husband will now suffice!
Without any further delays, please be upstanding as I present to you Mr and Mrs Mitchell, Brian you may kiss your wife!
*Gs flowers and Isla*
As you’re walking out with Isla I say Please put your hands together for “The Mitchell’s”
Recessional - Sweet disposition.
All images by Patrick Partridge Photography
I hope this helps anyone who is considering having a celebrant/family or friend lead ceremony.
It was one of the best decisions we made.
Until the next blog,
Love you bye! xx