The Wedding Edit:
Finnebrogue Woods.
I had the pleasure of marrying SJ and Christie in the stunning Ceremony Circle at Finnebrogue Woods last September. Their County Down wedding day was full of love, laughter and…erm, rain. But more on that later.
Their love story began online, until their first date in Belfast where, unwittingly, Christie had planned a first date in one of SJ’s favourite city centre restaurants. That night SJ arrived a little late, having just completed her final day at work. She had handed in her notice and had big plans to go travelling. She quicky came to realise after meeting Christie, however, that the greatest adventure of her life was just about to begin.
Fast forward a few years, and Christie, SJ and their whippet Penny went to the Mourne Mountains, ostensibly for a family walk. Little did SJ know that Christie was about to ask the biggest question of both their lives.
Sitting beside the Blue Lough, he took out a packet of Jelly Tots- SJ’s favourite sweet and offered them to her. He then asked her if she wanted another surprise, and took out a packet for himself. Christie then asked if she wanted a third surprise. Expecting another packet of Jelly Tots, SJ was beyond surprised when Christie produced a ring box. SJ was so shocked that she didn’t quite believe it until Christie moved onto his knee and opened the box.
Of course, she said yes.
Their day was simply beautiful. The Ceremony Circle was covered by a canopy, creating an intimate, warm and inclusive atmosphere soundtracked by the rainfall from above. Together SJ, Christie and I created something special- but the rain that day truly made it magic.
I recently caught up with SJ and Christie to ask them about their day.
What attracted you to a Humanist wedding?
We wanted a non religious ceremony that represented us as a couple allowing us to include symbols and stories that are meaningful to us.
How did you find the collaborative planning process?
We weren’t sure what to expect and had met with a few celebrants before choosing Stefanie but ultimately her vibe fit ours and that made all the meetings and planning fun! We enjoyed reminiscing about our relationship, and given we aren’t the most ‘romantic’ couple the homework gave us a way to express things we otherwise wouldn’t have.
You were both very involved in the collaboration- do you think that made a difference on your day?
Absolutely, it helped us calm the nerves for a start. But hearing the script come alive and hearing our friends and families reaction was really special.
How did you feel when you first received your ceremony script?
What vibe did you want for your ceremony? Do you think having a humanist wedding helped your achieve this?
We wanted a relaxed, fun vibe for our wedding that would put us and our guests at ease. Having a humanist ceremony definitely helped with that, it set the tone for the rest of the day and provided a personal insight in to our relationship that some of our extended family and friends wouldn’t otherwise know.
How did the ceremony feel while it was happening?
Wet given the pouring rain and outdoor ceremony! But despite that and the 120 people staring at us, it felt like we were in a world of our own, it felt personal and special and not at all as scary as we expected it to be.
Was there a most special part of your ceremony? What made it stand out?
It was all special honestly. I’d love to say there was one specific part like the secret answers, stories, hand-fasting or being able to include our family but really it was all of that together that made it perfect.
Did you include any symbolic elements, readings or personalised vows? Why did you choose them and in what way did they add to the magic?
The hand tying ceremony was really special to us, having a physical symbol of our vows, created from fabrics that were personal to us added an element to the wedding that was very meaningful to us.
What was your friends’ and family’s experience of your ceremony?
Our friends and family RAVED about the ceremony. We were so worried it wouldn’t land because of the weather but everyone commented on how intimate the rain made it feel, that the stories and humour weren’t anything they’d experienced before. All day we were told how special and unique it was.
What were the top 3 best parts of your whole wedding day?
Our favourite parts of the day surprised us, neither of us particularly enjoy being the centre of attention but yet those turned out to be the best moments of our wedding! The ceremony and making our marriage official of course has to be the best part, but we also loved the speeches, hearing personal stories from our families and even having our photos taken which allowed us to have time alone away from the fanfare.
What made your venue The One for you?
We’ve always loved Finnebrogue Woods but seeing the ceremony area overlooking the lake and the intimacy of the teepee was a no brainer for us.
How would you describe my celebrant style?
As a celebrant Stefanie is bright and relaxed, she delivers jokes and quips with a perfect tone, while merging meaningful and romantic elements that don’t feel cringey or overwhelming.
If you could go back and change anything about your day, what would it be?
Ah there are plenty of things we would change, the weather and the DJ that didn’t turn up for a start! Thankfully the good bits like the ceremony made up for the bad in spades.
What advice would you give to other couples who are about to start planning their wedding?
Just go for it. Don’t listen to people who say it takes years or it can’t be exactly what you want because of tradition, family or some other construct. The bits you obsess over won’t even be noticed by your guests, so just enjoy the process and keep things simple.
Wedding Suppliers
Venue: Finnebrogue Woods
Flowers: Floralicious
Celebrant: Stefanie Onipko
Catering: Posh Nosh
