A Coastal Ceremony To Celebrate Love and Parenthood
Fiona & Steve
Some love stories don't need hundreds of guests.
They don't need fireworks or flower walls or a twelve-piece gospel choir (lovely though all of those things are).
Sometimes, they just need the sea.
Steve and Fiona's ceremony was one of those.
With Brighton's iconic Bandstand behind us, the waves rolling in just a few metres away and their beautiful baby boy, Cooper, at the very centre of this new chapter, it felt wonderfully fitting that we celebrated them in the city they've made home.
Brighton has a way of making things feel just a little less formal. A little more relaxed. A little more real.
And that's exactly how they wanted their ceremony to feel.
Why they chose a celebrant
When we first spoke, Steve and Fiona told me something I hear quite a lot.
They didn't want their ceremony to feel like the bit everyone was waiting to get through before the drinks reception. They wanted it to be the heart of the day.
Something that actually sounded like them, not words that could have been read to anyone.
They wanted stories, laughter and a few happy tears.
The little details that make people turn to each other and smile because they know exactly what you're talking about.
I often describe my ceremonies as feeling more like your favourite podcast than a formal event. Relaxed. Story-led. Warm. Honest. With plenty of laughs woven in amongst the emotional bits.
I think that's why we clicked.
Becoming three
One of the biggest chapters in Steve and Fiona's story arrived long before this ceremony. Baby Cooper.
Anyone who's become a parent will tell you that life changes overnight.
The routines disappear and sleep becomes something you vaguely remember. You somehow spend an entire afternoon discussing the consistency of baby poo without batting an eyelid. But somewhere amongst all of that, something extraordinary happens as your family grows.
Watching Steve and Fiona together, it was impossible not to notice how naturally they had settled into this new version of themselves, not just as mum and dad but as partners.
Their ceremony wasn't simply about celebrating their marriage - it was about celebrating the family they are becoming.
The joy of a celebrant-led ceremony
One of my favourite things about celebrant-led weddings is the freedom they give you. To choose somewhere meaningful and tell your story properly.
Freedom to celebrate the life you've already built and not just the legal paperwork that made it official.
If you're still exploring what that actually means, I've written more about it in Celebrant vs Registrar: What's the Difference? and What Happens in a Celebrant Wedding Ceremony?
Why I love ceremonies like this
On my about me page I talk about believing that every couple has a story worth telling and I genuinely mean that.
Steve and Fiona reminded me that the most beautiful ceremonies don't happen because everything is perfect.
They happen because two people decide to pause, gather the people they love, and celebrate the life they've created together.
In this case, that life just happened to include a little boy called Cooper, the Brighton seafront and a healthy amount of sea air.
Whether you're dreaming of a ceremony by the sea, in a woodland, a family garden or somewhere that's simply meaningful to you both, the beauty of working with a celebrant is that your ceremony starts with your story.
You might also enjoy reading:
Or, if you're ready to start planning, I'd love to hear your story.
