The Wildflower Ceremonies founder, who won two titles at the Dorset Wedding Awards in November, specialises in creating stunning ceremonies for free spirits, and is renowned for her expertise in performing full, authentic handfasting ceremonies.

Ellie’s role as a recommended celebrant will see her offering both handfasting and civil ceremonies to Sunninghill couples who wish to blend enchanting rituals into both indoor and outdoor ceremonies.

Jacky Walker, Sunninghill’s wedding expert and events manager, said; “Ellie’s wealth of knowledge surrounding ancient wedding rituals and her passion for modern best-practice make her a perfect fit for the high standard of service we offer to couples getting married at Sunninghill.”

She went on to say, “Sunninghill has a number of beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces that are well-suited to handfastings and creative ceremonies, so we are excited to be able to offer Ellie’s stunning ceremonies to those who are looking for an alternative to a traditional wedding ceremony.”

Ellie said, “It is truly an honour to become one of Sunninghill’s recommended celebrants and the team’s specialist in handfastings. In recent years so many couples are looking for ceremonies that are truly heartfelt for them, so we are seeing a huge return to handfastings as a meaningful alternative to a traditional service.

“Many couples also wish to have their ceremonies outside in nature, so it will be an absolute privilege to assist couples looking to get married at this beautiful venue.”

We recently had the privilege of setting up an indoor handfasting ceremony for a stylised wedding shoot at Sunninghill, take a look at a few of the images below.

To make an enquiry about booking a wedding at Sunninghill, please visit www.sunninghillweddings.com.

For a free, no obligation consultation, or to simply find out more about our ceremonies, contact us today, we’d love to hear from you! 

PHOTOGRAPHY // www.originallylauren.com

MUA + NAILS // https://www.facebook.com/Liz.VibrantBeauty/

HAIR // https://www.facebook.com/hairdesignbyjustine/

DRESS // http://chantellesophia.com/

SUIT // https://wedding-time.com/

JEWELLERY // https://www.bishboshbecca.co.uk/

VENUE // https://www.facebook.com/sunninghillweddings/

FLORIST // https://www.facebook.com/rootscreativefloristry/

MODEL // https://www.facebook.com/sophiee.stockley

VENUE STYLIST // https://www.perfectlyprettywedding.co.uk/

RINGS // http://www.jordansjewellers.co.uk/

CELEBRANT // www.wildflowerceremonies.co.uk

SHAWL // https://www.weddingsbylaremi.com/

CAKE // http://sweetindulgentfancies.co.uk/

BRIDAL CAPE // https://www.karendornellie.com/

The tour will be led by one of the crematorium’s expert technicians, who will explain the process of cremation from beginning to end, as well as covering the different types of cremation available and answering questions from attendees.

Following the tour, a Death Café will be held in the crematorium chapel, facilitated by our founder and Sacred Celebrant Ellie Brooks, IPHM, who will be inviting those of all faiths and none to join in a friendly, informal discussion about death and dying.

It is hoped the unique evening will encourage healthy, open discussions in the local community about death and dying, empowering individuals to consider what makes a good death and what lessons death might hold for living life to the full.

Ellie Brooks explains: “Ironically, the goal of a Death Cafe is to help guests to live their lives to the full. While Death Cafés are an informal discussion forum rather than a bereavement support service, many people find airing their questions and sharing their stories about death in a friendly, informal setting can be quite an uplifting experience.”

Liz Hall, Bereavement Services Manager at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council) said: “Dignified care in death is at the heart of the services provided by BCP Bereavement Services and Poole Crematorium, so we are delighted to be hosting a tour of the crematory followed by one of Ellie Brooks’ wonderfully facilitated Death Cafés.”

Liz continued: “So often we fear what we don’t understand, so we hope that by giving people the opportunity to hear and see for themselves what happens during the cremation process, as well as providing space to talk about death and dying in the safety of a Death Café setting, we will be able to empower individuals to have healthier relationships with the one, inevitable thing we all have in common.”

The ‘behind the scenes’ tour and Death Café are open to all and free to attend, though pre-booking is essential.

Refreshments will be on offer throughout the evening and small donations will be invited towards hot drinks and cakes to help cover costs.

PRE-BOOK A FREE TICKET or call Ellie on 07922 591684 to find out more.

1. The word ‘wreath’ has its roots in the old English word ‘writhen’, which means to twist.

2. The circle has been held as a sacred symbol of eternity since before time began. Today, we can see the symbolic nature of circles everywhere; from the mathematical beauty of the universe, to wedding rings, to the Olympics logo, to the shape of our own planet – the list is endless.

3. For the ancient druids, holly was also revered as sacred – a magical plant that never seemed to die no matter how cold the frost or deep the snow; its red berries a burst of colour on the winter landscape, a symbol of the life-blood of the land.

4. Wreaths were a common symbol of success in ancient Rome – not only did Julius Caesar rock his laurels, but wreaths of flowers were hung on doors to celebrate victories.

5. After the Romans had conquered Britain, history suggests the powerful symbols of the holly and the wreath were combined, so that holly wreaths were given as gifts to wish good luck and prosperity on a friend’s hearth and home.

6. After the Romans adopted Christianity in 313 AD, the prickly texture of holly leaves came to symbolise the crown of thorns worn by Jesus on the cross. The evergreen nature of holly represented the eternal flow of Jesus’s love, and many Christians today hang the holly wreath upon their doors to invite the spirit of Jesus into their homes.

7. Christmas wreaths may also have started among the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples as a nifty upcycling trick. Back in the day, people would cut down their own trees from the wild and prune them at home. The leftover branches would not have gone to waste, instead, they were woven into wreaths, says author Ace Collins.

8. In 1839, a Lutherian Priest – Johann Hinrich Wichern – used a wreath made out of an old wagon wheel to teach children in Germany about the meaning and purpose of Christmas. He realised the wreath could also be used to help the youngsters countdown to Christmas – et voila – the advent wreath was born!

9. A wreath made of evergreens has long been associated with Yuletide. Yuletide has its roots in Viking customs, and included the marking of the Winter Solstice. At the Winter Solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is set at its lowest point in the sky, and appears to ‘freeze’ for three days. After this, the sun begins to rise higher, hailing the turning point of the year as we move towards spring. And so, it’s believed evergreen wreaths were woven in the shape of the sun, to symbolise the eternal nature of the cycle of life, and to celebrate the sun’s return…

10. And this is the BEST bit … it’s thought that Viking communities would also have made a giant wreath in the circular shape of the sun, and then set it on fire, rolling it down a hillside to symbolise the sun’s journey across the sky! Absolutely epic – just please don’t do that to one of Jay’s – they are truly works of art, not to mention the health and safety implications…

So there you have it; whatever your culture or spiritual path, hanging a wreath on the door at this time of the season is an invitation for good luck and prosperity to visit your home.

Hope you’re having a wonderful jollytide, one and all!

Independent celebrants, including our award-winning founder, Ellie Brooks, are often invited to create magical ceremonies full of individual meaning, free of the restrictions of process, place and time.

As current laws in the UK dictate – your marriage needs to be registered by an appropriate church representative or a registrar. Many couples who choose a celebrant-led service get their legal marriage certificate signed on a separate day, either before or after the wedding service, at their local registration office. This is a very economical option, usually costing less than £150. This frees them from any restrictions on their special day.

When getting married in a licensed venue, including some hotels, country houses and villas (it’s always best to check with the individual venue), some people choose to have a celebrant-led ceremony, with the registrar present so that they can sign their paperwork at the appropriate moment but still have the bespoke ceremony they desire.

These legal proceedings may only take place in venues that have a marriage license – which usually means the venue must have a permanent structure with a roof.

It is also possible to be handfasted legally by the enchanting Avalonian Priestesses in the Goddess Temple at Glastonbury.

When you announce your intention to be married, you’ll often hear the phrase ‘it’s important to have what you want’

We’re going to go one step further and say it’s not just important, but absolutely essential, because – as well as making your commitment to each other in the presence of friends and family – your wedding ceremony is your golden opportunity to set your intentions for your marriage; what you want it to be like, and feel like; how you want to live together and be together; what values you are taking with you on this incredible journey you are about to take.

This is why having something that feels ‘you’ is truly the best, because the only two people who can set the intention for their marriage are the ones who intend to live in it for the rest of their lives . . . in short, you!

Recently winning ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Highest Overall Score’ at The Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards, Ellie Brooks, invites you back to the beginning of your love story, weaving the rich threads of who you are into your dream ceremony.

The Death Café will be facilitated by award-winning Sacred Celebrant Ellie Brooks, IPHM, of Wildflower Ceremonies, who will be inviting those of all faiths and none to join in a friendly discussion about death.

The event forms part of the global Death Café movement, which aims to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of life. Death Cafes are held on a not-for-profit basis, and provide a safe, comfortable space for people to explore death and dying over a cuppa and some cake.

Ellie said: “Death is the one thing we all have in common, yet for so many people, it’s a radically taboo subject, which is why the Death Café movement started. While a Death Café doesn’t provide bereavement support, many guests find comfort in exploring the subject of death and dying in a friendly, relaxed environment.”

Ellie continued: “People have some incredible stories to tell about how their experiences with death have helped them live more fulfilling lives, so it’s a surprisingly uplifting way to spend an evening for many people.”

Boudicca Langer-Hann, Events Manager at Gaunts House, said: “Gaunts House is proud to be a centre of profound learning, so we are delighted to be hosting a Death Café with Wildflower Ceremonies. Death affects our lives in many ways, so it’s very important to us that people should feel able to explore how they feel about it in a safe, friendly space.”

During the evening, Death Cafe attendees will be invited to take part in an informal group discussion of death and dying with no agenda, objective or theme. The discussion group does not offer grief support or counselling, but is a respectful space for Death Café guests to talk about death and dying.

The Gaunts House Death Café event is free to attend and open to all, but pre-booking is advised to secure a seat. Please pre-book your place by emailing hello@wildflowerceremonies.co.uk  or by calling Ellie on 07922 591684.

Those interested in finding out more about Death Cafes are invited to visit www.deathcafe.com. To find out more about Wildflower Ceremonies please visit www.wildflowerceremonies.co.uk. Further information about events at Gaunts House can be found at www.gauntshouse.com.

Ellie, Wildflower Ceremonies founder, who specialises in handfasting wedding ceremonies and personalised civil ceremonies, was awarded two accolades during the evening, securing ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Highest Overall Score’. Ellie also received a standing ovation from other Dorset wedding suppliers in recognition of her work.

To win one award was a surprise, but to win two was overwhelming. We are overjoyed, not just for Ellie, but because hopefully this means the hard work of independent celebrants around the world is starting to gain recognition.

To win her titles, Ellie impressed a panel of independent judges with her passion for providing couples personalised wedding ceremonies that are meaningful for them, in places that are special to them.

The Dorset Wedding Awards, now in its seventh year, took place on Saturday 2 November at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth. The prestigious competition recognises outstanding performance among wedding professionals providing services to couples getting married in Dorset.

Wedding planner Sam Savage, organiser of the Dorset Wedding Awards and founder of South Coast Weddings, said: “The Dorset Wedding Awards is all about celebrating the very best suppliers the Dorset wedding industry can offer. Ellie provides a truly exceptional service to couples getting married in Dorset, and we are so delighted that Ellie’s outstanding work is being recognised.”

We would like to take this opportunity to say a special congratulations to all of the inspirational winners, highly commended businesses and finalists. We had an amazing evening celebrating with you all.

Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards Winners 2019:

Bridal Wear: Minster Bridal Boutique
Cake Maker: Cake by Sadie Smith
Caterer: Molecular Magic Creative Catering
Contribution to the Wedding Industry: Outside Bars Dorset
Entertainment (non musical): Festidolls
Entertainment Musical – DJ: Iggy:Wedding DJ
Entertainment Musical – Live: Harry North Music
Florist: Floral Couture by Jay
Grooms Wear: Minster Bridal Boutique
Hair Stylist: SLA Couture Bridal Hair
Makeup: Amazing Face Bridal Hair & Makeup
Newcomer: Wildflower Ceremonies
Outside Suppliers: Marquee Elegance
Peer’s Choice: Lucie Loves to Bake
Photography: Sadie Osborne Photography
People’s Choice: Forum Jewellers
Stationery: Cinnamon & Lullabies
Transport: Dorset Dubhire
Venue: Longthorns Farm
Venue Stylist: The Little White Heart Company
Videography: Digital Bohemia Wedding Videography
Wedding Accessories: Goldcrest Jewellers
Wedding Attire: Boutique at No.6
Wedding Extra: Biscuits by Sarah B
Wedding Planner: Millstream Bistro
Highest Overall Score: Wildflower Ceremonies

Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards Highly Commended 2019:

Attire: Fab Frocks
Cake: Cakey Lulu
Caterer: Fifteas
Entertainment, Live-Music: Sing People Sing
Florist: Jessica Hillier Floral Design
Hair Stylist: Amazing Face Bridal Hair & Makeup
Outside Suppliers: A&D Mobile Bars
Photography: Lotus Photography

To find out more about handfastings or a celebrant-led wedding ceremony you can call us on 07922 591684 or email hello@wildflowerceremonies.co.uk, we’d love to hear from you! 

To find out more about the Dorset Wedding Awards visit www.weddingsupplierawards.co.uk.

“Come. Beloved. Oh how long I have waited. Come beloved, come now, will you come? Step into my cauldron, the womb of night, the realm of shadow, and see what can be seen.”

And while your heart longs to take the hand and learn the lessons of the Mother of the Dark, the iron taste of fear wraps itself around your tongue; for, as you have known since you were a little child, there are monsters in the night . . .  and wonder and terror, and the knowing of things it would be so much easier not to know.

And who should be more wise of this than Ceridwyn herself; mother of Creirwy, the bright one; the daughter of the light. Mother of Morfran, the son of the shadows, and of the darkening night.

Morfran, whom Ceridwyn so loved, she sought to balance his darkness with an infinite wisdom, and set about the brewing of a potion for her beloved son that would boil for both a year and a day.

The potion into which she poured her blood, sweat, toil and tears and the essence of her very self; a wisdom as deep as the universe is wide. The potion which she set in the keeping of the blind man Morda, tender of the fire beneath the cauldron. The potion she left to the stirring of the young boy Gwion Bach, to ensure it did not catch and spoil.

And just as the world behind our world thrives on the power of three; three jewels of knowledge, three faces of the Goddess, three sisters of the fates, the first three drops of Ceridwyn’s potion would impart the drinker her own blood-born wisdom; leaving the rest a fatal poison.

But the power of three can have a mind of its own, and it seems even a Goddess’s plans may be interrupted by the sisters of the fates – three hot drops of potion spilled onto Gwion’s thumb one day as he stirred the liquid, scolding him red raw. Instinctively, the boy put his thumb quick to his mouth, cooling the burning liquid . . .  and unthinkingly gaining the wisdom and knowledge Ceridwyn had intended for her own son and rendering the rest of the potion to poison.

On learning of the boy’s hideous error, Ceridwyn’s howl of rage flew to the four corners of the Earth, and hearing her murderous scream, Gwion fled. In his new found wisdom, he turned into a hare, that he might be flight of foot – but Ceridwyn, greatest of all shape shifters, turned into a hound, snapping at his heels. Gwion became a fish and jumped into the nearest stream; but Ceridwyn became otter, snatching at his fins; Gwion flew from the water into the sky, droplets and scales shivering into the feathers of a dove; but Ceridwyn became hawk, talons at his tail feathers.

And so the chase went on; for every animal Gwion turned himself into, Ceridwyn turned predator, hunting him with relentless vigour, until Gwion had shapeshifted into every creature on the Earth, and Ceridwyn, every kind of hunter. Exhausted, Gwion finally turned himself into a tiny grain of corn and hid, hoping against hope he would escape the great Goddess at last. But Ceridwyn, who knows much, became hen, and ate him whole.

It might have been the end of things then, but for one thing; when inside the mother of all transformation, the grain became planted within Ceridwyn’s womb, and there, it began to grow.

Enraged to find she was pregnant, and knowing the babe to be the reincarnated form of the boy who had robbed her first son of his wisdom, Ceridwyn vowed to kill the child as soon as it emerged from her body. But nine months later, found she could not. For from her womb sprang forth the wisest, most compassionate soul the world had ever known; he of the ‘shining brow’, poet of ages, speaker of the soul of the world, with all the wisdom of Ceridwyn herself, irrevocably transformed by death and rebirth; he who the songs of time would call Taliesin, Father of Bards.

And this is why, at this time every year, the wisdom keepers light candles in honour Ceridwyn, who became the threefold mother – mother of Creirwy, daughter of the light; enlightenment, mother of Morfran, the son of darkness; the shadow self, mother of Taliesin, the keeper of wisdom born of change, transformation, death and rebirth.

And this is why, at this time of Samhain, you may hear the people of the old ways call upon Ceridwyn to hear their prayers for those who have passed beyond the veil; for she is keeper of the beloved dead, holding them deep inside her womb, her cauldron of transformation, until their time comes to be born anew.

And this is why, at this time of year, as the sun wanes and the nights draw in, we too prepare to face our shadows and enter the long dark; the cave of the psyche, Ceridwyn’s cauldron of transformation, to let die what needs to die, so that what might be reborn, might be reborn.

Words: Ellie Brooks of @wildflowerceremonies

The Dorset Wedding Awards, now in its tenth year, will take place on Saturday 2 November, and recognizes outstanding performance among wedding professionals providing services to couples getting married in Dorset.

Categories in the prestigious competition range from best in bridal wear and entertainment to venues and photography, but 2019 will be the first year a celebrant has been in the running to scoop an accolade.

Ellie, an independent celebrant certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM), is the only qualified Sacred Celebrant in Dorset, and specialises in authentic handfasting wedding ceremonies rooted in ancient Celtic traditions.

She was shortlisted in the Dorset Wedding Awards for her ceremonial knowledge and for her passion in making sure couples receive personal wedding ceremonies that are meaningful to them.

Ellie said: “It is an absolute honour to be shortlisted in the Dorset Wedding Awards this year. To be the very first celebrant to have been shortlisted for the awards is humbling to say the least, but hopefully, is also indicative that there is an increasing awareness about the magnificent services being provided by hard working celebrants across the globe.”

Statistics show demand for independent celebrants, who can conduct personalized ceremonies for people of all faiths or none, is on the rise. Humanists UK reported more than 6,000 celebrant-led marriages in Scotland alone last year, while many more ceremonies performed by independent celebrants will have taken place uncaptured by official figures.

Wedding planner Sam Savage, organiser of the Dorset Wedding Awards and founder of South Coast Weddings, said: “The Dorset Wedding Awards is all about celebrating the very best suppliers the Dorset wedding industry can offer.

“We are so delighted to have our first ever celebrant in the running for an award this year, and that Ellie’s exceptional work is being recognised. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our finalists the very best of luck.”

To find out more about handfastings or a celebrant-led wedding ceremony you can call us on 07922 591684 or email hello@wildflowerceremonies.co.uk, we’d love to hear from you! 

To find out more about the Dorset Wedding Awards visit www.weddingsupplierawards.co.uk.

In his time he has been called many things; King Stag, Horned One, the Wild God, Greenman, Lud, Osiris, Odin, Dionysus, Pan. Guardian of the trees, Walker of the Woodland Realm, Father of Time. Now tall as the mighty oak, now altogether its shadow; be still and you may see him; to be sure, he has seen you.

Be kind. If you can, speak softly to him, out loud; because in his heart he is waiting, as those who are in love often do. Waiting for the earth to warm beneath his feet, waiting for the sky to turn from grey to blue, waiting for all the secret signs she has awakened; waiting for the sound of her footsteps running, light upon the woodland floor.

And then will his heart be full. As she who is called Goddess, Rhiannon, Artemis, Flora, Queen of the May, Mistress of the Moon, comes into his arms once again. And then will the creatures of the forest make them a bed of flowers to lie upon, and keep watch for them this night; as the great fire of their passion sets the land aflame; igniting the seeds of the earth with life, and alighting in our own hearts those dreams that are of passion, adventure, creativity and above all else, love, in all its living forms.

And when at last the great fire disc Bel rises in the sky, and they have remade the world anew; the Goddess now abloom with life in her belly; the lovers will part once more to tend the great work they have begun, and go out again into the world.

But their longing for one another never dies, and ever burning on their lips are these parting words; “until the night we meet again.”

And this is why, at this time every year, the trees cloak themselves in flowers in honour of the union of the Goddess and the God.

And this is why, at this time every year, the people of the old ways light the fires of Beltane in honour of a passion blazing so dazzlingly bright, it ignites all life on earth.

And this is why we too, at this time every year, may find ourselves, at the strangest moments, dreaming new loves, and new ideas, into life.

Words: Ellie Brooks (Copyright 2019)

Image: Stunning artwork, used with kind permission, by Emily Balivet, check out her other beautiful works for sale here.

If you’d like to find out more, please find news of all our latest musings and happenings below. For even more Wildflower inspiration for wild at hearts, please do come and find us over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, we hope to see you soon!